Alberta Royalties - A matter of trust.

This Government has been sand bagging information and has continually put forward a program of lies misdirection and total deceit! How can we possibly believe them now?

The recommended royalty rate was accepted by the oil industry who satisfy us by saying more or less that "we will make do". Stelmach has put on his theatre face telling us he will do what is best for Albertans. The latter should make us suspicious as they have been saying the same thing for the last dozen years!

The numbers presented are apparently 20 percent above the 25 percent presently being charged as royalty. With only 19 of this 25 being collected just what in hell does that mean? What is in place to recover the other 6 percent of the present deal that was dealt away in back rooms?

The 20% figure is till 25 points below the lowest number elsewhere in the world.

The 20% figure could be dealt back to the oil companies through tax deductions or additional allowed expenses; a dozen different ways. The 20% figure is not as much cash as the oil companies make in one month!

This is a Stelmach orcastrated parade and, I agree with Taft saying we should have a public audit. After the light show Stelmach puts up you will find we have been shafted yet again.

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca