Marv Moore Praises Hancock's Efforts for a Smoking Ban

So Dave Hancock, the Minister of Health and Wellness met today with a group of about 60 stakeholder leaders in the health field from all around Alberta today getting their input into practical ideas for wellness, sustainability and innovation in health care in Alberta. The sessions were energizing and enlightening and the ideas flowed freely and the discussion was open and frank. It was a great start for Hancock to take over the Health and Wellness Ministry

It was not surprising to see Marv Moore at the session since he is the Chair of the Peace Country Health Region. Marv is described generally as a rancher and businessman from various sources. Truth be told, he is a long time suffering respected rural stalwart in the PC Party and has run every one of Ralph Klein’s successful provincial election campaigns. Marv is nothing short of an icon in the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta.

One of the highlights of today was in the plenary wrap up session when Marv Moore spoke up. Moore commented to Dave Hancock to the effect of saying “…that all us here have followed your difficult experiences around the idea of a smoking ban in the past week.” Moore went on to say to Hancock, “…and you need to know we support you.” He said “in fact if we had a straw vote right here I bet no less than 98% would support you” to which the room erupted in applause in response to Moore’s comments.

Moore went on to say that he thought Hancock had “done the right thing to speak out on a possible policy to have a province wide smoking ban in public places” as the Minister of Health and Wellness. Another endorsement of Hancock’s efforts to bring Albertan’s desire for a wellness and health prevention approach to the province from Marv Moore, a guy who not only “gets it” but has “seen it all too.”

Here is a bit of background on Marv Moore that people will not likely know and many more may well have forgotten. He was first elected to provincial politics in 1971 as MLA for Smoky River. He helped form the first Progressive Conservative government in Alberta under Peter Lougheed. Marvin was an MLA for 18 years, until he retired from elected politics in 1989. During his time as MLA, Marvin held five different cabinet positions including Hospitals and Medicare, Agriculture, Municipal Affairs, Transportation and Solicitor General. Marv also worked with a number of committees, including Rural Development, Economic Planning, Social Planning, Finance and Priorities, and the Treasury Board.

After retiring from politics, Marv was appointed chairman of the Alberta Cancer Board, a position he held from 1993 to 1999. He also serves as a trustee of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Science and Engineering Research. He was appointed chairman of the Mistahia Health Region in 2001. In January, Marvin was chosen as chairman of the new Peace Country Health.

If anyone thinks this smoking ban issue is all about rural politicians being opposed to it because it interferes with some sense of a personal right they think they have to endanger others and themselves, they are only seeing part of the puzzle. They need look no further than Marv Moore for an eloquent and informed rebuttal of such a position, this coming from an avatar of the authentic rural Alberta experience and consciousness.

When people of commitment and character come together bringing their best efforts and applying themselves to issues of consequence, like happened today at Government House, we can rest assured good, if not great things, will come of it. Special thanks to Marvin Moore who exemplified that spirit today so well.

Alberta and Continental Energy Supply Issue Heats Up

The geopolitical reality for Alberta in a political push for a continentalenergy supply policy was covered in an Op-Ed in the Edmonton Journal by Satya Das, my business partner. Nothing in the George Bush’s “Reign of Error” called the "State of the Union" speech last night suggested anything was going to happen to the contrary.

America is clearly going to be looking for a safe, secure, reliable and relatively friendly high volume energy supplier. The State of the Union speech talk about a reduction of gasoline usage by 20% in 10 years based on ethanol and alternatives is smog and mirrors from a dead duck President.

We Albertans need some serious thinking and planning about continental energy supply policy. If Harper’s giveaway on Softwood Lumber is any indication of how he will handle continental energy issues, we are going to be in trouble, as a province and as a country.

Ralph Klein is on the file, as is Brian Tobin fronting for the Fraser Institute. Even former Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan is now doing a mea culpa on Free Trade and talking about a North American Community – kind of like a "NAFTA +."

Managing Growth is a top prioirty for Premier Stelmach and major concern all over Alberta. The City of Edmonton is now making waves on that point too.

The policy aroudn continental energy supply should not only be made in Alberta it must be made for Alberta. Based on media reports on the U.S. Ambassador Wilkin's meeting with Premier Stelmach today the political process has begun.

Harper Cabinet Rates a 50/50 Approval in Recent Poll

Nicole Martel has an interesting post on an Angus Reid poll on the approval ratings of certain Harper Cabinet Ministers. There net positives are for Harper, Flaherty and McKay…Prentice is not seen in any of the data reports I looked at. Jim is way too far below the radar – working hard and effectively at the coal face but nobody knows it. Everyone else looks pretty bland or just plain bad.

