Will Danielle Smith Deliver Us From Evil?

So we are supposed to believe the kinder, gentler more moderate mask of the Wildrose Alliance Party coming out of their first AGM! I’m not buying it and I doubt any thoughtful Albertan will either.


We are being told by the WAP leader that “We’ve enough of socialists and liberals masquerading as conservatives.” Well we are about to get a snoot full of moderate masquerading to divert us from the realities of the reactionary and radical republican like Wildrose. They will try to tell us they are more like true blue caring conservatives and not the Wild West reformers of the past.

Be afraid Alberta. Be very afraid. We need transformative change in Alberta’s political culture for sure. We don’t need to return to the ways of thinking and acting back in Eisenhower’s and Nixon’s days. That is where the WAP would take us – back and backwards. We need to move forward and while the PCs are increasingly inept, the WAP is not the kind of political alternative that is in the best interests of Alberta and Albertans moving forward.

Let’s look at some of the outcomes of the WAP “coming out party” this last weekend at their AGM in Red Deer. First, it was hardly a ”coming out party” when you look at just how much of the authentic and actual beliefs of the social conservative base were gagged and stuffed in the policy and platform closet. Keeping the reactionary radical right base of the WAP out of sight and out of mind is the hope and strategy of the WAP power elite as they pursue personal political power in our province. Instead of bringing Albertans some clarity about the true policy intentions of the WAP we now have more opaqueness and obfuscation as we saw the policy resolutions orchestrated and staged.

Calling themselves “the true conservatives” this group of libertarians and social fundamentalists is still the same as they were before the weekend in Red Deer. They are still playing politics the same old HarperCon way. Say whatever you need to say to get elected then do what you want with the political power at your disposal. Most of the Harper Con MPs are working for the WAP including such enlightened luminaries as MP Rob Anders. The new kids on the block are being well mentored

There is a quote from the Edmonton Journal about a resolution debate on granting “unequivocal right to own firearms” that sums it up so far as the true conservative beliefs behind the soft peddling of policy resolutions. One WAP delegate is quoted as saying regarding establishing the right to bear arms in Alberta “basically I support…what is written here, I’m just worried about how this may be received in the public and portrayed in the media, so I am voting no.” So much for integrity, honesty, transparency, accountability and trustworthiness of the WAP approach to a different kind of politics. It’s the politics of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld being imported into Alberta.

We are all supposed to stay asleep at the switch and suspend our disbelief about the cold cunning and calculating fundamentalist heart of the social conservative base of the WAP. We are supposed to pretend there is a shift in the “true conservative” thinking of the WAP towards the political centre. I think this is no shift to the centre. It is merely a cynical calculating crusade to take political power and move Alberta society to the far right as fast as possible.

I find it eerily ironic that the education guidelines for the Bill 44 amendments to our Human Rights laws by the Stelmach PCs as an appeasement to the social conservatives came out this week too. To refresh your memory, Bill 44 was successfully pressed on Stelmach by guys like Rob Anderson, WAP floor crosser. It allows religious fundamentalists to persecute teachers if they don’t get advanced notice where religion, sexuality and sexual orientation even come up in class. With those restrictions it may be dangerous to even teach the Canadian Charter of Rights, and the Catholic schools are already seeing the dire consequences to their faith based education rights. That is just one example of the kind of socially regressive and intentionally oppressive laws we can expect more of with a WAP government in Alberta.

The “inching to the centre” by virtue of carefully worded revisionary framing of key policy issues are that are to appease the average Albertan and lull us into staying inert politically. Let’s look at some of the manipulation of language to manufacture a myth of WAP’s new found moderation. They watered down a resolution aimed at killing unions and passed a policy to “allow individual workers the choice to determine their membership in labour organizations.” That is the law now! There is nothing transformative, useful or even intellectually honest in that pointless policy stance. It is bound to be overturned on a Charter challenge anyway but that is the fundamental philosophy of the WAP policy approach.

