THE PC PARTY COMES THROUGH. THE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES ARE BACK ON THE PARTY WEBSITE. KUDOS TO THE PARTY FOLKS WHO DID THIS. SEE MY POSTING OCTOBER 1 FOR MORE DETAILS.
I checked out the PC Party website to get an update on the Statement of Principles adopted by the Party in the early 1990's during Dave Hancock's term as Party President. They have been updated and ratified recently by an Annual General Meeting of the Party.
There is no sign of them on the Party website. Big error! Sure it is necesary to focus on the leadership BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PARTY!!!
There is a need to get folks involved in the Party and the leadership but don't you think they should have some background and an some ind of idea what a political party is all about...like access to the Statement of Principles of the PC Party for instance?.
Doug Graham - as Party President please fix this right away.
IN THE MEANTIME while you are waiting for that to be fixed check out the piece I recently wrote on Senate Reform in the Canada West Foundations "Dialogues" pubication "Equalize This." Hope you enjoy it. The "Gnu Government of Canada" as the federal Conservatives are insisting they now be called, even by the bureaucracy (if you like your job..but no pressure), are planning a full force incremental adjustment of the Senate. They are proposing a Bill to legislate term limits for Senators to 8 years. A start for sure and I like their pluck and wish them well. But why not tie into this Bill some equal Senate representation for the west as a quid pro quo for the equalization payments to "have not" provinces as well? The "poorer" provinces mostly have an excess of Senate seats that could be "equalized" to give us underprivileged western provinces some of the Senate seats from the fiscal "have not" provinces? Why don't we deserve equal "access" to that significnat federal public service, the Senate. Isn't that the fundamental principle behind equalization provisions in the Constitution, equal access to federal government services? Could be a fun debate.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
The PC Party as a Means to an End
Graham Thomson makes a series of good points in his column today. Why buy a PC membership to participate in the leadership selection process? This is a fundamental question underscoring the current leadership campaign for each and every candidate and each and every eligible Albertan. I am encouraged that the Doctors are seeing the significance of this process and starting to engage. The teachers are quietly there already. The disability community is getting engaged and focused. The evangelical Christians and the Preston Manning old line Reformers are clearly in the game. Environmentalists are forming coalitions and will soon be making their move to influence the outcome. The Arts and Culture as well as Sport and Recreational people are getting their acts together wanting to be sure their agenda is given some priority. Municipalities are focused as well. Post secondary students and school boards and parents have issues and are starting to organize and are looking at ways to getting their messages out to candidates. A powerful group of community and aboriginal leaders held a new conference recently to focus on the shortcoming of the education system on aboriginal education. They will be exerting political force as well. PC Leadership Candidate Dave Hancock wa the only politician at the news conference, sad but not surprising given he the author of the Alberta Aboriginal Policy Framework.
In the end the best way to make it happen is to buy a membership, find the candidate whose platform, principles and character best aligns with your aspirations and concerns. Then help promote that candidate’s campaign by telling your friends, colleagues and contacts why you support him or her. Finally show up and cast your ballot accordingly. Everything else is theory, posturing or positioning. Voting makes it all happen.
A lot has already been said in the conventional media and political Blogs, including this one, about the significance of this “opportunity” to pick the next PC leader, a fine thing indeed. More importantly the process selects the nest Premier…someone who could have the next 2 years of Klein’s mandate to rework Alberta into his or her “own image.” There is no compelling need to for any new party leader go to an early election. Many feel it would be a waste of money and add to the political uncertainty of the province and the country. The likelihood of any perpetrator of a cynical political pre-emptive election strike, in Alberta or Canada, will result in the party who causes it, being punished at the polls. Today Graham brings it all into focus for us again…especially since the campaign has now really started and the public will begin to pay more attention.
