Ted Morton Quits Stelmach Cabinet - Runs for Premier.

Today Ted Morton did what I predicted earlier in the day in this blog...he just did it much sooner than I thought. He resigned from the Stelmach Cabinet and announced his run at the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta leadership.

So the PC Leadership starts today and now one Ted Morton is waiting for the niceties of Premier Stelmach writing his exit letter to the Party President.

Game on!  But a PC Party lead by Ted Morton will see to it that the word Progressive is expunged from the party name.  There are Principles of the PC party will have to be expunged too.  For example Ted Morton is a social conservative Family Values kind of guy. How long do you think this Principle of the PC Party will last?

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY

The family is paramount in the development of social responsibility and a sense of self-worth. The family, as defined by its individual members, is of vital importance to our communities. (emphasis added)

Or this Principle on Social Policies when he wants to impose draconian cuts to social programs in his preferred future budget and give massive subsidies and royalty breaks to the energy sector for billions of bucks

SOCIAL POLICIES WHICH ENABLE INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE AND RESPONSIBILITY

Our social policies should support an environment in which Albertans can work together, be self-reliant, and accept responsibility for their own lives. We also believe that our social policies should ensure that those who need assistance can lead dignified and meaningful lives. (emphasis added)

Or how about Alberta's role in Canada when Dr. Morton is one of those, along with Stephen Harper, who believes Alberta should have a Firewall built around us to keep the influences of the rest of Canada at bay.

ALBERTA AS AN EQUAL PARTNER IN CONFEDERATION

We must strive to maintain sovereignty over provincial matters, believing that a strong and vibrant Alberta is a cornerstone of a strong and united Canada. (emphasis added)

inally here is some more context on the real Ted Morton, a story from the Archives of the Calgary Herald the last time he ran to ruin Alberta.

Welcome to the culture war on the far right as Ted and Danielle duke it out and regardless of which one of them wins, Alberta will be taken backwards in time, attitudes and treatment of those who are "different.

What Qualities Do You Want in the Next Premier of Alberta?

UPDATE 4:00 PM JANUARY 27 
Ted Morton just resigned from Cabinet and announced he is running for the leadership of the PC Party:  Read on in this context.  This blog was posted a couple of hours before hand.


As the PC Party trudges along to path towards a new leader a burning question for Albertans is what qualities capabilities and skills do we want in the next Premier of Alberta.

There is no guarantee that the next leaders of the PC Party will be Premier.  When Stelmach won the leadership the Premiership was exactly what we were choosing.  This time the leader will be Premier but for a relatively short time until there has to be an election.

A WANT AD FOR THE NEXT PREMIER
Paula Simons writes in the Edmonton Journal today about this question of what do we want to be our political leader for the Next Alberta.   Her wish list for new leader qualities and characteristics is contained in this paragraph:

Wanted: Smart, energetic party leader who understands contemporary urban issues and priorities. Must love rapid transit, regional land use planning and public education. If you like river valley walks and vibrant downtowns, give me a call. Homophobes and hard-line ideologues, right wing or left, need not apply.


She does a nice summary of the trials and tribulations of Premier Stelmach term as Premier.  No one knows what will happen but chances are the PCs are in for some trials and tribulations themselves as the Caucus and the Party try to figure out the leadership process.  What to do next as well as when it will all happen in a destructive culture of internal distrust, disgust and disquiet.  


DO WE GET HOMOPHOBES & IDEOLOGUES RUNNING OR RUINING THE PROVINCE?
I see the Bill 44 homophobes and fiscal hard line ideologues, a.k.a. the "Morton Minions," will line up behind him and continue to agitate.  This is because the budget politics are not over yet - not by a long shot.   According to media reports Morton came out of PC Caucus yesterday saying the budget is "going ahead."  Here is the kicker.  When asked if he will deliver the budget he said " We'll see!" He is reported to add that "The Premier and I have to talk."


There are media reports from the "usually reliable sources" that he was threatening to resign if he did not get to table his allegedly draconian budget.  I think now that Premier Stall-mach has said he will resign instead.   Eventually the Morton Minions will want to push off the cliff him sooner than later.  How does that happen?  I speculate about tactics for sure, but not much about intent.  


WHAT IS MORTON'S NEXT MOVE?
To get a quicker Stelmach exit and to stage a leadership strike while the iron is hot advantage for Minister Morton, I see a scenario that he merely resigns Cabinet - just before the legislative session starts Feb 22,  It will be couched as a matter of personal principle because while Morton agrees that while Cabinet sticks together, he can not, in all consciousness, based on his personal ideology, present a deficit budget as a Minister in the Stelmach Cabinet.  If Stelmach wants a deficit budget he will have to find some one else to read and wear it politically.


