This week illustrates another reason why I value Jim Prentice as a politician and a person. The progressive and positive positions he has taken as Minister of Industry is a continuation of his quality governance capabilities. His move this past week to kill a sell off of a publicly paid for Canadian space technology is the most recent case in point.
He is a bright, thoughtful, competent and conscientious man with enormous personal and political skills. He is a former federal Progressive Conservative leadership candidate - and my choice in those days. He is obviously so far above the posturing pettiness and the blatant bullying of the majority of his Reform types CPC “colleagues.”
The proposed sale by Canadian company MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. of our just launched earth observation satellite, Radarsat-2, to an American corporation, Alliant, is wrong at so many levels. Prentice knows this and has moved quickly to do something about it.
We have many issues of Canadian interests at stake here, including our sovereignty over the Arctic that the Americans and others are challenging. Those dealing would be seriously compromised with this commercial deal going forward. We also have the loss of technology that we Canadian taxpayers have paid for in large part…and the company would have pocketed the benefits – not us. Then there is the fact this technology is critical new 21st century infrastructure to boot.
Well done Mr. Minister and keep up the good work - and don’t let antics of the small-minded bullys that seem to be all around you get you down.
The proposed sale by Canadian company MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. of our just launched earth observation satellite, Radarsat-2, to an American corporation, Alliant, is wrong at so many levels. Prentice knows this and has moved quickly to do something about it.
We have many issues of Canadian interests at stake here, including our sovereignty over the Arctic that the Americans and others are challenging. Those dealing would be seriously compromised with this commercial deal going forward. We also have the loss of technology that we Canadian taxpayers have paid for in large part…and the company would have pocketed the benefits – not us. Then there is the fact this technology is critical new 21st century infrastructure to boot.
Well done Mr. Minister and keep up the good work - and don’t let antics of the small-minded bullys that seem to be all around you get you down.
Hey Ken;
ReplyDeleteJust wanted your take of the recent announcement by Stelmach of the billion dollar KitKat program.. you know the one, where he's decided that the beleaguered oil companies that are only making record profits need a break on the royalties they're paying for the next 5 years.
Is this what you meant when you were talking about how progressive Stelmach would be?
I have a serious problem with it but have not had the time to get into it in any depth. I will be looking more closely at it in the days to come.
ReplyDeleteDon't like the idea this dealing was done behind closed doors. If that sector has a policy issue they ought to bring it to an all party Policy Field Commmittee and make their case in public.
Not sure this decision is in the best interest of Alberta long term...seems like a big give-away but I am not sure yet...need time to study it.
Speaking of long term, I think the conventional O&G guys need to be forced to start to aggressively reclaim old sites back to original use - not grass as is the standard now. This needs to be considered as a condition of accessing any further approvals for drilling.
We are building up a huge problem of orphan wells that our government needs to steward more aggressively on our behalf and for the benefit of future generations who will not have the advantages of the non-renewalbe resources we are extracting and leaving a scarred landscape and damaged habitat in the process.
He is a bright, thoughtful, competent and conscientious man with enormous personal and political skills. He is a former federal Progressive Conservative leadership candidate - and my choice in those days. He is obviously so far above the posturing pettiness and the blatant bullying of the majority of his Reform types CPC “colleagues.”
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad, sad comment. Prentice is fitting right in with those old Reformers and has on many occassions stated how terrible the corrupt and leaderless liberals have been. Unlike the Liberals, your petty comments will not split the CPC.
I would never presume to "split the CPC"...Emporer Harper would never tolerate an independent thought from his Caucus - never mind his Cabinet.
ReplyDeleteBut when the CPC does the right thing - as rare as that is - I like to give them credit.
It is interesting to see how you refer to Harper as Emporer(of which I agree),do you then feel the same way about Stelmach as it has been said he is following the lead of Harper having set up power from the top down with little thought flowing uphill???
