The Conservatives own Fraser Institute

14815-123 Ave.,
Edmonton, AB
T5L 2Y7
May 20, 2004

Dear Premier;

Yesterday there was a Fraser Institute Public Policy briefing. Ted Morton, our ‘U.S. Republican’ Senator-in-Waiting talked about his Firewall plan for Alberta. Ian McClelland was in attendance along with MP Jason Kenny. I’m sure in my mind these elected conservatives would like to do away with the 49th parallel in order to reach a deep integration with the US System.

There is no doubt at all about ‘emasculating’ Alberta’s wealth/energy/water and they have the full support of the Fraser Institute as well!

Fraser Institute’s Michael Walker asked why Morton had not included health care and immigration in his presentation (which covered Pensions, Personal tax collection and getting rid of equalization payments etc.). Walker thought, ‘if you had a job, you should be allowed to immigrate’. “That should help you with your tar sands projects”, says Walker.


Walker also ‘implored’ Morton to drop talk about using Alberta’s great credit rating to borrow at low rates and lend to other provinces at great rates as Lougheed did during the 80s when the bucks were flowing. Alberta could lend at low rates - almost like ‘money laundering’. No doubt Walker, whose mentor was Milton Friedman, was strongly against the idea because ‘shorting’ revenues is known to be conducive to coercing governments to privatize public resources, assets, institutions, and lower labour and regulatory standards and ‘have-not’ provinces are being getting nicely softened up – judging by the activities around Newfoundland and the Maritimes and to a lesser extent Saskatchewan and Manitoba, i.e. Wheat Board focus of ‘free market’ attack, even the Alberta Government threw in $400,000 of taxpayers’ money to advertise their ‘free market’ support!

Conservative columnists in attendance who will help promote this conservative free market message: Lorne Gunter, Nigel Hanneford, Link Byfield.

Firewall MLA Ian McClelland told Morton that McClelland’s committee report would NOT be out before the election. It should be called “Morton’s Plan B” seeing as what he called Plan A “West Wants In” failed to get Canada’s attention! Leveraged extortion works better! Can you arrange for me to get a copy of the committee report? It is apparent you own the media, thank God not the net!

Michael Walker was boasting about the Fraser Institute success after thirty years of well-financed efforts – they are 25 times more likely to be ‘quote’ in the media than the Suzuki Foundation. Of course it helps is your Trustees are ideologues who own the media!


Regards,
John Clark.
cyberclark@shaw.ca