I only quibble with Graham’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion about maybe not participating and just letting the two years lapse. The idea is to have the PC party “bash away at each other” as some kind of political sporting event until the next election. This may be fun for journalists but it is much too dangerous a strategy for our future stability and progress as a province. Albertans should engage and make a conscious and informed decision as to our future. That, to my mind, is a much more practical an enlightened approach for our own individual and collective good.
We must be vigilant and careful who we choose because who we select will, in no small way, go a long way to defining Alberta and what it means to be Albertan – at least for the remainder of this mandate A lot of good, or a lot of evil can be done in the two years until the next election.
So bring on the special interests groups and let them get involved. In a democracy we always get the kind of government we deserve because it is our individual participation in our free and open collective choices that generates the end result. The world is still run by those who show up. If you’re ready will and able to “show up” – I have memberships available at ken@cambridgestrategies.com and for $5 will be happy to facilitate your positive act of citizenship.
In the end the best way to make it happen is to buy a membership, find the candidate whose platform, principles and character best aligns with your aspirations and concerns. Then help promote that candidate’s campaign by telling your friends, colleagues and contacts why you support him or her. Finally show up and cast your ballot accordingly. Everything else is theory, posturing or positioning. Voting makes it all happen.
A lot has already been said in the conventional media and political Blogs, including this one, about the significance of this “opportunity” to pick the next PC leader, a fine thing indeed. More importantly the process selects the nest Premier…someone who could have the next 2 years of Klein’s mandate to rework Alberta into his or her “own image.” There is no compelling need to for any new party leader go to an early election. Many feel it would be a waste of money and add to the political uncertainty of the province and the country. The likelihood of any perpetrator of a cynical political pre-emptive election strike, in Alberta or Canada, will result in the party who causes it, being punished at the polls. Today Graham brings it all into focus for us again…especially since the campaign has now really started and the public will begin to pay more attention.
I only quibble with Graham’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion about maybe not participating and just letting the two years lapse. The idea is to have the PC party “bash away at each other” as some kind of political sporting event until the next election. This may be fun for journalists but it is much too dangerous a strategy for our future stability and progress as a province. Albertans should engage and make a conscious and informed decision as to our future. That, to my mind, is a much more practical an enlightened approach for our own individual and collective good.
We must be vigilant and careful who we choose because who we select will, in no small way, go a long way to defining Alberta and what it means to be Albertan – at least for the remainder of this mandate A lot of good, or a lot of evil can be done in the two years until the next election.
So bring on the special interests groups and let them get involved. In a democracy we always get the kind of government we deserve because it is our individual participation in our free and open collective choices that generates the end result. The world is still run by those who show up. If you’re ready will and able to “show up” – I have memberships available at ken@cambridgestrategies.com and for $5 will be happy to facilitate your positive act of citizenship.
Norris Misses the "Mark!"
Mark Norris is reported as saying Alberta’s revenue surpluses are “due to bad budgeting and over taxation” is just plain inaccurate and imprudent. A catchy sound bite for sure and the Sun newspapers will eat it up. In the real world it is nothing short of a dangerous presumption and a supercilious operating principle for any serious aspirant to political leadership.
Government surpluses that result from program and operating functions are not “over taxation” necessarily and definitely not in every instance. It could be “bad budgeting” but in every budget certain judgment calls have to be made on all kinds of assumptions and issues around program costs and criteria. Surpluses are more likely the result of inaccurate assumptions over a actual program costs, the implementation and timing, or a mis-assessment of an actual program need, or incorrect assumption over our amount, pace, distribution and make up of our population growth (think Fort McMurray). It may be the result of a less than enthusiastic program acceptance or many many other things that depend on human judgment and assumptions.
