I feel bad for Albertans. I really do. I've spent the past few weeks trying to make sense of this Bill 6 debate in my head and in different forums (including in-person conversations and online). I'm still struggling to come up with answers. The only thing I can really conclude is that I feel bad for Albertans.
The rest of this country is watching and it kind of feels like they're laughing at us. Not because of who's in power. Not because of who's in opposition. Not because of the farmers or the ranchers or the farm workers themselves. But they're laughing because of how this has become an absolute trainwreck by all accounts. And maybe they should be laughing.
This should have been a debate and discussion about how to make farms safer. This should have been a debate and discussion about how we could get farm workers feeling safer. This should have been about standing behind an industry that has been the bread-and-butter of this province for generations and letting it continue to flourish, even if it means under a few new rules to modernize the thinking, especially when it comes to corporate farms. Yet it's turned into nothing more than vitriol, name-calling and even a few threats against politicians. You have one side of the equation essentially saying that Alberta farms are nothing more than death traps, and that farmers and ranchers don't want to change that. You have the other side of the equation essentially saying that there's nothing wrong and this is just a heavy-handed government trying to upset a group of people who didn't vote for them in the first place.
It's become petty. Potshots are being taken. Some are disagreeing just for the sake of disagreeing. Others are trolling just because they can troll. And that's fueling the rage even more. I can't help but feel we're only one bad word away from an all-out brawl. You know who's to blame for this? Everyone. I don't care about political stripe at this point. We're lacking some serious leadership here, top to bottom.
Premier Rachel Notley and her party called it a miscommunication. While the original intention may have been honorable, the NDP's execution misfired. How can you tell? You've upset farmers, who have shown up from all corners of the province to rally, not necessarily against the bill, but hoping for some sort of consultation. And many farmers don't take a trip to the city lightly. There's a new sheriff in town and farmers and ranchers didn't really get to meet 'em before the "consultation" continued. And even after the admittance that mistakes were made, perception of "ramming through the legislation" continued. One of the ministers was quoted as saying "we think the amendments we'll be announcing shortly will help alleviate some concerns", to which a reporter asked "you mean the ones announced yesterday?" One could deduce that either the minister wasn't plugged in to the discussion in Edmonton, or the minister wasn't on top of the portfolio. Both are bad situations from a communications standpoint. Farmers always have their complaints, but usually it's about the weather, or the grasshoppers, or the price of their product. But it's always more of a "shrug and move on" than anything. This actually prompted them to get off the farm, en masse. This was an opportunity to prove you were something different from previous governments, who were accused of not involving the right people in the process, which was ultimately a factor in their demise. And yet that opportunity to say "we're different from them" seems to have been lost on you.
Opposition leader Brian Jean and his party also need to bear some of the responsibility. Sure, he's penned a nice sentiment for people to cool it. But even some supposed Wildrose supporters (to which I even question their loyalty) are calling for him to step down because he's "gone soft." Then you have the revelation that he was supportive of a bill like this in the past, and it throws even more questions into the air. Has the Wildrose moved past the old thoughts that they opposed just for the sake of opposing? I've read some of the allegations being tossed around by the party's faithful when it comes to the future of the family farm, how far the legislation will go, etc. Whether or not the party endorses those thoughts is irrelevant, because we all know perception is reality. And those not aligned with the Wildrose now think you're the ones fanning the misinformation flames. That information, right or wrong, has led to a massive and sometimes ugly movement that needs more than just a Facebook post and some handshakes.
Even the PC's, Liberals and Alberta Party deserve some blame. As much as they tried to have their voices heard, they were drowned out. I got the sense that many people were looking for some sort of calm voice of reason. But from one side, we had the talk about "unite the right" take over in a heartbeat, while on the other side, we had a party leader say he didn't like how the communication went, then in the next breath was trying to speak at an anti-Bill 6 rally about how the bill was actually a good thing. Can't blame a guy for trying, I suppose. Not exactly the best plan of action though.
And then there are those who have been really vocal about this debate. You're passionate and I'll give you that. But you have a weird way of showing it sometimes. Some of you have gone so far as to hide behind "freedom of speech" when it comes to your hate and threats. It's despicable. Really. Alberta is better than this. Or maybe Alberta isn't. Maybe this province is being exposed a bit. And that's what I fear going forward. Bill 6, as we know it, is a done deal. It's been passed and there's really no going back on it. But now we're up for an even bigger discussion about farmers' rights and other issues. Premier Notley has said that could take anywhere from 6-18 months. Can you imagine more of this disgusting commentary over the next year or so? Both sides will dig in their heels. Both sides will argue until they're blue in the face. But what will it really accomplish, if neither side is really willing to hear the other one out?
We can only hope that civility will reign supreme again in this wonderful province that we call home. We can only hope that when it does come time for a discussion on working conditions and other issues, that we're going to have a FULL discussion about it. Both sides need to understand this isn't going to be an easy discussion. It's not as simple as some make it out to be, but it's not as convoluted as others claim either. Both sides need to be articulate, take the emotion out of it, and be open to the idea that there are two sides to this debate. I don't believe anyone is (or should be) coming at this with an adversarial tone. We all want safe farms and ranches. We all want great places to keep raising our families and to contribute to society as a whole. We all want to see another part of our economy shine, especially when others struggle. I don't think anyone will argue those points.
But what they will argue, is whether the other side is willing to come to the table with ears wide open, ready to soak up all the information that can help us get to that point. Or will they show more interest in fighting and online battles than in creating good policy that makes all Albertans proud?
