thank goodness for the weekend.

A little bit of a local roundup...

- Ken Chapman has written a good post on the reality of the Mountain Pine Beetle's infestation into Alberta's forests and the effects this is having on the communities and economies in these areas.

- Calgary Herald columnist Don Braid has shed some light on the mysterious disappearance of "Bill 2" from the Alberta Legislative order paper.

"This week's favourite Liberal target is a contract awarded to Bob Maskell just days after he was defeated as a Tory MLA in the 2004 election.

Maskell has supplied invoices, and it's evident that he has done serious work on an Aboriginal Education Showcase planned for May.

But a defeated politician still got a government job almost instantly. The casual assumption that there's no problem with this is exactly what the Liberals are talking about.

As the days wear on, it's hard not to suspect a connection between the Liberal assaults and the government's mysterious disappearing conflict of interest legislation.

This was supposed to be bill 2. Weeks ago, a Tory MLA told me with absolute certainty that it would be introduced March 26.

It hasn't appeared yet, even though bills 3 through 30 are on the table. bill 2 remains nothing but a gaping hole in the list.

Why?

Well, you can imagine what would happen if the bill outlawed behaviour the Liberals have already revealed, but the government has defended."

- I'll be attending Public Interest Alberta's annual conference this weekend. Changing Alberta: Pursuing the Public Interest will feature speakers such as Tony Clarke form the Polaris Institute, Annie Kidder - Executive Director of People for Education, Tyson Slocum - Director of the Public Citizen's Energy Program in Washington DC, and Monica Lysack - Executive Director of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada. I will also be participating as a member of the panel during the Post-Secondary Education sessions.