Thursday, November 25, 2010
CBC Forum on Future of Oil Sands Worth a Listen
Here is an hour long recording of a public forum sponsored by the CBC on the future of the oil sands. It is worth a listen for all Albertans as OWNERS of the oil sands. http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Radio/Radio_One/Local_Shows/Alberta/1558579352/ID=1664916767
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Hey Alberta! Had Enough of Steve Harper Yet?
In the last Federal election I was interviewed by Mark Kelley for a piece on CBC's The National about Alberta politics. One of my points was a key strategy for Harper was there were two groups of Canadians he could ignore - and did ignore. There are those who would never vote for his authoritarian totalitarian type of governing and those who vote Conservative no matter what. Albertans have fallen into the latter category with minor but notable exceptions like Liberal and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan and NDP Environment expert Linda Duncan.
With the most recent and obvious indifference and disdain for Alberta, and Edmonton in particular, the Harper Conmen have rejected the Expo 2017 bid and for no reasons of substance. The political machinations of the power hungry Stephen Harper are a constant calculation for personal political advantage and never a thought is given to doing the right thing for the right reason. The only time you you will see Prime Minister Harper and the words Integrity, Honestly, Transparency and Accountability in the same sentence is to note he lacks all of these characteristics.
The fabricated reason for rejecting the Edmonton 2017 Expo bid is the high cost of security. The Harper Conmen ran up the security costs of the G20 into a police-state bacchanal of excessive "security" and phony arrests of citizens engaged in legitimate peaceful protest. If you are going to intimidate people with police force - well that takes money - lots of borrowed money. Harper was happy to oblige that propensity to provide a false sense of "protection" to show off just how mush he is in CONTROL.
The sad irony is that self induced excess and abuse of security is now touted as the reason the Edmonton Expo bid can't be "afforded" right now...even though the event in 7 years away. Alberta, and Edmonton in particular, is being punished for it electoral loyalty to the Harper Conmen. The politics aside, and they stink, it is time to restore democracy to Alberta federal politics. We need to not only send a message to the presumptive arrogance of the Harper Conmen that the jig is up over taking Alberta voter support for granted.
We have research results that shows Albertans are not at all impressed with our MPs when it comes to protecting Alberta's interest in Ottawa. This reflection of Edmonton's aspiration to use Expo 2017 as a central event to celebrate 150 years of Confederation is just another indication of the indifference inherent in the Harper Conmen as they take our votes for granted. These guys are no longer about ensuring that the West is In...the battle cry that got them elected. When it comes to assuring us how the West is In, the "in" they provide is an attitude that is indifferent, insouciant and inept when it comes to promoting Alberta's best interests.
Has Alberta had enough of Harper yet? Other than Harper himself, the Social Conservative Jason Kenny and the soon to be departed Jim Prentice - can you name three more of your faceless and feckless Alberta based Conmen MPs? They are an unimpressive and a nondescript lot. Hardly the kind of characters that can articulate and express the new aspirations and the new narrative that is forming about the next Alberta. Alberta deserves better and we can do better with a change in whom we grant our consent to govern us.
With the most recent and obvious indifference and disdain for Alberta, and Edmonton in particular, the Harper Conmen have rejected the Expo 2017 bid and for no reasons of substance. The political machinations of the power hungry Stephen Harper are a constant calculation for personal political advantage and never a thought is given to doing the right thing for the right reason. The only time you you will see Prime Minister Harper and the words Integrity, Honestly, Transparency and Accountability in the same sentence is to note he lacks all of these characteristics.
The fabricated reason for rejecting the Edmonton 2017 Expo bid is the high cost of security. The Harper Conmen ran up the security costs of the G20 into a police-state bacchanal of excessive "security" and phony arrests of citizens engaged in legitimate peaceful protest. If you are going to intimidate people with police force - well that takes money - lots of borrowed money. Harper was happy to oblige that propensity to provide a false sense of "protection" to show off just how mush he is in CONTROL.
The sad irony is that self induced excess and abuse of security is now touted as the reason the Edmonton Expo bid can't be "afforded" right now...even though the event in 7 years away. Alberta, and Edmonton in particular, is being punished for it electoral loyalty to the Harper Conmen. The politics aside, and they stink, it is time to restore democracy to Alberta federal politics. We need to not only send a message to the presumptive arrogance of the Harper Conmen that the jig is up over taking Alberta voter support for granted.
