Link Byfield Is Promoting a Reform-Like Party for Alberta

Link Byfield of the Citizens Centre for Democratic Reform is organizing an invitation only meeting in Red Deer this Saturday aimed at forming a provincial political party that would focus on the Alberta Firewall Agenda. That was an idea of isolating Alberta from Canada once supported by Stephen Harper before he became Prime Minister.

At a May 126, 2007 meeting a group of about 50 people “from Tory to separatists” approved a “strongly federalist” political approach noting their take on federalism meant “decentralist.”

Expect an announcement of intent for another political party on the far right to be coming out of this Saturday’s meeting. It will be based on the following approach proposed for Fed-Prov relations for Alberta passed at the May 26th meeting of the group.



“What Alberta most needs done politically”
PREAMBLE

Whereas, The federal government consistently disregards the spirit and plain intent of the constitution with regard to federal spending, the Senate, and the role of the courts;

Whereas, The systematic, needless and inordinate transfer of wealth from Alberta through federal taxation to other parts of Canada damages all regions alike and erodes national prosperity;

Whereas, The climate change response of our governments will unjustifiably transfer more wealth through carbon credit trading;

Whereas, The Alberta government continues to escalate provincial operating spending well above sustainable levels; and

Whereas, The Alberta government is not adequately addressing any of these difficult problems;

Resolved:
That the Alberta government take all political and constitutional measures necessary to restrict federal spending in non-federal jurisdictions, ensure the Senate represents provinces in Parliament, and enhance judicial respect for provincial rights;

That the Alberta government use all measures necessary to eliminate unjustifiable transfers of wealth from Alberta to the detriment of Canada;

That the Alberta government take immediate steps to limit provincial operating spending to a maximum of 2005/06 provincial operating spending plus inflation plus population growth
That the Alberta government proceed immediately to develop a plan to opt out of the Canada Pension Plan and to create its own Alberta Pension Plan in its place.

Our recent column published last Sunday in LaPresse has generated some email interest. This is the last LaPresse column until the fall now:

If money bought happiness, Albertans would be among the happiest people on earth. But they aren’t. Heading into the summer, this remarkably prosperous province is beset by anxiety.

Ralph Klein liked 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.

There is a shift in Alberta from the feel good sloganeering of the “Alberta Advantage,” past a general grumpiness, into 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. So much so, that in a bye-election on June 12, Calgary voters elected a Liberal to fill Klein’s vacant seat.

Albertans aren’t alone in their discontent. Across the country we can see an uneasy feeling that our political class isn’t up to the task of responding intelligently to the needs and aspirations of citizens, or to produce the trans-partisan leadership necessary to achieve this country’s potential.

When we look to Quebec, we have the spectacle of Jean Charest playing chicken with oppositions on his budget and the infamous "tax break for the middle class” that may (or not) trigger an election. The so-called fiscal imbalance in Quebec is shown to be a myth if equalization money from Canada can be used for a tax reduction when it is supposed to provide for equivalent public service levels. The ADQ and PQ parties are both on record as opposed to his cynical budget ploy by Charest. They say the tax break Charest wants would be better public policy if it were provided in the form of a debt repayment. That way the interest saved could be added to operating budgets through enhanced general revenues and that way serve the needs of Quebecers for generations.

That level of pessimistic leadership, and the resulting loss of citizen confidence, is evident in national politics too. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Quebec gambit of buying Charest’s victory with Ottawa tax money is backfiring.

The personal power agenda of the Prime Minister has alienated and aggravated just about anyone who he needs and wants within his sphere of influence. The confrontation with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland regarding the Atlantic Accord is a fight within the same partisan family. It is far removed from confident and competent leadership and governance.The Prime Minister has even managed to devalue his political stock in Ontario with his legislative agenda to add and redistribute new House of Commons seats. That is now perturbing Ontarians even more as Harper moves to realign the seat distribution in a way that undermine their power and influence and short changes the largest voter group in the country. With all the levers of power at his disposal for over 16 months and with no real threat of an election, unless he wants one, Harper has not been able to move beyond his political support ranking of the last election. Loyalty to his leadership from the Reform/Alliance side of the Conservative Party of Canada is eroding and his personal trustworthiness and political integrity is in decline as well.

Given that the big issue is going to be the environment and the fact it will continue to grow in importance this summer, Harper will become increasingly less relevant given his lack of traction, trust and tenacity on those issues.

