SPECIAL ED'S HEADACHES MOUNT

It was revealed this week that Special Ed's government is paying close attention to the substance and style of the government of Bush's pal Steve Harper back in Ottawa.

You will recall that recently there was an application by the Globe and Mail under the Freedom of Information legislation for the production of a Foreign Affairs report on conditions in Afghanistan. The Minister of the Department is the infamously broken-hearted Peter McKay, who was unceremoniously but understandably dumped by the comely Belinda Stronach. McKay's Department first said there was no such report - which was a lie.

A further application to the Freedom of Information Commissioner, led to the production of a report that was heavily censored with large swaths of blacked-out lines. Fortunately, the Globe and Mail had a full and complete copy of the report which it had obtained from another source. Comparing the two, it was quickly noticed that the difference between the censored report and the complete report was that all of the bad news of the report was deleted in the censored report. Concerns over corruption, poppy production, the torture of detainees, and other depressing news had all been blacked out by Foreign Affairs. There were no security issues involved that would have justified the withholding of that information from Canadians. So it must be assumed that the only reason for the reluctance of McKay's Department to come clean was to keep under wraps and from the Canadian public, information which was thought by the Harper Government to put itself in a bad light.

Today, we find that Special Ed is doing the same thing in Alberta. A censored major energy report done by Special Ed's Government, was released to the public. Again, a full and complete copy of the report has been produced through other means. A comparison of the censored report and the complete report indicates that the difference is simply 2 missing pages in the censored report.

What harmful information was contained in the missing 2 pages? That 6 U.S. States besides Texas , are receiving much higher percentages from the sale of hydrocarbons than the Province of Alberta, and that Alberta could be losing as much as 16 billion a year in hydrocarbon revenues - that's what!

Special Ed and his 'back to the soil' government wanted to keep that information from Albertans. Why would he have done that? For pals in the oil industry who may have wanted to pony up $5000 for his intimacy sessions? To be relieved of having to deal with the Royalty issue in the near-term? And why doesn't he want to deal with that issue now? Why is it that he was afraid of that information getting into the hands of ordinary Albertans?

So, Eddie has been caught red-handed trying to keep Albertans in the dark.

But there is more trouble ahead. Special Ed is also in a continuing heated squabble with Mayor Bronconnier of Calgary, who is telling anybody who will listen that Special Ed's Budget did not carry out his 'no strings attached' promise of billions of dollars in cash to Calgary. Bronco says major projects that are urgently needed will have to be delayed as a result. He is not happy.
There is the continuing health care crisis, delayed school construction, and the lack of major infrastructure additions or improvements.

And his caucus is about to give him real trouble. Sources say that there is plenty of disgruntlement and divided opinion over issues such as nucleur power for the oilsands, fixed annual contributions to the Heritage Fund, and rent controls. And of course, there are the looming two by-elections, as well as polls that show his support is weakening, particularly in Calgary.

Not looking good for Special Ed, that's for sure!