Editorial

Pick a date
So pick a date, mail out the invites and let the chips fall where they may.
Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pearl Calahasen knows what she’s talking about when she says ‘not everybody agrees’ what direction talks should take as the province begins developing guidelines on Crown land use. And as Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister, she knows only too well of the challenges that have beset the northern part of this province and its peoples since dot.
But when it comes to organizing a meeting, she seems to be spinning her wheels. So what’s wrong with sending out the invites, setting up a town hall meeting, and beginning the process?
The minister says she wants to ensure as many of the affected parties as possible are consulted as the province begins setting out the ground rules for Crown lands.
But they are the ‘law makers’ in this particular jurisdiction. And we’d bet folding money that if this subject is truly important enough to the affected parties, they’ll be there – or see to it they’re represented.
It’s really not that difficult.
The minister says seven ministries have been charged with the job of setting this process. And each will receive a piece of the $6 million pie that Calahasen received from Premier Ralph Klein to poultice out this thorn that’s been festering in the north for the better part of a decade.
But our two cents says it could be as simple as issuing the invitation and letting it be known that the decision will be reached by using input from that meeting – or even set of meetings, if necessary.
Last summer news leaked of an alleged deal that had been struck between Calahasen’s department, industry and the Bigstone Cree Nation. It was about development in the Bigstone’s territory.
Last week an Edmonton Journal story told of an agreement that Tall Cree First Nation and forest industry companies have about how forests will be levelled and grown in that region.
So what’s so difficult with borrowing a page, sneaking a peek at the blueprint, and coming up with a plan to keep industry, First Nations and contractors in the region satisfied? It’s surely not rocket science. And if it is, and court battles ensue, so be it. At least the matter will be settled, no questions left outstanding.

Budget dilemma continues
Perhaps if we whine loud and long enough, the province will find a way, after all, to avoid making additions to education requisition we’ll all pay this year.
At least that’s how it appeared to work from some Calgary schools. First it wasn’t there, and a day later there it was.
Education Minister Gary Mar said there just wasn’t enough money for the school, but mere hours later, his department had somehow magically discovered an extra\ $5..something million to build that school after all.
So we guess that maybe, just maybe, money as begun appearing, even though war in Iraq seems to be driving down the price of Texas crude.
How else could one explain the sudden appearance of $5 million or so? Maybe it was in that same hip pocket where Premier Ralph Klein found $6 million to hand Aboriginal Affairs Minister Pearl Calahasen as her department and six others attempt to solve the dilemma that’s been haunting the oil patch for the past decade.
And if that’s not spooky enough, as this was being written, news of yet more budget money arrived, in the form of unconditional grants for the Town of Slave Lake and the M.D. of Lesser Slave River.