This accomplishes more than further embarrassment for the Premier and the continued erosion of the PC brand.  It puts Morton on the moral high ground with his base, his fellow fiscal hawk ideologues.  These guys believe government is always the problem and never the solution.  They want to cripple government by withholding resources that set it up to fail.  They then triumphantly usher in the private sector "free market" solutions to address all pressing public policy issues, including health care. 


The tactical timing and political intent of a Morton Cabinet resignation means he is then free, as a backbencher, to start actively campaigning for the PC leadership.  He does not have to heed the rules or wait politely for the actual  resignation letter of Premier Stelmach.


WHITHER ALBERTA?
What happens the the peace order and good governing of Alberta in the meantime?  There is none.  The caucus fragments as replacement leadership aspirants huddle in dark rooms and scheme in hushed tones each trying to be the next leader, or make the leader or to at least be engratiated to the leader.  


The Progressive Conservative Party splits and shatters into segments like a broken mirror with shards only reflecting small segments of the reality.  Nobody is looking at the whole picture or for the good of the province. Is it progressives versus conservatives, Edmonton versus Calgary, north versus south, rural versus urban, in the Corridor versus out of the Corridor or just all of the above?  


What will happen to all those proudly touted billions of dollars of Alberta Advantage investments in such uncertainty? What happens to on going initiatives like Inspiring Action on Education?  Is the Premier's personal agenda for a Competitiveness Strategy?  Will it only play out as an internecine competitive struggle in the PC Party and Caucus?   


Then we have reality of the rancour and rhetoric in the right wing culture war between Morton and Smith.  All this happens as the province's economy slips into decline and deterioration.  Is this the inevitable consequence of power politics as usual?  Where is the servant leader who can inspire and challenge us a citizens to realize our potential in service of the betterment of the society as a whole instead of mere personal self service?


WE NEED A GAME CHANGER!
We not only need to change the political game we have to quit seeing it as a game or a war.  We need a new narrative for the Next Alberta.  What is festering now and soon to be raging,  That challenge for thoughtful Alberta is to come together as citizens and write that new narrative.  Will we be a society of Darwinian individualists where it is each man for himself and the only goal is making as much money, by what every means you can, as quickly as possible and regardless of consequences?  Or will we strive to be better persons who apply our talents and skills to achieve our personal potential but and in the service of the greater good?   


We will have two choices for Premier in realizing the Darwinian society; Danielle Smith or Ted Morton.  We have not yet found the choice for the latter preferred future. I am putting my hopes and efforts behind the Alberta Party and Glenn Taylor, if he runs for leader, to help Albertans realize that latter choice together.  


Alberta is not at a crossroad.  It is at a trail head with three paths before us.  One veers hard right with Smith and Morton, the other goes to the left with Swann and Mason.  The Alberta Party is setting out to create a new path between them.  The way forward takes the best of the other options and integrates them with progressive values and then moves us forward.  


Albertans who get engaged, informed and show up to vote will decide which is the preferred path for the province in the next election.  It will not the political parties or the wannabe Premiers.    In the meantime there is not much certainty about the direction or the destination of the province.  That will not change if power politics will prevail and good governance is devalued.  The short term future for Alberta is not pretty.  We have choices to make and a province to create.  Lets use our collective wisdom in the effort and not our pooled ignorance.

Glenn Taylor on Doing Politics Differently

Glenn Taylor the Mayor of Hinton has written an interesting blog post posing questions to Albertans about doing politics differently.  This is not easy stuff to do but he sees an opportunity and a challenge to those ends.

He says (in part) "The resignation of Premier Stelmach along with the rise of the Alliance has opened up the door for a new discussion to take place, let us not allow the governance of Alberta to be defined by the politics of division, the politics of power, the politics of the past.."

I am a big fan of Glenn Taylor.  I have worked with him in the past on a number of projects in Hinton and the Grande Alberta Economic Region.  I am encouraging him to run for the leadership of the Alberta Party as well.

I think it was Preston Manning who said a couple of years ago that it is likely we don't yet know the name of the next Premier of Alberta.  I am thinking Glenn Taylor is that name and the Alberta Party is the way forward to make that happen.

I will be doing a blog post on why I support Glenn Taylor and the Alberta Party over the week end for posting on Monday.

