Reboot Alberta

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

The Evolution of Ed Stelmach on a Smoking Ban in Alberta

Last May, the Campaign for a Smoke-Free Alberta submitted a survey to all of the PC leadership candidates regarding various tobacco control measures in Alberta.

In the early days of the leadership campaign, Stelmach initially signaled his resistance to provincial legislation, instead promoting education to reduce tobacco use.

However after several forums, citizen feedback, the strong positions of other candidates and increasing media profile for tobacco legislation, Stelmach submitted his reply to the Smoke-Free Alberta survey on November 1.

In the survey, Stelmach supported a tobacco sales ban in pharmacies and free votes on private members bills regarding smoking and tobacco marketing. He responded “no” to government legislation to make all workplaces completely smoke-free and a ban on powerwalls. He also responded “no” to a tobacco tax increase (which he eventually supported in the recent budget).

In the final week of the leadership campaign, Stelmach sent a letter to Smoke-Free Alberta stating “Let me be perfectly clear in my disapproval of smoking. I don’t smoke and I don’t like it. It has a tremendous cost to society in terms of health care.” He went on to say, “I support the use of preventative health programs to reduce smoking….”

His bottom line is, “I will encourage my caucus to debate further measures to reduce smoking and to support and champion their collective decision” and “I will support my caucus decisions—part of an open and inclusive government”.

It is worth noting that three major supporters of tobacco legislation—Dave Hancock, Lyle Oberg and Mark Norris—all endorsed Ed Stelmach in the final week of the leadership campaign. This likely contributed to Stelmach’s evolving consciousness and changing of heart on the issue. It also reinforces his message to promote “an open and inclusive government”.

This is not a new idea in Alberta. Unfortunately under Premier Klein the idea was killed 4 times during the policy development process, even though polls show that 84% of Albertans support a legislated province wide smoking ban. Banning smoking in public places and workplaces saves lives, saves money, and should even help improve health care access over time if we can all put more of an emphasis on wellness and prevention. Then tobacco related diseases will not be needing so much of our health care system's resources.

The Premier’s support of the tobacco tax increase in his first Budget as Premier is a very good sign that he is willing to “support and champion” his caucus’s decisions on this issue, especially considering that he initially opposed a tax increase in the Smoke-Free Alberta survey. The key here is that it will be a caucus decision in the final analysis. Now Albertan’s who want a wellness in addition to a health agenda have to make sure their MLAs know it.

Citizens have to return to exercising their power in a democracy between elections. This is a good issue to renew ones responsibility of active citizenship in a representative democracy. This legislation needs to be introduced and passed now. It has been far too long in coming.

So take a minute and call your MLA, or e-mail them or better yet, invest some time (and a stamp) and write and snail mail them a personal letter. Let them know why they must join you and support this initiative for a province wide smoking ban in public and workplaces throughout Alberta.

All the MLA contact information is at: http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/streetkey/skSearch.cfm

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:37 am

    Oh, Ken, you just know you are going to get "Son of Gaia" all steamed up again. Good. ;-)

    This whole thing about "smoking tax is an oppression of the weak and poor" is pure BS. If people need another incentive to quit, there it is. Period. Full stop.

    Yeah, it is hard to quit. But it is hard to do a lot of things that are ultimately good for you. Tough it out, folks.

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  2. Anonymous2:58 pm

    I had no idea that Stelmach was such a flipflopper. You are very polite to call it an evolution, but it is clear that Stelmach either didn't know what he was talking about made promises that he felt he didn't need to keep.

    Interesting. This vignette sums up my sense of Stelmach as being a weak leader, slow to get it and a backtracker.

    I remember when Stelmach said that no bitumen would be processed outside of Alberta. turns out that he was at the cabinet table when Klein had already signed agreements with Encaca letting the bitumen go south. That is a huge promise for Stelmach to break or as you charitably call it, an "evolution".

    I think Stelmach will be harmful in the logng run. Not because of ideology but because of incompetence.

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  3. Ken said: "It is worth noting that three major supporters of tobacco legislation—Dave Hancock, Lyle Oberg and Mark Norris—all endorsed Ed Stelmach in the final week of the leadership campaign".

    It is worth noting that three major supporters of tobacco legislation—Dave Hancock, Lyle Oberg and Mark Norris—all got slaughtered in the first round of the leadership election, while the long-shot darkhorse who said "no" to the Tobacco Control lobby-Ed Stelmach-survived and went on to win the leadership race.