We have research results that shows Albertans are not at all impressed with our MPs when it comes to protecting Alberta's interest in Ottawa. This reflection of Edmonton's aspiration to use Expo 2017 as a central event to celebrate 150 years of Confederation is just another indication of the indifference inherent in the Harper Conmen as they take our votes for granted. These guys are no longer about ensuring that the West is In...the battle cry that got them elected. When it comes to assuring us how the West is In, the "in" they provide is an attitude that is indifferent, insouciant and inept when it comes to promoting Alberta's best interests.
Has Alberta had enough of Harper yet? Other than Harper himself, the Social Conservative Jason Kenny and the soon to be departed Jim Prentice - can you name three more of your faceless and feckless Alberta based Conmen MPs? They are an unimpressive and a nondescript lot. Hardly the kind of characters that can articulate and express the new aspirations and the new narrative that is forming about the next Alberta. Alberta deserves better and we can do better with a change in whom we grant our consent to govern us.
Friday, November 19, 2010
AMA President's Letter Supports Raj Sherman
One of the dilemmas facing Raj Sherman is the different oaths he has taken. One as a Doctor and the other as a Member of the Alberta Legislature. Then there is the culture of political party discipline where Caucus and Cabinet Members are sworn to secrecy about their deliberations.
For Raj all of these duties as a doctor, parliamentarian, caucus and cabinet member must have started to contradict each other. There are certain values we can trade off. We do values trade-off all the time and it is never easy. The behaviours we choose indicate our character. The way we make those choices indicate our integrity as people.
This week Raj Sherman showed great character and integrity by defaulting to his professional oath as a doctor over the political "duty" as a political partisan. He also fulfilled his duty as a public servant in elected office to speak honestly, openly and transparently about what he saw not happening in the Stelmach government handling of the health care concerns of Albertans. He called out his government's accountability because he saw it lacking on serving the public interest in its duty to citizens on providing health care.
Raj is obviously taking this lack of integrity, limited honesty and indifference to accountability and transparency by his own government very personally. You can see that by the tone and content of the email he sent to his medical colleagues and then forwarded to his political colleagues. Here is a link to the unedited text of his message. You can judge for yourself the level of Raj's frustration from this email.
For this he was no doubt scolded, intimidated and quite possibly threatened with censure or even expulsion from the PC government caucus. What in fact seems to have happened is he got a meeting with the Premier and a airing of concerns with fellow caucus members. He also has enormous support from his professional colleagues as this AMA President's Letter from Dr.PJ White outlines. Check out the November 19th link.
Raj is getting support from other health care professionals, thought leaders and ordinary citizens in Alberta. This is because he is standing up to the abusive and speaking against the outmoded command and control top-down political culture that prevails in this province.
Where we are at today is the Premier has asked Raj to stay on and help fix the health care problems. It is not about money it is about political attitudes in the PC ranks and the governing culture of the executive branch (Cabinet). There seems to be a belief amongst those who have power to make the political decisions that all health care professionals lack integrity. The anti-intellectual attitude stems back to early Klein days that believes professionals and experts lack "common sense" and are only after what is in there own best interests, not the public interest. No doubt there are some individuals who are inclined that way but it is not the norm.
This week Raj Sherman faced a choice. He made the right choice. He could go professional and wear his doctor hat or go political and wear his party hat. What he did was a creative third way. He did both. He publicly spoke out as a doctor on the crisis in health care and put the blame squarely at the feet of the government in which he serves as a member and did a mea culpa in that regard.
In that simple and responsible act he opened up the cracks in the PC caucus solidarity and let in some sunlight. The typical response is to kick out the trouble maker in some kind of a Lord of the Flies frenzy. I am sure that was the hope of many in the PC Caucus. But the Premier intervened and asked for Raj's help instead of bringing him up on the carpet. As a result Raj lives to fight another day as a PC politician and to use his knowledge and now considerable influence on pressing for the fundamental changes we have known we need in the health care system for years and years.
I have two other observations on this last week of Raj Sherman. He has done what any opposition member and even government backbencher must be free to do. That is to keep the government , the Premier and Cabinet to be exact, honest, open, transparent, accountable and able to demonstrate personal and collective integrity in how they govern the province. That is the theory of our parliamentary Westminster system of governance but it has been lost as the public interest get trumped by personal political aspirations and abuse of power.