They whitewashed the prior policy to disallow teachers to strike to simply review what services in Alberta are to be deemed essential. Cute and cunning but the motivation to still punish teachers and unions prevails notwithstanding the vague and vacuous wording change.

I love the resolution to establish an Alberta Constitution. That is a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. There are about 8 to 15% of Albertans who are separatists and they are mostly lurking in the bowels of the WAP these days. The idea of a sub-national constitution is absurd, unless of course you intend to pursue separation from Canada. That is the hidden agenda behind that resolution otherwise it makes no sense.

Then there is a semi-secret society of serious and self-serving oil money in Calgary that was behind Smith’s leadership and now they seem to be pushing the WAP itself. They were originally out to spank Stelmach and they did that rather well. They were after Stelmach because he was not one of them and not their puppet – at least not in the first year of Stelmach’s Premiership. Now they are out to unseat Stelmach. Have they found a new and more compliant puppet in Danielle Smith so why even bother to intimidate and bully Stelmach anymore? There is a certain faction within the Alberta energy sector that has effectively become the natural governing party in this province. The operate behind closed doors and were especially influential in controlling the economy and environmental policy under Klein. They seem intent to continue to wield quiet power and behind closed doors influence through Smith and the WAP, just as they did through Klein.

These energy sector tenants have all but effectively taken over the title to the natural resource property that Albertans actually own. And Albertans need to wake up to that reality and change it. The WAP is not the way to take back control of our democracy and reassert the citizen ownership of our resources. Just consider Smith’s response to the recent negligence conviction of Syncrude over the dead ducks in its tailings ponds. She did not assert the proxy position of the people of Alberta. She sided with the company calling for “common sense and restraint I how the verdict is applied.” Not a thought about beefing up enforcement and monitoring or environmental laws and regulations behind that attitude! No calling out the industry tenants of our natural resources for negligence and risking being seen as not worthy of their social license to operate their businesses responsibly in service the public interest as well as stockholders. Nope – Smith was all about not ruffling the feathers of big oil and she chose to dance around any debate on enforcement by using escape clause language like “common sense and restraint.”

There is change in the political air in Alberta but I don’t see the change offered by the Wildrose Alliance Party as anything more than the same old pursuit of political power for its own sake. What is worse is they are already showing they are intellectual dishonestly, a lack of integrity and a less than robust commitment to transparency. Albertans are going to demand those values be demonstrated not just talked about in stage managed political theater before any trust will be bestowed on any political party or leader. Means justify ends in Wildrose country and that is not good enough.

Alberta Progressive Values Align Well with the Average Albertan

As regular readers and subscribers to this blog know, I am very involved in the Reboot Alberta progressive citizen's movement - amongst other things.  We did a conjoint study of the most important value drivers for the Reboot Alberta community last February.  It was not a random sample of Albertans.  It only surveyed those self identifying and self selecting and there were about 644 of them who participated.     Here is a link to an earlier blog post on the top values that progressive Albertans want to be used by those to whom we give political power and our consent to govern us. 

We have just completed a similar conjoint survey based on the same values as the Reboot Alberta survey, this time it is a random and representative sample of Albertans.  It is a small sample of 535 but the findings are so strong and conclusive, the small sample size is not a concern. 

We did the random survey to see how much the political and public policy value drivers of the overall population of  Alberta aligned with the progressive political thinkers value drivers too. The results show significant similarities and differences too.  Here are the comparisons:

Reboot Survey of Progressives:

1. Integrity
2. Honesty
3. Accountability
4. Transparency
5. Environmental Stewardship

Random Survey Results:

1. Accountability
2. Integrity
3. Fiscal Responsibility
4. Honesty
5. Transparency

So the real difference is a higher concern for fiscal responsibility in the general population than environmental stewardship in the progressive population.  We know that there is no need to trade off a good economy against environmental stewardship.  They are all an integrated part of the same issue and not in any way mutually exclusive.  So emphasis is slightly difference but the essence is not.  Also very interesting was the total rejection of religion playing any part in political decisions by both survey results.