    You didn't think that was a coincidence, did you Ken?

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  4. Anonymous9:18 pm

    My Son - You did not mention that Dinning and Morton -#1 and #2 on the first rond were also 100% on side with the smoking ban, raising taxes and more.

    So what...more coincidence?

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  5. Perhaps you should point me to where Ted Morton made such public statements...

    In any case, this is the most important point in your discussion (above) for me: "...Stelmach’s evolving consciousness and changing of heart on the issue".

    If you get what you want, you will simultaneously deliver what I need - a dramatic and indisputable demonstration of the fact that regardless of what person or party someone votes for, public policy will be determined by an elite cabal of unelected technocrats and their associated lobbyists.

    By the way - this is not an accusation, just a question. Are you being paid by any person or organization to promote this tobacco control agenda, either as a single issue or as part of a larger "wellness" agenda?

    You mention that you "work in the field of policy development", but what exactly does that mean? Who do you work for, and what do they pay you to do?

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  6. Anonymous7:54 am

    Son of Gaia, Ken is a tireless Hancock booster. (I have met Hancock and it baffles me why Ken would have such enthusiasm. Hancock is dull, unimaginative and has left no mark on government in the 10 years he has been there. HAncock despeartely needs some legacy and picking the low hanging fruit of the smoking ban is the only way.)

    Ken's only vested interest is stroking Dave.

    I would be more inetrested to know if Ken has applied to be a Provincial Court judge and what other public teats he feeds on.

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  7. Anonymous9:43 am

    Anon @ 7:54 - you don't know what you are talking about and taking cheap shots from behind a veil of anonymity is cowardly.

    Tell us who you really are and tell us something about yourself so we can judge if you are at least somewhat credible. At the very least tell us why you are afraid to post "in person." Why do you have to hide?

    I have known Hancock for over 25 years and respect his ability and value his commitment to public service through politics.

    I will not repeat his many accomplishments but they were well documented in the recent leadership campaign for those who want to look them up.

    For the record I have never applied for judicial appointment and never would.

    If you go to our website www.cambridgestrategies.com you will get a sense of the kind of work we do and for whom. Thx for asking

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  8. Anonymous10:33 am

    "Son @ 11:23 - Re Dr. Morton: I am tracking down the summary results from all PC leadership candidates to the smoking survey and will post the results shortly.

    Yes my firm is being paid by the Campaign for a Smoke Free Alberta to assist that coalition of 15 organizations.

    The website is http://www.smokefreealberta.com/about.htm for more information.

    They are working collaboratively to get a province wide legislated province wide smoking ban in public places and workplaces, to eliminate tobacco product saems form pharmacies and to eliminate the so-called "power wall" tobacco product displays.

    Go to www.policychannel.com and see some of the videos posted there on the issues - that is part of our work.

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  9. Anonymous12:38 pm

    My Son - I have the tobacco policy survey results for the PC Leadership. Dr. Morton (a PhD not an MD Doctor) was opposed to a tobacco tax increase and a ban using provincial legislation, eliminiating powerwall and tobacco sales in pharmacies.

    However he was in favour of a free vote Private Member's Bill on all those points. So he would go with the majority decision.

    His survey response was aligned with Ed Stelmach's original answers except Stelmach supported a ban of sales in pharmacies and Morton did not.

    We got a tax increase in the last budget and government legislation to accomplish the rest is in process.

    It will be interesting to see if Dr. Morton evolves on these issues as has the new Premier.

    Dr. Morton was supportive of a free vote Private Member's bill - why would he oppose a government bill and a free vote to do the same thing?

    BTW of the 9 questions in the survey Dinning, Hancock, McPherson and Oberg gave positive answers 9 for 9, Norris and Doerksen were 8 of 9

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  10. Ken,

    That's closer to my own recollections - that Morton was NOT "100% on side with the smoking ban, raising taxes and more" as you had stated.

    Thank you for the frank & honest disclosure that your firm is being paid by the Campaign for a Smoke Free Alberta, and therefore you are not simply a "concerned citizen" in this matter.

    If anyone is curious (or suspicious, or paranoid), I'm currently being paid by a labor contracting company to stock shelves in big box supermarkets. No other sources of income. No pay-offs from anyone, for my activism.

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  11. Anonymous1:53 pm

    That is right my son - Morton was not 100% on side - I over stated my case...but in my defense he would agree to a free vote on all matters.

    Now all we have to do is be sure that a majority of caucus is on side with this policy effort to get serious around a wellness agenda.

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