A New Day and a New Way? With the retirement of Greg Clark as leader, there are four phases to the leadership change process within Alberta Party. First was to find quality and committed candidates. Done! Membership sales was next phase that closed on February 12. Done! Now the candidates have to get out there votes and persuade others members to support them for the end of February voting. In progress!
The final phase will be for the new leader to get to work. That is true for the other candidates, the sitting MLAs and the Board to grow the Party, recruit candidates and raise some cash for the next election and get focused to contest a by-election in the meantime. Next Steps!
The Alberta Party members will be deliberating on who they will support for Leadership and why. Ideally they will be sharing their thoughts with friends and family and through their social and professional networks. Raising the profile of the Party is only worthwhile if it raises support and participation in the next election.
When looking at deciding who should be the new Alberta Party leader. I am looking at what should be the go-forward leadership qualities, focus and capabilities. for the benefit of the Party My lens is about what the Alberta Party needs now to be successful in these times of change, uncertainty, pressing stewardship obligations, social cohesion needs and economic challenges.
Welcome to Uncertainty and Volatility. The Alberta Party has had a number of false starts at gaining traction and momentum since I became involved in 2009 and manged the Glenn Taylor Leadership Campaign. What is past is definitely not a prelude for what is needed today. The past is not much of a factor in helping members to decide the criteria they must apply for selecting the next leader of the Alberta Party and promoting it's future.
This is a new day in Alberta's political culture, especially given the electoral rejection of the PC dynasty and the coagulation of Reform-based social conservatives into the Kenney lead UCP. The the dramatic rise of the NDP from a 2 seat No Party Status in 2009 (when the Alberta Party started) to a 54 seat majority government by 2015. Volatility is the new normal in Alberta's political culture and anything could happen.
So what can and should the Alberta Party expect to achieve based on the three leadership candidate options? Quite a bit I would suggest. If I have my druthers I would like a leader that had the combined strengths of each candidate all rolled into one. That, unfortunately, is not reality. My list of Alberta Party leadership needs is based on what it will take to become a viable political alternative, capable of forming government and worthy of earning the public's trust.
Here is what I see as the strengths of each candidate, as applied to the needs of the Alberta Party today, and in no order of priority:
Organization. We need a leader who can recruit quality, capable and committed candidates. Those candidates must be loyal to a set of inclusive and comprehensive progressive principles, and not beholden to a party leader. That means the leader must be capable of creating a strong local presence throughout the province that results in viable, active and effective constituency organizations. That requires a leaders with a province-wide network and the ability to be forthright with potential candidates about the realities of political life. Stephen Mandel has the best capacity to offer that in my opinion.
Articulate an Albertan Progressive Vision. The failure of left versus right hyper-partisan policy options is bemoaned but what is the alternative? The Alberta Party leader must be able to position the party clearly as the progressive centrists option with pragmatic policy offerings. That policy approach must be based on an aspirational pragmatism with an inclusive, integrated Triple-Bottom-Line governance approach that sees government as force for achieving a greater good.
The "vision thing" is best articulated with a common touch and a forthright candor about Alberta's challenges, limitations, weaknesses and threats. What must we do to realizing our potential as people, communities, businesses and as a province. On this criteria I see Rick Fraser sense of the province today and aspirations for the future as the best carrier of that flame for the Alberta Party.
Future Focus and Forthrightness. The province is changing in so many ways and at an unprecedented accelerated basis. We need to get serious about Alberta coming to grips with the realities of a post-fossil fuel future. We need fresh 21st century thinking and ideas to be able to adapt to the new technologies and adopt the many available productivity innovations to secure our continuing economic prosperity.
We need to be forthright about our ecological stewardship obligations and quick enough to find the clean-tech and other business opportunities within those challenges. We need inclusive secular public policy approaches that fosters social cohesion and enables more well-being, especially for vulnerable citizens. Leaving debts and environmental clean up and reclamation obligations to future generations because we refuse to be responsible in raising government revenues to pay our way today is not acceptable. I believe Kara Levis has the courage and intelligence and has best sense of differentiating the Alberta Party to have the hard conversations of pressing and pending realities.
Citizenship and Democratic Engagement. Many Albertans have become very disengaged from the political culture of the province. As a result we run the risk of forfeiting political power to active extremists. We can see the consequences of this in American politics under President Trump. Encouraging and enabling informed citizenship to engage on issues of importance to them and thereby increasing voter participation is key to a vibrant, effective and representative democracy must be a goal for every Alberta Party member, regardless of who is the leader.
Encouraging more effective progressive citizen political involvement, including social media literacy, must be part of an Alberta Party approach to out political culture. We must do more to ensure Albertans have the skills needed to thrive the new reality of disruptive technologies including their impact on our democratic institutions. Engaging the disengaged, especially women and youth, in Alberta's political culture is key to any on-going Alberta Party success.
