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UNITED WE STAND

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Alberta Premier Ralph Klein - while announcing his long goodbye from provincial politics that suddenly became a whole lot shorter last week - was asked the usual questions at times like these.

Legacy first. "Generally leaving the province in better shape than it was," Klein sighed - as the female MLAs in the legislature's historic Social Credit committee room dabbed their eyes and the Tory men worked their jaws and looked around the room for someone to punch.

Jim Dinning - the Judas/Brutus/Kim Philby character in the PC party's Night of the Knives - luckily was not available for a little attitude adjustment. Klein talked about fiscal stuff, then urged his successor, "for God's sake, don't get us back into deficits again."

Next came the future. The premier - now truly and irrevocably a lame duck despite his vow that it's "business as usual" - said he still wants to stay active. But not so busy that he can't enjoy his retirement.

KLEIN WANTS TIME TO FISH AND GOLF

"I want to have some time to fish and golf," Klein told reporters. "And do things I want to do."

If that is the case, then there's a lot of unfinished business for the premier to see to before he sends his retirement letter in to PC headquarters in September.

Because, while he did a lot of good things getting the province out of the fiscal hole his predecessors had dug us into, his fishing legacy has little to be desired. And the puny $2.6-million fish and wildlife budget increase that Finance Minister Shirley McClellan came up with this year is hardly going to match inflation, let alone pay for the massive CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) deer cull or come to terms with the pressure that the 750,000 more Albertans who are here now than when Klein was first elected in 1993 are putting on the resource.

Ironically, on the same day the premier was talking about "the end of the inevitable," Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government was in the House of Commons "turning a new leaf" with the first Conservative throne speech since Ralph was elected and Brian Mulroney was defeated 13 years ago.

Sure, a minority government is a game of compromise. And any reference to getting rid of the invasive and wasteful long-gun registry was disturbingly missing from the Governor General's speech.

But already one Conservative MP appears to have perfected the art of finding the middle ground and has gone where the Klein Tories, with their massive majorities and their alleged love for the outdoors, have failed to go in their many years in power. "Angling, hunting, trapping and shooting sports are vital components of Canada's culture and heritage," said Yorkton-Melville MP Garry Breitkreuz in his groundbreaking letter to MPs and senators.

Garry, who has fought a heroic battle against the Liberals' detested gun registry, has now set his sights on bigger game.The Saskatchewan MP talked about the five million Canadians like Premier Klein who take part in outdoor activities. And about our "proud" conservation legacy. "It is vital that the interests of this vast group of Canadians be recognized by members of Parliament and senators," Breitkreuz said. Then added, "from all parties."

Already 37 reps [see below] from all four national political parties have shown their support for Breitkreuz's Outdoor Caucus, which he described as a "like-minded, non-partisan group" that will meet on an "as-needed" basis.

In his proposed mission statement, Breitkreuz said the caucus's intention is to "preserve and promote the traditional Canadian outdoor heritage activities and the environmental stewardship ethic upon which they are based."

But more importantly: "to entrench in law fishing, hunting, trapping and shooting sports as acceptable, traditional and environmentally sustainable outdoor activities." It took dead aim at the crats and their pals and backers among the antis who mount massive campaigns to eradicate traditional outdoors activities.

The Klein government's decision to ban the grizzly hunt and some very suspicious antics going on with the province's wildland parks being two obvious recent examples, the Liberal gun registry and proposed lead-sinker ban being others. "Some of these groups are powerful," sighed Breitkreuz. "They're multinational corporations."

And one of the key roles of the Outdoors Caucus will be to "review legislation that comes before the house about what impact it will have on hunting and fishing." A similar body already exists in Washington, where half the members of Congress are signed up with the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus.

Caucus co-chair, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, described it as a "network of political leaders and allies of the outdoors ... that can quickly take action when hunting, fishing or conservation are threatened.

CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM

The massive Conservation Reserve Program - which has subsidized American farmers to set aside millions of acres for wildlife habitat - is one of the major accomplishments of Nelson's powerful group.

And has the financial backing of an industry lobby organization called the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. It includes sporting-goods biggies like Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops and Wal-Mart. The foundation calls itself a "reliable ally for sportsmen in every state," and brags that it has "successfully protected" hunters and anglers interests.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has clearly given Breitkreuz its backing. "Canadians who value our deeply rooted fishing, hunting and trapping traditions are finally getting the attention they deserve at the federal level," whooped OFAH executive director Mike Reader.

The Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia - an industry group that speaks for outfits like Premier Klein's own Eagle Pointe Lodge - said it "applauds" Garry's caucus concept. President Syd Pallister said recreational anglers have long struggled to find a forum "above the din of often raucous and increasingly partisan parliamentary debates."

Curiously the Alberta Fish and Game Association has been publicly silent on Breitkreuz's excellent idea. But Garry is the first to admit that his federal caucus has limited powers. Fish and wildlife resources are mostly in the hands of the provinces. "There is an interrelationship," he said.

And in Alberta, the idea of a legislature outdoors caucus remains a strange and threatening beast among the PCs - let alone a hunters and anglers' bill of rights. Shirley McClellan's scrooge fish and wildlife budget is proof of that.

Enjoy your fishing, Ralph. Hope you can find some to catch.

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MEMBERSHIP SUMMARY AS OF APRIL 10, 2006
51 MEMBERS : 45 MPs and 6 Senators