Reboot Alberta

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Hancock's Policy Platform is Out!

So the Hancock Platform is out and he has a new updated website. Same address http://www.davehancock.ca/ but a new look and feel and more content. All the platform content is there and video of his speeches will be up tonight sometime. Hancock’s positioning is education, environment and innovation.

He is personally the PROGRESSIVE conservative candidate and hugely differentiated from Oberg and Morton in that regard. He has the most party, political and policy depth of any candidate given his 35 years experience starting out as a youth organizer and volunteer, to party president to politician. Hancock has seen it all. And has done it all.

He is a progressive because he believes that government has a positive role in bettering people’s lives “regardless of situation or circumstance.” He is conservative because he knows the responsibility to get value for taxpayer dollars. Conservation values underscore his sense of the environment. He is big on individual responsibility – also part of his conservative nature.

His environment focus is about enhanced stewardship and conservation. His innovation focus is about a diversified value added technologically strong competative economy. His education focus is about a competent and adaptive learning society. He is big on putting more back into Alberta than we take out – for the benefit of today and future generations. He sees the economy and the environment as interrelated and integrated not mutually exclusive competing interests.

His progressive and conservative focus is on enabling self reliant confident people who are able to take care of themselves, their families and to contribute to their community. Dave is big on values like caring, fairness, community, diversity and inclusiveness. He said in his platform speech: "Alberta has been good to us. It is time we were good to Alberta."

He takes a big picture, long term, strategic approach in his governing style and he is definitely future focused. He bemoans the excessive time spend by government of late, admiring the end of debt and deficit. He says “Alberta has been moving ahead by looking in the rear view mirror…and not…looking towards the future nearly enough.”

The consequences have been a lack of attention to social and infrastructure deficits. He is emphatic – contrary to Klein’s recent declarations - there is a plan. He said he knows there is a plan - because he wrote it…the 20 Strategic Plan for Alberta to be exact.

The government has been on cruise control so long they did not seem care where they were going, how much “gas” it was taking - or wasting - to get "there." The people in political control have spent the last 7 or 8 years – since the debt dragon was actually destroyed – just basking in their past glory.

They we disinterested in looking down the road - and when they did – their attention did not stretch much past the hood ornament. They were disengaged and unconcerned that our destination was unclear – and that the journey seemed so unintentional.

And who cared if we were even on the right road? Does it matter if we don’t have a clear destination? Success for government was to stay between the ditches. That’s all! And that has had damaging affects on optimizing Alberta’s future. That "lazy - faire" attitude is what caused Premier Klein to get such tepid party support at the convention last April 1.

Education the environment and innovation – make for an interesting politician to my mind. Hancock is smart but he is also a wise man with real life experiences. He has superior character qualities and proven capabilities. He is not your media darling or your power broker political player. He actually believes in the concept of leader- servant. Would be a refreshing change…no doubt that we need a change.

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:07 am

    **He is a progressive because he believes that government has a positive role in bettering people’s lives “regardless of situation or circumstance.”**

    So in simpler terms:

    Hancock = big government

    No wonder you put "PROGRESSIVE" in capital letters all the time.

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  2. Anonymous10:27 am

    I saw Hancock at the all candidates forum yesterday (Oct. 4) at the UofC.

    Generally, I liked what I saw. Good policy mind. I don't know where he would be able to draw the line if we had to curtal spending, but I will still give him the benefit of the doubt.

    He did take a bit of a indirect cheap shot at Norris though, which I don't think earned him any points. The fact that Norris didn't win his own seat in '04 is something to note, but it has been thoroughly covered in the press and elsewhere. Uncharacteristic of Dave, from what I know of him, but he did bring it up.

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  3. Anonymous11:56 am

    Something to note? Aren't we as a party being asked to elect a leader that will in turn be able to win subsequent elections - earning the approval of the Albertan electorate to acheive a continued majority government?

    Norris couldn't even keep his own seat and he thinks he has the right to ask us to elect him as party leader?

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  4. Anonymous12:20 pm

    Hey Anonymous, I didn't mean to imply that it was irrelevant. Far from it. It's just old news by now, and I was surprised that Dave would be the one to bring it up.

    Otherwise, like I said, I thought Hancock came across well. He's not my first choice, but probably my second at this point, third at worst.

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  5. PROGRESSIVE does not mean Big government. No more than Conservative means small minded!

    The so called fiscal conservatives running the show now have increased spending by 60%... do you feel the province is on top of the issues with that big throw money at problem kind of spending?

    Explain the fiscal conservative rationale of a $400 per head (total about $1.4B) handouts of non-renewable resource money - dollars we will never see again and for which we get no long term return except to add to inflation and recycling cost of "stuff."

    The Progressive approach is to say if the marketplace can't or will not handle it, individual responsiblity alone is not enough and there is a NEED for us to deal with certain issues - together - then lets define the role of government in relation to those NEEDS. then lets determine what outcomes we want - and can - achieve and then put the necesary resource in place as a society - to actually reach those goals.

    The so called fiscal conservatives are so quick to name call but are blind to facts. Facts like George Bush type big spenders in rhetorical frugal disguises...just look at the savings Haliburton has caused for the American taxpayer in Iraq.

    One more thing Anonymous - again why anonymous in your comments? You sure don't sound "shy!" What or who are you afraid of? Maybe Real Freedom of Speech? That means taking personal responsibility for what one says? Surely you are BIG on personal ressponsibility!

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  6. Anonymous1:04 pm

    Ken, you are absolutely correct that the current regime has been spending like drunken sailors. $400 cheques is not smart fiscal conservatism. Of course, we must acknowledge that Dave has been a part of the established status quo. Did Dave vote against those $400 cheques?

    This leadership race gives the people of Alberta a chance to set the province back on track. That is why when Dave and other candidates start proposing more ways to SPEND money they are moving in the completely wrong direction.

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  7. Thx Grassroots Avenger for the reply: I bet there was no vote taken on the $400 cheques. My understnding is the Premier went out of a Caucus retreat meeting and unilaterally announced the $400 cheque scheme to the awaiting media without serious discussion or decision within the Caucus meeting itself.

    Was it a Klein brain fart, a political power tactic, or a noblese oblige "right" of the Premier in his mind...who knows. But that is the level of planning and policy consideration it was given.

    My guess is rather than look divided - which we now know they were - they let it happen. The party members responded on what they thought of that and other things with the leadership review vote on April 1.

    Same kind of lets not look divided reasoning led to Oberg being invited back to Caucus early. When he was kicked out there was no expectation of an August session - to spend the Surplus...rememeber - the "conservatives" were spending the surplus!!! The optics of a PC leadership candidate on the other side of the Legislature sitting with the opposition and behind the Alliance guy would not be "good."

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  8. How can there be no vote on the government spending money? Alberta has got greater problems than not having a plan to deal with out of control economic growth, if the executive can spend money without the authorization of the legislature. Just checking, but isn't that contrary to the rule of law? Acting that way doesn't sound too conservative to me.

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  9. Anonymous8:05 pm

    Just as winning a seat in Calgary is no indication of prowess, so losing your seat in Edmonton is no indication of anything. In fact Norris was the best performer at the U of C forum because he can reach beyond the club and save the party, as Art Smith knows and that's why Art is supporting Mark.

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  10. Anonymous12:18 am

    Norris is the first politician in North America to lose to a Muslim after 9-11 in a wealthy constituency with a large Jewish population. That is not negligence or inadvertance - you have to work hard to mess up that badly

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