Boutilier out of caucus.. and Alberta is better for it.

It's funny how whenever a leader disciplines a member of caucus, there is always a hue and cry about the lack of freedom of party members to speak their mind, etc., etc., and Guy Boutilier is no exception.

Ever since he was dropped from Cabinet following the last election, he's been acting like the spoiled child who demands to take his ball and go home when the game isn't being played "his way".

So - now the "friends of medicare" are hailing him as a martyr to the cause of Albertans who need to take a stand against the government, all because the PC caucus decided to delay the building of a nursing home in Fort MacMurray.

As Albertans, perhaps we should recall the days of Don Getty, the days of a hospital in every town, village and burg in Alberta, to understand that everyone can't have everything, particularly when we are in a serious recession. There is nothing wrong with championing your constituency, however, once that decision is made, once your team has determined the belts that need to be tightened, you don't then go public and continue to whine and moan about how unfair your government is.

Seriously.

What did he expect?

I have not agreed with everything our government has done. I believe they could have supported party resolutions at our last AGM to amend the "hate speech" provisions of the Alberta Human Rights Act. However - when a "Conservative" (maybe look that word up, Guy, you don't seem to understand it) government says that, in the midst of a recession, dragging Alberta into a deficit which we worked so hard to get out of, we need to tighten belts and some projects will not proceed at this time, you say, ok, I understand. And you do your best to explain it to your constituency. And if they don't get it, if they vote you out, well, que sera.

See how much they get accomplished voting in another Bridget Pastoor. (If you would like a list of all the good things she has done for my constituency, trust me, it will not take long.)

So - the petulant Guy Boutilier is turfed from caucus, those who already hate the government scream "See, See.. Stelmach is a dictator, vote him out, vote him out."

Meanwhile, the adults say, "well done". Such is life when you need to make difficult decisions. Guy can take his ball and go home, but the match will continue. The tough decisions will be made. And those who are either so naive or so irresponsible as to believe that everyone should get what they want, all the time, well, they can go play their own game, thankfully, without getting to use my tax dollars.