tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post5864840847875175963..comments2023-09-22T06:22:50.820-06:00Comments on Ken Chapman: Premier Stelmach and the Shifting Ground of Alberta Politicskenchapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11384045981190810115noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-8972314232303399372007-05-19T09:18:00.000-06:002007-05-19T09:18:00.000-06:00Anon @ 2:21 am - You make some very good points on...Anon @ 2:21 am - You make some very good points on lack of election readiness in the party and the complacency that has been the culture for a decade. <BR/><BR/>Part of that was too much control of the party apparatus in the past coming from the Premier's office. I expect that is changing under a more democratic leader like Ed Stelmach.<BR/><BR/>We have the resources to modernize our party machinery but do we have the will? We have the wake up call with 200,000 fewer PC supporters in the last election.<BR/><BR/>Alberta is the most wired place in the country I am told yet we only have email adresses for 20% of our membership!!! What gives?<BR/><BR/>As for applying modern networking techniques, I hope the youth members just start doing it amongst themselves and the rest of us will follow along. <BR/><BR/>Mentorship was a hot topic and the AGM session I moderated on engaging youth in politics. I made the point that the mentorship works both ways and youth needs to mentor older members on the use and potential of technology in a political context. <BR/><BR/>I know how valuble that mentorship is from youth on helping long time memebers (not "old") to modernize. If it were not for a few young PC members mentoring and encouraging me in the recent Leadership campaign I would never have started this Blog.<BR/><BR/>I would never have know how much fun I was missing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-9583439376539960172007-05-19T02:21:00.000-06:002007-05-19T02:21:00.000-06:00Election readiness has also atrophied over the pas...Election readiness has also atrophied over the past ten years. Under Premier Klein, there was no need to keep up to date on the latest voter contact technologies: E-contact, E-fundrasing, targeting, polling and focus group, web site interactiveness, etc. <BR/><BR/>Klein was able to win elections based on his the cult of his own personality. Premier Stelmach is a very good man, but personality is not is strong suit, although he is excellent in one on one engagements. Unfortunately, he will not be able to meet all 2.5 million voters in 30 days so the party needs to beef up its voter contact technologies. <BR/><BR/>Whomever fills the role of Executive Director of the PCPA will be critical in this regard. I'm glad that Mark Norris was not selected to become exeutive director as firt rumoured. I agreed with the executive search decision, but the length of time it has taken to fill the position is worrisome. It makes pulling the pin in the fall of 2007 a virtual no go. Even spring 2008 will be difficult. There is a lot of work to be done over at PCPA to revitalize election readiness. This will take a great deal of time and effort.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-33686328315769596612007-05-18T20:48:00.000-06:002007-05-18T20:48:00.000-06:00It is not the Premier - for sure...loyalty clouds ...It is not the Premier - for sure...loyalty clouds vision.<BR/>We could do without Boutilier in Ft Mc too..even if the seat was lost.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-36373563371426711082007-05-18T19:43:00.000-06:002007-05-18T19:43:00.000-06:00Ken:Very perspective piece indeed. I can tell yo...Ken:<BR/><BR/>Very perspective piece indeed. I can tell you that the problem is not the Premier who is extremely intelligent and is a sponge for information. The problem is that he is not getting that information from his key staff. The long-range vision is missing. Issues are being dealt incrementally on a one and one basis, within an crisis management orientation rather than through the prism of a lonvision. <BR/><BR/>The government has to become move proactive rather than reactive or it is certain that seats will be lost in Calgary and some of the smaller urban centres such as Fort McMurray, Grande Praire, Red Deer and Lethbridge during the next election. Not enough to threaten majority government status, but a much larger Opposition. <BR/><BR/>In my opinion, the Premier's Office is dysfunctional. The policy shop is not functioning well and the communications, particularly with key media, is atrocious. I recognize the Premier is loyal to his key political staff, but political survival means he will have to make some tough decisions. The people who are letting the Premier down know who they are, the issue is whether they will do the honourable thing and step down to allow the Premier to bring in the people he needs to steady the ship. <BR/><BR/>This reminds me of the Getty's Premier's Office, circa 1992. I would appreciate your comments, Ken.