Stelmach Tells the Edmonton Region to Get its Act Together

I was in the media room at the Alberta Legislature this afternoon when Premier Stelmach released the Terms of Reference for the 24 municipalities in and around Edmonton to develop a “log term, integrated management plan to support economic growth, with particular attention to the economic, social, environmental impacts on all residents of the region.” He has set a deadline of January 1, 2008 and has made it clear the province is prepared to act if the region does not get this done...and done right!

Premier Stelmach went on to say “So today I’m releasing a road map towards that goal, and I’m confident it will lead to a long-term plan to support anticipated development in the Capital Region over the next 20 to 50 years.”

There is some $46Billion of construction project planned, recently completed or underway in the Edmonton region. The demand for public sector infrastructure in this region will also be in the billions and add to the growth pressures. The Alberta government today acknowledge that “Meeting those requirements will require concerted and co-ordinate effort from municipal, provincial and federal governments as well as industry to minimize the impact on taxpayers.

Here is an example of exactly what my previous post was talking about the Stelmach PC government needed to do. Glad to see it happening and in particular on this very difficult and contentious issue of regional, long term, comprehensive and integrated planning for the Edmonton region. Albertans what change and change is what they are about to get.

This initiative and Dave Hancock's introduction of tobacco control legislation this afternoon make me a happy camper today.

How Will Alberta PCs Respond to the By-Election Results?

Today in Alberta we will see two by-elections that will once again prove that all politics is local. There is a strong sense of change in the air but not only in Calgary Elbow or Drumheller-Stettler. It started in the 2004 general election when Alberta voters wanted to move past the Klein Era - but Premier Ralph didn’t want to. Politics being the blood sport it is saw Klein out and Ed Stelmach picked as his successor – and perceived as an agent for change.

The jury is out if Premier Stelmach is a looking forward, take charge and "lead the charge" kind of guy or is he merely an extension yesterday’s Klein Era. The mood is for change and for me things are begin to feel like 1970 again when Lougheed made the breakthrough of the Social Credit dynasty.

These by-elections are always a prime opportunity to send the government a message. I expect the PCs to do relatively poorly as a result…even if we win them both! What is important is what messages will we take from these results? Is Calgary grumpy and feeling that they are now distant from its old role as the centre of provincial power and influence? Sure, but is that the only message? I don’t think so.

Is the Drumheller-Stettler result to be taken as a bell weather of where rural Alberta is leaning in the forthcoming election? Sure, but there is lots more going on in rural Alberta that needs to be considered as well.

The key message is going to be it is time for a change. If the PCs don’t change how they lead, plan and govern, the citizens will do it for them. There is shift in Alberta from the feel good sloganeering of the “Alberta Advantage” past a general grumpiness into one of genuine angst about the future direction of this province. For too many this new wealth that is being generated is not reaching them. Not only that, their cost of surviving, not just living, is on the increase. Pressures are mounting and the consequences are not happy ones for many ordinary Albertans.

There is ample economic evidence in Alberta, to borrow a cliché form my mother, “That our ship has come in.” If that is the case why is there so much anxiety over our future? I think it is the result of the chronic complacency that beset government in the last half of Klein’s premiership. He used to like to say that after defeating the debt and deficit he “wanted to put his feet up for a while and enjoy the accomplishment.” He did, and we allowed it for too long. We became focused on the past instead of preparing for the future. As a result some important things are missing in Alberta today. The most obvious ones are leadership, stewardship and citizenship.

We PCs are going to get a comeuppance today at the polls, even if we win! And we deserve it. The question is how we will respond to the alarm bells. We PCs need to leap out of the comfortable bed we make for ourselves and have been languishing in for far too long. It is time for Premier Stelmach to show he hears the alarm bells and for him to take personal control of the leadership of this province. The way to do it is through a creative, comprehensive, and long term stewardship perspective focused on the future of this Province. Those qualities are the essence of the Ed Stelmach I know.

Albertans are very focused on the future and tired of the PC aggrandizing or eulogizing over our past accomplishments. To see the future as merely about winning the next election is not going to be seen as good governing either. It merely political posturing and people are not only tied of that – they are afraid of it - and they will punish any party that pursues such an agenda.

It is time for Ed Stelmach to be Ed Stelmach. These by-elections are a perfect time for him to get a serious focus and get on with a new game plan. He needs to tell Albertans exactly where he sees this province going and how he plans to get us there.

Change or be changed, that is the question! Tomorrow is not too late to start to really re-engage with Albertans and help change their disenchantment into re-enchantment. My money is on Ed Stelmach to do just that.

