OK - this idea of an Alberta minority government is a very hypothetical possibility today. There is no imminent election in the province but the politics are more volatile than most people living here have ever seen.
All signs point to a change from the political status quo next election. Will we do the historical thing and go for a wholesale change of government? Or will we reaffirm the status quo like in the last provincial election that returned the PCs with an increased majority under Stelmach as a new leader. Were we that supportive, or looking for stability or just wanting to give him a chance to prove himself? Or will we be so divided and uncertain about our future by the time the next election comes around that we end up with a minority government.
The key question, of course, is which party would form the minority government? Some of the power shifts in a minority government situation to a smaller party, provided they have enough votes to keep the minority government in power, or not. In that case it is just as critical a question for citizens to consider as to who should have that balance of power to make or break the minority government.
If Albertans decide to elect a minority government next time, will it be a sign we want to change incrementally or perhaps we want to send the PCs a message of our discontent but not rejection. That is what Albertans in Calgary Glenmore did in the by-election by putting the PCs in third place in popular vote. That was in a constituency that had been held by the Deputy Premier. OUCH!
I wonder if Albertans interpret that by-election as indication that the warning shot across PC bow has already been delivered. If so the next election outcome could be much more open and uncertain than the conventional wisdom that tends to think tomorrow will be a reflection and a mere extension of yesterdays results.
The blog poll this week presumes a minority government but not who wins. It ask who do you want to be the conscience of any minority government should we end up with one. Will you answer differ depending on who you think will form the minority government? Or will you trust one party over all others to hold the balance of power to keep any potential minority government on their toes and honest? Is that balance of power party choice chosen because they are able to assure a wider range of opinions will be debated? Or is that balance of power party perceived as a government in waiting and able to pick the time and ballot question in the next election after this one?
This is not a random scientific poll just a conversation starter and an attention focus for readers. I hope your comments on this post will give some insight as to what party you would prefer form a minority and why as well as who you trust to have the balance of power and why. It is complex stuff and an informed answer requires that you think about where you want the province to go and how to return political stability as part of the means to get there.
Looking forward to your choice and you feedback in the comments.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes | Video on TED.com
Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes | Video on TED.com
Here is a video with great insight about public education when the school is no longer the place to get the information but the place to learn how to use the information.
All vital to Inspiring Action on Education and Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta
GOTTA LOVE TED.COM
Friday, January 14, 2011
Canada Called "Climate Criminals" Over Oil Sands
Here is a link to a blog post and a 7 minute video of a protest on the oil sands on the EU-Canada free trade deal that is starting to be negotiated in Brussels.
As an Albertan and therefore and owner of the oil sands, I feel we have to be more aware about what is being said about us in the international community. Equally as important I am concerned what my provincial and federal government are saying and doing about the development of the oil sands, in my name and with my property. Do other Albertans feel the same way? I would love to hear your perspectives in comments.
Then I feel I have to know more about what my tenants, the oil sands developers are doing to exploit my resource in a responsible and sustainable way...along with paying a fair rent to me and future generations by way of royalties.
For the typical citizen it is hard to get the information and when you do get something from the usual sources it has so much spin and propaganda we all know we can't believe it and we start to mistrust the sources. A perfect example of this is the response to my non-scientific blog survey showing about 6% of participants were prepared to trust our governments to monitor the ecological impacts of the oil sands.
The spin and propaganda from governments these days is so obvious we have simply decided to ignore them as a trustworthy source of factual information. This is a dangerous situation for an effective democracy. Something has to change and the climate for more open, transparent and accountable government is not good
As an Albertan and therefore and owner of the oil sands, I feel we have to be more aware about what is being said about us in the international community. Equally as important I am concerned what my provincial and federal government are saying and doing about the development of the oil sands, in my name and with my property. Do other Albertans feel the same way? I would love to hear your perspectives in comments.
Then I feel I have to know more about what my tenants, the oil sands developers are doing to exploit my resource in a responsible and sustainable way...along with paying a fair rent to me and future generations by way of royalties.
For the typical citizen it is hard to get the information and when you do get something from the usual sources it has so much spin and propaganda we all know we can't believe it and we start to mistrust the sources. A perfect example of this is the response to my non-scientific blog survey showing about 6% of participants were prepared to trust our governments to monitor the ecological impacts of the oil sands.
The spin and propaganda from governments these days is so obvious we have simply decided to ignore them as a trustworthy source of factual information. This is a dangerous situation for an effective democracy. Something has to change and the climate for more open, transparent and accountable government is not good
Thursday, January 13, 2011
SEE Magazine Captures Spirit of Alberta Party People
Maurice Tougas has an interesting piece in the most recent issue of SEE Magazine that captures the essence and spirit of the people joining the new Alberta Party. Many of the early adopters and the energy for the the idea of a new progressive political party emerged from the Reboot Alberta movement that started in November of 2009.
Lots has happened since and a lot more needs to happen for the Alberta Party to be viable contender for the hearts and minds of Albertans who are tired of the pointless rhetorical positioning of a Spin Doctor politics. This kind of change is not easy. Real change never is. But there is a growing group of Albertans who know we can and must do better. We know that good governance, quality government and public-service politics with informed engaged citizens can make this happen. After all, the politicians work for us. Not the other way around.
I want to share some comments of an apolitical friend who sent me an email as she contemplate the need for change in how Alberta is governed and growing. I don't have permission to use her name and I am only quoting part of what she told me by email.
My correspondents came to her realization that she need to start participating politically through her involvement in Reboot Alberta. She says she "...thought it was time to begin a conversation about the current state of Alberta and how we, together, could 'reboot' Alberta to the province we all knew and loved...and we knew that the concern for the well being of our province was, perhaps, more far-reaching than we anticipated." She goes on to note "...that many folks, myself included, had a clear idea of what it meant to be both Canadian and Calgarian, (or what ever municipality we were from) but very few had given much thought to what it meant to be an Alberta, or had a vision for Alberta...it occurred to me that many of us, myself included, had taken for granted the stewardship that is our responsibility."
She describes her transformational moment that brought her to the tipping point of dusting off her citizenship and re-engaging in the political culture of Alberta. She was listing to the CBC "about goings on at the Legislature" and the "combined bumbling that caused me to think aloud in the words of my old cartoon pal Popeye the Sailorman 'That's all I can stands...I can't stands any more.' Upon returning home I
immediately went to the Alberta Party website and joined and left a note saying put me to work.'"
She has taken on the role of Calgary coordinator for the Alberta Party leadership bid of Glenn Taylor and has started reaching out to people in Calgary to get involved. She has been in touch with her network of fellow Albertans and at New Years, she asked them (and all of us) "...to count your blessings and consider the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."
She closed her note to friends and family and said "...please put Alberta on your list of things to think about. The way you may choose to help impact our future is, of course, up to you. It may or may not be political - you may want to get more involved in your community or with causes that are important to you or it may be with me in this new party or perhaps in a party where you are already a member - any of these will make our province stronger."
This email was an important statement of a personal commitment to engage in assuring a prosperous, inclusive future for Alberta that lives with ecological integrity. Our prosperity is not assured in a spirit of pure competition where the goal is to be the best place in the world. It will be found the more profound and personal testament of an aspiring Albertan, like my friend. That more profound personal and collective aspirations for Alberta is to be the best place for the world. That is the foundational motivation for me in my journey to pursue the political transformation I see as possible through the Alberta Party. It is good to see and know that I am not alone.
Lots has happened since and a lot more needs to happen for the Alberta Party to be viable contender for the hearts and minds of Albertans who are tired of the pointless rhetorical positioning of a Spin Doctor politics. This kind of change is not easy. Real change never is. But there is a growing group of Albertans who know we can and must do better. We know that good governance, quality government and public-service politics with informed engaged citizens can make this happen. After all, the politicians work for us. Not the other way around.
I want to share some comments of an apolitical friend who sent me an email as she contemplate the need for change in how Alberta is governed and growing. I don't have permission to use her name and I am only quoting part of what she told me by email.
My correspondents came to her realization that she need to start participating politically through her involvement in Reboot Alberta. She says she "...thought it was time to begin a conversation about the current state of Alberta and how we, together, could 'reboot' Alberta to the province we all knew and loved...and we knew that the concern for the well being of our province was, perhaps, more far-reaching than we anticipated." She goes on to note "...that many folks, myself included, had a clear idea of what it meant to be both Canadian and Calgarian, (or what ever municipality we were from) but very few had given much thought to what it meant to be an Alberta, or had a vision for Alberta...it occurred to me that many of us, myself included, had taken for granted the stewardship that is our responsibility."
She describes her transformational moment that brought her to the tipping point of dusting off her citizenship and re-engaging in the political culture of Alberta. She was listing to the CBC "about goings on at the Legislature" and the "combined bumbling that caused me to think aloud in the words of my old cartoon pal Popeye the Sailorman 'That's all I can stands...I can't stands any more.' Upon returning home I
immediately went to the Alberta Party website and joined and left a note saying put me to work.'"
She has taken on the role of Calgary coordinator for the Alberta Party leadership bid of Glenn Taylor and has started reaching out to people in Calgary to get involved. She has been in touch with her network of fellow Albertans and at New Years, she asked them (and all of us) "...to count your blessings and consider the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."
She closed her note to friends and family and said "...please put Alberta on your list of things to think about. The way you may choose to help impact our future is, of course, up to you. It may or may not be political - you may want to get more involved in your community or with causes that are important to you or it may be with me in this new party or perhaps in a party where you are already a member - any of these will make our province stronger."
This email was an important statement of a personal commitment to engage in assuring a prosperous, inclusive future for Alberta that lives with ecological integrity. Our prosperity is not assured in a spirit of pure competition where the goal is to be the best place in the world. It will be found the more profound and personal testament of an aspiring Albertan, like my friend. That more profound personal and collective aspirations for Alberta is to be the best place for the world. That is the foundational motivation for me in my journey to pursue the political transformation I see as possible through the Alberta Party. It is good to see and know that I am not alone.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Political Progress and the Emerging Ridicule of the Alberta Party
While I will direct my mind to the Alberta Party, much of the paradigm I will describe applies to the evolution of the Wildrose Alliance and the PCs, Liberals and NDP as well...we are all just at different stages and phases of this process.
I am inspired by a quote that I believe came from Schopenhauer. He said to the effect that all truth passes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Second it is violently opposed and third it is accepted as being self-evident. I was reminded of this quote in a recent workshop I attended on "Unstoppable Conversations" that I thoroughly enjoyed. It helped me get a handle on a framework for many of the thoughts about changes and transformations in the Alberta political landscape that I have been rumbling through my brain lately.
Back to Schopenhauer' s quote and the evolving nature of "truth." First off, I don't hold much stock in truth. It is too subjective, temporary and perceptually ambiguous a concept to deserve the weight it has in our political culture discourse. I can accept the de Bono concept of a proto-truth. To me that is something we hold on to as self-evident until something better (or just different???), comes along to occupy the mind space of a society. That sense of a proto-truth is very alive in the context of the Schopenhauer quote too. Truth changes. It is not absolute.
THE OLD LINE PARTIES ARE AT STAGE THREE OF THE "TRUTH"
The image of the PCs, Liberals and NDP are all at the third stage of truth in Schopenhauer's world. The self-evident niches for each of them are embedded in the political cultural context of the times and perceptions about them are set in the minds of citizens. The PCs after 40 years in power are the natural governing party but they are off their game of late. The Liberals are the oldest political party in Alberta but marked with a cultural meme that ties them to the federal party and the alleged evils of the often reviled National Energy Policy. To many misplaced beliefs and mythologies make them a political non-starter for most Albertans. The NDP are not extreme but just not mainstream enough to be seen as ready to govern. We like the NDP as critics of government in service of the public interest - but no more.
These conventional political parties seem to be able to sustain and reaffirm their political space on the left-right spectrum in the minds of most Albertans. Otherwise they would lack a sense of significance and could just as well disappear from the consciousness of the everyday Albertan. They tend to oppose each other in a political game of oppositional posturing and positioning, politely called "spin" but is in fact mostly just hard ball propaganda. They are not seen as nimble nor adaptable to the changing times or competent given the complexity of a shrinking world culture, globalized economy or the realities of an interdependent environment.
THE ALBERTA PARTY AND WILDROSE ARE DIFFERENT
The Wildrose Alliance Party, in my perception, is moving into the second stage of truth, that of being violently opposed. I say that because I am one of those who are actively opposed to the Wildrose Alliance governing philosophy of Libertarianism social policy and Monetarism economic policy and an environmental policy that is based on Climate Change Denial.
However, I would not call my opposition to the Wildrose Alliance Party "violent." The rancorous rhetoric of the extreme right in the USA and the linkage of that rhetoric alleged to encourage actual physical violence. Political based violence like the killings it Tucson and the murder of abortion doctors by radical hardcore conservatives of the assassinations of the 60s some say is returning. The question is why and who, what and where is that level of violent opposition becoming normative in the States? We know how it is becoming normative. The gun culture of the United States of America and the decline of education standards, opportunity erosion and increasing fear, uncertainty and doubt about the future for too many Americans.