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-18342325869369930462007-05-18T13:14:00.000-06:002007-05-18T13:14:00.000-06:00Patrick - I agree with you on the rural - urban se...Patrick - I agree with you on the rural - urban seat split being a bigger issue but the Calgary/Edmonton ratio comparison 3/20 vs 1/3 is not a strong argument. <BR/><BR/>Ratios and averages usually mean a smokescreen is at play. Cabinet representation is about power and influence. The "power of one" is often at play in these situations too but at least a Calgary Cabinet member can count on 2 more allies.<BR/><BR/>That said if ratios are important to you consider rep-by-pop, which is your urban-rural split argument. Calgary has 1 Cabinet Minister for every 335K voters and Edmonton has 1 for every 750K voters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-55216396398619408512007-05-17T22:20:00.000-06:002007-05-17T22:20:00.000-06:00Good Post Ken,However i think your wrong when you ...Good Post Ken,<BR/>However i think your wrong when you say<BR/>"This anxiety is "true" even though in Calgary they have three Cabinet Ministers compared to Edmonton’s one." ..... I think this is wrong on 2 accounts. Par of the anxiety comes from the two cities having 2/3 of the population of the province but only 1/6 the seats. The other issue i have with that statement which im sure youve heard before.... 3/20 is alot less then 1/3 interms of cabinet postings... I don't agree with bronco.. but on the other hand I dont agree Calgarians should just suck it up and be happy.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05469975842386407787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-1775200233547216352007-05-17T18:19:00.000-06:002007-05-17T18:19:00.000-06:00Anon - your observatoins as to why we are in this ...Anon - your observatoins as to why we are in this mess today is right from my perspective. <BR/><BR/>You could be right about the electoral consequences for Stelmach too, but it is still too early to tell. <BR/><BR/>That said Getty left Klein in a political pickle like 17% in the polls as I recall - but he figured a way forward. <BR/><BR/>The single minded focus on debt and deficit created a political euphoria that got carried away with itself...that is the down side of "charismatic" politics.(sic)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-39601439800945985342007-05-17T11:30:00.000-06:002007-05-17T11:30:00.000-06:00Unfortunately for Stelmach he is going suffer the ...Unfortunately for Stelmach he is going suffer the damage caused by the inept Klein years. Albertans are realizing that the oil is being given away, huge spending budgets are running away and we have no infrastructure to show for it.<BR/><BR/>People liked Klein because they could have a beer with him (what a ridiculous and untrue belief). But The last 13 years have been a financial disaster for Alberta. Cutting without a plan, insane 1 penny royalty scheme and now the bitumen and jobs are going south. <BR/><BR/>The boom is benefitting outside workers and american shareholders. Albertans are left with deficient infrastructure.<BR/><BR/>Stelmach cannot hope to fix this over night and Albertans will defeat him because of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-5951274647853362372007-05-17T07:13:00.000-06:002007-05-17T07:13:00.000-06:00Hi Eugene - "We" is the Calgary PCs in that consti...Hi Eugene - "We" is the Calgary PCs in that constituency.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-77115590155514991992007-05-17T04:59:00.000-06:002007-05-17T04:59:00.000-06:00Whose 'We'? As in "We lost Calgary Varsity to the ...Whose 'We'? As in "We lost Calgary Varsity to the Liberals"EUGENE PLAWIUKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11736971647879996375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31415271.post-46419438490863470702007-05-16T23:00:00.000-06:002007-05-16T23:00:00.000-06:00Ken:I may be simplistic in my views, but I can tru...Ken:<BR/><BR/>I may be simplistic in my views, but I can truly sense a change in the political feelings of the regular Provincial constituents. I have posted some thoughts here (http://www.richfulllife.ca/my_weblog/2007/05/i_miss_ralph.html) and would like your thoughts.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>Chris LaBossiereAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com