🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <352A37E6.A2A84CF9@netcom.com>, Gordon@netcom.com wrote:

> Norman Gall wrote:

> So you are stating that the majority of Alberta voters will believe
> anything that is told to them, that they cannot decide for themselves
> what is the truth and what is not? Interesting.

No.  I'm saying that they are a province of people with a most remarkable
ability to listen with attention to only what already coheres with their
beliefs.  Many other peoples do thius as well.  it is just that I have
never seen it quite so well done as in AB.
 
> I have not suggested that the Alberta Government JUST invoke the clause,
> but rather call an immediate election to have their decision 'ratified'.

Then you'd want a referendum rather than an election.  If the populace
couldn't care less about Vreind, they'd cast their vote on other issues
and the 'mandate' handed to whomever won would be tainted through this
serious weakness in the Cdn Parliamentary System vis a vis mandates.

> > As well, what people do in AB is a reflection upon Canada as a whole.
> > What Quebec has done with the language laws is a disgrace to us all.
> > Let's not counter that by doing ourselves further injustices. The phrase
> > 'cutting off one's nose to spite one's face' seems to apply here.
> 
> I would suggest that the difference with invoking the clause and calling
> an election is different. It is saying to the people: " we have done
> what we believe is the correct thing to do. You as the people of
> Alberta, tell us if we made the correct decision". I don't think this
> ever happened in Quebec, so there was no full public debate.

As above,.
 
> Are you suggesting that the SCC never INTERPRETS the law? Of course they
> do, for every case.

No they don't - unless you call drawing implicit conclusions from the law
'interpretation'.  Don't bother arguing with me.  I know what your
position is and all the arguments.  This is a deeply philosophical issue
(the literature is massive) that you and I are not going to solve here.

Let's call that one a draw and say that if the SCC makes new law, it is
then the Legislature's responsibility to change the law such that the SCC
has no option. Either way, this has been my point all along.

Norm Gall

-- 
"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from
 religious conviction." - Blaine Pascal