Martin Washes Out in Alberta

Now that the floodwaters have receded and residents are busy cleaning up the damage, Paul Martin has finally deigned to drop by to show his concern for Alberta.

As quoted in Maclean's:

"I very, very much wanted to be here, but . . . in a minority Parliament - when you take a look at the discussions we just had over the budget bills and other such legislation - it was absolutely impossible to be here," Martin said. "This is the first possible opportunity that I had to be here."

Martin pointed out he and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, an Alberta MP, had already been "in touch" with Premier Ralph Klein and most of the mayors whose communities were affected by heavy flooding.

"We would have been here much sooner if, in fact, we hadn't been withheld by the problems of a minority government."

Strange how the problems of a minority government didn't prevent Martin from going to Montreal to announce a $1 billion gas tax revenue deal with Quebec while Albertans were being swamped.

Paul Martin's belated appearance after the danger had completely passed, coupled with a thinly disguised crack at Alberta's electoral preferences passing for an apology, are even more offensive than if he had simply not shown up at all.

This government responded much more quickly to the Indian Ocean tsunami, with a much greater show of public concern, than it did for Albertans. Their own people!

Or maybe Ottawa doesn't think Albertans are their own people. Keep that attitude up, and Alberta will return the feeling in spades.