Back to Alberta. I am more at the vehemently opposed level to the governing philosophy and political culture of the Wildrose Alliance. My opposition to the Wildrose is is a matter of conviction and vigour, not hate and anger. I do not want Alberta to be governed by that, or any other similar political dogma. My opposition, like every other moderate progressive I know or ever met, is intellectual and philosophical, not a matter of force and violence. I am a democrat and will defer to the will and decision of an informed and engaged majority of voter. Those who win elections with a mere 40% turnout casts a serious suspicion of those criteria being met in our elections. We need both democratic and electoral reform beyond tinkering with advertising rules and rates of special interests groups.
The Alberta Party is just emerging on the political radar screen in Alberta. As a result of such attention other partisans are stepping up the rhetoric and ridicule. That puts the Alberta Party very much at the first stage of the "truth" - the ridicule stage. This stage one level of ridicule is coming from some supporters of the other parties but not the parties themselves. This link is a perfect example. Here is a blog post with point of view on the political context of the stage one ridicule too.
I think this is all in good humour and pretty slick political PR too. It is important because it is an attempt to frame the Alberta Party as something it is not before the party has a chance to express its own narrative of what it is and aspires to be come.
This is not a new tactic for hard core conventional political party operatives. Harper spent an enormous amount of taxpayer supported money on television ads leading up to an election. This negative campaign timing was pretty cynical because this stuff was pure political campaign advertising but done just in advance of an election so it would not be controlled nor limited by campaign spending laws. Harper was successfully framing Stephane Dion, as the new leader of the Liberal Party in the public consciousness before Dion could set out his own narrative in the public mind.
This kind of negative adverting is universally denounced and universally used - because it works. Some Alberta unions did a high cycle television ad campaign in the last Alberta provincial election saying Stelmach Had No Plan. That resulted in new legislation sponsored by the Stelmach government limiting third party election spending in the province. So much for electoral free speech and opinion through advertising in Alberta. Not a big deal really, because there is scant evidence that such advertising changes opinions in any event. But as an offence to free speech...and government control of free speech - its a big deal.
A CIVIL AND PROFESSIONAL POLITICAL CULTURE IS WHAT WE NEED
The Alberta Party is trying to change the nature of the discourse with a policy of MLA Guidelines aimed at returning civility and professionalism back into Alberta politics. I applaud those efforts. They may be naive but the sentiment is not misplaced. The theatre of the absurd that is Question Period or the pathetic discourse that passes as debate, dialogue and even public consultation in Alberta is disheartening.
My contribution to this effort at more civility and professionalism in politics in Alberta will be on this blog. I will continue to be critical of the politics and the tactics of those with whom I disagree but I will not engage in personal attacks about politicians at least not without evidence-based justification. When it comes to comments on how various political philosophies and promoted propaganda, I intend to be vehemently opposed where I disagree. But I will try my best not to be disagreeable in the process. I hope my readers support this position with non-anonymous comments that are aligned with this approach. I hope readers will be civil and vigilant in helping me keep to my word on this. Just a small step but one worth taking.
I am inspired by a quote that I believe came from Schopenhauer. He said to the effect that all truth passes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Second it is violently opposed and third it is accepted as being self-evident. I was reminded of this quote in a recent workshop I attended on "Unstoppable Conversations" that I thoroughly enjoyed. It helped me get a handle on a framework for many of the thoughts about changes and transformations in the Alberta political landscape that I have been rumbling through my brain lately.
Back to Schopenhauer' s quote and the evolving nature of "truth." First off, I don't hold much stock in truth. It is too subjective, temporary and perceptually ambiguous a concept to deserve the weight it has in our political culture discourse. I can accept the de Bono concept of a proto-truth. To me that is something we hold on to as self-evident until something better (or just different???), comes along to occupy the mind space of a society. That sense of a proto-truth is very alive in the context of the Schopenhauer quote too. Truth changes. It is not absolute.
THE OLD LINE PARTIES ARE AT STAGE THREE OF THE "TRUTH"
The image of the PCs, Liberals and NDP are all at the third stage of truth in Schopenhauer's world. The self-evident niches for each of them are embedded in the political cultural context of the times and perceptions about them are set in the minds of citizens. The PCs after 40 years in power are the natural governing party but they are off their game of late. The Liberals are the oldest political party in Alberta but marked with a cultural meme that ties them to the federal party and the alleged evils of the often reviled National Energy Policy. To many misplaced beliefs and mythologies make them a political non-starter for most Albertans. The NDP are not extreme but just not mainstream enough to be seen as ready to govern. We like the NDP as critics of government in service of the public interest - but no more.
These conventional political parties seem to be able to sustain and reaffirm their political space on the left-right spectrum in the minds of most Albertans. Otherwise they would lack a sense of significance and could just as well disappear from the consciousness of the everyday Albertan. They tend to oppose each other in a political game of oppositional posturing and positioning, politely called "spin" but is in fact mostly just hard ball propaganda. They are not seen as nimble nor adaptable to the changing times or competent given the complexity of a shrinking world culture, globalized economy or the realities of an interdependent environment.
THE ALBERTA PARTY AND WILDROSE ARE DIFFERENT
The Wildrose Alliance Party, in my perception, is moving into the second stage of truth, that of being violently opposed. I say that because I am one of those who are actively opposed to the Wildrose Alliance governing philosophy of Libertarianism social policy and Monetarism economic policy and an environmental policy that is based on Climate Change Denial.
However, I would not call my opposition to the Wildrose Alliance Party "violent." The rancorous rhetoric of the extreme right in the USA and the linkage of that rhetoric alleged to encourage actual physical violence. Political based violence like the killings it Tucson and the murder of abortion doctors by radical hardcore conservatives of the assassinations of the 60s some say is returning. The question is why and who, what and where is that level of violent opposition becoming normative in the States? We know how it is becoming normative. The gun culture of the United States of America and the decline of education standards, opportunity erosion and increasing fear, uncertainty and doubt about the future for too many Americans.
Back to Alberta. I am more at the vehemently opposed level to the governing philosophy and political culture of the Wildrose Alliance. My opposition to the Wildrose is is a matter of conviction and vigour, not hate and anger. I do not want Alberta to be governed by that, or any other similar political dogma. My opposition, like every other moderate progressive I know or ever met, is intellectual and philosophical, not a matter of force and violence. I am a democrat and will defer to the will and decision of an informed and engaged majority of voter. Those who win elections with a mere 40% turnout casts a serious suspicion of those criteria being met in our elections. We need both democratic and electoral reform beyond tinkering with advertising rules and rates of special interests groups.
The Alberta Party is just emerging on the political radar screen in Alberta. As a result of such attention other partisans are stepping up the rhetoric and ridicule. That puts the Alberta Party very much at the first stage of the "truth" - the ridicule stage. This stage one level of ridicule is coming from some supporters of the other parties but not the parties themselves. This link is a perfect example. Here is a blog post with point of view on the political context of the stage one ridicule too.
I think this is all in good humour and pretty slick political PR too. It is important because it is an attempt to frame the Alberta Party as something it is not before the party has a chance to express its own narrative of what it is and aspires to be come.
This is not a new tactic for hard core conventional political party operatives. Harper spent an enormous amount of taxpayer supported money on television ads leading up to an election. This negative campaign timing was pretty cynical because this stuff was pure political campaign advertising but done just in advance of an election so it would not be controlled nor limited by campaign spending laws. Harper was successfully framing Stephane Dion, as the new leader of the Liberal Party in the public consciousness before Dion could set out his own narrative in the public mind.
This kind of negative adverting is universally denounced and universally used - because it works. Some Alberta unions did a high cycle television ad campaign in the last Alberta provincial election saying Stelmach Had No Plan. That resulted in new legislation sponsored by the Stelmach government limiting third party election spending in the province. So much for electoral free speech and opinion through advertising in Alberta. Not a big deal really, because there is scant evidence that such advertising changes opinions in any event. But as an offence to free speech...and government control of free speech - its a big deal.
A CIVIL AND PROFESSIONAL POLITICAL CULTURE IS WHAT WE NEED
The Alberta Party is trying to change the nature of the discourse with a policy of MLA Guidelines aimed at returning civility and professionalism back into Alberta politics. I applaud those efforts. They may be naive but the sentiment is not misplaced. The theatre of the absurd that is Question Period or the pathetic discourse that passes as debate, dialogue and even public consultation in Alberta is disheartening.
My contribution to this effort at more civility and professionalism in politics in Alberta will be on this blog. I will continue to be critical of the politics and the tactics of those with whom I disagree but I will not engage in personal attacks about politicians at least not without evidence-based justification. When it comes to comments on how various political philosophies and promoted propaganda, I intend to be vehemently opposed where I disagree. But I will try my best not to be disagreeable in the process. I hope my readers support this position with non-anonymous comments that are aligned with this approach. I hope readers will be civil and vigilant in helping me keep to my word on this. Just a small step but one worth taking.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
What Raj Sherman Should Do - and WHY!
I did a blog poll on this question of Raj Sherman's future in politics last week. This is a non-scientific sampling of 174 self-selecting anonymous people. The results are merely anecdotal, so look at the results lightly and in that light. However the outcomes of this polling there is a clear indication of gratuitous advice to Raj Sherman, the ousted PC caucus member. The results are interesting.
Full disclosure, I am a member of the Alberta Party, the Edmonton Glenora constituency President but I in no way speak for the Alberta Party. This blog, as always, is just my personal perspective. For the record, I have had a number of email exchanges, phone chats and face-to-face meetings with Raj since he was ejected from the PC Caucus. I expect we will stay in touch. I want him to join forces with the Alberta Party and will give some reasons for this later in this post. Not a big surprise to anyone I expect.
THE OPTIONS - OR NOT!
Here is the non-scientific but still intriguing blog poll outcome. Raj should join the Alberta Party according to 45%, or join the Liberal Party according to 14%. The other options all cluster between 6%-9% so they are not really significant. Raj has already rejected the idea of quitting politics. That option only had 7% support anyway. That is the same number who thought he should go back to the PCs. There were 6% who felt he should join the NDP and 8% preferred that he sit with the Wildrose Alliance Party.
In this post I am going focus mostly on reasons to join or not to join the Alberta Party and the same for the Liberal Party. I cautiously discount the other alternatives. The Wildrose is a political force with a core of supporters. My sense is their protest support is as deep as a dime and there is a lingering mistrust that pervades them. They have a history and we are not sure what they really stand for anymore. We are cautious about what the strong social conservative element might do to Alberta, once in power. Look at Bill 44 that targeted homosexuals and teachers as an example of social conservative influence on politics and policy. Google Bill 44 in Alberta if you are unfamiliar with this draconian piece of legislation.
In my communications with Raj, he was looking at all options but I can't see him aligning with the Wildrose, on principle. He says he believes the PCs have a surreptitious plan to privatize health care after the next election. Despite protest to the contrary, no thoughtful observer of the Wildrose Alliance Party could conclude that they would not also privatize health care...once in power. They are not stupid. They will campaign on a middle of the road policy platform but their behind-the-scenes brain trust is pure Stephen Harper. Will they have any moral or ethical problem reversing campaign promises on matters like health care one they form government? Harper has had no pangs of consciousness in doing just that from Income Trusts to Afghanistan.
Raj has already said he will run again so going back to medicine is a non-starter, at least in the short term. As for the NDP, you can't fix health care with influence alone, you need power. Sherman had preferred, front row insider influence in the PC party. It did little to change things, except his own political fortunes. To consider rejoining the PCs Raj would have to apologize to Minister Liepert. I think that is too bitter a pill for Raj to swallow.
As for staying Independent Raj is quoted as saying "ideally, you need to align yourself with somebody. The challenge is I'm quite non-partisan." He is in contact with all the opposition parties in and outside the Legislature. It is pretty difficult, but not impossible, to get elected as an Independent but it is tough to have any impact to change government policy as a lone non-partisan voice in our governance system. My sense is Raj will join a party, the question is which one, when and why?
The Liberal Party is a definite option for Raj to consider. However, they have problems getting attention and traction in the political mind space of Albertans. This should be the best of times for Liberals to be rising in popularity but it isn't happening. David Swann just dismissed his second communications director since he became leader and there is angst in the caucus and in the party itself. Who knows for sure what voters will do to the Liberals, or any of the current and conventional political parties for that matter. But a one keen and seasoned observer of politics in Alberta said to the effect the Liberals have not captured the imagination of Albertans in almost 100 years and if they can't do it now, they are not a serious alternative political force going forward. That is not a conclusion but a concern for and about the Liberals.
As stated earlier, my bias is for Raj to take a chance on the emerging Alberta Party because, while it is not non-partisan, it is not a single-minded top down left versus right ideological driven hierarchy driven political machine. Nor is it a centrally controlled monolith with all the power in the hands of an entrenched leader who is mostly influenced and his or her unelected advisors and undisclosed fund raisers. The Alberta Party is new. In fact it is so new that it is just now forming constituency organizations all over the province, and is just starting its leadership process. Raj, in the Alberta Party, can have more influence on the leadership outcome and the election policy platform than he can in any of the other alternatives. By joining the Alberta Party he can shift public attention, trigger some imagination and bring a new meaning to political participation in our province.