The progressive political voice is very stifled by the activist social conservative element who are much better organized and overtly engaged in trying to gain political power in the province.  Many of the progressives are jaded, cynical and disengaged in the political culture of the times. As a result we end up not voting and getting politicians with policy objectives that we don't like and political directions that we disdain.  Nobody to blame but ourselves when all is said and done.

With these survey results the progressives can confidently speak their minds and values.  They now know that what they are concerned about how political and public policy decision are being made in Alberta also resonates with the general population.  Progressive have to find a reason to re-engage in the political culture of Alberta.  They have to find their voice and start making it heard.  That is one sure way to return a viable vibrant democracy to the province.  I hope it happens.

Reboot Alberta is a place to come and join in this progressive citizen's movement and to start making your voice heard. 

Nice to be Honoured by University of Alberta in such a Special Way

I was honoured to be part of the University of Alberta Board of Governors retirement dinner last week.  I was there becuase of my part of a government relations committee that was disbanded because Karen Wichuk and company have done such a great job in the government relations area they really did not need outside advice anymore.

Nice to be part of the celebrations though and really touched by the gifts from the University.  Instead of a plaque or certificate, they actually dedicated a digitized Alberta book from the Library collection for each of us.  My commemorative book is the 1930 edition of the College Saint Francois-Xavier.  In addition they gave us a copy of the recently published translation of the Prayer Book in Cree Syllabics done originally in 1883 by Father Emile Grouard in Lac La Biche.  This is believed to be the very first book written in Alberta.

The company honoured at the retirement dinner was pretty good too.  It included, amongst others, Lou Hyndman, one of my early mentors, and good friends Eric Newell, Gerry Protti, Audrey Poitras and Michelle Stanners.  Here is a link to the Peel Priairie Collection at the University of Alberta Library where the digitized books are housed.  Give it a visit if you are interested in exploring the history of western Canada and the culture of the prairies.

China's Purchase of Syncrude Stake OK'd by Harper.

Reuters is reporting that the Chinese government controlled corporation Sinopec's $4.65Billion  investment in Syncrude is a done deal.  Prime Minister Harper has approved the sale.  Good!  I wonder how much that deal came into play in China opening up its borders to Alberta beef again?  That was announced today too.

Our recent random sample survey of Albertans values asked if Harper should stop the Chinese from investing in Alberta's oilsands.  The results were 45% agreed that China should be stopped from investing in the oilsands.  However 55% believed that China should be allowed to invest in our oilsands.  I agree with the majority.  This is a smart move by China, a prudent sale by ConocoPhillips and it might be a good influence on the other Syncrude owners to raise their environmental performance standards.

We have lots of "foreign" (meaning not American) investment in the oilsands already. We have Britain, France, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong to name a few, investing already.  I think the more diversity of international investment the better it is for Alberta.  China is in now. My bets are that India will not be far behind and I would not be surprised if Russia and Mexico invested eventually too. 

What we need to be assured of is that China understands that they are tenants and it is the citizens of Alberta who actually own the resource.  We need be sure or provincial and federal governments enforce the oilsands environmental standards more aggressively.  The Syncrude dead ducks incident proves that.  With China in with such a large investment, maybe the provincial and federal governments will be emboldened to be more assertive about monitoring and enforcing environmental standards.  That would of course have to apply to all operators and that sure can't be anything but good.

ConocoPhillips divests its Syncrude stake just before the court decision on the consequences of 1600 ducks dying in the tailing pond.  That decision comes out later today and should be a must read for all Albertans as responsible owners of the oilsands.  We need to be sure our tenants understand we will not tolerate indifference to the environment, habitat, reclamation, water usage and biodiversity as a result of oilsands exploitation. 

Bill 44 Guide for Teachers/Parents on Stupid Law Released.

According to news reports the guidelines for the application of the Bill 44 idiocy have finally been released.  I have not read them yet so I can't comment.  But based on the stupidity of the original enabling legislation that creates a capacity to persecute and prosecute teachers I can only imagine how angry this policy is going to make me once I read it.

Here is the link to the policy if you want to get at it before me.  Feel free to comment in advance of my review and thoughts.