Inspiration to Engage Progressive Albertans.

I really like politics, especially when it is about people using their skills and capacity in pursuit of a greater good that goes beyond self interest.  I meet those kind of people all the time, especially when I personally engage in that kind of transcendent behaviour.

I had the chance to meet someone online in the Glenn Taylor leadership campaign for the Alberta Party today.  They shared a quote at the end of an email that captured that power of positive politics and its potential for a personal transcendent experience beyond the self. The quote captures so much of what I think constitutes the core of the Alberta Aspiration.  It moves us beyond and above the lowered expectations inherent in the Alberta Advantage:

"If you're going to be passionate about something, be passionate about learning. If you're going to fight something, fight for those in need. If you're going to question something, question authority. If you're going to lose something, lose your inhibitions. If you're going to gain something, gain respect and confidence. And if you're going to hate something, hate the false idea that you are not capable of your dreams."

Daniel Golston

Albertans are looking for enlighten progressive political leadership.  We have a federal election upon us, a provincial election looming and three of our political parties in the throes of leadership campaigns.  There is lots of opportunity for Albertans to take the spirit of this quote and apply as we decide who to vote for and why we are voting for them with all these opportunities.  We can also use this spirit of this quote to judge the quality, character and integrity of the various candidates who are seeking our consent to govern.

Words to live by and apply.  Have a good weekend gentle readers.   

Oil Sands Environmental Monitoring is a Priority for Albertans

We Albertans own the oil sands.  They are becoming increasingly concerned about how this vital resource is being developed in our name.  There is a very clear set of priorities to guide and drive the development of the oil sands from the values research Cambridge Strategies has done in conjunction with the U of A based Oil Sand Research and Information Network.  

Environmental monitoring of oil sands development is one of the top three most important value concerns of Albertans.  Reclamation and habitat protection are the others followed by greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.

It is encouraging to see the federal and Alberta government getting together to address this concern.  The disgraced provincial water monitoring approach of oil sands has been abandoned.  Now we see the federal government pushing ahead with the announcement of a $20million Lower Athabasca Water Quality Monitoring Program.

The Alberta government is now effectively engaged in this ecological monitoring responsibility now as well and in collaboration with the federal government and industry.   Environment Minister Rob Renner acknowledges that the environment is a shared constitutional responsibility with the federal government saying some monitoring will be fed lead and others will be a major Alberta responsibility.

This is very encouraging but we need this work to be evidence based done by independent expert scientists.  We must keep all politicians in all orders of government out of the processes and reporting.  We need open access to the data and peer reviewed reporting of findings as well as full disclosure of the implications of findings and recommendations that come out of the water monitoring.

We can't trust the politicians not to interfere with this work for political purposes.  We also can't trust industry to self monitor or to control the environmental monitoring agenda. This water monitoring has to be done collaboratively between governments and in conjunction with industry.  That seems to be the case now and I am most encouraged by how this is coming together between the two orders of government and the involvement of industry.

Travis Davies of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers speaking on behalf of the industry hits a few key points going forward saying: "We are happy to be judged by good science.  We think it's a very important piece of where we want to go, which is long-term, responsible development."  (emphasis added)  CAPP goes even  further to properly frame the water monitoring initiative saying "We're certainly willing to pay our share, provided that governments collaborate and that the final product is effective, efficient and avoids duplication." (emphasis added again).

I am not a big fan of those who think government should be run more like a business.  They are very different animals and government is more often more complex than most businesses.  That said, I add the emphasis in the CAPP quotes because they underscore some necessary lessons governments can learn from the oil sands business. I applaud the CAPP emphasis on science based, long-term approach to responsible development done with an collaborative, effective, efficient approach that avoids duplication by governments.  I also add a caution to avoid gaps in the monitoring approach too.  That was a major problem with the former discredited Alberta water monitoring work.

Albertans should be pleased with this new approach to ecological monitoring by governments and industry.  We overwhelming believe (89%) that the oil sands are important to our future prosperity.  We don't trust federal or provincial politicians to manage this resource responsibly.  We strongly believe (87%) that industry must be held responsible for any ecological damage it does from oil sands development.  About 2/3 of Albertans accept some degree of federal role in the oil sands.  So this collaborative inter-governmental ecological involvement in oil sands will not offend Albertans.  But some actions and attitudes by government approach to oil sands development will offend us.

The entire field of ecological monitoring of the oil sands has to be done independent of government and industry interference and with a long-term view not tied to any investment interests, political agendas or election cycles.  The duty to ensure responsible development of the oil sands is a shared function of the federal and provincial governments along with industry.  Albertans own this vital resource and we need to ensure it is exploited in a integrated responsible way. We need to see oil sands developed with an integrated economic, environmental, social, political and cultural perspective, not just jobs and investment.

We need to look at governments as our property managers and industry as our contractors to grow the wealth from this asset.  We need to make all of them accountable to the greater good of all Albertans, including future generations, not just shareholders, bankers and other economic stakeholders.  There is a lot of fixing that has to be done to return the confidence and pride of Albertans about oil sands development. The joint effort this water monitoring heralds is a strong and positive step in the right direction.

Is Alberta Ready to Change its Political Culture?

We are into a very fecund time politically in Alberta.  We have just finished province wide municipal elections. The results were surprising to many.  The most dramatic change was the come from nowhere (never mind being) Nenshi win of the Mayor's chair in Calgary.  This was a sea change election in Calgary where 53% of the population found a reason to believe in local democracy again and they showed up to vote.  That was a 20 point bump from last election.