Is the Alberta Party a real force? I say yes it is and while it is very young it is not naive about the challenges ahead for itself as a party, the province and the people of Alberta. There are outstanding questions of who will lead the Alberta Party. Can they raise enough money to be competitive in an election campaign? Will they attract enough quality candidates to be taken seriously and gain the confidence of Albertans? All legitimate issues but as an Alberta Party member, I know the progress on all those organizational fronts is moving along at an amazing pace - and the reception from Albertans is positive, energizing and exciting.
To me the revival of the Alberta Party feels very much like the late 60s. That was when Peter Lougheed captured the imagination of forward thinking Albertans of those days with his revival of the Progressive Conservative Party. That was when I got involved in provincial politics, moving beyond student politics at the University of Alberta. In the late 60's Peter Lougheed was travelling all over the province along with his sidekick (a.k.a. Executive Assistant) Dave King (who is now working hard on the Provincial Board of the Alberta Party). Lougheed was gathering citizen's interest all over the province in the emerging Progressive Conservative Party, one community meeting, one coffee party and one Chamber of Commerce speech, at a time.
Back in the day, the Lougheed PCs came to be seen as the viable option to replace the tired, tedious and too-long-in-the-tooth Social Credit party. The tipping point came in the 1971 election with the slogan "NOW." Now it is the time for the Alberta Party. It is now being seen as the progressive viable alternative political voice for moderate progressive Albertans. What I am grappling with is what will it take to get moderate progressive Albertans to reaffirm their responsibilities and roles as citizens in our democracy. What is the tipping point to get them to re-engage in changing the political culture and the direction of this province?
Most Albertans are feeling a little uncertain and doubtful about the future. There is a lingering angst over what the future holds for each of us given all the economic, ecological and social volatility in the world. We are yearning for a political alternative that is not an extreme. We are not a province of social conservatives or authoritarian Tea-Party-in-training types we see rising in power in the States. The Ayn Rand inspired, Libertarian influenced Wildrose Alliance Party conjures some serious suspicions about their real political intentions and where they would take us if they had power. We also know we want to move beyond the rudderless and feckless PCs, who are akin to the old Social Credit party incarnate and failing to adapt to the changing times.
FIX HEALTH CARE IS JOB#1 FOR RAJ:
Raj is clear on one thing. He wants Albertans to understand and engage in facing the challenges necessary to fix health care in Alberta. He has recently told reporters and others he is staying in politics and will spend some time touring the province to "...engage people in an honest conversation, a non-partisan conversation...to see how many Albertans care about health care." Raj can do that very effectively as an independent MLA, in the short term. He has to be careful he does not become a one-trick pony and morph into just another publicity seeking political protester like Greenpeace has done with the oil sands.
So to help him out with his road show here is some intelligence for him to use in his caravan around Alberta. This survey data gives a sense of what Albertans are feeling about our health care system. This data comes from a survey we did of over 1000 Albertans in a random sample in March 2010, just after Raj and Minister Zwozdesky were appointed to the Health Ministry in January 2010. This data timing reflects more on Minister Liepert's Reign of Error than on Raj's or Gene Zwozdesky's efforts at health care reform.
When Albertans were asked how confident they were in their government effectively managing the health care system only 14% agreed or strongly agreed they had confidence. Only 21% of us were satisfied with the state of health care in Alberta and just 42% believed we have a world class health care system. When asked if we had concerns as to whether the public health system in Alberta was sustainable 55% were felt it was not sustainable. The long term view is even more alarming. There were 70% of those surveyed who said we need to make changes to our health care system if it will be there for our children. What kind of changes need to be made is the political and policy challenge.
So there is lots of concern amongst Albertans about a wide range of health care issues. The Stelmach response last year was a quick and controlled public consultation over the summer and a report that lead to new health care legislation passed last fall. Has any of that changed the level of public concern or increased confidence in the Stelmach government's handling of health care? Given the outpouring of public support for Raj Sherman's recent public advocating for the Emergency Docs cry of a crisis and government mismanagement, I would presume that Albertan are not assured nor appeased by the Stelmach government attempts at policy change.
WHAT IS THE LONGER TERM POLITICAL PLAN FOR RAJ SHERMAN?
So what is Raj Sherman going to do? My advice is stay independent for a bit and go out and talk to Albertans as a non-partisan. The Alberta Party knows from The Big Listen that people are eager to share their stories, their ideas and express their frustration to anyone in government who will listen and respect their opinions. Something that 51% of Albertans think is not happening now.
The leadership campaign of the Alberta Party will get going soon. Progressive minded Albertans will be more aware, engaged and attentive to what is happening with this new progressive political citizen's movement we call the Alberta Party. While Raj is on the road I hope he encourages Albertans to pay attention, buy a membership and use the Alberta Party leadership campaign as a referendum to send a message. That message is that progressive Albertans are re-engaging in the politics of our time and we want real options and real change and we will reject Libertarian politics or hardcore socially conservative dogma.
As for Raj joining the Alberta Party here is a bottom line as I see it. My sense is Raj Sherman does not need the Alberta Party, nor does the Alberta Party need Raj Sherman,, at least not right now. However Alberta and Albertans need both of us, sooner than later too. The synergies of an independent thinking Raj Sherman in a fresh new progressive political movement, like the Alberta Party, would be a positive force to better serve the greater good. It is the best option for everyone. Time will tell if that happens. No predictions, but I have been around politics long enough to know anything can happen, and nothing should surprise us...hope springs eternal.
One thing is certain. For the first time in 40 years we now have a sense that real political change is coming to Alberta. What the change will bring, no one knows yet, but Alberta will soon be changed, perhaps in the next election. Will it be transformed into a model of a 21st century pluralist society with a new prosperity of a diverse creative economy that is respectful of ecological realities. Or will the counterclockwise forces of the far right dominate and take Alberta back into a rigid authoritarian dog-eat-dog world where an unfettered marketplace model drives all the social, environmental and economic policy decisions?
To be continued......
Full disclosure, I am a member of the Alberta Party, the Edmonton Glenora constituency President but I in no way speak for the Alberta Party. This blog, as always, is just my personal perspective. For the record, I have had a number of email exchanges, phone chats and face-to-face meetings with Raj since he was ejected from the PC Caucus. I expect we will stay in touch. I want him to join forces with the Alberta Party and will give some reasons for this later in this post. Not a big surprise to anyone I expect.
THE OPTIONS - OR NOT!
Here is the non-scientific but still intriguing blog poll outcome. Raj should join the Alberta Party according to 45%, or join the Liberal Party according to 14%. The other options all cluster between 6%-9% so they are not really significant. Raj has already rejected the idea of quitting politics. That option only had 7% support anyway. That is the same number who thought he should go back to the PCs. There were 6% who felt he should join the NDP and 8% preferred that he sit with the Wildrose Alliance Party.
In this post I am going focus mostly on reasons to join or not to join the Alberta Party and the same for the Liberal Party. I cautiously discount the other alternatives. The Wildrose is a political force with a core of supporters. My sense is their protest support is as deep as a dime and there is a lingering mistrust that pervades them. They have a history and we are not sure what they really stand for anymore. We are cautious about what the strong social conservative element might do to Alberta, once in power. Look at Bill 44 that targeted homosexuals and teachers as an example of social conservative influence on politics and policy. Google Bill 44 in Alberta if you are unfamiliar with this draconian piece of legislation.
In my communications with Raj, he was looking at all options but I can't see him aligning with the Wildrose, on principle. He says he believes the PCs have a surreptitious plan to privatize health care after the next election. Despite protest to the contrary, no thoughtful observer of the Wildrose Alliance Party could conclude that they would not also privatize health care...once in power. They are not stupid. They will campaign on a middle of the road policy platform but their behind-the-scenes brain trust is pure Stephen Harper. Will they have any moral or ethical problem reversing campaign promises on matters like health care one they form government? Harper has had no pangs of consciousness in doing just that from Income Trusts to Afghanistan.
Raj has already said he will run again so going back to medicine is a non-starter, at least in the short term. As for the NDP, you can't fix health care with influence alone, you need power. Sherman had preferred, front row insider influence in the PC party. It did little to change things, except his own political fortunes. To consider rejoining the PCs Raj would have to apologize to Minister Liepert. I think that is too bitter a pill for Raj to swallow.
As for staying Independent Raj is quoted as saying "ideally, you need to align yourself with somebody. The challenge is I'm quite non-partisan." He is in contact with all the opposition parties in and outside the Legislature. It is pretty difficult, but not impossible, to get elected as an Independent but it is tough to have any impact to change government policy as a lone non-partisan voice in our governance system. My sense is Raj will join a party, the question is which one, when and why?
The Liberal Party is a definite option for Raj to consider. However, they have problems getting attention and traction in the political mind space of Albertans. This should be the best of times for Liberals to be rising in popularity but it isn't happening. David Swann just dismissed his second communications director since he became leader and there is angst in the caucus and in the party itself. Who knows for sure what voters will do to the Liberals, or any of the current and conventional political parties for that matter. But a one keen and seasoned observer of politics in Alberta said to the effect the Liberals have not captured the imagination of Albertans in almost 100 years and if they can't do it now, they are not a serious alternative political force going forward. That is not a conclusion but a concern for and about the Liberals.
As stated earlier, my bias is for Raj to take a chance on the emerging Alberta Party because, while it is not non-partisan, it is not a single-minded top down left versus right ideological driven hierarchy driven political machine. Nor is it a centrally controlled monolith with all the power in the hands of an entrenched leader who is mostly influenced and his or her unelected advisors and undisclosed fund raisers. The Alberta Party is new. In fact it is so new that it is just now forming constituency organizations all over the province, and is just starting its leadership process. Raj, in the Alberta Party, can have more influence on the leadership outcome and the election policy platform than he can in any of the other alternatives. By joining the Alberta Party he can shift public attention, trigger some imagination and bring a new meaning to political participation in our province.
Is the Alberta Party a real force? I say yes it is and while it is very young it is not naive about the challenges ahead for itself as a party, the province and the people of Alberta. There are outstanding questions of who will lead the Alberta Party. Can they raise enough money to be competitive in an election campaign? Will they attract enough quality candidates to be taken seriously and gain the confidence of Albertans? All legitimate issues but as an Alberta Party member, I know the progress on all those organizational fronts is moving along at an amazing pace - and the reception from Albertans is positive, energizing and exciting.
To me the revival of the Alberta Party feels very much like the late 60s. That was when Peter Lougheed captured the imagination of forward thinking Albertans of those days with his revival of the Progressive Conservative Party. That was when I got involved in provincial politics, moving beyond student politics at the University of Alberta. In the late 60's Peter Lougheed was travelling all over the province along with his sidekick (a.k.a. Executive Assistant) Dave King (who is now working hard on the Provincial Board of the Alberta Party). Lougheed was gathering citizen's interest all over the province in the emerging Progressive Conservative Party, one community meeting, one coffee party and one Chamber of Commerce speech, at a time.
Back in the day, the Lougheed PCs came to be seen as the viable option to replace the tired, tedious and too-long-in-the-tooth Social Credit party. The tipping point came in the 1971 election with the slogan "NOW." Now it is the time for the Alberta Party. It is now being seen as the progressive viable alternative political voice for moderate progressive Albertans. What I am grappling with is what will it take to get moderate progressive Albertans to reaffirm their responsibilities and roles as citizens in our democracy. What is the tipping point to get them to re-engage in changing the political culture and the direction of this province?
Most Albertans are feeling a little uncertain and doubtful about the future. There is a lingering angst over what the future holds for each of us given all the economic, ecological and social volatility in the world. We are yearning for a political alternative that is not an extreme. We are not a province of social conservatives or authoritarian Tea-Party-in-training types we see rising in power in the States. The Ayn Rand inspired, Libertarian influenced Wildrose Alliance Party conjures some serious suspicions about their real political intentions and where they would take us if they had power. We also know we want to move beyond the rudderless and feckless PCs, who are akin to the old Social Credit party incarnate and failing to adapt to the changing times.
FIX HEALTH CARE IS JOB#1 FOR RAJ:
Raj is clear on one thing. He wants Albertans to understand and engage in facing the challenges necessary to fix health care in Alberta. He has recently told reporters and others he is staying in politics and will spend some time touring the province to "...engage people in an honest conversation, a non-partisan conversation...to see how many Albertans care about health care." Raj can do that very effectively as an independent MLA, in the short term. He has to be careful he does not become a one-trick pony and morph into just another publicity seeking political protester like Greenpeace has done with the oil sands.
So to help him out with his road show here is some intelligence for him to use in his caravan around Alberta. This survey data gives a sense of what Albertans are feeling about our health care system. This data comes from a survey we did of over 1000 Albertans in a random sample in March 2010, just after Raj and Minister Zwozdesky were appointed to the Health Ministry in January 2010. This data timing reflects more on Minister Liepert's Reign of Error than on Raj's or Gene Zwozdesky's efforts at health care reform.
When Albertans were asked how confident they were in their government effectively managing the health care system only 14% agreed or strongly agreed they had confidence. Only 21% of us were satisfied with the state of health care in Alberta and just 42% believed we have a world class health care system. When asked if we had concerns as to whether the public health system in Alberta was sustainable 55% were felt it was not sustainable. The long term view is even more alarming. There were 70% of those surveyed who said we need to make changes to our health care system if it will be there for our children. What kind of changes need to be made is the political and policy challenge.
