1. Continue trying to gut the Wheat Board monopoly.

I am, I admit, at a loss to understand what this has to do with strengthening Alberta's place in the confederation. It certainly involves strengthening the role of the private sector, some elements of which happen to be based in Alberta, in confederation, but it was my understanding that this committee was intended to produce something other than a laundry list of what's wrong with the federal government.

2. End federal transfers in favour of tax point transfers

This is a step in the right direction but I (a rabid Trudeau-iste, if this House wishes to try to figure that one out) don't think it goes far enough. I would prefer a system in which the federal government was entirely uninvolved in the raising of provincial revenues, except insofar as equalization is concerned (and I would prefer that the federal government be merely the administrator of a provincially approved equalization scheme).

3. Continue fighting the long gun registry

As with point 1, I don't see what this has to do with strengthening Alberta's place in confederation. It seems, rather, to be about trying to foist a point of view that is more popular in Alberta than elsewhere in the country (and let it be noted that I agree with the Alberta line on this one) on the federation as a whole.

4. Continue to work with other provinces to repel federal intrusions on areas of provincial jurisdiction.

Duh.

5. Think about maybe not renewing the RCMP contract in 2007

I, knowing next to nothing about policing, am probably unqualified to say whether renewal of this contract is advisable. But I am qualified to assert on which criteria the question of renewal should be resolved, and none of those criteria include the words "strength of Alberta's role in the federation". The decision ought to be made on the basis of cost-effectiveness, not politics.

In conclusion: Bah!