In an informed and extensive Feature Article "A Wave of Change" in the just released April edition of AlbertaViews magazine www.albertaviews.ab.ca Larry Johnsrude tracks and chronicles the facts and possible provincial political implications of the municipal elections.  He notes the comments and calculations made by Alberta Party leadership candidate Glenn Taylor at Reboot Alberta 3.0 on changes in municipal election in Alberta.  

Glenn was Vice President Towns at the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association.  He has taken a leave of absence from that position to run for the leadership of the Alberta Party.  Serving through the AUMA gave Glenn some insight into what happened in the last local elections.  In a political game where incumbents have a distinct advantage, Glenn noted 47% of Alberta's Town Council had new people elected.  It happens 52% of the time ion villages and 41% in municipal districts.  

No incumbent was "safe." Even some of the tried and true incumbent municipal mayors won in squeaker campaigns. Grande Prairie elected Bill Givens, an Alberta Party and Reboot Alberta guy, instead of the incumbent mayor.  In Rimbey and Crossfield and other towns citizens threw out the entire council and mayor.  Ouch!  

WHAT ABOUT FED-PROV POLITICAL CHANGE?

What does this mean for provincial politics? It is not a rhetorical question after 40 years of PC rule. We have three political parties holding leadership campaigns. I, with many others, intend to buy memberships in the Alberta Party, the Alberta Liberal Party and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta.  I will do this so I can vote for the most progressive candidate I can find in each contest. 


No one candidate for any provincial party leadership is safe and no foregone conclusions can be drawn about the prospects of any candidate in any party at the time of writing.  We add to the confusion a pending provincial election likely in Spring of 2012 but perhaps sooner or arguably, later.  That result also seems to be open for a sea change as citizens of Alberta find a reason to believe in democracy again.  I'm sensing a minority provincial government with a progressive group having the balance of power in the next Alberta legislature.

We seem destined to have a federal election this May too.  Will we see dramatic changes there?  The death of democracy in Alberta is at its worst federally.  Maybe we are ready to send a message to the Harper government that they can't presume a wave, never mid a sweep of Alberta seats.  We Albertans sure do get taken for granted by the Conservative Party of Canada.  

With Jim Prentice abruptly quitting the Harper Government (as he likes call it!), Albertans may be wondering if Harper is in any way authentically aligned with Albertan values.  The contempt his government has shown for Canada and the presumptive arrogance that he assumes he can ignore Alberta because we have no alternative might not result in the low election turnout he is counting on.  

The progressives in this province are the majority...63% according to our Reboot Alberta survey. If we show up and vote Liberal, NDP or Green we will split the vote and return Harper - perhaps to a majority.  Progressives are going to have to find the best candidate in a riding and vote for him or her regardless of party affiliation to beat Harper.  Dr. Phil Elder of the Democratic Reform Project makes some interesting observations along those lines.


Will it happen?  Linda Duncan won that way for the NDP last election!  Will there be others this time?  Perhaps, but only if we progressive show up and take back control of our democracy in Alberta.  Apathy is not an option for progressive Albertans.  Real change is possible.  The stars are lining up.  We just have to smarten up and show up.

Why Glenn Taylor Wants to Serve as the Alberta Party Leader

Most readers of this blog will know I am working with Glenn Taylor in his effort to win the privilege to be the leader of the Alberta Party.

Glenn is blogging and sharing his sense of why and why him as a preferred choice for leader of a new party and a rebirth of effective engaged and informed citizenship in Alberta.  More progressives in Alberta become aware they can't just sit back and rest assured that Alberta will be the kind of accepting, tolerant, prosperous and progressive place they presume it will be.  We are no longer assured that the political culture and direction of the power brokers will deliver on its vast potential socially, environmentally and economically other than in search of self interest..  That kind of politics-as-usual is no longer acceptable. But what are the alternatives?

We have to build on the strengths of the past but we can't look only to the past as the road to the future. The world is now globalized and changed fundamentally. Power has shifted to the passions of persons and not cynically centralized in the isolated edicts of institutions. We are getting better and better, worse and worse, faster and faster.  Old ways of top down structured regimented thinking driven by power elites who are not committed nor capable of designing a greater good model are not just obsolete - they are dangerous.

The Alberta Party is not about being on the left or the right of the political spectrum no more than it is about the left or the right brain.  It is about a whole new mindset, politically, economically, socially, culturally and environmentally.  It is about integrating the best of both ends of the governing philosophies and adding some new consciousness not dogma.  Is is about a new focused awareness, not political spin.  It is about attending to the real problems we face not the superficial horse race analysis of politics angst that fills the media these days.  It is about allowing for imagination and creativity to be the new normal and making meaningful change with people - not for them or to them. 

Servant leaders who are dedicated to the design, development and deployment of government and governing that is about the greater good is what we need.  This is not theory - it is a necessity.  Those who are still dedicated to change from within the existing political parties deserve our respect and encouragement.  I just don't think it will happen with so much entrenched self interest embedded in the conventional party structures. We need a fresh approach and a different mindset for Albertans and community leaders that is about making Alberta the best place for the world not just the superficial consumptive and competitive goal of the best in the world.

