Provincial trespassing bill treading on dangerous ground
By Lethbridge Herald on March 17, 2023.
Editor:
Re: Alberta government introducing bill to bar federal employees from trespassing on private property.
As a senior civil servant, I was rightly constrained from publicly expressing political views and I remained a-political while conducting my duties.
However, as a now retired government employee I am free to publicly express my views.
Notwithstanding, I generally have refrained from doing so in most cases, but I find myself so concerned with what I believe to be dangerous government misinformation that I feel compelled to speak out.
The UCP is promoting a bill that supports “an even playing field” as it relates to provincial trespass laws by specifically highlighting federal employees as a group that the bill would bar from entering upon private property without consent.
Has the Minister considered how dangerous such a proposal is? Apparently not. Advice being offered to him on this subject fails to reach the competency level of a first -year law student, and will sow the seeds that may ultimately harm the community by falsely emboldening some landowners.
This bill will pose a real danger to officials, who are not only authorized by law but are compelled by that same law, to enter upon private property to execute their duties.
It will also result in endless, costly and futile legal disputes. All in the cause of unnecessary, political window dressing.
Many, many Federal statutes, amongst them being: The Criminal Code of Canada, The Explosives Act, The Firearms Act, etc. etc. provide specific authority for Officials/ Police Officers to enter upon private property without consent, almost always, to prevent harm to persons or property.
The UCP continue to tread on dangerous ground and are quite content to sacrifice almost any shred of competency, all in the pursuit of power.
This bill is dangerous and completely unnecessary.
Peter Burns
Lethhbridge
15-14
Peter Our lawyer friends point out, as you have, that these phony conservatives with their stupid ideas will add millions in legal costs to our already financial disaster. It’s going to be one lawsuit after another.
Those us who have family members and friends as police officers were devastated by the news yesterday of the two police officers being gunned down in Edmonton. What makes it even more upsetting is the fact that they have been warning us for months that gun violence is getting out of control in Alberta. Yet here we have a phony conservative government, Reformers, adopting the American Republican Party Brand of stupidity with the Right For Criminals To Bare Arms, by bashing Trudeau for trying to stop it. They also found it smart to give Trucker Convoy Organizer Tamara Lich a heroes welcome in the Legislature, ignoring the fact that she still faces criminal charges, only 24% of Canadians supported these truckers and their actions cost taxpayers $65 million, proving without a doubt that there is nothing conservative about them. You would never have seen our hero Peter Lougheed being this stupid,, would you?
You are correct in pointing out the tragedy in Edmonton. However, you blaze off in a trail of horse pudding and make it political. Highly likely the firearm used was not registered, illegally entered the country or stolen. There is no such thing as “criminals rights to bear arms” as unless you have had your head up somewhere for 60 years, criminals do not register hand guns or any guns for that matter. As for what Peter Lougheed would have done, it’s not 1974 and you have no idea what he would of done. Just the usual spewing of nonsense and vitriol from the coffee club in Edmonton, my sisters uncle’s father’s common law oil woman told me so. Go away.
So you prefer the Federal Government employees be allowed to enter a person property without a warrant or permission. GET PERMISSION and in 99% of situations entry or compliance will not be an issue. Don’t get permission do what a police officer must do GET A WARRANT. Think you’re special? You’d been singing the opposite tune if it was you on the end of the intrusion. To wail about people having their rights protected from people like you shows the depth of thinking at the federal employee level. How dare you.
With some minor exceptions, property rights in Canada reside with the Crown. Most people erroneously believe they enjoy absolute control over their “real property”, but they don’t. In allowing for the private ownership of land, the Crown, again with minor exceptions, retains underlying control. That legal fact is why, say, police officers can enter a person’s home without a warrant or permission under certain conditions, including acting pursuant to a federal statute.
Hot pursuit or the prevention of the commission of an indictable offence. Go ahead let Trudeau come check your house out randomly in a Tuesday because of what he heard at a coffee shop. My door, lets see your warrant and your information to obtain that warrant.
RME
yes, a militant alberta so that the likes of irresponsible actions by big oil can poison albertans without federal oversight, while the govt of alberta shuts its eyes and pinches its nostrils.