“I have been lied to and misled for the last time.”
At least that was what Dave Redgate planned to tell contractors at the second half of the Northern Oilfield Contractors Association’s annual general meeting Monday. He was going to blame ‘an air of indifference and cowardice,’ and tell contractors that a government official had failed to deliver on his promise to update the Association on the government’s progress in dealing with its concerns.
Until, that is, Redgate received an eleventh-hour phone call from contractors’ lawyer Saturday evening – telling him that John McCarthy had, indeed, called.
He didn’t deliver a full report. But McCarthy did offer assurances that the province plans to take an in-depth look at the Public Lands Act as it applies to Crown lands as soon as the legislature resumes sitting.
“It will address and clarify government’s role in ensuring that all Albertans have an equal right to access Crown land; nothing more, nothing less,” Redgate told contractors Monday.
But the legislature isn’t back until Nov. 14. And after receiving no word for close to three weeks, Redgate was tentative with his cheers.
“We have no assurance that (the promised review) will go ahead,” he reminded himself and contractors. But then again, “we do finally have a key government contact that in my opinion can be trusted to view this issue objectively.” And while McCarthy is not elected, the contractors’ spokesman believes the counsel that has been at the helm of discussions thus far “stands a reasonable chance of success in engineering a solution.
“It’s unfortunate that he’s not an elected official, but then again, maybe that’s what makes him trustworthy!”
Be that as it may, Redgate told The Leader on the weekend he believes contractors will still have to decide which way they’ll proceed – give up the fight, continue with the battle, or “take a more confrontational approach, within the confines of legal tolerances, which would bring increased public attention to the issue.”
Redgate hopes contractors will continue to be patient – at least for the time being.
“My strong hope is that they’ll go with option two. I don’t want to jeopardize relations with this one very important contact we’ve developed. I believe we’ve accomplished more in the past four months than we did in the first six years” trying to get the province’s attention.
“This first glimmer of hope may be the start of other requests generated at that meeting three weeks ago. And with my renewed sense of optimism, I hope they will await further results.”
Two weeks earlier Redgate told the same crowd that he and Northern Oilfield Contractors Association President Kelly Persson had met with John McCarthy to reiterate, once again, contractors list of concerns. At that time, he said McCarthy assured the men they’d have an update on the province’s progress for contractors’ Oct. 6 meeting.
Redgate hoped for some definitive answers on how the Task Force appointed by Premier Ralph Klein in May is spending the $6 million the premier handed over in the budget.
And while McCarthy’s message offered less than he’d hoped for, Redgate said he still believes it’s the first small step what could be a solution for contractors who say blockades on Crown lands are just one reason why several are slowly going broke.

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