So there is lots of concern amongst Albertans about a wide range of health care issues. The Stelmach response last year was a quick and controlled public consultation over the summer and a report that lead to new health care legislation passed last fall. Has any of that changed the level of public concern or increased confidence in the Stelmach government's handling of health care? Given the outpouring of public support for Raj Sherman's recent public advocating for the Emergency Docs cry of a crisis and government mismanagement, I would presume that Albertan are not assured nor appeased by the Stelmach government attempts at policy change.
WHAT IS THE LONGER TERM POLITICAL PLAN FOR RAJ SHERMAN?
So what is Raj Sherman going to do? My advice is stay independent for a bit and go out and talk to Albertans as a non-partisan. The Alberta Party knows from The Big Listen that people are eager to share their stories, their ideas and express their frustration to anyone in government who will listen and respect their opinions. Something that 51% of Albertans think is not happening now.
The leadership campaign of the Alberta Party will get going soon. Progressive minded Albertans will be more aware, engaged and attentive to what is happening with this new progressive political citizen's movement we call the Alberta Party. While Raj is on the road I hope he encourages Albertans to pay attention, buy a membership and use the Alberta Party leadership campaign as a referendum to send a message. That message is that progressive Albertans are re-engaging in the politics of our time and we want real options and real change and we will reject Libertarian politics or hardcore socially conservative dogma.
As for Raj joining the Alberta Party here is a bottom line as I see it. My sense is Raj Sherman does not need the Alberta Party, nor does the Alberta Party need Raj Sherman,, at least not right now. However Alberta and Albertans need both of us, sooner than later too. The synergies of an independent thinking Raj Sherman in a fresh new progressive political movement, like the Alberta Party, would be a positive force to better serve the greater good. It is the best option for everyone. Time will tell if that happens. No predictions, but I have been around politics long enough to know anything can happen, and nothing should surprise us...hope springs eternal.
One thing is certain. For the first time in 40 years we now have a sense that real political change is coming to Alberta. What the change will bring, no one knows yet, but Alberta will soon be changed, perhaps in the next election. Will it be transformed into a model of a 21st century pluralist society with a new prosperity of a diverse creative economy that is respectful of ecological realities. Or will the counterclockwise forces of the far right dominate and take Alberta back into a rigid authoritarian dog-eat-dog world where an unfettered marketplace model drives all the social, environmental and economic policy decisions?
To be continued......
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Holiday's Are Over - Politics Is Back!
Graham Thomson is speculating on a number of critical uncertainties in Alberta politics. The pressures of leadership in all spheres of influence are enormous and especially in politics. Speculation on internal tensions for replacing party leaders at so close to an election with all the planning and pressures that entails is understandable for inside-baseball partisans but meaningless to the ordinary citizen.
In my mind Stelmach deserves to lead the PCs into another election and then decide himself what his future is. The same is true for Swann, Mason and Smith. Only Mason and Stelmach have faced the trial-by-fire reality of a general election and we should see the election results of the other two leaders before we start throwing them under the bus as in Swann or deifying them as in Smith.
Then there is the new wild card, the Alberta Party. They are just starting to select their leader and will be selling memberships and raising public profile in the process culminating at a leadership convention in Edmonton at the end of May. The yearning for a change in the political culture of Albertans is such that anything can happen...and in politics, it usually does. So the smart money should not reject any political scenario, but don't fixate on any one possibility either.
The other dynamic is the general dysfunction and discontent amongst politicians and partisans. This started a year ago with the PC-WAP floor crossers. We then say Dave Taylor bolt from the Alberta Liberals to sit as an independent to Kent Hehr running for Mayor of Calgary as an option to provincial politics. That was followed by the ejection of Boutilier from the PC Caucus and more recently the PC caucus expulsion of Raj Sherman from their ranks. Add in the impact on party organizations due to 4 new seats in plan and the real possibility of a number of potential MLAs considering retirement from politics.
The range of paradoxes, ambiguity, complexity and even chaos outcomes can't all be discounted when there is a hunger for change and some fear what the future holds in the citizenry. Change is in the air. That is the only certainty I can see. That "change in the air" sense was there in the last provincial election too and it resulted in a larger Stelmach majority instead of a change of government. That result was because Albertans were hoping the Stelmach government would change so they did not have to change the government. Stelmach has adapted and changed but not in ways that are in alignment to the new realities Albertans are seeing, facing and fearing. And that may make all the difference.
In my mind Stelmach deserves to lead the PCs into another election and then decide himself what his future is. The same is true for Swann, Mason and Smith. Only Mason and Stelmach have faced the trial-by-fire reality of a general election and we should see the election results of the other two leaders before we start throwing them under the bus as in Swann or deifying them as in Smith.
Then there is the new wild card, the Alberta Party. They are just starting to select their leader and will be selling memberships and raising public profile in the process culminating at a leadership convention in Edmonton at the end of May. The yearning for a change in the political culture of Albertans is such that anything can happen...and in politics, it usually does. So the smart money should not reject any political scenario, but don't fixate on any one possibility either.
The other dynamic is the general dysfunction and discontent amongst politicians and partisans. This started a year ago with the PC-WAP floor crossers. We then say Dave Taylor bolt from the Alberta Liberals to sit as an independent to Kent Hehr running for Mayor of Calgary as an option to provincial politics. That was followed by the ejection of Boutilier from the PC Caucus and more recently the PC caucus expulsion of Raj Sherman from their ranks. Add in the impact on party organizations due to 4 new seats in plan and the real possibility of a number of potential MLAs considering retirement from politics.
The range of paradoxes, ambiguity, complexity and even chaos outcomes can't all be discounted when there is a hunger for change and some fear what the future holds in the citizenry. Change is in the air. That is the only certainty I can see. That "change in the air" sense was there in the last provincial election too and it resulted in a larger Stelmach majority instead of a change of government. That result was because Albertans were hoping the Stelmach government would change so they did not have to change the government. Stelmach has adapted and changed but not in ways that are in alignment to the new realities Albertans are seeing, facing and fearing. And that may make all the difference.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Peter Kent Has Talent BUT He is No Jim Prentice
Congratulations and condolences to Peter Kent the newly condemned Harper Con Minister of the Environment. I think Jeffrey Simpson's column in the Globe and Mail today captures the conundrum the Toronto based Minister will face internally. Harper is a one-man authoritarian control freak and that will put the laudable investigative journalist instincts Mr. Kent somewhere between the back burner or buried in the closet.
The external pressures the new Minister faces are even more disheartening as he is clearly appointed for political purposes as a bone to Toronto as Harper prepares to engineer the timing of his next election, likely over the budget or his execution of same, not his ineptness and indifference to the environment.
Do not expect Mr. Kent's journalistic talents to be seen or even allowed to be applied to his new portfolio. Harper does not like science, evidence or opinion that runs contrary to his dogma - especially from his Cabinet or Caucus. That is really unfortunate but Harper is the strict authoritarian abusive father figure. He uses his power to control the lives of his underlings and his lesser-beings in Cabinet and Caucus because he, and he alone, makes the rules and all the decisions for all those who serve him at his pleasure in in his house.
ALBERTANS ACCEPT SOME FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT IN OIL SANDS
As for Mr. Kent engaging effectively about federal involvement in oil sands policy and regulation, the Albertan industry and the Alberta government will watch him with a wary eye. The Alberta public knows that the oil sands are key to our future and continued prosperity. Only 17% of us are in any way satisfied with the performance of our federal MPs - and that was before Jim Prentice left politics and the oppressive regime of Stephen Harper. Mr, Kent will do nothing to reverse those fortunes and impressions of how effective our MPs are in protecting our interests as Albertans.
Our research shows that Albertans know the provincial government is responsible for managing our natural resources. We overwhelming (90%) hold industry liable and responsible for any environmental damage they cause. Interestingly 62% of Albertans see some role for the federal government in the development of the oil sands. In the Chretien Liberal days of the mid 90's that federal role was federal tax breaks instigated by Alberta MP and former Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan.
EXPECT A FED-PROV FIGHT OVER WHO RUNS THE OIL SANDS SHOW?
Today the Harper Cons are belatedly entering into the environmental monitoring role as a federal government. We found that 68% of Albertans believed the federal government has increased its role in the development of the oil sands.This is unnerving to the Alberta government who are responding with an even more belated entry into responsible environmental monitoring. There is a looming jurisdictional donny-brook over who is ultimately responsible for environmental monitoring and re-mediation policies to assure Albertans, as owners of the oil sands, that their resource is being developed responsibly. The partisan hand wringing in the province is all behind closed doors but there are signs surfacing of the inter-governmental competition for the trust of Albertans, not just the political hearts and minds. This may be the fed-prov "crisis" that Premier Stelmach will use to trigger an early Alberta election...but I doubt it.
WISE GOVERNING OR DUMB LUCK?
Bottom line is both the federal and provincial governments are wise to be focused on the issue about environmental monitoring regarding oil sand development. That is a good start because 18% of Albertans said that was the most important concern they had around how their oil sands were being developed. While it is a start is is noting to brag about because that same survey showed 20% Albertans were concerned about having assurance that the proper type of oil sands reclamation was being done. Add to that the 19% how said their top priority for responsible oil sand development was habitat protection and you see why I say ecological monitoring is just a start for government engagement and regulation.
So we have a Toronto media type with proven investigative journalist credentials allegedly running Harper's environment portfolio. Actually Harper was pretty clear who would be running the file in the Kent appointment announcement when he said Kent's mandate was "to stay the course." That is code for continue to do nothing but talk a lot so it does not look like you are doing nothing.
So Mr. Kent welcome the Harper in Wonderland world of inert environmental policy and authoritarian political control of you and your soul. We don't expect to see much of you in Alberta after the first run through. Your real job is to get more seats in Toronto next election, not to champion economically enlightened planet saving environmental policy. Don't expect industry to be calling on you much after the first grin an grab initial rounds of meet and greet the new Minister. They have real fish to fry...oops - bad metaphor.
The external pressures the new Minister faces are even more disheartening as he is clearly appointed for political purposes as a bone to Toronto as Harper prepares to engineer the timing of his next election, likely over the budget or his execution of same, not his ineptness and indifference to the environment.
Do not expect Mr. Kent's journalistic talents to be seen or even allowed to be applied to his new portfolio. Harper does not like science, evidence or opinion that runs contrary to his dogma - especially from his Cabinet or Caucus. That is really unfortunate but Harper is the strict authoritarian abusive father figure. He uses his power to control the lives of his underlings and his lesser-beings in Cabinet and Caucus because he, and he alone, makes the rules and all the decisions for all those who serve him at his pleasure in in his house.
ALBERTANS ACCEPT SOME FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT IN OIL SANDS
As for Mr. Kent engaging effectively about federal involvement in oil sands policy and regulation, the Albertan industry and the Alberta government will watch him with a wary eye. The Alberta public knows that the oil sands are key to our future and continued prosperity. Only 17% of us are in any way satisfied with the performance of our federal MPs - and that was before Jim Prentice left politics and the oppressive regime of Stephen Harper. Mr, Kent will do nothing to reverse those fortunes and impressions of how effective our MPs are in protecting our interests as Albertans.
Our research shows that Albertans know the provincial government is responsible for managing our natural resources. We overwhelming (90%) hold industry liable and responsible for any environmental damage they cause. Interestingly 62% of Albertans see some role for the federal government in the development of the oil sands. In the Chretien Liberal days of the mid 90's that federal role was federal tax breaks instigated by Alberta MP and former Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan.
EXPECT A FED-PROV FIGHT OVER WHO RUNS THE OIL SANDS SHOW?
Today the Harper Cons are belatedly entering into the environmental monitoring role as a federal government. We found that 68% of Albertans believed the federal government has increased its role in the development of the oil sands.This is unnerving to the Alberta government who are responding with an even more belated entry into responsible environmental monitoring. There is a looming jurisdictional donny-brook over who is ultimately responsible for environmental monitoring and re-mediation policies to assure Albertans, as owners of the oil sands, that their resource is being developed responsibly. The partisan hand wringing in the province is all behind closed doors but there are signs surfacing of the inter-governmental competition for the trust of Albertans, not just the political hearts and minds. This may be the fed-prov "crisis" that Premier Stelmach will use to trigger an early Alberta election...but I doubt it.
WISE GOVERNING OR DUMB LUCK?
Bottom line is both the federal and provincial governments are wise to be focused on the issue about environmental monitoring regarding oil sand development. That is a good start because 18% of Albertans said that was the most important concern they had around how their oil sands were being developed. While it is a start is is noting to brag about because that same survey showed 20% Albertans were concerned about having assurance that the proper type of oil sands reclamation was being done. Add to that the 19% how said their top priority for responsible oil sand development was habitat protection and you see why I say ecological monitoring is just a start for government engagement and regulation.
So we have a Toronto media type with proven investigative journalist credentials allegedly running Harper's environment portfolio. Actually Harper was pretty clear who would be running the file in the Kent appointment announcement when he said Kent's mandate was "to stay the course." That is code for continue to do nothing but talk a lot so it does not look like you are doing nothing.
