Driving into work this morning I heard an interesting piece on the Radio. First let me be clear: I was listening to CBC Radio--which to most conservatives in Alberta is just to the left of Stalin. That said, I find it 'fair and balanced' myself--even if it's sometimes right-leaning. It's Alberta after-all.
Alberta == Texas North.
It wasn't much of a surprise then when I heard about this:
Alberta Government Agency Spies on Montana Citizens.
Follow me below the fold for more cloak and dagger goodness...
(Cross-posted to A Creative Revolution)
So here I was, driving into downtown Calgary listening to an Environmentalist from Montana describe how he felt about having some private dicks listen in on his cross-border conference call.
"These things shouldn't happen in a democracy" (a paraphrase since the CBC transcript/audi of the interview isn't up yet), I heartily agree, but what I found most ironic, was the undertone of scolding--as if his Government wasn't listening in on the same conversation. It was with foreigners after all--I'm sure the NSA got some choice intel on the Montana environmental scene.
Once I got past that choice bit of irony, I reflected more on the seeds of the story itself.
The board confirmed in June that it hired undercover investigators to blend into the crowd at a community hall in Rimbey, Alta., where dozens of people had gathered to watch closed-circuit TV coverage of the power line hearings.
It said the investigators were simply ensuring the crowd's safety after some pushing and shouting at an earlier hearing in Red Deer. The board also restricted access to the hearings after a woman took a swing at a lawyer and a man roughed up a security guard at a hearing in Rimbey.
Now that sounds familiar: the Alberta EUB admits to spying, but says it was because of security concerns. A hollow excuse right out of Bush's playboook.
But don't worry, there are investigations ongoing (3 of them):
Curran [EUB mouthpiece] said the board can't comment until the two Canadian investigations - one by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Commissioner and one by a retired Supreme Court justice - are complete.
"We just feel there's a lot of information that's out there, and a lot of misinformation that's out there, and until those investigations and completed and they've issued reports, it's inappropriate for us to comment at any great length about what they're investigating."
Mind you none of these investigations are by the police--all are internal to the Government. Steady Eddie (Premier Ed Stelmach) is working overtime to bury this one, but the opposition NDP now have another bone to chew on: The Montana Link.
While I believe the truth will come one in one and all of these investigations (Stelmach and his party are incompetents on the scale of Bush), I really don't see anyone being held responsible--certainly no one will be forced to resign as our environmentalist friend from Montana is calling for.
Then again, this is Texas North. Get back to me when you guys get Gonzales to resign over the TSP.