Join this exciting citizen's movement that has become the Alberta Party.  Visit Glenn Taylor's website www.glenntaylor.org to learn more about him and his approach to changing the political culture of Alberta.
It has lots of room for all kinds of progressive people from all kinds of backgrounds and from all over the province. If you want to support  and encourage Glenn's leadership email me kenc@glenntaylor.org and I can get you a membership.

Are You Feeling the Uncertainty Too?

I just got this link from a new Follower on Twitter (H/T to @JamesETowe)
http://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-tour-foreclosure-cities-2011-1

It shows the extent of homes in foreclosure in various cities in the USA from January this year.  This is our largest market.  In many ways our only market. Alberta is even more concentrated on America as an export market.

This is sobering stuff - for them and us.  Makes you wonder what the future holds.  Status quo is not an option, that much is for sure.  The Globe and Mail on Saturday ponders the possibility of a new recession.  

Then look at the "C-Suite Survey" in the Globe and Mail today.  This is the sentiment of the corporate executives in Canada - just before the Harper Budget coming out tomorrow.  Some 83% say they are concerned about the U.S. economy.  There are 73% who share fears about rising energy prices (oil is over $100 and holding) and personal debt levels (see the foreclosure numbers again).

The encouraging aspect of the outlook of the corporate executives is they get it.  What we need to do is invest in the future and education-training investments and research-development are the key to "...generate positive economic results."

The government borrowing money for stimulus spending is now a done deal. Those in Ontario want more government infrastructure spending while the western executives want deficits trimmed.  This difference in perspectives will impact the unity of the country overtime if we don't have a national sense of purpose to over-ride these differences.

Will the Budget tomorrow be a purposeful document about the needs of the nation or just be about perpetuating the power of the Harper Cons?  We are so short of visionary leadership, quality minds, and global perspectives with politicians with the strength of character to tell us the hard facts and the harsh truth of our situations these days. I don't expect much of that in the spin and propaganda around the Budget tomorrow.

We need an adult authentic conversation about Canada and our future realities.  We are luck to have abundant resources. Are we smart enough to steward them property?  So far not so good.  We need a change in the political culture of the country.  We need an election.

David Akin's On the Hill :: Former Tory MP says his party is anti-democratic

David Akin's On the Hill :: Former Tory MP says his party is anti-democratic

This is the kind of thing any political party member has to stand up against. And every citizen has to reject in the polls.

We centralize way too much power in the leadership of political parties. It is so bad in the Harper Cons that Prime Minister Harper is a danger do democracy. He is contemptuous of democracy - and must be removed from power by citizens. Read Lawrence Martin's great book Harperland for detailed reasons why we need to defeat this kind of political abuse of power.

In Alberta we can change this centralized power system. With three parties (Alberta Party, Liberal Party and PC Party) are looking for new leaders we can make a difference and change the political culture of Alberta by simply putting up $20 to buy a membership in all three parties and push for the kind of leader you want to have as a choice for Premier next election. I call it the $20 Buck Revolution.

Take the time to join all three Alberta parties and find the leadership candidate that reflects your values and is interested in the greater good. Do not support any party or person more interested in political power than public service.

I will give you my preferred choices of leadership candidates, in all three parties, that reflect the core political values of Albertans - integrity, honesty, accountability, transparency, fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Join the $20 Alberta Political Revolution

THE "BURNING" QUESTION:
I run some non-scientific surveys on this blog from time to time.  I don't call them polls.  They are not.  I call them burning questions.  Stuff that citizens need to pay attention to and ought have an opinion about.  The last burning question was anything but that.  It was a fizzle.

The not so burning question asked blog readers their intentions to participate in voting for the various party leadership races that are happening in Alberta right now.  The response was underwhelming at 49 participants.  It was the lowest level of participation in any burning question I ever asked on this blog.  I know most blog readers are lurkers not commenters and why would they be motivated to respond to a simplistic curiosity like the burning question.  I can discount the low participation and shrug it off.  But I think there is something vital at stake here.  That is our democracy and our freedoms.

CAN WE STILL TAKE DEMOCRACY FOR GRANTED IN ALBERTA?
OK my ego is not so out of control that I think my blog is vital to democracy. It is not.  But my right of free speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and all the rest of my citizenship rights are foundational to the fact that I can write this blog and express my opinions openly.  There are consequences for speaking out against authority and power even if you have those attributes...just ask Raj Sherman.

There is lots of intimidation, threats, bullying and coercion that powerful forces will try and apply to silence or discredit you.  I will be blogging on that in coming days.  I will be starting with the reasons I feel we need a public inquiry on health care to uncover and expose any abuses of power in that area.  I will expand the discussion into other areas of government and the power structure in Alberta that I have knowledge of or have been informed about.

ARE YOU SURE IT IS YOUR DEMOCRACY?
Back to the core concern. I have serious fears about low citizenship participation rates in Alberta's democracy.  I think indifference, cynicism and skepticism is dangerous.  The consequences of not speaking out, not getting informed and not fully participating as a citizen are more dangerous than any "damage" any petty-minded power-preserving political bully might be able to do to any of us for being responsible citizens.

In the spirit of responsible citizenship I strongly suggest every adult Albertan take full advantage of a unique political game changing opportunity that is alive right now.  That is the change in leadership of three of our political parties in Alberta. If you want the political culture in Alberta to change making changes at the leadership levels seems to be a pretty good place to start. To change the kind of person we have to choose from to be the next Premier of Alberta seems to me to be an offer we ought not refuse.