Look at the recent Centennial matching scholarship program that apparently nobody wants to participate in. Is that causing a surplus and as a result bad budgeting? Norris “won’t tolerate it” but what will his intolerance lead him to do about it? Can we assume even more simple minded “solutions?” Could it be the program was founded on an incorrect assumption as to what people will contribute toward the future of their kid’s education in the current inflationary and volatile Alberta economy? Is it possible that young Albertans with school age kids are using the cash they have for education to meet huge school fee hikes, increases in school transportation costs, rising gasoline prices, increased electricity charges, runaway shelter costs and increased inflation? Could it be they don't feel comfortable “freezing” cash just now in a program that may or may to be needed or even sufficient for the purposes intended at some vague time in the future? Even if it is matched by government. In Mark’s world this is “bad budgeting and must not be tolerated.”
Surpluses generated by larger resource revenues resulting from higher than estimated commodity prices are not over taxation either. They are windfalls and need to be used in ways to the benefit of future generations as much, if not more, than current operational needs. Would Mark “not tolerate” this as bad budgeting as well? It is not necessarily “bad budgeting” that all these variables are estimated and assumed for overall budget calculation purposes and that they may prove inaccurate in the end.
Misleading us as to the amount of resource revenue surpluses by accounting obfuscation and fiscal trickery…now that is more than bad budgeting, it is bad government. That practice has been more common, in both the Alberta and the federal Liberal governments in recent years. That approach is just plain bad governing. That is something that really has to stop. Mark Norris "no tolerance" stance is something he could use for this issue if he is serious about changing budgeting policy and procedures. The consequences of inaccurate financial reporting and intentionally misleading fiscal messaging is a truly bad budget practice that should not be tolerated.
Norris’ media comments really shows a serious lack of insight as to the complexity, issues and the fiscal dynamics of good government and effective governing. For each and every complex governance challenge there is always a simple solution - that is usually WRONG. Norris is a nice guy but apparently does not have a very deep grasp of such thing as revenue surpluses and public sector budgeting.
Norris has been dubbed “The Klein Clone” by no less than the likes of Art Smith and Phil Klein. These gentlemen are Ralph's mentor and father respectively. They ought to know a Klein Clone personality when they see one. Haven’t we already been there and done that? Do we really need to do that again? Is repeating that set of pesonal qualities the best way to go forward for Alberta? Those are some of the questions Albertans have to ask themselves as they assess the PC leadership candidates and wanna-be Premiers.
Politically however, Mark Norris is no Ralph Klein. He aspires to the Premier's office as a relative neophyte candidate having been elected only once and then losing his seat and Cabinet postion in the last provincial election. That suggests he is not yet ready to lead or to govern. He has not yet justified the public's confidence to the point where we citizens should grant him our consent to govern. Maybe next time but not this time.
Government surpluses that result from program and operating functions are not “over taxation” necessarily and definitely not in every instance. It could be “bad budgeting” but in every budget certain judgment calls have to be made on all kinds of assumptions and issues around program costs and criteria. Surpluses are more likely the result of inaccurate assumptions over a actual program costs, the implementation and timing, or a mis-assessment of an actual program need, or incorrect assumption over our amount, pace, distribution and make up of our population growth (think Fort McMurray). It may be the result of a less than enthusiastic program acceptance or many many other things that depend on human judgment and assumptions.
Look at the recent Centennial matching scholarship program that apparently nobody wants to participate in. Is that causing a surplus and as a result bad budgeting? Norris “won’t tolerate it” but what will his intolerance lead him to do about it? Can we assume even more simple minded “solutions?” Could it be the program was founded on an incorrect assumption as to what people will contribute toward the future of their kid’s education in the current inflationary and volatile Alberta economy? Is it possible that young Albertans with school age kids are using the cash they have for education to meet huge school fee hikes, increases in school transportation costs, rising gasoline prices, increased electricity charges, runaway shelter costs and increased inflation? Could it be they don't feel comfortable “freezing” cash just now in a program that may or may to be needed or even sufficient for the purposes intended at some vague time in the future? Even if it is matched by government. In Mark’s world this is “bad budgeting and must not be tolerated.”