So Mr. Kent welcome the Harper in Wonderland world of inert environmental policy and authoritarian political control of you and your soul. We don't expect to see much of you in Alberta after the first run through. Your real job is to get more seats in Toronto next election, not to champion economically enlightened planet saving environmental policy. Don't expect industry to be calling on you much after the first grin an grab initial rounds of meet and greet the new Minister. They have real fish to fry...oops - bad metaphor.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
"Success" Must be Redefined to Thrive in the Creative Age
This clip of a film has piqued my interest. I have not seen the film but I want to. It asks the key questions about what role our education system should play in preparing young people for a changing world and how do we prepare young people to be healthy, bright and contributing citizens?
As part of the Learning Our Way to the Future initiative and the Creative Alberta movement I see so much potential being enabled by the platform for transformation from the Dave Hancock lead Inspiring Education and Inspiring Action on Education.
I am pleased to see this screening of this film being done in collaboration with a number of interesting sponsors and in particular the Calgary Public Library and Leadership Calgary , the sister organization to Leadership Edmonton. These programs are all about striving forward with a greater understanding of the human venture which teaches a progressive approach to unleashing leadership that has wisdom and judgement.
The Calgary screening is January 12, 2011 at John Dutton Theatre, W.R. Castell Central Library, 616 Macleod Trail SE. Doors open at 5, screening at 5:30 and moderated discussion at 7 pm. Tickets at www.race.leadwellinitiative.com
I will work on getting this film screened in Edmonton in the near future too. Stay tuned.
As part of the Learning Our Way to the Future initiative and the Creative Alberta movement I see so much potential being enabled by the platform for transformation from the Dave Hancock lead Inspiring Education and Inspiring Action on Education.
I am pleased to see this screening of this film being done in collaboration with a number of interesting sponsors and in particular the Calgary Public Library and Leadership Calgary , the sister organization to Leadership Edmonton. These programs are all about striving forward with a greater understanding of the human venture which teaches a progressive approach to unleashing leadership that has wisdom and judgement.
The Calgary screening is January 12, 2011 at John Dutton Theatre, W.R. Castell Central Library, 616 Macleod Trail SE. Doors open at 5, screening at 5:30 and moderated discussion at 7 pm. Tickets at www.race.leadwellinitiative.com
I will work on getting this film screened in Edmonton in the near future too. Stay tuned.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta: The Alberta Aspiration
One of the most exciting projects we are involved with at Cambridge Strategies Inc. is the Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta. Part of this project is a rethinking of public education principles, practices and progress measurements. It is aided abetted by the work of Alberta Education in the Inspiring Education initiative lead by Minister Dave Hancock.
RETHINKING EDUCATION AND LEARNING
We have to rethink the concepts of education and learning beyond the paradigms of the industrial complex of the past. We have to think and adapt to the consequence of the networked horizontal information economy. We have to develop skills and capacities to prepare our children, and ourselves, for the conceptual age economy that is emerging. This is the way forward for developed societies and for continued prosperity in places like Alberta. Alberta has an excellent public education system that is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this new way forward. However we must redefine success and rethink what we mean by progress. It is about a new sense of being literate that includes the traditional concepts but move beyond them into a 21st century context.
CHANGING THE PARADIGMS:
Sir Ken Robinson puts all this in context in this RSA video. It is 11 minutes long but worth every minute of it.
(H/T to Alberta Education's Inspiring Education site for the link)
We are capable of imagining, creating and even adapting to new measures and meanings of progress and prosperity. These new models must promote social cohesion through inclusion and a savouring our social diversity, not fearing the differences. New thinking must require that we work within the realities of the environmental limits of the planet. We need an economic model that develops new technologies and assets that promote sustainability and innovation from the creativity of Albertans.
THE ALBERTA ASPIRATIONS:
This next Alberta is all about our finding and fostering our Aspirations in ways that align with our values. Now that we in Alberta can become anything we we want to be, what is it that we want to be? My answer is simple and complex. It is not just about the old Alberta Advantage mentality of competing in the old industrial marketplace model with a shallow goal to be the best IN the world. It is more about leading, seeing and achieving our potential to aspire to be the best FOR the world.
We have all the ingredients and the infrastructure necessary to achieve this Aspiration. We just need the attitude shift necessary to actually do it. In short, the Alberta Aspiration mindset has to trump the old race to the bottom paradigm inherent in the Alberta Advantage mindset. We need to adapt from the Alberta Advantage mindset but not eliminate it as we work through to realizing the Alberta Aspiration model. In doing so, we transform ourselves and our province into a trail blazing example of a 21st century integrated society, economy and ecology.
JOIN IN AND BE A CO-CREATOR OF THE NEXT ALBERTA:
You can join in the co-creation collaboration of Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta in a number of ways. Sir Ken Robinson will be in Red Deer February 9th for a reception 6-7 pm and public lecture and discussion from 7-9:30 pm where he will speak about this opportunity to transform public education. This is an event in collaboration with the Alberta Teachers' Association locals in Red Deer, Creative Alberta, the Red Deer Advocate and Red Deer College. The cost is $10 and for tickets contact Jennifer Bahler at jbahler@rdpsd.ab.ca or 403-505-5889 Ticket proceeds to the the Central Alberta Women's Shelter.
RETHINKING EDUCATION AND LEARNING
We have to rethink the concepts of education and learning beyond the paradigms of the industrial complex of the past. We have to think and adapt to the consequence of the networked horizontal information economy. We have to develop skills and capacities to prepare our children, and ourselves, for the conceptual age economy that is emerging. This is the way forward for developed societies and for continued prosperity in places like Alberta. Alberta has an excellent public education system that is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this new way forward. However we must redefine success and rethink what we mean by progress. It is about a new sense of being literate that includes the traditional concepts but move beyond them into a 21st century context.
CHANGING THE PARADIGMS:
Sir Ken Robinson puts all this in context in this RSA video. It is 11 minutes long but worth every minute of it.
(H/T to Alberta Education's Inspiring Education site for the link)
This new way of thinking, learning and of being an educated person is going to be realized through unconventional partnerships, relationships and new collaborative models of meaning making. We are all in this together and alone as we develop our personal gifts in ways that also contribute positively to the greater good.
We are capable of imagining, creating and even adapting to new measures and meanings of progress and prosperity. These new models must promote social cohesion through inclusion and a savouring our social diversity, not fearing the differences. New thinking must require that we work within the realities of the environmental limits of the planet. We need an economic model that develops new technologies and assets that promote sustainability and innovation from the creativity of Albertans.
THE ALBERTA ASPIRATIONS:
This next Alberta is all about our finding and fostering our Aspirations in ways that align with our values. Now that we in Alberta can become anything we we want to be, what is it that we want to be? My answer is simple and complex. It is not just about the old Alberta Advantage mentality of competing in the old industrial marketplace model with a shallow goal to be the best IN the world. It is more about leading, seeing and achieving our potential to aspire to be the best FOR the world.
We have all the ingredients and the infrastructure necessary to achieve this Aspiration. We just need the attitude shift necessary to actually do it. In short, the Alberta Aspiration mindset has to trump the old race to the bottom paradigm inherent in the Alberta Advantage mindset. We need to adapt from the Alberta Advantage mindset but not eliminate it as we work through to realizing the Alberta Aspiration model. In doing so, we transform ourselves and our province into a trail blazing example of a 21st century integrated society, economy and ecology.
JOIN IN AND BE A CO-CREATOR OF THE NEXT ALBERTA:
You can join in the co-creation collaboration of Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta in a number of ways. Sir Ken Robinson will be in Red Deer February 9th for a reception 6-7 pm and public lecture and discussion from 7-9:30 pm where he will speak about this opportunity to transform public education. This is an event in collaboration with the Alberta Teachers' Association locals in Red Deer, Creative Alberta, the Red Deer Advocate and Red Deer College. The cost is $10 and for tickets contact Jennifer Bahler at jbahler@rdpsd.ab.ca or 403-505-5889 Ticket proceeds to the the Central Alberta Women's Shelter.
As a Citizen - Who Can You Trust to Tell the Truth?
I rarely do this, run an entire text of another source in full in this blog. Links are my usual relationship device to content I find interesting and worth sharing. This piece is an exception, partly due to copyright issues. Just as important is the content itself. The emergence of Fox News North makes this piece relevant to Canada. The American government-journalist relationship and the symbiotic news "reporting" actions that dumbs down and mislead the public is pathetic politics, scary governance and dangerous to democracy.
Most interesting is the extensive quoting of JFK on the proper role of the media in a free and democratic society. Much of the tone and activities referenced about the US government in the Bush years should be looked at through a Canadian lens. Ask yourself how many times can you say or see the same things about Canada under not so Prime Minister Harper? Just askin' - "Who can you, as a citizen, trust to tell you the truth and provide objective reporting these days? Who can you trust to protect you and your rights as a citizen." Not the American or Canadian federal governments...that is for sure.
America Has Gone Away
by Paul Craig Roberts
Global Research (December 29 2010)
Anyone who doesn't believe that the US is an incipient fascist state needs only to consult the latest assault on civil liberty by Fox News (sic).
Instead of informing citizens, Fox News (sic) informs on citizens. Jason Ditz reports (antiwar.com, December 28) that Fox News (sic) "no longer content to simply shill for a growing police state", turned in a grandmother to the Department of Homeland Security for making "anti-American comments".
The media have segued into the police attitude, which regards insistence on civil liberties and references to the Constitution as signs of extremism, especially when the Constitution is invoked in defense of dissent or privacy or placarded on a bumper sticker. President George W Bush set the scene when he declared: "you are with us or against us".
Bush's words demonstrate a frightening decline in our government's respect for dissent since the presidency of John F Kennedy. In a speech to the Newspaper Publishers Association in 1961, President Kennedy said:
No president should fear public scrutiny of his program, for from that scrutiny comes understanding, and from that understanding comes support or opposition; and both are necessary ... Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed, and no republic can survive.
That is why the Athenian law makers once decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy. And that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment.
The press is not protected, Kennedy told the newspaper publishers, in order that it can amuse and entertain, emphasize the trivial, or simply tell the public what it wants to hear. The press is protected so that it can find and report facts and, thus, inform, arouse "and sometimes even anger public opinion".
In a statement unlikely to be repeated by an American president, Kennedy told the newspaper publishers:
I'm not asking your newspapers to support an administration, but I am asking your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people, for I have complete confidence in the response and dedication of our citizens whenever they are fully informed.
The America of Kennedy's day and the America of today are two different worlds. In America today the media are expected to lie for the government in order to prevent the people from finding out what the government is up to. If polls can be believed, Americans brainwashed and programmed by O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck, and Limbaugh want Bradley Manning and Julian Assange torn limb from limb for informing Americans of the criminal acts of their government. Politicians and journalists are screeching for their execution.
President Kennedy told the Newspaper Publishers Association that "it is to the printing press, the recorder of man's deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news, that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to
be: Free and Independent." Who can imagine a Bill Clinton, a George W Bush, or a Barack Obama saying such a thing today?
Today the press is a propaganda ministry for the government. Any member who departs from his duty to lie and spin the news is expelled from the fraternity. A public increasingly unemployed, broke and homeless is told that they have vast enemies plotting to destroy them in the absence of annual trillion dollar expenditures for the military/security complex, wars lasting decades, no-fly lists, unlimited spying and collecting of dossiers on citizens supplemented by neighbors reporting on neighbors, full body scanners at airports, shopping centers, metro and train stations, traffic checks, and the equivalence of treason with the uttering of a truth.
Two years ago when he came into office President Obama admitted that no one knew what the military mission was in Afghanistan, including the president himself, but that he would find a mission and define it. On his recent trip to Afghanistan, Obama came up with the mission: to make the families of the troops safe in America, his version of Bush's "we have to kill them over there before they kill us over here".
No one snorted with derision or even mildly giggled. Neither the New York Times nor Fox News (sic) dared to wonder if perhaps, maybe, murdering and displacing large numbers of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen and US support for Israel's similar treatment of Lebanese and Palestinians might be creating a hostile environment that could breed terrorists. If there still is such a thing as the Newspaper Publishers Association, its members are incapable of such an unpatriotic thought.
Today no one believes that our country's success depends on an informed public and a free press. America's success depends on its financial and military hegemony over the world. Any information inconsistent with the indispensable people's god-given right to dominate the world must be suppressed and the messenger discredited and destroyed.
Now that the press has voluntarily shed its First Amendment rights, the government is working to redefine free speech as a privilege limited to the media, not a right of citizens. Thus, the insistence that WikiLeaks is not a media organization and Fox News (sic) turning in a citizen for exercising free speech. Washington's assault on Assange and WikiLeaks is an assault on what remains of the US Constitution. When we cheer for WikiLeaks' demise, we are cheering for our own.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization. The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article.
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Saturday, January 01, 2011
A Musical Reflection We Can Use as a We Return to Citizenship
The lyrics are as current and applicable today as they were when first written. (H/T to @HurtinAlbertan)
Is Alberta Tired of Being Taken For Granted by Harper?