In conclusion....... This is not an exhaustive list of reasons to support one candidate or another. It is an effort to get Alberta Party members, and Albertans, to think past the horse-race approach of who is winning or losing, so common in political leadership contests. We also don't need to get caught up in the superficial personality assessments all too often applied to leadership selection. This Alberta Party leadership campaign is more akin to the Bruce Mau challenge in his book Massive Change when he said: "Now that we can do anything, what will we do?"
I am not endorsing any candidate directly and this post should not be interpreted as an indirect endorsement of any candidate either. I am still undecided at this time. All I ask is that Alberta Party members vote on the basis of what is best for the Alberta Party so it can be the best for Alberta.
Showing posts with label Alberta Economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alberta Economy. Show all posts
Friday, February 16, 2018
Monday, August 23, 2010
Mayor Melissa Blake of Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Makes a Difference
Here is link to a news release about how individuals can make a difference about how Alberta and Albertans are perceived. Melissa Blake is the Mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, a friend and former client (Full Disclosure).
This International Visitor Leadership Program around international environmental leadership is the kind of thing Alberta ought to be doing to create a better understanding of the efforts around oil sands environmental mitigation, reclamation and restoration. It is about making personal connection and providing authentic evidence-based impressions that are an awful lot better than any expensive slick advertising campaign - not that advertising should be abandoned.
I think Mayor Blake says it best in the release when she noted here visits were in the thick of the Rethink Alberta ad campaign by Corporate Ethics:
This approach is just so much more effective because it is about having real conversations with real people meeting face-to-face to form real relationship that focus on finding the real problems and figuring out the real solutions. This with some supportive advertising that is authentic and evidenced-based not counter-spin coupled with more online follow-up with Influentials and communities of interest is a more effective way to get the next Alberta oil sands narrative out. We need that oil sands narrative to be understood, accepted, acknowledge and respected...presuming of course the efforts we are making are in fact worthy of respect....and that is another kettle of bitumen.
If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org
This International Visitor Leadership Program around international environmental leadership is the kind of thing Alberta ought to be doing to create a better understanding of the efforts around oil sands environmental mitigation, reclamation and restoration. It is about making personal connection and providing authentic evidence-based impressions that are an awful lot better than any expensive slick advertising campaign - not that advertising should be abandoned.
I think Mayor Blake says it best in the release when she noted here visits were in the thick of the Rethink Alberta ad campaign by Corporate Ethics:
"It was the variety of people I met with that was most interesting," said Mayor Blake. "And the unexpected warm welcome I received."
"I was fully prepared to arrive at this conference as the most despised Mayor in Canada. Fortunately that wasn't the case at all," Blake said.
This approach is just so much more effective because it is about having real conversations with real people meeting face-to-face to form real relationship that focus on finding the real problems and figuring out the real solutions. This with some supportive advertising that is authentic and evidenced-based not counter-spin coupled with more online follow-up with Influentials and communities of interest is a more effective way to get the next Alberta oil sands narrative out. We need that oil sands narrative to be understood, accepted, acknowledge and respected...presuming of course the efforts we are making are in fact worthy of respect....and that is another kettle of bitumen.
If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Recession Over? Where is the Recovery?
Mark Twain once famously sent a telegram saying “Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated.” I get a sense that same sentiment needs to be conveyed about rumours of economic recovery are also greatly exaggerated – and confounding as well.
We have the technical talk from economists telling us the recession is over in Canada. The June Stats Canada report shows our GDP rose 0.1% that month after 10 months constant and precipitous declines. This “turnaround” is just so much decimal dust in the big scheme of things, but it has spawned headlines like “Canadian Economy Back in the Black” in the Sun newspapers. Yes indeed rumours of recovery are greatly exaggerated. Let’s look at some context to help us determine the truth of the times.
The Globe and Mail rightly says while June GDP tipped-toed into positive territory the last quarter (April to June) was down 3.4% annualized and that was worse than expected. They say, “It doesn’t mean things are necessarily better, it just means they aren’t as bad as the last time data was collected.” Cold, hard truth and a side-order of reality are in that comment.
The US Federal Reserve Chair, Ben Bernanke says the economy teetered in February and warned of the “destructive powers of the ‘adverse feedback loop, in which weakening economic and financial conditions mutually reinforce.’” That is simple know as a vicious cycle. The key to the US recover according to Bernanke is for consumer to start spending again. Temper that hope with the fact that the American consumer has personal debt piled up that is equal to the entire US annual GDP. Spending is not likely to be the main concern of the typical American for the next while.
In Alberta we have the Canada West Foundation saying in a recent report entitled “A Rough Patch” in the Alberta economic profile. While oil prices have started to recover, unemployment is still high, investment is down means “…that the news is more bad than good.” CFW notes Alberta is very dependent on the US recover which it predicts will not start to turn around until sometime in 2010. CWF says energy prices will start to turn around too but “…last year’s contraction, the first since 1986, came as a bit of a shock to them (Albertan.)” They predict Alberta in 2009 will do worse than the Canadian average.