Surpluses generated by larger resource revenues resulting from higher than estimated commodity prices are not over taxation either. They are windfalls and need to be used in ways to the benefit of future generations as much, if not more, than current operational needs. Would Mark “not tolerate” this as bad budgeting as well? It is not necessarily “bad budgeting” that all these variables are estimated and assumed for overall budget calculation purposes and that they may prove inaccurate in the end.
Misleading us as to the amount of resource revenue surpluses by accounting obfuscation and fiscal trickery…now that is more than bad budgeting, it is bad government. That practice has been more common, in both the Alberta and the federal Liberal governments in recent years. That approach is just plain bad governing. That is something that really has to stop. Mark Norris "no tolerance" stance is something he could use for this issue if he is serious about changing budgeting policy and procedures. The consequences of inaccurate financial reporting and intentionally misleading fiscal messaging is a truly bad budget practice that should not be tolerated.
Norris’ media comments really shows a serious lack of insight as to the complexity, issues and the fiscal dynamics of good government and effective governing. For each and every complex governance challenge there is always a simple solution - that is usually WRONG. Norris is a nice guy but apparently does not have a very deep grasp of such thing as revenue surpluses and public sector budgeting.
Norris has been dubbed “The Klein Clone” by no less than the likes of Art Smith and Phil Klein. These gentlemen are Ralph's mentor and father respectively. They ought to know a Klein Clone personality when they see one. Haven’t we already been there and done that? Do we really need to do that again? Is repeating that set of pesonal qualities the best way to go forward for Alberta? Those are some of the questions Albertans have to ask themselves as they assess the PC leadership candidates and wanna-be Premiers.
Politically however, Mark Norris is no Ralph Klein. He aspires to the Premier's office as a relative neophyte candidate having been elected only once and then losing his seat and Cabinet postion in the last provincial election. That suggests he is not yet ready to lead or to govern. He has not yet justified the public's confidence to the point where we citizens should grant him our consent to govern. Maybe next time but not this time.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Hancock Statement on a "Retiring" Ralph Klein
Dave Hancock pays tribute to the retiring Ralph Klein and talks about what is next for a Progressive and Conservative Alberta.
Statement by Dave Hancock on the "Retiring" Ralph Klein
Edmonton, September 20, 2006 -- It has been an honour and a privilege to be a member of Premier Klein’s government since 1997. I have always been grateful for the opportunity to serve my province, my community, my home. Alberta is a more vibrant and prosperous province than it was 14 years ago and I thank Premier and Dr. Colleen Klein for their contributions and leadership.
Today, however, Alberta is at a crossroads. Albertans need to make choices. Much more than a choice between nine leadership candidates, it is a choice about the future. It is a direction that must be driven by values. What kind of province will we build? When the time comes for our children’s children to look back to our choices we want them to say "look what they did for us" not "look what they did to us."
In my travels throughout the province I have heard many ideas and many concerns from many people. We all have issues that affect us personally and it’s important to recognize that a farmer’s concerns in Provost are often different than those of a roughneck in High Level or a small business owner in Banff. There is, however, a resounding consensus that we have shared interest in planning for a healthy and prosperous future and making Alberta the best place to work, live, and visit. Albertans deserve a leader who not only listens, but involves them in creating their future.
All Albertans must have access to educational opportunities to realize their potential and succeed in Alberta's community and economy. We must focus on wellness and preventative care and use our creativity to ensure universality of quality, sustainable health care.
Environmental stewardship is the duty we owe to present and future Albertans. Non-renewable natural resource income is finite and should be invested in endowments to support future-forward thinking in areas such as education and innovation, resolutions for our social and environmental issues, and the development of our art, culture and community.
We need to foster innovation and create an environment that encourages Albertans to unleash their capacity to innovate and explore new opportunities. We need to ensure financial stewardship by providing continued balanced budgets, low taxation levels, and saving and investment strategies for our tax dollars.