Susan Riley writes an interesting take on Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff's possibilities in a forthcoming by-election in Calgary. With the sudden and unexpected departure of Jim Prentice, the last progressive voice in the Harper government, there is a need for a by-election by May 2011. There may be a general election before then but I doubt it will happen until the fall of 2011. The Liberals should wait for Canadians to see the continuing failure of integrity the hardcore Harper Cons to live up to their fundamental political ideology. Harper's hypocritical character flaws will show again as he will retreat even further from what he touts as sound and conservative fiscal management in their upcoming budget.
Could Calgary send a message for the rest of Alberta in this by-election and elect a Liberal in protest to the indifference and disdain Harper has shown for his home province and his home city? Harper has been increasingly estranged from Albertans ever since he got all that personal political power and his iron-fist control over everything that happens in the federal government.
Nenshi's election as Mayor last October give us hope. He won handily over two variations conventional Conservatism. One rejected candidate was run by the Harper machine and the other had her strings pulled by the old Klein crowd. Provincially there are now more Liberals elected in Calgary than in Edmonton and they used to call us Redmonton back in the day when that was reversed. Stranger things have happened is all I am saying.
I am not making any political predictions but we know from our conjoint research last May that only 17% of Albertans are in any way satisfied with the way Alberta's federal MPs protect and promote our interests in Ottawa. That indicates changes could happen and a by-election that elects a Liberal is just the ticket to send Harper a much overdue "we are not amused" political message.
When Premier Klein was kicked out by the PC rank and file his "safe" seat was lost to a Liberal in a by-election. Klein was a lot more popular in Alberta then than Harper can ever hope to be. When Deputy Premier Stevens quit provincial politics, as quickly and mysteriously as Prentice, the by election that followed went to the Wildrose Alliance as a way to send Premier Stelmach a "we are not amused" political message. The Liberal vote stayed the same but the protest vote went to the Wildrose Alliance in that by-election.
So stay tuned Alberta and consider the strategic opportunity to send a wake up call to the Harper-Cons in the soon to be announced by-election. And if there is a general election beforehand, the opportunity is even greater to ensure Alberta is not taken for granted by the presumptive arrogance of the Harper political machine that we are all mindless sheep without voting or political options.
Welcome to one small piece of the new narrative that is being written about the next Alberta by a revived sense of citizenship that is happening all over the province.
Could Calgary send a message for the rest of Alberta in this by-election and elect a Liberal in protest to the indifference and disdain Harper has shown for his home province and his home city? Harper has been increasingly estranged from Albertans ever since he got all that personal political power and his iron-fist control over everything that happens in the federal government.
Nenshi's election as Mayor last October give us hope. He won handily over two variations conventional Conservatism. One rejected candidate was run by the Harper machine and the other had her strings pulled by the old Klein crowd. Provincially there are now more Liberals elected in Calgary than in Edmonton and they used to call us Redmonton back in the day when that was reversed. Stranger things have happened is all I am saying.
I am not making any political predictions but we know from our conjoint research last May that only 17% of Albertans are in any way satisfied with the way Alberta's federal MPs protect and promote our interests in Ottawa. That indicates changes could happen and a by-election that elects a Liberal is just the ticket to send Harper a much overdue "we are not amused" political message.
When Premier Klein was kicked out by the PC rank and file his "safe" seat was lost to a Liberal in a by-election. Klein was a lot more popular in Alberta then than Harper can ever hope to be. When Deputy Premier Stevens quit provincial politics, as quickly and mysteriously as Prentice, the by election that followed went to the Wildrose Alliance as a way to send Premier Stelmach a "we are not amused" political message. The Liberal vote stayed the same but the protest vote went to the Wildrose Alliance in that by-election.
So stay tuned Alberta and consider the strategic opportunity to send a wake up call to the Harper-Cons in the soon to be announced by-election. And if there is a general election beforehand, the opportunity is even greater to ensure Alberta is not taken for granted by the presumptive arrogance of the Harper political machine that we are all mindless sheep without voting or political options.
Welcome to one small piece of the new narrative that is being written about the next Alberta by a revived sense of citizenship that is happening all over the province.
CalgaryGrit: 2010 in Pictures: Let's Get Municipal
Good morning and welcome to 2011. The Calgary Grit has put together a great compilation of photos that will remind you of where we have been in the past year.
As for the coming year, we will have to create some of those memorable moments ourselves. In other cases circumstances will create them for us and to us. Welcome to 2011 the year of emergent possibilities.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Stiglitz on How Should We Measure Progress
Noble winner Joseph Stiglitz in a brief conversation about what is wrong with relying on Gross Domestic Product measures to evaluate if a society is doing well. GDP is a very crude and very misleading measure does not measure the change of income of the citizens or how that income is distributed. It does not measure well being and has nothing to do with happiness.
Genuine Wealth Indicators and Genuine Progress Indicators are so much more integrated and effective measures of how well we are doing economically, environmentally and socially - stuff that is ignored by GDP measures.
Here is a link to a City of Edmonton study done on this much more comprehensive and meaningful approach to measuring success. This works was done by Mark Anielski, the author of "The Economics of Happiness." I will be inviting Mark to participate and use this information at a workshop being organized for March 17 in Edmonton as part of the Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta project spearheaded by the Alberta Teachers Association. The workshop will gather together some enterprising opinion and thought leaders from various segments of our society, ecology and economy to look beyond the Alberta Advantage to consider what ought to be the Alberta Aspirations. My personal context preference is to have Alberta striving to be the best FOR the world in a substantial and sustainable way, not merely a trite goal of being the best IN the world in some shallow consumptive competitiveness game.
I will keep you posted and provide informative links to interesting content and context on the updated Learning Our Way website that goes live next week. (H/T to Duncan Kinney for the Stiglitz video link via LinkedIn)
Genuine Wealth Indicators and Genuine Progress Indicators are so much more integrated and effective measures of how well we are doing economically, environmentally and socially - stuff that is ignored by GDP measures.
Here is a link to a City of Edmonton study done on this much more comprehensive and meaningful approach to measuring success. This works was done by Mark Anielski, the author of "The Economics of Happiness." I will be inviting Mark to participate and use this information at a workshop being organized for March 17 in Edmonton as part of the Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta project spearheaded by the Alberta Teachers Association. The workshop will gather together some enterprising opinion and thought leaders from various segments of our society, ecology and economy to look beyond the Alberta Advantage to consider what ought to be the Alberta Aspirations. My personal context preference is to have Alberta striving to be the best FOR the world in a substantial and sustainable way, not merely a trite goal of being the best IN the world in some shallow consumptive competitiveness game.
I will keep you posted and provide informative links to interesting content and context on the updated Learning Our Way website that goes live next week. (H/T to Duncan Kinney for the Stiglitz video link via LinkedIn)
Creative People in Business
The magazine Fast Company has published its list of the 10 Most Creative People in Business....it is mostly American business but that is typical US narcissism. What is interesting to me is #6 on the list: Steve Burd, the CEO of Safeway. You don't usually look to a grocery store for creativity but there he is. The reasons he is on the list are encouraging.
The reason that recognition of Steve Burd interests me is that creative culture and corporate leadership is alive and well in the Alberta division of Safeway too. Bill Campbell is the Safeway head of human resources and is one of those corporate thought leaders and creativity doers in Alberta. His work with the community based Save Our Fine Arts (SOFA and #sofab on Twitter) is a great example of corporate talent seeing culture as a critical aspect of our quality of life. As an HR guy Bill know the arts and a wider deeper sense of literacy are part of the skill sets we must develop and enhance if we are to compete in the conceptual age we are entering economically.
There is more good stuff SOFA and Campbell are doing including hosting a public meeting on the role of creativity and fine arts education with Education Minister Dave Hancock in Calgary January 25. Make it one of your New Years resolutions to join with SOFA and attend this meeting to learn more about the importance of art in education.
If the the Alberta economy is to survive and thrive, we have to adapt to create creative based assets that serve a full range of human needs and wants. That imagination and innovation will be more about our brain as a natural resource and less about our brawn in extracting energy from hydrocarbons. Creative based assets are all around us and are not just about frolicking and juggling performances, as much fun as that is. It is about new technologies and techniques that do conventional economic activity better, faster, cheaper, and cleaner. That is our future and creativity is the key. There is a new book coming out that deals with this transition by Robert McGarvey called "Undressing Capitalism." I have read the manuscript and will be talking more about Bob's intriguing ideas in future posts too.
I will be blogging a lot about creativity and innovation in 2011 and the work of Creative Alberta as a lead group in helping to promote awareness, trigger some imagination and make it all more meaningful for folks through international relationship of creative districts. You will be hearing a lot more about my work with the ATA and the Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta project too, including a major event about a new partnership of high performing public education systems in the world. That includes the top 2 in the world, Finland and Alberta who are forming this partnership. More on all that next week.
In the meantime I wish all of you a Happy New Year and an interesting and creative 2011.
The reason that recognition of Steve Burd interests me is that creative culture and corporate leadership is alive and well in the Alberta division of Safeway too. Bill Campbell is the Safeway head of human resources and is one of those corporate thought leaders and creativity doers in Alberta. His work with the community based Save Our Fine Arts (SOFA and #sofab on Twitter) is a great example of corporate talent seeing culture as a critical aspect of our quality of life. As an HR guy Bill know the arts and a wider deeper sense of literacy are part of the skill sets we must develop and enhance if we are to compete in the conceptual age we are entering economically.
There is more good stuff SOFA and Campbell are doing including hosting a public meeting on the role of creativity and fine arts education with Education Minister Dave Hancock in Calgary January 25. Make it one of your New Years resolutions to join with SOFA and attend this meeting to learn more about the importance of art in education.
If the the Alberta economy is to survive and thrive, we have to adapt to create creative based assets that serve a full range of human needs and wants. That imagination and innovation will be more about our brain as a natural resource and less about our brawn in extracting energy from hydrocarbons. Creative based assets are all around us and are not just about frolicking and juggling performances, as much fun as that is. It is about new technologies and techniques that do conventional economic activity better, faster, cheaper, and cleaner. That is our future and creativity is the key. There is a new book coming out that deals with this transition by Robert McGarvey called "Undressing Capitalism." I have read the manuscript and will be talking more about Bob's intriguing ideas in future posts too.
I will be blogging a lot about creativity and innovation in 2011 and the work of Creative Alberta as a lead group in helping to promote awareness, trigger some imagination and make it all more meaningful for folks through international relationship of creative districts. You will be hearing a lot more about my work with the ATA and the Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta project too, including a major event about a new partnership of high performing public education systems in the world. That includes the top 2 in the world, Finland and Alberta who are forming this partnership. More on all that next week.
In the meantime I wish all of you a Happy New Year and an interesting and creative 2011.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Are You Into New Years Resolutions?
If so watch this video and reflect on what resolutions make sense for you as an individual agent of change in the larger context of the planet.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150347710280581
What will you resolve to do more of, less of, and be better at in the coming year? After all we are all in this together and alone.
H/T to Esme Comfort for the link
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150347710280581
What will you resolve to do more of, less of, and be better at in the coming year? After all we are all in this together and alone.
H/T to Esme Comfort for the link
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Why is Alberta Into Energy Sector Subsidies at $90 Oil?
This editorial in the Edmonton Journal today is a must read for every taxpaying, resource owning Albertan who prides themselves in paying their own way in the world.
I harp on the need for Albertans to start realizing we own the oil sands and the rest of the natural resources in our province. We also have to take personal responsibility to ensure they are developed in an environmentally responsible way. Further we need to ensure that we optimize the rents and revenues we receive from the economic development of those resources. The overarching principle is that the economy is there to serve the needs of the society, not the other way around. The society and economy together have to work in harmony within the realities of ecological limits and conservation, preservation, protection and reclamation have to be core and active values of we the owners of the resources.
The politically motivated fiscal conservatives in Alberta are too often attracted to short term economic results that perpetuate old and outdated models of wealth creation. They are too quick to give away our resources to subsidize sunset industries like some 19th century victim of colonialism. The result is we have revenue problems in the governing of the province induced but narrow, shallow and short-sighted thinking to buy votes and fritter away the resource birthrights of future generations.
Albertans are better than that but we have become complacent and compliant in our duties as owners and stewards of our natural resources. It is hard to know who to trust in all the rhetoric and histrionics of power and positioning politics these days. That is no excuse to not engage and become informed active citizens who take responsibility for the well being of themselves and their families as well being involved as the greater good of their community and province. There are many reasons we have a budget deficit right now. A a big factor is we do not pay our way for the very necessary public programs a civilized, caring and compassionate society should provide. One of the reasons is we are giving our resources away and providing irresponsible subsidies that are only short term economic inducements and entice us to keep making the same mistakes.
The Edmonton Journal editorial is right. A responsible government would stop unnecessary subsidies to sunset industries like deep drilling convention oil and gas. That is marketplace interference of the worst kind. It only holds us back from facing reality. It stops us from facing the need to adapt to new and emerging wealth creating possibilities. It stifles our thinking and diverts attention from the more vital task of finding new ways to be resourceful and resilient - and responsible in designing and learning our way forward to the next Alberta.
I harp on the need for Albertans to start realizing we own the oil sands and the rest of the natural resources in our province. We also have to take personal responsibility to ensure they are developed in an environmentally responsible way. Further we need to ensure that we optimize the rents and revenues we receive from the economic development of those resources. The overarching principle is that the economy is there to serve the needs of the society, not the other way around. The society and economy together have to work in harmony within the realities of ecological limits and conservation, preservation, protection and reclamation have to be core and active values of we the owners of the resources.