(photo credit: Shane Becker, veganstraightedge in Flickr)

TIME FOR A DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION IN ALBERTA?
So here is the "revolutionary" idea.  For $20 bucks you can buy a membership in the Alberta Party, the Liberal Party and the Progressive Conservative Party.  Then you have a direct say in the selection of the leader of all three of those political parties.  You can decide which candidate you want to support and even have a serious influence and make a real difference in the future direction of Alberta.  By supporting progressive thinking politicians in all the contest you can also set an example for others in your networks to step up and become a $20 Buck Revolutionary.

It is simple to get started.  Here are the links to join on line:  Alberta Party - Liberal Party - Progressive Conservative Party.  Get involved Alberta.  Be the change you want to see.  Be a responsible citizen.

BTW the burning question response was not only low, it was not very supportive of the $20 Buck Revolution.   But that can change if people really want change. Remember these results are merely conversation starters.  They are not conclusive of beliefs or behaviours - even of my blog readers.  Percentages of participants who said they will participate in the current political leadership campaigns were:

• Alberta Party          30%
• Liberal Party           18%
• PC Party                 12%
• All of Above             6%
• None of Above       32%

Not promising starting place for the $20 Buck Revolution - but hey - you have to start somewhere.  Mayor Nenshi was at 1% support three months before election day.  It could/should happen again.  Join the $20 Buck Revolution and be the change you want to see.

Alberta Party Picking Up Momentum - Just Like Alberta

There is so much going on politically these days - if you are paying attention.  The Alberta Party is about the busiest with all the action and events going on as we get organized on policy, leadership campaigns, constituency origination and organization, fund raising, potential candidate conversations and meeting fellow Albertans who are yearning for democracy and real change.

We have constituencies to organize and areat an amazing pace.  West Yellowhead was the latest to organize last night and is the home constituency for Glenn Taylor, my choice for Alberta Party Leader.  My constituency is Edmonton Glenora.  Here is a link to an online e-zine run by the Journalism students at Grant MacEwan University.    It will give you some background on what I see happening in the Alberta Party and where we are going.  The mainstream media is now paying serious attention to the Alberta Party even if the pollsters have not yet caught on to this citizen's movement phenomenon.

We have an Alberta Party leadership contest in full flight with three diverse candidates - so far - maybe more by the time the Nomination deadline of April 18 rolls around.  It promises to get interesting leading up to the May 28th Convention in Edmonton when the leader will be voted in.

We are selling memberships like crazy and just broke the 1000 level with momentum picking up every week.   As leadership candidates get organized and going they will attract even more Albertans who really want to see the Alberta Party succeed as we "Do Politics Differently."

Constituencies are hosting local events all over the province to give neighbours a chance to meet local Alberta Party members and leadership candidates in informal conversations.  Check out the action and satisfy your curiosity about the Alberta Party and attend an event in your area of Alberta.

Busy crazy and exciting times.  Also very unnerving times as there is so much uncertainty about what is really happening in Alberta.  The economy is strong but only in sectors like energy. The social pressures of the last boom have not been fixed yet and we are heading into another damaging boom that we are not ready for. Just look at the continuing infrastructure deficit and the remaining unattended pressures on health care, education, on seniors and vulnerable Albertans.

The rich-poor gap in Alberta is getting worse and worse, faster and faster and the middle class is under more and more pressure just to keep up.  This is not a sustainable society, never mind being even aspirationaly optimal. That is not good and there is no indication we have learned lessons from prior booms so we can predict it will get better in the next time.

Many people who are the heart and soul of Albert are becoming very nervous and timorous in the face of such rapid and uncontrolled change. This angst is everywhere outside the power elites, and they seem unaware of the consequences.  Albertans are wondering who they can trust to responsibly manage Alberta's growth.  Last May 45% of us said none of the current political parties and leaders were trusted to to the job right.  Things have become a lot more uncertain since then - even with indications of economic recovery.

The Alberta Advantage was supposed to help the economic tide rise in Alberta.  The indications are in the rising Alberta tide only the yachts go up, the rest of us get swamped and some actually sink in the face of wealth.  Not the way to run a rich province.

So change is in the air and it might be radical - who knows.  The municipal elections all over Alberta last October saw a wide spread and amazing rejection of incumbent politicians.  Some towns threw out entire councils others culled the contented and complacent politicians from their positions.  Could that be a prelude to a citizen's movement to do a house cleaning in the Legislature next election.  I would not be surprised.  Lougheed did it back in the day.  It is time again.  It could happen again.  It would not really surprise anyone except those politicians who are seriously out of touch with the values and aspirations of the real Alberta.

Raj Sherman - Hero or Zero? Stay Tuned

I had coffee with Raj on Friday and talked about a wide range of topics from political to professional to ethics.  He is going to table documents on Monday March 7th that he says will begin to back up his dramatic allegation in the Legislature last week.  Raj says he does not play Poker but he knows he is "all in" over these issues, allegations and public policy concerns.

This very thorough and comprehensive feature article by Sheila Pratt of the Edmonton Journal will provide the background and context for anyone wanting to catch up and follow this very important set of events and allegations.

I am going to be as interested as any other thoughtful citizen of Alberta in what Raj will table as he starts to provide the evidence to back up his dramatic assertions.

