Two courts have turned him down, but Ray Strom hopes a federal court will rule that an Alberta law governing land agents is intended only for those acting on behalf of energy companies.
On May 6, Strom, who represents landowners in oil and gas lease arrangements, is expected to ask a federal court in Edmonton to grant an appeal.
Strom seeks to appeal lower court decisions that ruled against the right of agents to represent farmers in negotiations with energy companies. He said he believes the provincial government won’t change the law that licenses land agents without direction from the courts.
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“They don’t intend to do anything,” said Strom.
Last fall, a provincial court judge said even though the act governing land agents was skewed in favour of energy companies, he had no choice but to find Strom guilty of impersonating a land agent. Strom had represented three landowners during three separate negotiations between October 2002 and November 2003. In February, an appeal court judge upheld the lower court decision.
Strom said the provincial government is working behind the scenes to make changes but hasn’t made the changes public.
“They should stop flapping their gums at the media if they want to pretend they’re portraying that we’re happy with the changes, yet at the same time telling us as farmers and ranchers we don’t have the right to read them,” he said.
“Their credibility is absolutely in the basement. They’re asking us landowners to stand back and trust them.”
Barrie Harrison, spokesperson for the employment and immigration department, said he doesn’t know if caucus will wait for a final court decision before tabling changes.
Changing legislation is not a simple exercise, nor will it happen quickly, he said.