I look forward discussing your values and priorities for the future as I travel the province over the next two months. I welcome the opportunity to engage with the other candidates in the upcoming leadership forums about the choices we need to make for a healthy and sustainable future. This campaign is about your values, your Alberta, and your choice for a new leader in a new era of government. I can provide that leadership. I ask for the support of all Albertans.
Statement by Dave Hancock on the "Retiring" Ralph Klein
Edmonton, September 20, 2006 -- It has been an honour and a privilege to be a member of Premier Klein’s government since 1997. I have always been grateful for the opportunity to serve my province, my community, my home. Alberta is a more vibrant and prosperous province than it was 14 years ago and I thank Premier and Dr. Colleen Klein for their contributions and leadership.
Today, however, Alberta is at a crossroads. Albertans need to make choices. Much more than a choice between nine leadership candidates, it is a choice about the future. It is a direction that must be driven by values. What kind of province will we build? When the time comes for our children’s children to look back to our choices we want them to say "look what they did for us" not "look what they did to us."
In my travels throughout the province I have heard many ideas and many concerns from many people. We all have issues that affect us personally and it’s important to recognize that a farmer’s concerns in Provost are often different than those of a roughneck in High Level or a small business owner in Banff. There is, however, a resounding consensus that we have shared interest in planning for a healthy and prosperous future and making Alberta the best place to work, live, and visit. Albertans deserve a leader who not only listens, but involves them in creating their future.
All Albertans must have access to educational opportunities to realize their potential and succeed in Alberta's community and economy. We must focus on wellness and preventative care and use our creativity to ensure universality of quality, sustainable health care.
Environmental stewardship is the duty we owe to present and future Albertans. Non-renewable natural resource income is finite and should be invested in endowments to support future-forward thinking in areas such as education and innovation, resolutions for our social and environmental issues, and the development of our art, culture and community.
We need to foster innovation and create an environment that encourages Albertans to unleash their capacity to innovate and explore new opportunities. We need to ensure financial stewardship by providing continued balanced budgets, low taxation levels, and saving and investment strategies for our tax dollars.
I look forward discussing your values and priorities for the future as I travel the province over the next two months. I welcome the opportunity to engage with the other candidates in the upcoming leadership forums about the choices we need to make for a healthy and sustainable future. This campaign is about your values, your Alberta, and your choice for a new leader in a new era of government. I can provide that leadership. I ask for the support of all Albertans.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Premier Klein Quits Tomorrow
The official resignation letter from Premier Klein comes tomorrow afternoon and the campaign to find his successor, and the next pro tem Premier of Alberta, now starts with a vengeance.
Ralph has always been a character. An “interesting” character to be sure, who is not without his charm and not without his warts. He showed them all to us as well as all sides of his personality over the years as our party leader. He has, in the end, proven to be one of Alberta’s most successful politicians.
As I reflect on Ralph, I want to focus on some of his strengths as he prepares to pass the torch. I have worked with lots politicians over the years. What I recall of Ralph, beyond the media made mythology, was that he was one of the quickest studies on policy issues that I have met and worked with. His ability to focus and “get it in one” as they say always impressed me. I had the privilege to brief him as party leader on policy conference outcomes on a number of occasions. His gift of being able to focus on what was in front of him and to immediately grasp complex concepts and their context the to go out and speak to the political and policy implications, off the top of his head, was a gift. It was little appreciated talent that served him and the province well during his tenure.
His legendary common touch was genuine and is a fundamental and defining part of his character. He was the “glue” of the party and was able to personally appeal to the full range of political and policy perspectives within the Progressive Conservative Party.
His personal relationship with aboriginal Albertans and his understanding of their various cultures and the personal realities they faced. Ralph related to all aspects of aboriginal Albertans as a people, as individuals and as political interest groups. This personal part of Ralph developed into a special, politically effective, mutually beneficial and sustained relationship. Ralph helped other Albertans better understand the circumstances and political realities of Metis and First Nations people in Alberta and advanced their cause on many occasions.