Rick Mercer Rants on Harper Attack Ads

The pith and substance of Rick Mercer's anger against misleading and personal attack ad is exemplified in this terrific rant.  His takes on them is that they are the work of bullies and cowards.  I agree entirely.

The propensity of the Federal Reformatory types to use these pre-election ads that are not subject to campaign spending rules.  That is such a cheap trick and an integrity breach the spirit of the law.  These political dirty tricks are right out of the American Republican cum Tea Party types that Harper seems to idolize.

Personal attack ads come from the kind of people you tend not to trust to make fair and effective laws that serve the greater good - only their own self-interest.  I think the fact that Harper's Alberta brain trust who write and run these anti-democratic and misleading ads are behind the Wildrose Party in Alberta.  I make one wonder if this cozy relationship with Harper gives substance to Premier Stelmach warning to us to expect them to engage in that same kind of George Bush-league politics Harper loves to do.

If you want respect as a politician, attack policy - not persons.

Here is what Mercer says about all this:

Dave Taylor Joins the Alberta Party

So yesterday was a big day for the New Kid on the Block Alberta Party. It has its first MLA as Dave Taylor moves from disgruntled Liberal to disaffected Independent to the discovery of the Alberta Party.

There was lots of noise over this move in the social media and the traditional media.  I was even taken to task as an Alberta Party member for a blog post I did on January 8, 2010 when two PC MLAs went directly from one party to the Alliance without any cooling off period as Independents to take the temperature of their constituents over such a move.  Give it a read and tell me what you think is the right way for politicians to change their minds.  What about when a political party kicks out an MLA like the PCs did with Raj Sherman and Guy Boutilier?  Should the PCs first consulted with their constituencies to get permission?

There is no simple answer and saying it is just "politics" as usual is not very satisfactory either.  The bottom line in al of this be careful and intentional about who you vote for.  Politicians are given consent to govern us at the ballot box.  We defer to their judgment to make value trade-offs and choices on our behalf all the time.  We also empower them to make laws that will limit and dictate our behaviours.  That is a lot of power.

The unanswered question is what guides and drives our ballot box choices and is there just one answer to that question?  Is that answer simple or complex and does it change over time between elections?  Of course all these variable are in play so to over simplify the relationship of the elected and the electors is a mugs game.  Add the other complexity of is a politician beholden to the direction of the constituents or to their own conscience?

How is a politician to know the hearts and minds of constituents and are they fulling informed on the facts, implications as well as the feeling and emotions around any proposed policy decision?  On the other hand how are constituents to know what is in the heart, mind and morality of the politician as they seek wisdom in order to make a values trade-off between competing interests.  All political decision have a moral underpinning to them and that adds to the complexity of communications and comprehension.

Those of us not in Calgary Currie can rant and rave all we want but we are spectators in this contest.  The players are Dave Taylor and the citizens of Calgary Currie.  What they think about his decision to move out of the Liberal Party to Independent is as critical as their reaction to his move from Independent to Alberta Party. That is Dave Taylor making hard political choices and that always means a trade-off of values.

The right to make that choice is Dave Taylor's.  The right to assess and pass judgment on that choice is the right of the citizens of Calgary Currie.  If they want a by-election now to assess Taylor's choice, they can tell him so loudly, vociferously and in great numbers.  If they want to wait until the general election coming sooner than later they will stay quiet and pass judgment on him then. In the mean time the rest of us can armchair quarterback all we want but it is just crowd noise.  Unless Calgary Currie wants to take Dave Taylor to task for his decisions, who are we to judge?

As for the Alberta Party, the Dave Taylor move to join them is a big boost of public credibility and internal confidence.  However, one swallow does not a summer make.  There is a great deal more to do before the Alberta Party is election ready and credibly so.  As for some great commentary on all this to-ing and fro-ing read Graham Thomson of the Edmonton Journal, Josh Wingrove of of the Globe and Mail, Kevin Libin of the National Post and one of my favourite bloggers - The Enlightened Savage.

The next step for the Alberta Party is finding a leader.  A major move in that direction happened yesterday too.  Glenn Taylor, the current and three time Mayor of Hinton took the first overt step towards running for the Alberta Party leadership. He put up the non-refundable deposit as a candidate as a show of good faith and his personal confidence in the Alberta Party.  Now he awaits a final decision to run or not depending on the final rules for the leadership campaign from the Alberta Party Provincial Board, expected February 5th.

Full disclosure, I am working on Glenn's bid for Alberta Party leadership.  So stay tuned for more on Glenn Taylor and feel free to contact me at ken@cambridgestrategies.com if you want to join the Alberta Party and the campaign team.