The politically motivated fiscal conservatives in Alberta are too often attracted to short term economic results that perpetuate old and outdated models of wealth creation. They are too quick to give away our resources to subsidize sunset industries like some 19th century victim of colonialism. The result is we have revenue problems in the governing of the province induced but narrow, shallow and short-sighted thinking to buy votes and fritter away the resource birthrights of future generations.
Albertans are better than that but we have become complacent and compliant in our duties as owners and stewards of our natural resources. It is hard to know who to trust in all the rhetoric and histrionics of power and positioning politics these days. That is no excuse to not engage and become informed active citizens who take responsibility for the well being of themselves and their families as well being involved as the greater good of their community and province. There are many reasons we have a budget deficit right now. A a big factor is we do not pay our way for the very necessary public programs a civilized, caring and compassionate society should provide. One of the reasons is we are giving our resources away and providing irresponsible subsidies that are only short term economic inducements and entice us to keep making the same mistakes.
The Edmonton Journal editorial is right. A responsible government would stop unnecessary subsidies to sunset industries like deep drilling convention oil and gas. That is marketplace interference of the worst kind. It only holds us back from facing reality. It stops us from facing the need to adapt to new and emerging wealth creating possibilities. It stifles our thinking and diverts attention from the more vital task of finding new ways to be resourceful and resilient - and responsible in designing and learning our way forward to the next Alberta.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Reflections on Public Education in the Next Alberta
I do some work with the Alberta Teachers Association and the Alberta School Trustees Association. I am considered a friendly critic by both institutions. Last year I was invited by four Calgary based ATA locals to provide input into some strategic planning they were doing about public education in the context of the changing community that is Calgary.
Here is a video on some of my thoughts last spring...I say they ring even truer today with the election of Mayor Nenshi as a positive sign of emergent possibilities for that great city.
There is a lot of work to do to rethink the role and relationship of public education to the larger social agenda in Alberta. Minister Dave Hancock's efforts in Inspiring Education and Inspiring Action on Education set a framework and present an invitation for that to happen. Lets make sure we re-imagine and rekindle the passion and purpose of our public education system to align with the emerging possibilities that is the Next Alberta. Lots of potential and possibilities lay before us. All we have to do is take up the challenges and get going on co-creating the future as progressive and forward thinking Albertans.
I will be posting extensively on this and other issues about the Changing Landscape in Alberta and the next iteration of the Learning Our Way project of Informed Transformation of our province.
Here is a video on some of my thoughts last spring...I say they ring even truer today with the election of Mayor Nenshi as a positive sign of emergent possibilities for that great city.
There is a lot of work to do to rethink the role and relationship of public education to the larger social agenda in Alberta. Minister Dave Hancock's efforts in Inspiring Education and Inspiring Action on Education set a framework and present an invitation for that to happen. Lets make sure we re-imagine and rekindle the passion and purpose of our public education system to align with the emerging possibilities that is the Next Alberta. Lots of potential and possibilities lay before us. All we have to do is take up the challenges and get going on co-creating the future as progressive and forward thinking Albertans.
I will be posting extensively on this and other issues about the Changing Landscape in Alberta and the next iteration of the Learning Our Way project of Informed Transformation of our province.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Alberta Oil Sands Story Must be Told Honestly & Openly
The Edmonton Journal Political Columnist, Graham Thomson, is promising to shut up about the oil sands.
Say it ain't so Graham. We need more, not less, reliable trustworthy, knowledgeable and honest commentary to generate a province wide conversation amongst Albertans on the future of OUR oil sands.
WHAT DO ALBERTANS EXPECT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OIL SANDS?
The issues on the minds of Albertans over the development of their oil sands are mostly about reclamation, habitat protection and preservation, ecological monitoring, GHG emissions and water concerns. These are the major driving values that Albertans want to see guide public policy around oil sands development.
The typical Albertan is not focused on how much investment is coming in from where or worried about how many jobs are being created in the development of this vast resource. Given the size and strategic nature of the oil sands, those aspects are assumed to be givens. Of course, there are risks around commodity prices and environmental stewardship pressures. The prices must hold and new technology has to be developed to clean up the oil sands. However, geopolitical events impacting supply, the growth of demand in the developing world and the eventual pricing of carbon emissions makes continued high energy prices and new technology developments seem inevitable; even in a recession.
ALBERTANS ARE GOING TO START ACTING LIKE OWNERS:
Albertans own this vital energy resource. Industry is our tenant and the government is our property manager. We need this resource to be treated as a long term asset that generates sustainable real wealth in a responsible way that benefits all Albertans not just the energy sector. Ensuring responsible oil sands development is the duty of all Albertans. We have to press our tenants on investing in more value added oil sands opportunity within Alberta. We have to press our property mangers on creating better regulations, a better royalty revenue scheme and assurance of reclamation that supports biodiversity on those lands. After all 89% of Albertans believe the oil sands are important to our future prosperity and well-being. What more of a motivation does a government or political party need to realize they better get better at actually managing this vital asset and not spend so much time and money on phony PR battles.
We Albertans have to ensure that responsible oil sands development happens environmentally, socially, politically and yes economically too. We must ensure we are being fair to future generations of Albertans on all counts. Our oil sands value research shows that our property manger governments - both federal and provincial - are not living up to our expectations so far. What to do about that poor performance is a political decision that are in the hands of every voting Albertan. Voters must take the time to consider carefully in the consequences of the coming elections. They have to consciously decide who is worthy of their consent to govern and on what goals and values as they decide how to cast their ballot.
ALBERTANS ARE NOT IMPRESSED IN HOW OIL SANDS ARE BEING DEVELOPED:
Right now only 31% of believe our oil sands are being managed responsibly. Only 17% of us were satisfied with how our Alberta-based Members of Parliament were representing our interests in the federal government...and all but one of the Alberta MPs is in the governing Harper ruled Conservative party. The Stelmach government is held in even lower esteem as only 12% of Albertans were satisfied with their provincial government performance.
When asked which provincial party and leader should be trusted the most to responsibly manage Alberta's growth the preferences were very telling. Stelmach and his PCs were preferred by 23%, Smith and the Wildrose Alliance came in at 19% support, followed by Swann and the Liberals at 9% and the Mason led NDP at only 4% confidence. Here is the kicker, None of the Above was the choice of 45% of Albertans. That is a sign of political discontent and a rejection of the status quo. Change is in the political air in Alberta.
So we are now seeing a plethora of new science-based ecological reviews from the Fed and the Province and separate promises from each order of government that they will do better. Well they better get better and bloody quickly too. Albertans are watching. They are not amused by what they have seen and sceptical that the current political power structure is capable or even interested in hearing the public's voice or listening to the opinions of the citizen owners of the oil sands.
EMPOWERED ENGAGED VOTERS CAN BE EXPECTED TO SHOW UP NEXT ELECTIONS:
Federal and Provincial elections are coming in Alberta. They will be real contests. For the first time in a long time the outcomes are not guaranteed for conservatives. The political culture of this dynamic province is about to change and the presumptions of any conservative based party winning by default are being rebutted by the evidence on our research at Cambridge Strategies.
So 2011 promises more uncertainty, turmoil and anger as Albertans return to engaged citizenship and look for a political approach and capable leadership that reflects our values. The facts as of today shows that none of the current parties or leaders are measuring up to our new Alberta aspirations. There is a lot of soft support for all the standard brand parties in Alberta that is looking for a viable alternative...beyond the hardcore conservative values of the Wildrose Alliance. If a sizable portion of the 60% of disillusioned and disengaged Albertan returns to active informed citizenship and show up to vote in the coming Federal and Provincial elections, all bets that presume a perpetual conservative political culture in Alberta are off.
Welcome to 2011.
Say it ain't so Graham. We need more, not less, reliable trustworthy, knowledgeable and honest commentary to generate a province wide conversation amongst Albertans on the future of OUR oil sands.
WHAT DO ALBERTANS EXPECT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OIL SANDS?
The issues on the minds of Albertans over the development of their oil sands are mostly about reclamation, habitat protection and preservation, ecological monitoring, GHG emissions and water concerns. These are the major driving values that Albertans want to see guide public policy around oil sands development.
The typical Albertan is not focused on how much investment is coming in from where or worried about how many jobs are being created in the development of this vast resource. Given the size and strategic nature of the oil sands, those aspects are assumed to be givens. Of course, there are risks around commodity prices and environmental stewardship pressures. The prices must hold and new technology has to be developed to clean up the oil sands. However, geopolitical events impacting supply, the growth of demand in the developing world and the eventual pricing of carbon emissions makes continued high energy prices and new technology developments seem inevitable; even in a recession.
ALBERTANS ARE GOING TO START ACTING LIKE OWNERS:
Albertans own this vital energy resource. Industry is our tenant and the government is our property manager. We need this resource to be treated as a long term asset that generates sustainable real wealth in a responsible way that benefits all Albertans not just the energy sector. Ensuring responsible oil sands development is the duty of all Albertans. We have to press our tenants on investing in more value added oil sands opportunity within Alberta. We have to press our property mangers on creating better regulations, a better royalty revenue scheme and assurance of reclamation that supports biodiversity on those lands. After all 89% of Albertans believe the oil sands are important to our future prosperity and well-being. What more of a motivation does a government or political party need to realize they better get better at actually managing this vital asset and not spend so much time and money on phony PR battles.
We Albertans have to ensure that responsible oil sands development happens environmentally, socially, politically and yes economically too. We must ensure we are being fair to future generations of Albertans on all counts. Our oil sands value research shows that our property manger governments - both federal and provincial - are not living up to our expectations so far. What to do about that poor performance is a political decision that are in the hands of every voting Albertan. Voters must take the time to consider carefully in the consequences of the coming elections. They have to consciously decide who is worthy of their consent to govern and on what goals and values as they decide how to cast their ballot.
ALBERTANS ARE NOT IMPRESSED IN HOW OIL SANDS ARE BEING DEVELOPED:
Right now only 31% of believe our oil sands are being managed responsibly. Only 17% of us were satisfied with how our Alberta-based Members of Parliament were representing our interests in the federal government...and all but one of the Alberta MPs is in the governing Harper ruled Conservative party. The Stelmach government is held in even lower esteem as only 12% of Albertans were satisfied with their provincial government performance.
When asked which provincial party and leader should be trusted the most to responsibly manage Alberta's growth the preferences were very telling. Stelmach and his PCs were preferred by 23%, Smith and the Wildrose Alliance came in at 19% support, followed by Swann and the Liberals at 9% and the Mason led NDP at only 4% confidence. Here is the kicker, None of the Above was the choice of 45% of Albertans. That is a sign of political discontent and a rejection of the status quo. Change is in the political air in Alberta.
So we are now seeing a plethora of new science-based ecological reviews from the Fed and the Province and separate promises from each order of government that they will do better. Well they better get better and bloody quickly too. Albertans are watching. They are not amused by what they have seen and sceptical that the current political power structure is capable or even interested in hearing the public's voice or listening to the opinions of the citizen owners of the oil sands.
EMPOWERED ENGAGED VOTERS CAN BE EXPECTED TO SHOW UP NEXT ELECTIONS:
Federal and Provincial elections are coming in Alberta. They will be real contests. For the first time in a long time the outcomes are not guaranteed for conservatives. The political culture of this dynamic province is about to change and the presumptions of any conservative based party winning by default are being rebutted by the evidence on our research at Cambridge Strategies.
So 2011 promises more uncertainty, turmoil and anger as Albertans return to engaged citizenship and look for a political approach and capable leadership that reflects our values. The facts as of today shows that none of the current parties or leaders are measuring up to our new Alberta aspirations. There is a lot of soft support for all the standard brand parties in Alberta that is looking for a viable alternative...beyond the hardcore conservative values of the Wildrose Alliance. If a sizable portion of the 60% of disillusioned and disengaged Albertan returns to active informed citizenship and show up to vote in the coming Federal and Provincial elections, all bets that presume a perpetual conservative political culture in Alberta are off.
Welcome to 2011.
Merry Digital Christmas
Thanks to my friend Bill Hunter I have the delight to share this irreverent but very creative updated depiction of the Christmas Story. As the closing credit says "Times change. Feeling Don't." So in that spirit I give you this video and wish all my friends and especially the many loyal readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas. I will be relatively quiet over the holidays with fewer postings as I reflect and recharge in preparation for what promises to be a turbulent new year.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
BP Oil Spill Revisited
This spoof is more satire than slapstick and more truthful than fiction. It makes you see the impact of self organizing human perceptions and the good and bad inherent in that "gift."
A Delightful Moment of Alberta Politicians Being Human-ish
The Legislative Press Gallery Annual Christmas Party features videos by the Alberta political parties. This year the NDP and Wildrose Alliance joined forces and did a video worthy of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Give it a look and enjoy the giggle.
Give it a look and enjoy the giggle.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Support the Edmonton Christmas Bureau
I have been asked by the Edmonton Christmas Bureau to help them with the final push over the top for donations in this years goal of $1.8million.
