New Kids on the Political Block Event Shows a Yearning for Real Change in Alberta's Political Culture

Congratulations to Intervivos and Zohreh Saher in particular for creating the New Kids on the Political Block event yesterday.  Thanks also to Walter Schwabe at fusedlogic for covering the event with live streaming.  Special thanks also to Danielle Smith, Leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party and Chima Nkemdirim, the Chairman of the Alberta Party Big Listen project.  Then we need to thank the in person and online audience for attending and sharing their thoughts and concerns about the future of Alberta.

You can watch the event by clicking here but be forewarned - this is the entire event, not an edited version, so get a beer and enjoy some political conversation that is respectful, informative and meaningful.

In my quest to help Albertans dust off their citizenship and re-engage in politics and political culture, I get encouraged by these citizen based efforts.  The need to fix the democratic deficit in Alberta is becoming more of an issue for many progressive people, especially those who take the time and apply their talents to organize and participate in these kinds of events.  It is all aligned with the continuing spirit of Reboot Alberta where people are retaking Control, creating Alternatives to the status quo and Deleting the useless and harmful parts of old-style command and control, authority driven, coercive and power based adversarial politics of the past.

We need a new progressive, respectful, effective, curious and capable political culture that thrives on diversity and difference.  I see an Alberta renaissance, reformation, re-enlightenment and cultural revolution all happening at the same time.  It is coming none too soon either if we are going to continue to progress, grow and thrive as a province.

Grizzly Bears Declared an Endangered Species in Alberta

The province of Alberta has finally made this important decision to designate grizzly bears as an endangered species in our province.

This is a very important policy step and one that is very aligned with the values of Albertans.  We at Cambridge Strategies have done a number of conjoint studies on forestry and oil sands development issues dating back to 2005.  In every case a significant value driver in the hearts and minds of Albertans has been habitat protection.

The industries like forestry, conventional oil and gas and oil sands are all becoming aware, and sometimes painfully aware, that their social license to continue to operate as our tenants on the lands owned by Albertans requires a higher degree of responsible stewardship than in the past.  Albertans are very aware of the need for a long term view when it comes to dealing with both renewable resources like forestry and non-renewable resource like oil, gas and oil sands. 

Forestry and oil sands developers do take a long term view of their responsibilities be it reforestation or land reclamation in the case of oil sands based disturbances.  I like the Alberta forest operators and believe they by and large have the right corporate values to justify their social licence to operate in our forests.  It was not always that way but with effective pressure from environmentalists and public opinion, they have seen the light.  Now the forestry sector is reformed and worthy of our respect as our tenants.  Unfortunately due to mountain pine beetle, climate change and market volatility, they are having a tough time making it with the conventional business model.

The conventional oil and gas sector also has a duty to reclaim lands from abandoned well sites, seismic lines and roadways but they are all too often less than diligent in fulfilling these duties.  They get enormous subsidies and royalty relief but still don't seem to understand that they are in danger of losing any modicum of public confidence in their integrity as respected operators entitled to responsibly exploit Alberta's natural resources.  As we see reduced market demands coming, unless the conventional energy sector starts to see the writing on the wall they will be the first to be pressured out of business by public opinion.

The move by the government of Alberta to designate grizzlies as endangered has been a longtime coming but it is hopefully not too late to protect this animal.  Biodiversity and habitat protection are highly ranked and core values for Albertans. Congratulations to the Stelmach government for making this move and with luck they will move to force industry for some expanded and enhanced land reclamation to provide a better habitat so these bears can thrive again.

The Mayerthorpe Fallen Four Relay/Marathon Runs June 20 & 21

Here is a community based event that has a poignant aspect.  The Fallen 4 Relay/Marathon goes Sunday June 21 from Mayehorpe to Whitecourt.  There is also a Kids Marathon and RCMP Fun/Run on Saturday June 20.  These runs are a memorial in honour of The Fallen Four RCMP (Constables Peter Schiemann,  Leo Johnston, Anthony Gordon, Brock Myrol) who were killed in the line of duty in Mayerthorpe in 2005. 

The community of Mayerthorpe has responded to this tragedy in very positive ways.  They raised the funds and build the Fallen Four Memorial that has thousands of visitors a year who come to pay their respects.  Now they have partnered with their neighbour Whitecourt and host this relay and marathon again in the honour of the Fallen Four.