ReplyDeleteAs well I was look for you,Ken,to comment on the article of Neil Waugh and his characteristics of Dave Hancock,who I know you respect and have worked with.I am wondering how Dave would feel after reading the article.My undestanding is Dave was very effective in Health,wouldn't you agreeNot since the arrival of Stephen Harper have we been blessed with such talent(Liepert),Long Live the Emporer.Hail to Liepert.Savior.Your thoughts???
Prentice is a competent minister but here he is dead wrong. Perhaps even more alarming is that Ken Chapman completely ignores that such protectionism is contrary to NAFTA (and CUFTA, its predecessor). This leaves Canada open to an action under NAFTA by our trading partners.
ReplyDeleteWe are quick to correctly criticize the United States when they violate NAFTA on things like softwood lumber, yet Ken CHapman lauds an unfair practice when it is in Canada's interest. Clearly, Ken Chapman is out of his league in this column.
I don't worry about what Neil Waugh says...and sometimes even agree with him. He sure has the royalty issues right.
ReplyDeleteStelmach is no Harper in style, character or focus. Stelmach has a big majority on his first election test that rivals Klein and Lougheed at their prime. Impressive and it makes him a force to be reckoned with.
There is a danger of smugness, complacency and disconnection at the centre in the Stelmach government...not from him but others have to be careful.
The powerful party insiders who were used to calling the shots were disdainful of Stelmach and his team in the leadership and in the election. These elites were showing just how out of touch they were with the values, hopes and fears of ordinary Albertans.
They were put in their place by the electorate who decided Steady Eddie was the preferred choice - getting over 50% of the ballots cast. More ballots should have been cast but not voting is sometimes as conscious as choice as voting...think back to the 2004 election and the Calgary Elbow By-election for proof of that.
I have concerns - and will express them in this blog and in the public speaking I do. The seeds of failure are always planted in times of success. Change is needed and it needs to be bold - not brazen. I see some positive and negative events and trends in the recent announcements. The big indicator where Stelmach is going and if he will be imaginative and responsive will be on environment and land use - not health care.
I do think we will see health care policy return to trying to induce systemic changes - not Third Way but a focus on instituting the 2002Mazinkowski Report recommendations.
I just hope they start with Recommendation #1 - the Wellness Fund and not try to be a bunch of tinkering with minor terms and conditions. The upstream focus on being healthy and sustaining wellbeing so we use the system less is the best way to save money and improve the lives of Albertans in the long run.
Anon @ 9:20 - I almost did not publish your comment because it was so shallow and non-sensical. But on reflection your opinions and conclusions raised an issue but offered no susbtance to support you conclusions.
ReplyDeleteExactly what part(s) of NAFTA do you think the Industry Canada move to review the sale of the Radarsat 2 would violate? Please tell us what evidence you rely on to make this claim?
Do you support the deal and if so -why?
Canadians paid hundreds of millions of dollars to this company for development of this technology...on a pure business model this deal stinks...as for protecting our northern interests and other key issues - this deal is not in Canada's best interests.
Looking forward to your reply and please reconsider hiding as an anonymous commenter. Tell us who you are so your reply can be more credible than your comment.
Also next time you comment - try to add something of substance to the conversation in the first instance please.
"Almost didn't publish"? Is Mr. Chapman a censor?
ReplyDeleteNot a censor - just a blogger/editor/publisher who does not want to waste the time of his readers.
ReplyDeleteWho and what are you?
I am anonymous.Perhaps you should direct me to "blogging for dummies" so I can understand what is classified as a"waste of time" and what is views you don't support and therefor choose to cut and paste what you like.
ReplyDeleteEither print it all or disallow anonymous all together.I wonder how much sensorship there is on other blogs.Do you not look for a healthy debate or are yuo looking for a cheerleader squad.PRINT IT AND SEE WHAT YOU OTHER READERS THINK
Anon - THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME...you might consider writing the sequel - Dumb Comments on Blogs...
ReplyDeleteI PUBLISHED YOUR COMMENT - didn't you notice?