Alberta Bill 45 "The Tobacco Reduction Act" to be Introduced June 12

The Order Paper for the Alberta Legislature has a notice in it today about Bill 45 “The Tobacco Reduction Act.” Looks like it will be introduced by Alberta's Minister of Health and WELLNESS, the Honourable Dave Hancock on Tuesday June 12th in the early afternoon. Hooray!!!

The political process is done and the legislative process is about to begin. Now we need the Premier to get behind this Bill and use some of his personal influence to make sure this get passed into law this session. Time is tight but it can be done with political will and all-party co-operation. Both elements are in place but it needs a push from the top becuase time is tight.

The new law is a no-brainer given the overwhelming public support it has received.

Proclamation can wait until Regulations are done. We have to be sure there is enough time over the summer for those businesses who need to adapt to have time to make the necessary arrangements in order to comply with the new law.

To leave this law to languish unfinished over the summer will only cause MLAs and municipal politicians (who are facing an October election) to be pressed and prodded by the hard-core tobacco supporters who think addictions are a good thing, or by the libertarians who think personal choice trumps community health and well being. Passing this Bill this session takes all that diversion off the political agenda...and it is the right thing to do!

Make it happen Premier Stelmach. Make it happen now!

Lying Libby Says "Oops, My Bad" and Asks for Leniency

So Scooter Libby can’t get away with lying to the FBI, perjury before a Grand Jury and obstructing Justice. A jury found him guilty and an independent Judge passed sentence a 30 month and a $250K fine. This sends a strong message that abuse of power and betrayal of trust by governments and their operatives cannot be tolerated.

Undoubtedly there will be an appeal but that does not mean Mr. Libby will escape jail time pending an appeal. That is the next question before the Judge. Stay tuned – this is not over. My money says he does time pending an appeal.

This trial and the result is one more example and reason to be thankful for an independent judiciary. Former Prime Minister Mulroney, as mentor to current Prime Minister Harper reaffirmed this important cornerstone of democracy recently. Hopefully “our man” Steve is still listening to Brian and will cease and desist from further manipulation of the judicial review and appointment process. His recent interferences threaten this all important independence of the judiciary, one of most important protections a citizen has against the power of the state.

The Libby trial testimony according to media sources exposed the White House allegedly deeply involved in managing the news, manipulating reporters and exaggerating intelligence on Iraq’s WMD program. This is all laced with sufficient irony to make one cry, both in and for a free country and a once proud democracy.

Will Dubya do the Presidential Pardon thing? Given this, his tanked approval ratings and hubris he will likely see now down side. There will be a down side to a Presidential Pardon for Libby? Not for Dubya, he is already toast! But the Office of the President of the United States will no doubt suffer…as if Bush cares – or ever did about such matters.

One wonders if this will embolden the pursuers of presidential impeachment aimed at Bush 43?

Harper at the G8 is Not Being Honest Nor is He Being a Broker.

Prime Minister Harper is off to the G8 and positioning Canada as the “honest broker” to bridge the gap between the climate change approaches between Europe and the Americans. Our Prime Minister has yet to clarify his own position on these issues so it is hard to see him as having any significant moral, legal or even intellectual authority to mediate between some pretty significant superpowers.

Our national economy and security is so tied to the USA that it is stretching credibility to believe the Europeans will see Harper as anything more than a shill for President Bush’s position on climate change.

It is not as if our record in Canada on GHG emissions cutting has been exemplary either. So there is no lever for persuasion or brokerage by Harper on that front. In fact we are doing a worse job than the Americans who never said they were to be bound by Kyoto in the first place. Harper’s own anaemic and hesitant policies on climate change offer nothing to add to his stature as an honest broker between Europe and American interests either.

He even misrepresents the India and China position on climate change. They have signed on to Kyoto but starting in the post-2012 period. According to the World Wildlife Fund, India currently contributes 2% of world GHG emissions with a billion people and China spews 5% with 1.3 billion people. Canada sources 2% of the worlds GHG emissions with only 35 million citizens.

The trends in all cases are not encouraging. In the time frame 1999-2004 Canada increased emissions 27%, India was up 57.5% and China increased by 73%. That only proves we are all in serious trouble. Canada obviously needs to do more at home and not just preach to China and India, as temping as that seems to be to Bush and Harper. As for an honest broker we are not in the best position be making the case to others now are we?

We have hardly anything to teach them, except perhaps not to waste the lead up time they have and to start early to create the changes necessary to comply with Kyoto. In Canada we have definitely squandered that lead time from when we signed on.

Yes Steve, it is not easy being green. It is even harder to be credible by pretending that you are. Harper’s Cons are spending big bucks in the pre-writ pre-election period that they don't have to account for when an inevitable election is called. Their message is focused on trying to convince us Dion is not a leader. Ironically Harper is spending lots of his personal political capital right now too. He is posing and posturing as a greenie and proving too all of us in the process that he is definitely not a leader.