The moral of the story is they are mostly a 50/50 crowd with lots of “Don’t Knows” as you will see when you click the link to the Toronto Star story. This proves the nation is essentially "test driving" the Harper government to see if we what to buy his form of government. Based on these results if is pretty obvious that we are not yet impressed nor particularly dismayed with the performance either. The Harper Cons have not yet done anything to really significnat make a mark that will win our hearts and minds over the past year. The fact that al other recent polls say Harper and Dion are statisticaly tied has to be a discomforting fact for "Steve."

Nicole also directs us to the other Toronto Star piece where the Harper Cons political rhetoric is matched against the factual reality of the Liberals and Dion. I have been waiting and hoping someone would do this comparison. The various examples used are a classic rebuttal of the issues framing done by the Harper Message Machine. He and his goverment is proven to be very disingenuous in their misrepresentations about the Liberals and Dion, and I am being generous in my assessment when I say that.

The Star story is also a very effective rebuttal of the pervasive MSM culture of take things said by politicians that are purely political at face value. We see this lack of background research and fact checking is just much too prevalent in political reporting today. It all gets repeated in other media and gossip gets over reported as "news" and then the misinformation become the "reality." We mere mortals have to wonder if anyone cares about accuracy and truth in politics today.

Anyway, with polling "approval" numbers like theses, Harper better hope Layton doesn’t ask for too much in the forthcoming Budget. There is nothing in these polling approval levels to foster any confidence by, for and about a Harper victory in an election in the near future. Remember also that campaigns matter and yesterday is not a precursor of tomorrow any more.

At 50/50 Harper's fortunes could go either way...but clearly the Cons are not on solid enough ground to want an election anytime soon. With every day that passes the environment embeds as more of an issue and Layton has to wonder about May's momentum and Harper has to worry about Dion getting better known and more acceptable as a possible alternative for the next Prime Minister.

Good for the Star for reporting on the reality over the rhetoric. Thx Nicole for bringing it to our attention. I had $10 bucks riding on a spring election. I think I may have to cough up the cash and eat some crow in a couple of months.

Dion Says the Greens Should be in the TV Debates

The Globe and Mail's Eric Reguly and Stephane Dion are calling for the Green Party to be included in any next federal election television debates. The timing of such an election is ironically within the control of the NDP based on how the seats shake down with floor crossings and caucus expulsions. My expectation is Jack Layton would be happier if the Greens were left in the Green Room and not on the stage.

The television broadcasters seem to think they should have the control over this aspect of our democracy. They get to say that if a Party does not have a seat in Parliament then you don’t get to participate in the debates. Who made them the boss of the citizens?

The environment is the #1 issue in the country right now and the Greens are the Party most identified with that issue. Besides their Leader Elizabeth May ran a very respectful second place in a recent southern Ontario By-election. She beat the Conservatives and the NDP candidates with a healthy 25% of the vote.

May and her Party are a significant and proven political force to be reckoned with. Seats should not be the only test for inclusion. Performance in voter support plays a role here too. It is no problem to include the Bloc in the debates, and their primary goal is to split up the country for God’s sake.

So regardless of your partisan politics, support the Greens being included in the debates. There is an on line petition on the Green's site. Show your support and sign up. We can show the broadcasters that they must reconsider this policy and include the Greens notwithstanding the lack of a seat.

LET'S DRAFT GARTH TURNER!
If this petition isn’t enough, let’s start a movement to draft the Independent MP, Garth Turner to join the Greens. This would be for the sole purpose of giving them a seat to “qualify” under the broadcaster’s silly rules to be for included in the debates.

I think that would be a refreshing exercise of a strategic realpolitik power play by a Turner and May tag team. It would be a perfect response to the shallow thinking of the opponents of the Greens being included. I would applaud Turner if he were to decide to stay Green or if he chooses to resign from the Greens immediately after their participation in the debates were confirmed.

I am serious about a draft Turner effort if it becomes necessary. Some times you have to fight absurdity with absurdity. It is nice when you can do it with creativity and class. But in the meantime sign the petition and let’s be sure to let the powers that be know the Canadian democracy belongs to the citizens, not the broadcasters or the politicians.

Video of Canadian Troops Engaged in Battle

Garth Turner has an excellent video clip of Canadian forces engaged in battle in Afghanistan. If anyone doubts the danger of this deployment, this clip will remove any such doubts.

We have much to do that is helping that fragile country to rebuild. That is ultimately the most important aspect of this effort. First things first though and tht means we obviously have to make it safe for citizens to rebuild...and that is dangerous and deadly work.

Those of us who live in Edmonton have a deeper sense of community and connection with these soldiers. They are our neigbours. Their kids go to school with our kids. We all must try to better understand what is going on there, what we are doing there as a country and how we can help the Afghan people now and in the longer term.

We citizens better take some time become more informed and stay engaged in what Canada is trying to accomplish in this initiaitve...and how we are doing towards achieving our goals. Let's be sure in the meantime that our troops know that we support them and that we value what they are doing and we are proud of them.