Sins will soon be forgotten

Commentary by Chris Clegg
for Smoky River Express

Since Peter Lougheed took power Sept. 10, 1971, there has never been more anger and resentment toward the Progressive Conservative Alberta government.

And for very good reason!

As Premier Ed Stelmach continues to bumble and stumble his way through his mandate, dissention is growing. Finger-pointing is easy when you have so many topics to choose from. A child in a candy store should be so lucky.

However, one major topic leads the way. Healthcare.

While citizens of Alberta scream bloody murder in the central and southern regions of our province, we northerners are the ones getting the view of the north end of the southbound moose.

In High Prairie, we have been given a raw deal regarding delay after delay on the new hospital’s construction. Another needless committee will soon be formed to decide what the community already decided - and approved - over a year ago.

What is the sense of that?

Another issue is the delay in getting a surgeon into High Prairie. The Slave Lake and Smoky River regions should be very interested in this because the surgeon would also serve in Slave Lake and do work on patients from Smoky River.

Lord knows, the region has needed and required a surgeon for a long time.

But lo and behold, somewhere there is another delay. Despite best efforts from local politicians and community health councils, no one can get an answer.

And then there is the delay in the new hospital in Grande Prairie. They have a hospital sorely undersized for the region it serves. Again, delays, delays, delays as we suffer with inadequate healthcare. More and more people have to go to Edmonton for services.

One has to wonder just how much political will there is in the Stelmach government to provide northern Albertans with decent medical service. Recent actions suggest not too much.

Ask yourself this question: why would Edmonton MLAs want to provide northern Albertans with medical service? As long as we have to travel to Edmonton, we pump millions and millions of dollars into their economy each week. This is our money leaving Falher, High Prairie and Slave Lake straight into the pockets of Edmontonians.

What a boost it would be to keep that money locally!

Do you think for one second Edmonton MLAs want to lose this new-found economic boost they’ve created for themselves by giving us the shaft in medical service?

Not a chance! Screw us!

Stelamch is now announcing cuts in other areas of the province. For that I say, “Don’t come crying to us!”

The most pathetic prospect about this mess is it will change very soon. As Stelmach goes into the last half of his mandate, guess what will happen? The money will flow as the election nears. It’s the way politics works. Scrimp and save for the first half of the mandate, then spend like drunken sailors the second half.

And Albertans will giggle and swoon over their government once again when the money flows. We’ll run like sheep to the polls and elect another PC government, mainly because there is no real, proven alternative to turn toward.

Politics in Alberta has become a joke. Stelmach is the jester and the voters are the fools. When will we wake up and smell the coffee?

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