If you want clearer and cleaner politics along with better government and governance you have to be monitoring the Raj Sherman story.  Tomorrow promises to be very interesting.  Stay tuned.

Albertans are Worried About Reclamation

The Edmonton Journal editorial today reflects the values of Albertans around the importance of reclamation around oil sands.  We know that the type of reclamation, habitat protection and ecological monitoring are the top three values that Albertans believe need to drive and guide decisions on oil sands development.  The same issues arise in the entire energy sector in Alberta...not just the oil sands.

It is a serious concern and we need to be sure we get it right...starting now - not way into the future when it is someone else's "problem." This is just another issue that current Albertans have to insist government and industry take a long term look.  We should not pass on a burden of reclamation to future generations because we refused failed or neglected to meet our duty to mitigate the environmental and habitat damage we must do as part of oil sands development.

Ecological monitoring is being done but the quality is in question and the focus is not understood or trusted.  This is a major concern of Albertans.  Industry must address this for its social license to operate and political parties and leadership candidates who want to form governments must attend to this concern if they want the trust and consent of citizens to govern in the next election.  Integrity is the issue.  Not just what politicians or political parties say - but can you trust them to deliver.

We can do conservation offsets to mitigate the energy sector's footprint and fragmentation of the Boreal forest too.  This concept is part of the new land stewardship legislation that needs to be retained...but the offsets need to be large enough to actually enhance the prospects of at risk species like grizzly and caribou.

It is all part of a move where Albertans are revisiting values that say we need to harmonize with nature - not just try and engineer our way out of nature.

Don't Let EU Define Our Oil Sands Emissions Policy

Dr Andrew Leach has an interesting vision around oil sand greenhouse gas emissions policy in an op-ed today.  Dr. Leach is an Energy, Environment and Resource Economist at the U of A and a fellow blogger.

I will be on a panel with Mike Hudema of Greenpeace and Rich Hyndman of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers to respond to Dr. Leach's lecture entitled "How Our Approach to GHG Policy Could Kill the Oil Sands."  It is at 6:30 reception and presentation from 7-9 pm March 3 at ETLC Solarium, 2nd floor on the U of A campus.

We at Cambridge Strategies Inc. have recently done some values-based research with the Oil Sands Research and Information Network on what values Albertans what to see guide and drive the development of their oil sands.   This research found that 89% of Albertans believed that the oil sands are key to the future prosperity of Alberta.  The overarching question for Albertans is not should we develop the oil sands but how should we develop this enormous resource.

Like Dr. Leach I see some of key issues that can't be allowed to compete against each other but must be integrated as as co-creative opportunities around GHG emissions and the development of the oil sands.  Co-creative oil sands development opportunities must craft and integrate diverse opportunities for increased prosperity that enhance and harmonize with environmental obligations.

The corporate social license to operate in oil sands development must be part of a cultural shift around oil sands development.  That shift must stretch beyond merely qualifying for a social license to operate.  We need developers and operators to aspire to be worthy of public acknowledgement as a preferred steward of this vital and publicly owned natural resource.

GHG emissions are the #1 oil sands development value concern for 21.2% of Albertans.  It is #4 for all Albertans in a random sample.  It is behind concerns over reclamation, habitat protection and ecological monitoring. Water usage concerns are #5 in priority but these values all inter-relate to one another and have to be dealt with as a whole to make a real difference.

There are major political factors at play around GHG.  Dr. Leach points to some like the international perceptions of oil sands, the European Union specifically.  He also deals with the carbon pricing challenge, and points out that Alberta's "way out of this mess is through carbon pricing."  I totally agree but the political ideology/mythology in the right wings that dominate the Alberta political power structure see carbon pricing  as a job killing tax and therefore it is "politically"off the table. Ironically Alberta already has a modest carbon "tax" based on large emitters only.  It is a penalty approach akin to an "abuser fee" and is so low that it does not really encourage behaviourial changes in industry.

There is another below the radar political reality around CO2 emissions and oil sands development.  Our research shows that 57% of Albertans believe that there is some capture of oil sands related CO2 emissions.  The truth is virtually none of oil sands produced CO2 is currently captured.  While oil sands CO2 emissions are only  about 15% of Alberta's total CO2 emissions they get almost all of the media attention, here and abroad.

The facts, while interesting, often have precious little to do with perceptions and in politics perceptions are reality. If Albertans come to realize that the truth of oil sands CO2 capture is vastly different from their perceptions and their expectations there is a potential for serious political consequence.  Will Albertans feel betrayed, mislead or worse yet, lied to, once they realize this discrepancy between facts and perceptions?  Will the $2billion fund dedicated to carbon capture from other non-oil sands emissions be enough to mitigate what some have referred to as the oil sands CO2 betrayal factor?

There is a tense relationship that is not getting any easier between the citizens of Alberta as owners of the oil sands, the industry who are tenants and the government who are the property managers of this vital resource.  Leadership is lacking in all spheres.  The acrimonious debates between environmentalists, industry and government produces a great deal of heat. I am not so sure they add much light on the issues so citizens can have a meaningful understanding of what needs to be done, what is being done and is it enough to get it right.

I applaud the University of Alberta students from the Energy Club, the Commerce and Energy and Environment Group from the School of Energy and Environment are sponsoring this series of dialogues of Oil Sands Visionaries.   So Albertans, as owners of the oil sands, come out tomorrow night and get some information and insight about how your oil sands can be developed in ways that align with your values. 