He could be very insightful and adaptive. He sometimes had a sixth sense of what Albertans were really thinking and feeling. He connected with us as Albertans. His political antenna was not always perfect. He made mistakes but he took initiative. We all know those go hand in hand in politics and life. When he messed up he was quick to apologize and equally as quick to focused on fixing things to make them better. The issues and policy mistakes that were made around the sterilization issue and the Vriend decision are two prime examples of first getting it wrong, then realizing the mistake and immediately revising the policy to get it right.
Lots will be said in the media about Ralph’s shortcoming in his post-Premier period. Not by me though. I like him and appreciate what he has accomplished and done for Alberta. We often disagreed but never disagreeably. Our “arguments,” over a beer- or not - were always on the issues, the principles and processes – never on the goals and the purposes. He was thin skinned at times and took hurtful things personally and was often treated unfairly. Those are the realities of our adversarial competitive political culture.
Bottom line – he came into office and did what he said he would do. That alone differentiated him from the run-of-the-mill politicians so characteristic of his time. So now he retires. I want to personally thank Ralph for what he did, and sometime for what he didn’t do as our Premier. He has left Alberta a better place than when he was first elected and that, in the end, is all we can ask of any politician.
Ralph has always been a character. An “interesting” character to be sure, who is not without his charm and not without his warts. He showed them all to us as well as all sides of his personality over the years as our party leader. He has, in the end, proven to be one of Alberta’s most successful politicians.
As I reflect on Ralph, I want to focus on some of his strengths as he prepares to pass the torch. I have worked with lots politicians over the years. What I recall of Ralph, beyond the media made mythology, was that he was one of the quickest studies on policy issues that I have met and worked with. His ability to focus and “get it in one” as they say always impressed me. I had the privilege to brief him as party leader on policy conference outcomes on a number of occasions. His gift of being able to focus on what was in front of him and to immediately grasp complex concepts and their context the to go out and speak to the political and policy implications, off the top of his head, was a gift. It was little appreciated talent that served him and the province well during his tenure.
His legendary common touch was genuine and is a fundamental and defining part of his character. He was the “glue” of the party and was able to personally appeal to the full range of political and policy perspectives within the Progressive Conservative Party.
His personal relationship with aboriginal Albertans and his understanding of their various cultures and the personal realities they faced. Ralph related to all aspects of aboriginal Albertans as a people, as individuals and as political interest groups. This personal part of Ralph developed into a special, politically effective, mutually beneficial and sustained relationship. Ralph helped other Albertans better understand the circumstances and political realities of Metis and First Nations people in Alberta and advanced their cause on many occasions.
He could be very insightful and adaptive. He sometimes had a sixth sense of what Albertans were really thinking and feeling. He connected with us as Albertans. His political antenna was not always perfect. He made mistakes but he took initiative. We all know those go hand in hand in politics and life. When he messed up he was quick to apologize and equally as quick to focused on fixing things to make them better. The issues and policy mistakes that were made around the sterilization issue and the Vriend decision are two prime examples of first getting it wrong, then realizing the mistake and immediately revising the policy to get it right.
Lots will be said in the media about Ralph’s shortcoming in his post-Premier period. Not by me though. I like him and appreciate what he has accomplished and done for Alberta. We often disagreed but never disagreeably. Our “arguments,” over a beer- or not - were always on the issues, the principles and processes – never on the goals and the purposes. He was thin skinned at times and took hurtful things personally and was often treated unfairly. Those are the realities of our adversarial competitive political culture.
Bottom line – he came into office and did what he said he would do. That alone differentiated him from the run-of-the-mill politicians so characteristic of his time. So now he retires. I want to personally thank Ralph for what he did, and sometime for what he didn’t do as our Premier. He has left Alberta a better place than when he was first elected and that, in the end, is all we can ask of any politician.
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