The Christmas bureau aims to help 73,000 Edmonton community families this year with your generous support.
Donations can be made online at www.christmasbureau.ca <http://www.christmasbureau.ca/> or the following locations:
The Christmas bureau aims to help 73,000 Edmonton community families this year with your generous support.
Donations can be made online at www.christmasbureau.ca <http://www.christmasbureau.ca/> or the following locations:
-All Edmonton Fire Halls
-Servus Credit Union Branches
-ATB Financial Branches
-Southgate Centre
-Commerce Place
-West Edmonton Mall
-Kingsway Mall
-Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre
-Londonderry Mall
-Millwoods Town Centre
-Northgate Centre
-West Mount Shopping Centre
Thank you gentle readers for your support for this great cause.
Is Pension Scheme Good for Us or for Mutual Fund Managers?
There is a need to get Canadians saving for their retirement. No argument there. The need to expand access to pensions is critical too. No argument there. There is a role for the private and the public sector in this effort as well. RRSPs are the model for the private sector play and the CPP is the public part in the process.
So now we have a scheme proposed that will enable people to set up private pension arrangements that don't get them from employers or the self-employed. The theory is good but the execution and regulation of the program is the concern. This is on the face of it a Christmas gift to the financial institutions who will get enormous fees, the ability to leverage pooled funds and do not have to worry about investment performance as they play with the hopes and aspirations of possibly millions of individual Canadians.
I am told by pension fund managers that Canadians pay some of the highest, if not the highest, fund management fees in the world. Will that change in this pooled pension scheme? Will there be competition - I mean real competition - not price fixing collusion amongst fund managers for fees and investment performance? Will the average Canadian even know how to monitor and evaluate the management service and fund performance they are getting? Will contributors be fragmented individuals no consumer or political clout who give their retirement nest eggs to fund managers with minimal accountability, transparency and responsibility?
This "solution" seems to be potentially more disastrous than the problem it is trying to solve...unless there is serious government regulation and over site...not lax enforcement and political over sights that is characteristic of the Harper political style to date. Is there any reason for citizens to trust the political motives and in public interest integrity behind this scheme?
I am a free enterprise kind of guy and think capitalism is a great tool for economic growth. But these are man- made concepts that only work if there is confidence and trust by the public who must feel assured that the public interest is the goal, not private greed. We saw what happens when big fees and private greed takes over brokers and fund dealers. Just look at the U.S. Sub-prime mortgage disaster that almost put the world into a depression "saved" by trillions of taxpayer dollars paid to bail out the "too big to fail" banks who were the "masters-of-the-universe types" who were ripping off everyone...or the Bernie Madoff example...just to name a few.
Free market capitalism only works with real competition and that only happens with the assurance of appropriate government regulations. Market based competition is not the solution to all the social, economic and environmental challenges we face - there is a fundamental role for good government. We need both for a happy, wealthy and wise society.
I need to know a great deal more about this scheme and how it will be regulated and controlled by my government before I will buy in. I need to know why the expansion and extension of the CPP was not an accepted Canadian-way alternative? I need to be convinced this approach is about sound fiscal policy and not hard core Harper Conservative dogma wagging a poorly thought out public policy agendas.
So now we have a scheme proposed that will enable people to set up private pension arrangements that don't get them from employers or the self-employed. The theory is good but the execution and regulation of the program is the concern. This is on the face of it a Christmas gift to the financial institutions who will get enormous fees, the ability to leverage pooled funds and do not have to worry about investment performance as they play with the hopes and aspirations of possibly millions of individual Canadians.
I am told by pension fund managers that Canadians pay some of the highest, if not the highest, fund management fees in the world. Will that change in this pooled pension scheme? Will there be competition - I mean real competition - not price fixing collusion amongst fund managers for fees and investment performance? Will the average Canadian even know how to monitor and evaluate the management service and fund performance they are getting? Will contributors be fragmented individuals no consumer or political clout who give their retirement nest eggs to fund managers with minimal accountability, transparency and responsibility?
This "solution" seems to be potentially more disastrous than the problem it is trying to solve...unless there is serious government regulation and over site...not lax enforcement and political over sights that is characteristic of the Harper political style to date. Is there any reason for citizens to trust the political motives and in public interest integrity behind this scheme?
I am a free enterprise kind of guy and think capitalism is a great tool for economic growth. But these are man- made concepts that only work if there is confidence and trust by the public who must feel assured that the public interest is the goal, not private greed. We saw what happens when big fees and private greed takes over brokers and fund dealers. Just look at the U.S. Sub-prime mortgage disaster that almost put the world into a depression "saved" by trillions of taxpayer dollars paid to bail out the "too big to fail" banks who were the "masters-of-the-universe types" who were ripping off everyone...or the Bernie Madoff example...just to name a few.
Free market capitalism only works with real competition and that only happens with the assurance of appropriate government regulations. Market based competition is not the solution to all the social, economic and environmental challenges we face - there is a fundamental role for good government. We need both for a happy, wealthy and wise society.
I need to know a great deal more about this scheme and how it will be regulated and controlled by my government before I will buy in. I need to know why the expansion and extension of the CPP was not an accepted Canadian-way alternative? I need to be convinced this approach is about sound fiscal policy and not hard core Harper Conservative dogma wagging a poorly thought out public policy agendas.
Feeling an Uneasy Redux of the '60s
The Beatles Revolution #1 was of its time but those times may be returning to become our times. What with Climate Change, Democratic Deficits, Economic Meltdowns, enormous personal debt levels, recessions, changing political power structures, tribal wars instead of state conflicts....the list goes on...and on...and on. Are we ready for a revolution and transformation in how we live - like within natural limits?
Is this Beatles tune an anthem to hope...or cynicism? It was ringing true then but is it also ringing true for today? What is your anticipation of what the next year will bring? Are you making a New Years Resolution or a Revolution? Are you adaptable enough? Is Alberta adaptable enough? Are we wise enough to do what is right and required without a crisis. Are we thinking for a change?
"When an old culture is dying the new culture is born from a few people who are not afraid to feel insecure." - Rudolph Bahro
Is this Beatles tune an anthem to hope...or cynicism? It was ringing true then but is it also ringing true for today? What is your anticipation of what the next year will bring? Are you making a New Years Resolution or a Revolution? Are you adaptable enough? Is Alberta adaptable enough? Are we wise enough to do what is right and required without a crisis. Are we thinking for a change?
"When an old culture is dying the new culture is born from a few people who are not afraid to feel insecure." - Rudolph Bahro
What is our responsibility?
What choices do we make?
Do we choose to be awake?
Do we choose to practice the future now?
We should not be seduced by hope or fear.
(VIA MEG WHEATLEY)
(VIA MEG WHEATLEY)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Are You Alberta Party Curious?
There is an interesting piece in the Sunday Reader section of the Edmonton Journal on the Alberta Party written by Sheila Pratt. It shows that the Alberta Party is drawing attention and capturing the imagination of progressive thinking Albertans. The article shows that there is a significant yearning for a different way of doing politics in our province.
The recent municipal elections have shown dramatic evidence of that thirst for change all over the province. Many incumbent candidates were rejected by the electorate in cities, towns. municipal districts and counties. Edmonton is the exception but we made that shift in consciousness two elections ago. We liked the direction and destination of our city and it continues to move forward with a progressive council and mayor. So all incumbents in Edmonton were all re-elected. The exception that proves the rule.
CHANGE IS WANTED BUT A CHANGE TO WHAT?
The problem about a change is what is the alternative to the traditional left versus right tedious model of politics as usual. That old-style thinking about ideological and manipulative politics is very distrusted by most Albertans. The majority of us respond apathetically by simply not voting. The consciousness is changing now and people realize if they don't participate politically as informed citizens, there are negative consequences. Disillusioned apathetic citizens can give away their political power to an alternative that is not reflective of their values and not aligned with their aspirations for Alberta. Apathy is not just boring - it is dangerous.
There are some Albertans with hardcore social conservative and libertarian values that believe the Wildrose Alliance is the change answer for our political culture. Their approach is to essentially eliminate government then privatize public policy on the presumption that the marketplace is the answer to all the social, environmental, economic and political problems we face, including health care. That is not consistent with the dominant values of most Albertans. But most of us don't vote so we could end up there by default...with nobody to blame but ourselves.
There are many who are nominally supportive of the Wildrose Alliance because they see it as a "place to park your vote and frown sternly at the PCs" as University of Lethbridge political scientist Peter McCormick says in the Journal article. But given another viable balanced, moderate and progressive political alternative like the Alberta Party, one has to question the real level of committed public support for the fundamentalist hardcore conservative politics of the Wildrose Alliance.
No doubt the Alberta Party has a long way to go and very little time to get ready for the next election - which is expected within a year. It is making progress, getting traction and picking up speed. I am told membership has doubled to over 900 in the 6 weeks since the end of October Policy Conference. More Albertans are buying memberships and engaging the start of constituency associations, looking a leadership campaigns and considering being a candidate....but still more is needed for the Alberta Party to be a contender in the next election.
It will have over 40 constituency associations formed by the end of January and the rest of the province will be organized right afterwards. The party leadership campaign begin in the new year. The leadership campaigns will bring mainstream media attention to the Alberta Party and that will attract the attention of everyday Albertans to this new fresh political movement. Albertans will become more Alberta Party curious as they hear about how we can do politics differently and move forward to a progressive future.
In the last Alberta election 60% of eligible voters could not be bothered to get informed about the candidates, the leaders, the party platforms or ever show up to vote. The Alberta Party will be fishing in that large pond of citizen disenchantment. It will offer a viable alternative to politics-as-usual and will attract soft and swing support from all the traditional political parties who are fed up with the old-style politics.
There are reasons for the Alberta Party to be cautiously optimistic about gaining greater voter support. The citizen disaffection for all of the current political offerings and the longing for change is obvious. There are some of us who were there in 1971 when Lougheed led the dramatic change from the tired, tedious and out of touch Social Credit government to a new modern, youthful forward thinking and energized kind of government.
There are signs that we are back to the future. There is the emergence of a revitalized voter who showed up in the recent local elections in larger numbers and with a message to politicians. This is another reason to believe things can change quickly and dramatically in the political culture of our Alberta. The rejection of so many conformist incumbent candidates is another encouraging sign of the coming of real political change. The election of so many younger, imaginative and progressive thinking candidates to local governments and school boards also adds to the sense of a sea change shift that is emerging in the political culture of the province.
ALBERTANS ARE MORE PROGRESSIVE THAN CONSERVATIVE
On top of all that is some interesting research results we have discerned from the work of Reboot Alberta on the degree of shared values of progressive thinking Albertans compared to a random sampling the everyday average Albertan. The results are enormously encouraging for the progressive and fresh thinking of the Alberta Party. We studied 22 value attributes of 644 self-selecting Alberta progressives within the Reboot Alberta citizens movement. We wanted to find out what were the most vital values for progressive Albertans and what they wanted to see guide and drive politics and policy decisions of their government.
We did the same study with a statistically valid random sample of 568 Albertans so it is accurate at the +/-4% level. We then compared the random results to the Reboot progressive citizens movement results. We wanted to get a sense of how many progressive thinking people there are in Alberta. We looked at the degree of alignment of the random results and compared them to the top quartile of the Roboot results. This top quartile alignment of the two surveys is an indication of an excellent fit of the Alberta population with the progressive values of Reboot Alberta Influentials. What we found is that 28% of Albertans are profoundly aligned with the Progressive values.
When we compared the random results to the top two quartiles of the Reboot survey we found that 63% of everyday Albertans shared the same set of values as Reboot Alberta Progressives. What is just as important is there was no difference between ages, genders or between rural and urban progressive thinking Albertan when you look at the random sample results. Rural and urban Albertans share the same values, maybe not the same priority about issues but we Albertans are fundamentally the same kind of people...regardless of where we live.
If this extrapolation of the alignment of random sample of regular Albertan and the Reboot community is accurate that means the red-neck social conservative image of Alberta so "popular" in the rest of Canada is a myth. It is a myth that needs to be debunked. It also means there is a large untapped group of progressive thinking Albertans looking and longing for a political home and a political party they can believe in. Could the Alberta Party be the answer to the quest for change for the 63% of us who want a real progressive government that reflects our values?
LOOK AT THE ALBERTA PARTY AS A PROGRESSIVE ALTERNATIVE
If you are Alberta Party curious, take a chance and go to the website, read the policy document and other items. If you are curious about what is a Progressive go to that link on the Reboot Alberta and read the commentaries. Then take a minute and look at the mix of young-old, male-female on the Alberta Party Board and ask yourself if this mix makes sense in how a new political party should look. Can you see that the Alberta Party is on to something and serious about doing politics differently? Is this new political movement something worthy of your support and involvement as a citizen? If you want real change we all know it is basically about taking personal responsibility. We have to be the change we want to see.
So overcome your reluctance about political participation. Take the leap and buy a membership in the Alberta Party. Become active in the forthcoming party leadership selection process. Share your engagement and enthusiasm with your family, friends, co-workers and your community. Encourage them to revitalize their sense of empowerment as a citizen. Ask them to consider joining the Alberta Party too. After all it is still a free country and province...for now but that could change if you choose to stay disinterested in the future of our Alberta.
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