My other observation is that Raj Sherman now has all the trump cards in this game of getting better governance of health care. As the only doctor at the cabinet table he has been asked to help "fix" the mess. If his suggestions are ignored for political reasons or some other abusive of power he can quit the PC Party. And he should. He is not likely to get fired now for bringing up problems - and continuing to do so in public. He has to keep the Premier's feet to the fire. He should not be so naive to believe that the most recent high level political promises are truly authentic in their intent. Actions speak louder than words. Raj knows that by his personal example. Lets hope his colleagues in caucus and cabinet are ready to take action...and they start with the total dismantling of the Super Board and the management that runs it.
UPDATE NOV 19: LOTS OF GREAT NEWS AND COMMENTS ON THE COURAGE OF RAJ SHERMAN: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/enough+Sherman/3858261/story.htmlhttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Graham+Thomson+Hero+horror+party/3860402/story.html; http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/vows+fight+crisis/3853926/story.html
For Raj all of these duties as a doctor, parliamentarian, caucus and cabinet member must have started to contradict each other. There are certain values we can trade off. We do values trade-off all the time and it is never easy. The behaviours we choose indicate our character. The way we make those choices indicate our integrity as people.
This week Raj Sherman showed great character and integrity by defaulting to his professional oath as a doctor over the political "duty" as a political partisan. He also fulfilled his duty as a public servant in elected office to speak honestly, openly and transparently about what he saw not happening in the Stelmach government handling of the health care concerns of Albertans. He called out his government's accountability because he saw it lacking on serving the public interest in its duty to citizens on providing health care.
Raj is obviously taking this lack of integrity, limited honesty and indifference to accountability and transparency by his own government very personally. You can see that by the tone and content of the email he sent to his medical colleagues and then forwarded to his political colleagues. Here is a link to the unedited text of his message. You can judge for yourself the level of Raj's frustration from this email.
For this he was no doubt scolded, intimidated and quite possibly threatened with censure or even expulsion from the PC government caucus. What in fact seems to have happened is he got a meeting with the Premier and a airing of concerns with fellow caucus members. He also has enormous support from his professional colleagues as this AMA President's Letter from Dr.PJ White outlines. Check out the November 19th link.
Raj is getting support from other health care professionals, thought leaders and ordinary citizens in Alberta. This is because he is standing up to the abusive and speaking against the outmoded command and control top-down political culture that prevails in this province.
Where we are at today is the Premier has asked Raj to stay on and help fix the health care problems. It is not about money it is about political attitudes in the PC ranks and the governing culture of the executive branch (Cabinet). There seems to be a belief amongst those who have power to make the political decisions that all health care professionals lack integrity. The anti-intellectual attitude stems back to early Klein days that believes professionals and experts lack "common sense" and are only after what is in there own best interests, not the public interest. No doubt there are some individuals who are inclined that way but it is not the norm.
This week Raj Sherman faced a choice. He made the right choice. He could go professional and wear his doctor hat or go political and wear his party hat. What he did was a creative third way. He did both. He publicly spoke out as a doctor on the crisis in health care and put the blame squarely at the feet of the government in which he serves as a member and did a mea culpa in that regard.
In that simple and responsible act he opened up the cracks in the PC caucus solidarity and let in some sunlight. The typical response is to kick out the trouble maker in some kind of a Lord of the Flies frenzy. I am sure that was the hope of many in the PC Caucus. But the Premier intervened and asked for Raj's help instead of bringing him up on the carpet. As a result Raj lives to fight another day as a PC politician and to use his knowledge and now considerable influence on pressing for the fundamental changes we have known we need in the health care system for years and years.
I have two other observations on this last week of Raj Sherman. He has done what any opposition member and even government backbencher must be free to do. That is to keep the government , the Premier and Cabinet to be exact, honest, open, transparent, accountable and able to demonstrate personal and collective integrity in how they govern the province. That is the theory of our parliamentary Westminster system of governance but it has been lost as the public interest get trumped by personal political aspirations and abuse of power.
My other observation is that Raj Sherman now has all the trump cards in this game of getting better governance of health care. As the only doctor at the cabinet table he has been asked to help "fix" the mess. If his suggestions are ignored for political reasons or some other abusive of power he can quit the PC Party. And he should. He is not likely to get fired now for bringing up problems - and continuing to do so in public. He has to keep the Premier's feet to the fire. He should not be so naive to believe that the most recent high level political promises are truly authentic in their intent. Actions speak louder than words. Raj knows that by his personal example. Lets hope his colleagues in caucus and cabinet are ready to take action...and they start with the total dismantling of the Super Board and the management that runs it.