The recession may be at the bottom of the cycle in the minds of the economists but the issue for the rest of us is the recovery. Will it be a “V”, a fast drop and a quick recovery? Will it be a “U” fast decline lingering at the bottom and then a rapid recovery? Will it be a “W” with a false sense of recovery sparked by the infrastructure spending but not sustainable so we return to recession after the public infrastructure project spending is done? Will it be an “L” like in Japan? That reality of the “lost decade” in Japan recently caused a wholesale change in their politics and the demise of its “natural governing party in the recent election.
Nobody knows so use a skeptical eye and ear to whatever you are reading or hear from the “experts” in the area. I think we need to use this recession for a thorough review and rethink about the infallibility of the market place. That does not mean government control of everything either. What I would like to see is the economy returned to its rightful place –and that is to serve the society, not the other way around. I would also like to see the economy as repositioned to be the wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.
The economy is a man-made concept so mankind can change the content and context of the concept. Growth is good but like anything else, too much of a good think is harmful. Like many Albertans, L am longing for a Lougheed kind of leadership who will warn us to take heed and to adapt to new realities as we come out of this recession.
Lougheed is on record saying we Albertans, as owners of our natural resources, need to be sure our government and industry exercise some restraint, especially in how we develop the oilsands. The past economic policy of unfettered growth has only enriched a few but, in the process; it has set up the destruction of our society and our environment.
When it comes to the oilsands we can do better, and we better do better...and it better be green going forward.
We have the technical talk from economists telling us the recession is over in Canada. The June Stats Canada report shows our GDP rose 0.1% that month after 10 months constant and precipitous declines. This “turnaround” is just so much decimal dust in the big scheme of things, but it has spawned headlines like “Canadian Economy Back in the Black” in the Sun newspapers. Yes indeed rumours of recovery are greatly exaggerated. Let’s look at some context to help us determine the truth of the times.
The Globe and Mail rightly says while June GDP tipped-toed into positive territory the last quarter (April to June) was down 3.4% annualized and that was worse than expected. They say, “It doesn’t mean things are necessarily better, it just means they aren’t as bad as the last time data was collected.” Cold, hard truth and a side-order of reality are in that comment.
The US Federal Reserve Chair, Ben Bernanke says the economy teetered in February and warned of the “destructive powers of the ‘adverse feedback loop, in which weakening economic and financial conditions mutually reinforce.’” That is simple know as a vicious cycle. The key to the US recover according to Bernanke is for consumer to start spending again. Temper that hope with the fact that the American consumer has personal debt piled up that is equal to the entire US annual GDP. Spending is not likely to be the main concern of the typical American for the next while.
In Alberta we have the Canada West Foundation saying in a recent report entitled “A Rough Patch” in the Alberta economic profile. While oil prices have started to recover, unemployment is still high, investment is down means “…that the news is more bad than good.” CFW notes Alberta is very dependent on the US recover which it predicts will not start to turn around until sometime in 2010. CWF says energy prices will start to turn around too but “…last year’s contraction, the first since 1986, came as a bit of a shock to them (Albertan.)” They predict Alberta in 2009 will do worse than the Canadian average.
The recession may be at the bottom of the cycle in the minds of the economists but the issue for the rest of us is the recovery. Will it be a “V”, a fast drop and a quick recovery? Will it be a “U” fast decline lingering at the bottom and then a rapid recovery? Will it be a “W” with a false sense of recovery sparked by the infrastructure spending but not sustainable so we return to recession after the public infrastructure project spending is done? Will it be an “L” like in Japan? That reality of the “lost decade” in Japan recently caused a wholesale change in their politics and the demise of its “natural governing party in the recent election.
Nobody knows so use a skeptical eye and ear to whatever you are reading or hear from the “experts” in the area. I think we need to use this recession for a thorough review and rethink about the infallibility of the market place. That does not mean government control of everything either. What I would like to see is the economy returned to its rightful place –and that is to serve the society, not the other way around. I would also like to see the economy as repositioned to be the wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.
The economy is a man-made concept so mankind can change the content and context of the concept. Growth is good but like anything else, too much of a good think is harmful. Like many Albertans, L am longing for a Lougheed kind of leadership who will warn us to take heed and to adapt to new realities as we come out of this recession.
Lougheed is on record saying we Albertans, as owners of our natural resources, need to be sure our government and industry exercise some restraint, especially in how we develop the oilsands. The past economic policy of unfettered growth has only enriched a few but, in the process; it has set up the destruction of our society and our environment.
When it comes to the oilsands we can do better, and we better do better...and it better be green going forward.
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