The limits and limitations of partisan and adversarial politics are all too clear. Among citizens and their institutions, we are steadily abandoning hierarchical and paternalistic models of organisation and interaction. More and more, citizens live in a collaborative and consensual world that is built on relationships and networks, whether in the home, the workplace, or in their leisure pursuits. The very idea of Canada is a sense of inclusion and belonging; the ability to accept one another’s differences and make the most of collaboration on the interests and issues – environment, health care, education, social cohesion – we have in common.

Our tribal politics are far removed from the day-to-day reality of how citizens engage and interact with one another. Unless our political class changes its ways, the summer of discontent may last a very long time indeed.

Harper Cons Going Around In Circles - at NASCAR

So the Cons have gone NASCAR. Not only has Mr. Harper swallowed the Dubya strategy for policy and politics, he is now adopting some iconic American “culture.” By trapping his party into the drivers seat of a NASCAR to appeal to the Canadian equivalent of the Bush “Base.” Step aside Soccer Moms – there is some serious rubber to be burning here.

Will "StockCar" Day trade the wet suit for a jumpsuit? Will Peter “Bubba” Van Loan take on new tasks as Government House Leader a run the Pit Crew? I see they are racing in a Dodge? Will it become known and “the Tax Dodge?” Will anyone else be safe on the track if these guys get serious and try to win a race? I can see the Cons becoming reckless but not “wreckless” with this strategy.

The symbolism is breathtaking. We have the Harper Cons covering themselves with flash and dash, going around in interminable circles, as fast as they can, making as much noise as they can, without regard for the environment. They are doing all of this in front of a crowd who know they are paying too much to be part of “the spectacle.” The spectators are coming mostly to see the crashes and only mildly interested in what is otherwise happening or who wins and what that, if anything, all this really means for them and their plight.

I love it when reality imitates art – don’t you?

Is the Alberta Advantage Morphing Into the Alberta Angst

It has been quite a week and the next one is promising to be more interesting.
The spring legislative session has adjourned until November, after the pending municipal elections. It will be interesting to see if local politicians get some heat over this in the October municipal elections.

The tobacco control legislation made it to second reading in as many days. Time will tell if Big Tobacco gets organized over the summer and tries to scuttle this legislation in the fall sitting. Interesting story is coming out of the State of Vermont who is suing Big Tobacco and some UBC scientists who apparently did some industry funded smokeless tobacco research for the defendant. The scientists are running for cover and finding excuses to not testify in the trial saying they are “too busy” to find the research studies in question.

The by-elections in Calgary and Drumheller-Stettler have focused on Alberta’s urban growth issues and rural needs as well. Alberta is a different place today compared to 1993 when the Klein era started. The political focus of Alberta is changing too and we have more questions than answers ahead of us. We have a changing political culture emerging and many are nervous…including the Calgary boardrooms, the Fort McMurray residents, the Edmonton- Calgary corridor dwellers and forestry related communities in the face of the emerging crisis caused by climate change and the infestion of the mountain pine beetle.

There is an anxiety in Alberta that is growing as the province grows. We wrote on it in our LaPresse column this week that I will post on this Blog tomorrow. Alberta is feeling kind of like the trapeze artist who has to let go of one trapeze and accept and trust that the next one will be there to grab on to when we need it. We are in that in-between place where we have let go of the past but we are not sure what we are going to grab on to for the future.

The lack of adequate planning for the past 8 years and no anticipation of the necessary adaptations needed in Alberta all add to the angst. The next Alberta will be very different than the Klein era Alberta and that puts enormous pressure on Premier Stelmach who has had a rough ride for the past 6 months...some of it deserved.

Many Albertans are not that familiar with the new Premier. I have known Ed Stelmach for more than a decade. Based on my experiences with his ability and character and his commitment to Alberta, I believe he is the right kind of man to deal with the challenges of the next Alberta and will make the changes necessary to meet them head on.

All this is very important stuff. But today is Father’s Day and it is a time to celebrate for many and to remember for some of us. My Dad passed away a few days under four years ago. I remember him, I love him and I miss him: Happy Father’s Day Dad…Love from your son - Ken!

Link Byfield's Take on Why Nobody Won the By-elections.

Link Byfield gives a view from the “Right” on the by-elections this week. Observant and interesting as ever he bemoans the fact the far right it right out of it when it comes to getting any kind of political machine together to make any kind of difference.

He skewers those of us who differentiate ourselves a Progressive Conservatives – I think he is wrong but he makes a good argument. I am like Danny Williams who was a guest this week on CBC Radio’s “The House.” He was asked, given his issues with Mr. Harper, if he was going to “tear up his Conservative membership card.” He said words to the effect, “nope – he never had one.” He said he was a Progressive Conservative and not a Conservative AND there was a BIG difference.

Here is a “Link to Link.” Go to Discussion - This Week for his commentary.