Hope to see you tomorrow night.

Making Sense of the Alberta Budget

David Berry writes another perspective in the National Post about the underlying philosophy of the fiscal management of Alberta and the recent budget and the issues of our royalty rates in the energy sector.

It makes me wonder if we have a more serious revenue problem in that we are not paying our way for the actual costs of necessary public services. We are using one-time non-renewable resource revenues for current public service operations.  The Alberta Advantage idea of having the lowest taxes is part of the cultural DNA of this place.  However how much lower do our taxes have to be from those of our competitors?  That is the unasked question.  The recent Budget showed that Alberta tax revenue spread is $11B less than the next lowest province.  Do we need to be $11B lower  to be competitive?

By not paying our way on a current basis we end up using capital funds from non-renewable resource revenues to pay for current expenses.  This is not right.  Albertans are proud people who believe everyone should pay their own way but we don't translate that value into paying the cost of necessary public services from taxes and user fees.  We use capital funds from non-renewable resources instead. Isn't this approach just taking away from future generations? What is the legacy we intend to leave them as a result?

There needs to be a clearing of the air on the capital side of the recent budget too.  The Sustainability Fund is  being misrepresented in the political commentary around the Budget as a "rainy-day" or a "savings" fund.  It is neither - and never was.  It was the prudent taking of resource based surpluses and banking them for future investment in infrastructure. They are earmarked funds to be used for meeting the necessary infrastructure demands like schools and hospitals.  The Stability Fund enabled capital projects to be paid for in total, without borrowing, and at a time after the boom so we could get better prices, not compete with the private sector and generate jobs to lessen the blow of the recession.  It is a win-win-win deal.

It is not creating a fiscal deficit. It is fixing an infrastructure deficit. That infrastructure deficit was created by the policy of neglect in the Klein era when there was not enough maintenance of our schools and other public facilities. Debt and deficit reduction got carried away and was done way too rapidly. It left problems of facility neglect and deferral of other facilities we needed  like schools and hospitals to respond to the rapid population growth in Alberta from people moving here in the last boom.

We bragged that we paid off the debt in about 7 years, and I believe it was done even faster than that. Debt and deficit reduction was designed as a 25 year prudent program by the then Finance Minister, Jim Dinning.  We can't just blame the Klein government for this infrastructure deficit and late response to growth pressures.  We Albertans encouraged our politicians to pursue the hyper-rapid debt pay down. We also ignored the more prudent longer range planning that was in place to smooth out the boom and bust cycles and lessen the fiscal excesses that hurt us in both parts of the boom and bust cycles.

So don't be fooled by talk of the deficit being created in this last budget - from any of the current political parties, including the PCs strangely enough.  Why have they used deficit language to describe the conversion of the Stability Fund from cash to physical capital?  The Stability Fund is being used precisely for the purposes intended and at a "bust" time when we can get better value for the taxpayer's money.

Lets also look at the Alberta Advantage of low taxes and see if we have gone too far in tax reductions.  We are at the point current Albertans are not paying our way.  We are misappropriating non-renewable resource money from future generations to be spent on us now.  We were motivated in  1993 election to to pay down the debt and deficit in large part because we felt we could not leave that burden to our children.  I wonder if we appreciate that we are spending their natural resource birthright now because we are failing, refusing or neglecting to pay our own way today.

That is just one of the adult conversations that has to be held amongst Albertans going into the next election.  I wonder if Albertans in 2011 will feel the same way we did in 1993 about our duty and obligation to future generations...or is our sense of entitlement so strong that we just don't care about the legacy we are leaving our children, socially, environmentally or economically.

Some Priority Concerns Raise Questions in the Alberta Budget

I think the Alberta Budget announced this week - Premier Stelmach's last, has a lot going for it. There is some stuff that is not great but it is by and large a progressive prudent budget.  It is delivered in the classic political technique of setting up trial balloons of pending harsh expectations, then delivering something less brutal seems like a reprieve.  So the kudos are not always the result of any pure objective analysis.  Perceptions, values and mindsets of citizens are always a big part of the art of budgeting.

The Wildrose Alliance will say we have a spending problem and dire consequences will befall us is just wrong on the facts and misleading in the analysis.  More on that in subsequent posts I expects.  Bottom line is there is not deficit in this budget.  We earmarked cash in the Stability Fund to pay for much needed infrastructure to responds to years of neglect and to catch up to the population growth we ignored in the Klein days.  Using that designated cash on hand to build schools and hospitals and roads is not creating a deficit.

What I really want to do is direct your attention to an excellent editorial in the Edmonton Journal of Saturday Feb 26.  The title captures the mood of the piece "Budget Rich in Troubling Questions."  I think there are some unsettling questions Albertans need to ask themselves about if we are paying our way for the necessary public services we demand from government.  We also have to revisit the "huge handouts ...to oil and gas companies...in the drilling stimulus program."

Read this editorial carefully and consider if these policies make sense to you on incentives and royalty breaks.  Do we really need them or should Albertans start acting like the owners of our resources and have a more mutually beneficial business-like and not serf-like relation with those we license to develop our resources.

It is Saturday Morning - Time for a Creative Diversion

Here is something that is worth watching if only for the sheer enjoyment of design and creativity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
(H/T to Paul Traynor for the link)
Enjoy.

Honesty in Politics: Oxymoron or Obligation?

Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch has published a very important article on honesty in politics entitled "Is the 'High Road' Closed to Politicians?"  

Here is his closing statement:

"It is no wonder that the No. 1 reason non-voters give for failing to cast a ballot is lack of honesty in politics, or that dishonesty is voters’ top concern when it comes to government accountability.

Politicians need to be held accountable for their honesty just as the rest of Canada’s citizens are every day. It’s time for our political leaders to prove their worth by passing a strong honesty-in-politics law, giving voters a reason to trust them again."

Albertans have told us in research done under Reboot Alberta that Integrity, Honesty, Accountability and Transparency are the most vital values we want in our politicians.  We also know we are not getting the necessary commitment to those values under the current political culture.

The all to common responses of citizens to this democratic deficit has been to withdraw from politics and forfeit our responsibilities of making an informed and active choice about who we want to govern us.  In Alberta this is especially true when 60% of us can't even be bothered to cast a ballot to state our preference for how we should be governed and by whom.

The Edmonton Sun has run a very insightful Editorial today on the impact and danger of ideology over evidence and dogma over ideas.  It really sets out the changing dynamics in Alberta politics in a way I see and hopeful for  real change to happen.

Trust in democracy, our politics and our political culture is not a given any more.  People just don't trust our institutions any more - because most of them have done so much to betray our trust.  Trust is a judgment call that measures the reliability of someone to act and perform as expected and will not fail us, let us down or mislead us.

The political culture of spin and messaging is all about deception dynamics that create distrust as a result.  We need to insist on integrity, honesty, accountability and transparency from our politicians, the political parties, the institutions we rely on to make our society function like the media.  We also have to rise up to the responsibility of citizenship and not be intimidated by fear or coercion of authorities that use bullying and intimidation to compel compliance. 

We need to actualize the spirit of Reboot Alberta and as citizens take back Control of our democracy by informed active participation in politics.  We need to create viable political Alternatives to the one-party state we have let dominate our democracy in Alberta.  We need to Delete the power of those in politics for personal power broker reasons and not in the spirit of servant leaders.

We need new faces, and a fresh start and a return to moderate progressive policies that are based on integrity, honesty, accountability.  We need an alternative like the Alberta Party to shape up and shake up the system that has long since stopped serving the greater good.

Some Context on Public Education in Anticipation of the Alberta Budget

The Alberta government called off the tripartite talks with Alberta's teachers and school trustees out of the blue.  Very strange since it was such a good initiative.  The idea of extending "labour peace" with teachers and trustees beyond the August 2012 date of the current agreement would enable a continuing focus on improving and transforming what is already an excellent public education system. One wonders if all the good work of public dialogue behind Inspiring Education will not be lost.

So now we apparently have a deficit budget provincially.  That budget, like all budgets, is a political projection based on assumptions and political purposes that we will see more clearly on budget day February 24th.   All indications are that we can expect the fiscal hawks and privateers to jump at this opportunity be pushing for more private sector competition for teachers and school boards as the solution to public education..  This is the same tactics they use in health care and social services, only more subtly with language designed to obscure their real intent.

In anticipation of the propaganda and rhetoric about our financial crisis I think some honest and accountable conversations have to take place.   Here is a link to one of those "movies" from an American source but the principles about public education work in our Alberta.  It is about 6.5 minutes long and worth a watch.  (Hat Tip to School Trustee Esme Comfort for the link)  It is an interesting "debate" between an anti-unionist and a teacher that has resonance in Alberta.

I like the way it puts perspective on the roles and relationship of the government to teachers.  I like the explanation of where public education fits in our social contract with the responsibilities we have for current and future generations.  Those are the same questions we face for the future of Alberta as we Learn Our Way to the Next Alberta.  The facts used by the privateers in their arguments to say government is the problem and the competitive marketplace is the solution are selective, simplistic and shallow.

This clip shows the inability or refusal of the libertarian mindset to see the interplay of various aspects that influence public policy issues like health, education, environment and other necessary public services.  Sound bite politics are not consistent with good governance. We really need to focus on good governance and not so much on power-play politics if we are going to realize our potential as a province.

We all have a stake in ensuring our public education system in Alberta is able to meet the needs of kids today and for the future they will face.  That is core to the Alberta Aspiration of thinking beyond being the best in the world but being the best for the world.  Learn more about these thoughts and ideas at the evening public lecture on March 17 with Pollster/Author Michael Adams and Professor/Author Jean Twenge at the Sutton Place Hotel in Edmonton.  Click here to get tickets online.

Rick Mercer Rants on Canada's Telecommunications Costs

The User Based Billing bunk and the enormously uncompetitive telecommunications business in Canada is going to ensure we are marginalized and continue to be penalized in the new economy.

Rick Mercer captures the essence of this angst and should spark the anger of Canadians on the gouging that is going on.  The CRTC seems to be the epitome of the Stockholm Syndrome held captive by cable operators and telcos who control most of the excessively expensive access to the Internet while not even feigning to be interested in being the regulator and protector of the public interest on this issue.

Notes on Getting to Know the Alberta Party

THE ALBERTA PARTY DIFFERENCE!
There is a foundational idea that underpins the spirit and intent of the upstart Alberta Party.   This is a new citizen's movement forming into a political party.  It is starting to make waves in the volatile Alberta political culture.  That idea is about "Doing Politics Differently." The intent is to move beyond the narrow focused partisan motivated choice between left or right that is so embedded in the current approaches.

