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Taft takes the bull by the horns |
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Written by Lethbridge Herald
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Thursday, 06 November 2008 |
There’s a global economic crisis; falling oil prices are threatening to put the squeeze on Alberta’s energy revenues; recent deaths in Edmonton and Calgary have renewed the Taser debate in the province; and residents in a northern Alberta community are dealing with a scandal involving used syringes.
In the face of such trying times, citizens need a hero to ride to the rescue.
So Thursday, Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft donned his best cowboy duds and strode into the legislature to take the bull by the horns. There, the leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition did what needed to be done: He launched a campaign to recognize rodeo as Alberta’s official sport.
Whoa, pardner! That’s no bull. Alberta has apparently been without an official sport since its incorporation in 1905; how that happened, perhaps the auditor general can look into. But, finally, someone is doing something about it.
While Premier Ed Stelmach was preparing to head to Europe today on a trade mission aimed at promoting the province’s oilsands — and, in the process, skip Monday’s first ministers meeting on the global economy — Taft was preparing to step into the breech and lead the charge on a matter of provincial concern.
Now, some folks might be wondering if Taft forgot to wear his stetson when he was in the hot sun this summer. But the Liberal leader points out rodeo is a reflection of the province’s ranching and farming roots, which touch “every aspect of our society.”
“Mr. Speaker, let’s face it: rodeo is a reflection of the heart, soul and history of Alberta,” Taft said in the legislature. “And it’s a heck of a lot of fun, too. As a rodeo fan from way back, I think it’s well past time that we gave rodeo its due.”
Taft wasn’t just firing blanks either. He plans to back up his tough talk by introducing a private member’s motion later in the legislative session to push for the special distinction for rodeo.
The Liberal leader is hoping to pull MLAs’ attention away from more trivial matters — the economy, crime, health care — to support him in filling this gap in the province’s list of official things. We have an official flower (the wild rose), official bird (great horned owl), official tree (lodgepole pine), official animal (Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep), official fish (bull trout), official stone (petrified wood), official gemstone (ammolite) and official grass (fescue).
Finally, it seems, we will have an official sport, thanks to Kevin Taft.
Taft has indicated he will step down as leader of the Alberta Liberals by the end of January. But he’s obviously going out with guns blazing.
If Taft succeeds in his quest to elevate rodeo to official sport status, it will join a list of his accomplishments that, all kidding aside, includes shining the light on some of the deficiencies of the Conservative government through his books “Shredding the Public Interest,” written before his entry to politics, and “Democracy Derailed,” another bestseller written during his time in the legislature.
Leading the opposition posse has been a rough ride for Taft, who, despite being outgunned, nevertheless stood tall in the saddle. He will leave the Liberals in better financial standing than when he arrived, and he has served to bring attention to such issues as public accountability and government contracts.
Taft is riding into the sunset. Who’d a thunk he’d do so literally with a cowboy hat on his head?
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