Provincial trespassing bill treading on dangerous ground

By Lethbridge Herald on March 7, 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

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