In my work with the Grande Alberta Economic Region I have had the opportunity to visit Mayerthorpe many time and to get to know the community and many of the people who live there.  This Fallen Four Marathon is just another example of the strength of character of this community and the positive energy and imagination of its engaged citizens.

I encourage anyone interested to sign up for these events and get to know Mayerthorpe and Whitecourt communities and  the people who make these communities great - and support a good cause in the process.

Do Donations Show That Power Begets Power in Alberta Politics?

The front page story in today's Edmonton Journal by Archie McLean on Lobbyist's contributions to political parties is the kind of journalism a fear we would lose with the demise of the traditional media.  The story is just the kind of thing the Lobbyist Registry was supposed to bring forward.  It is the kind of  transparency and accountability such legislation intends to help regular citizens know and better understand how the machinery of politics, and yes even democracy, actually works in Alberta.

I have no issues with the story and I am not surprised by the sources or levels of the donations.  I don't think that level of contribution is enough to buy any politician.  But is does buy access.  For example, big industry gets their phone calls returned from government, and even opposition parties.  I expect Brian Mason of the NDP is quick to respond to big unions when they phone.  Again I have no issues with that. 

The startling fact is the concentration of donations to the current government and the picayune level of support for the Liberals and NDP.  The Wildrose is pretty good at fundraising but will be secretive about the sources and amounts when it suits their political purposes...like the lack of disclosure of who paid for Danielle Smith's leadership campaign.  Too bad we can't force that kind of disclosure under the Lobbyist Act.  There are no rules running those gong shows that that private process inside political parties actually selects the small group of folks who could be Premier.

What is of concern is what is said and by whom for what ends when contributors come calling on politicians?  Is it all done behind closed doors - or on the golf course?  If there confidentiality for good reasons or secrecy pure political reasons?  When that happens we get a sick system and at best casual corruption.  I don't think any of that is actually happening in Alberta so don't misunderstand.  It is like the MPs expenses being audited by the Auditor General..  Of course they should be, just as we, as citizens,  have a right to know who is trying to influence government.  Jaffer has proven the need for that kind of sanitizing in spades.

The Lobbyist Act in Alberta is a late addition to an effort about applying more integrity to the Alberta political culture.  It is a tepid toe in the water of more openness, accountability and transparency in who influences government and politics and how they do it.  It is at least a start and when the review of the legislation comes up in a few years I trust the system will become even more honest and open about how democracy is done and ought to be done in our Alberta.

For the record, I am a registered lobbyist and make political donations but only modestly.  I have found access to politicians in Alberta not to be a problem and I don't think the money contributed makes any difference. In fact since I quit the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta last year, my access to the political and administrative levels of the provincial government has never been better.   Go figure.

What Will Albertans Get From Yet Another Royalty Rollback?

I wanted to do a blog post today on the latest retreat from responsible royalty rates by the Stelmach government. My research made me realize that Don Braid of the Calgary Herald more than captures my response.

The short term thinking of generating activity by single minded policy approaches is hindering integrated thoughtful policy approaches.  We know from our research and the early findings of The Big Listen by the Alberta Party that Albertans want a public policy approach that has a longer term view. We can't ignore the ecological and social impacts of shallow, simple-minded and myopic approaches to competitiveness that is exemplified by a constant foregoing of rents from non-renewable resources. 

These resource royalties rents are one time chances to grasp the intergenerational and birthright benefits of our kids and their kids.  We are being told our government can't afford to pay teachers according to the contracts we negotiated with them but we can walk away from another $1.5B of royalties because why?  More drilling activity in more marginal areas?  How much more have the companies who are doing this more drilling committed to do as a result of the royalty give-away?  Are there any guarantees from them in this deal?  What about a condition of a rollback that these companies first clean up and reclaim some of the old wellsites, roads and seismic lines they no longer need so wildlife can return to these areas?

We are not well governed and the Wildrose would be worse. They appear to be already owned and controlled by the conventional energy sector.  These guys are so cloaked in anonymity that they will not even disclose their contributions to the leader of that party.  We need a viable political alternative in Alberta that has Integrity, is Honest with us, truly Accountable, actually Transparent and who sees Stewardship of public assets and resources in the greater public of all Albertans interest as its job.