UPDATE NOV 19: LOTS OF GREAT NEWS AND COMMENTS ON THE COURAGE OF RAJ SHERMAN: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/enough+Sherman/3858261/story.htmlhttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Graham+Thomson+Hero+horror+party/3860402/story.html; http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/vows+fight+crisis/3853926/story.html
A Way to Brighten Your Friday
This is worth a watch. It will give your spirits a lift on a busy chilly Friday. It will connect you with the creativity of the human species and remind you of the joy of being a part of it. H/T to Graham Fletcher for bringing it to my attention.
http://www.flixxy.com/welcome-back-heathrow-airport-t-mobile.htm
http://www.flixxy.com/welcome-back-heathrow-airport-t-mobile.htm
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Citizenship, Stewardship and Leadership Alberta Style
I had the privilege of being one of the speakers at the Speakers Series at the Banff Centre on Tuesday night this week. It was a white-knuckle drive there with the first serious snow fall of the season but it was well worth the effort to get to speak on Citizenship, Stewardship and Leadership from an Albertan point of view.
My theme was tied to the democratic deficit and decline in Alberta. This is manifesting itself in many ways including the sad state of citizen engagement in being an informed voter. We have seen a bit of a turnaround over voter turnout at local municipal and school board elections this year so there is hope. Reboot Alberta is going to be come more focused on citizen engagement by the looks of it.
The theme of this presentation is also stewardship and that is tied to a wade range of ideas and concepts from environmental to natural capital, to social infrastructure and even inter-generational equity. What kind of a province are we leaving future generations economically, environmentally, socially, culturally and even politically? Albertans as owners of the oil sands means we have the ultimate stewardship responsibility for them and that reality touches all of the stewardship aspects. How well as we doing in insisting our tenant, the energy industry, are taking proper care of this enormous and critically important natural capital asset beyond project investments and job creating. Those are good to have but they are far from sufficient in themselve in meeting a social license to operate in a stewardship context.
Finally there is the issue of leadership and my main point there is everyone has some responsibility to be a leader in their community and to be careful who we select as leaders in all aspects of civil society, business and especially politically. I agree with Daveberta when he says we do not have corrupt or bad leaders in our political culture, just a rash of mediocre leaders. As a result we do not come anywhere close to reaching our potential as a people or as a province. That is not just the fault of those in leadership roles. It comes on our heads as citizens for letting this happen. I will have more to say about this in future blog posts.
In the mean time here is a blog link to Kim Bater a friend of mine (and client) who was at the Banff Centre presentation. It will give you another perspective
My theme was tied to the democratic deficit and decline in Alberta. This is manifesting itself in many ways including the sad state of citizen engagement in being an informed voter. We have seen a bit of a turnaround over voter turnout at local municipal and school board elections this year so there is hope. Reboot Alberta is going to be come more focused on citizen engagement by the looks of it.
The theme of this presentation is also stewardship and that is tied to a wade range of ideas and concepts from environmental to natural capital, to social infrastructure and even inter-generational equity. What kind of a province are we leaving future generations economically, environmentally, socially, culturally and even politically? Albertans as owners of the oil sands means we have the ultimate stewardship responsibility for them and that reality touches all of the stewardship aspects. How well as we doing in insisting our tenant, the energy industry, are taking proper care of this enormous and critically important natural capital asset beyond project investments and job creating. Those are good to have but they are far from sufficient in themselve in meeting a social license to operate in a stewardship context.
Finally there is the issue of leadership and my main point there is everyone has some responsibility to be a leader in their community and to be careful who we select as leaders in all aspects of civil society, business and especially politically. I agree with Daveberta when he says we do not have corrupt or bad leaders in our political culture, just a rash of mediocre leaders. As a result we do not come anywhere close to reaching our potential as a people or as a province. That is not just the fault of those in leadership roles. It comes on our heads as citizens for letting this happen. I will have more to say about this in future blog posts.
In the mean time here is a blog link to Kim Bater a friend of mine (and client) who was at the Banff Centre presentation. It will give you another perspective
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