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Response to Joe Sawchuk’s criticism of Adrian Dix

Joe Sawchuk is certainly persistent. He is also ill-informed and biased beyond the bounds of political civility and common courtesy.

Joe Sawchuk is certainly persistent. He is also ill-informed and biased beyond the bounds of political civility and common courtesy.

In his last week's letter, ('Is Alberta's new Minister of Finance qualified?') Sawchuk's problem was that NDP MLA Adrian Dix had had the impertinence to question BC Energy Minister Bennett in the BC Legislature. Why was it, Dix asked, that Bennett's political assistant had been successful in applying for the position of Director for Policy with BC Hydro, when he had  “...no utility experience, no experience in energy policy, no crown corporation experience, no regulatory experience and no policy analysis experience?”

Sawchuk, rather than having the courage and honesty to accept that Dix and the NDP might well be right, sought to divert attention from Bennett's embarrassment by cobbling together an ill-conceived attack on Alberta's new NDP finance minister Joe Ceci, claiming that his situation was similar to that of Bennett's political assistant, by asking, 'What does a social worker [Ceci] know about debits, credits and financial statements...?'

Such a claim, as we have come to expect from Sawchuk, was based on his customary avoidance of fact and ignorance of circumstance.

Calgary's Mayor Nenshi is in a much better position to analyze Ceci's financial capabilities. He is perfectly clear on the issue: “Here's a guy [Ceci] who had to deal with a $3 billion operating budget and a $6 billion capital budget every year [on Calgary City Council]. That's extraordinary experience. There are very few people in the private sector that would have that kind of experience.”

Nenshi's statement has simply furnished us with additional proof that in letter after letter Sawchuk has exhibited a partisan myopia, an inability to come to terms with political realities and a dubious commitment to the truth.

It's about time he gave it a rest.

 

JC Vallance

Fernie, B.C.