The evolution of the Alberta Party is a work in progress by progressives for Albertans and all about "Doing Politics Differently" - but on a fast track too. The next election is not that far away.  The Alberta Party is busy  getting ready with constituency set ups, a leadership selection, candidate recruitment and fund raising so we can be a force in the next election.

GOOD IDEAS COME FROM MANY SOURCES:
The Alberta Party difference is the belief that there not one source of good ideas.  Good ideas should be used, not refused, simply because they come from "the other side."  The traditional adversarial model of decision making creates political winners and losers.  It will always get you an answer.  It rarely gets you a very good answer and it is not even interested in pursuing the best possible public policy answer.  It short changes the citizen's best interest and pushes politics into gamesmanship.

Another Alberta Party differentiating attribute is a commitment to embracing difference and diversity over dogma and doctrine. This is why the Alberta Party is attracting membership from all the traditional doctrinaire style political parties and peopl who never belonged to a political party before in their lives.  Albertans are coming to realize and savour this diversity as a fundamental principle of the Alberta Party.  You can be yourself and share your best ideas openly, without fear, as we work together to map out a plan for the Next Alberta as Albertans.


LISTENING IS A LOST ART:
Listening is a lost art in these days of hyperactive partisanship and always-on connectivity.  In the Alberta Party part of doing politics differently is the expectation of people that they will be listened to, heard and understood.  That respectful expectation goes both ways as we gather together as citizens to discuss and design the best way forward to the Next Alberta.

Our values research out of Reboot Alberta shows the largest portion of Albertans are in the progressive thinking centre. They want a polity and a government that aligns with values of integrity, honesty, accountability, transparency, environmental stewardship, fiscal and personal responsibility.   The progressives  have started to wake up to the fact that political participation is not a choice any more.  It is a necessity if the Next Alberta is going to reflect their hopes and aspirations for themselves, their families and their province.  The Alberta Party is becoming their preferred choice to make such a difference.

The Alberta Party is inviting people to rethink, redesign, and restructure politics and governance in Alberta.  The Big Listen is a continuing process to engage citizens in the difficult and messy process of citizen participation.  Participation and conversations create the conditions to form new relationships, gain new insights and achieve enhanced levels of commitment to citizenship and democracy.  This is not about delivering change to people.  It is a journey to involve citizens in the co-creation of the change people want.

COMMAND & CONTROL TOP-DOWN POLITICS IS DONE!
The old standard of top-down, command and control edicts dictated by political bosses is done.  The power has shifted to like-minded persons working in horizontal networks spawned by the Internet and social media.  This shift has neutered the power-based model of enforced compliance through intimidation, innuendo and bullying.  There is still some who cling to power by hunting down the disloyal and repeating their propaganda until is becomes perceived as "fact." In the new social media made networks, citizens are more interested in learning, sharing and growing as persons than they are in being loyal or compliant to some political authority that insists on enforced obedience.

Reality has always been something that individuals create and interpret for themselves based on values and perceptions.  Reality is not something prescribed by someone else any more.  It is more about what we believe in that determines what we see. We only believe in and commit to those things that align with our values.  That alignment with our values and beliefs actually defines significance for us. Shared significance drives groups to form who then decide to get active in solving the great problems we face together.  Shared significance is a product of conversations and that is why the Big Listens will continue to be embedded in the Alberta Party culture.

It is important to understand we don't have to completely agree on an interpretation or hold identical values to agree on what needs to be done to resolve an issue.  We need to get off our personal or partisan soapboxes and open up to new ways of thinking, even if they disturb us.  What then invariably happens is individuals come to agree on concerted courses of action and will make personal commitments to the goals that are decided.  We can have the collective wisdom of the crowd or the pooled ignorance of the power elites.

FIXING DEMOCRACY:
Finally, the democratic system in Alberta is broken.  It is performing poorly partly because too many citizens have abdicated their duty to become informed and active supporters of real representative democracy.  It is as if they presumed they are above the responsibility for good governance and the selection of quality people to hold public office.

A broken social system, like our democracy, only gets fixed by those who are in it.  The repair work happens by people talking amongst themselves and changing themselves - and the system.  The Alberta Party is an example of people coming together within a system, talking and taking personal responsibility to share information and ideas for a better functioning democracy.  It is a living organic system, not a machine model, of human interaction.

This is part of my personal sense of what makes Alberta Party politics Different.  The Doing aspect of changing the political culture in Alberta requires different thinking by individuals about the role of government.  What you do is determined by what you think.  It is all a part of exercising citizenship, stewardship and leadership.  These are all large concepts but let me give you a thumbnail of each one as part of Doing Politics Differently.  


RENEWING CITIZENSHIP  STEWARDSHIP &LEADERSHIP:
Citizenship is an act of intentional informed  engagement on things that matter and are meaningful to individuals.  Those persons who know what matters to themselves are more likely to commit to apply their skills and capacities to serve themselves as well as the greater good.  Leadership is not an assigned or an assumed task.  It is a shared task.  In horizontal organizations leadership is not static.  It moves around and amongst those in the network and is taken up by different people at different times by certain individuals depending on the task and the skills required at the time.  Leadership is shared but it begins in the mirror for engaged netizens.  The other key aspect of the difference in Doing politics the Alberta Party way is the collective and personal stewardship duties for the environment, the society, the biodiversity of the planet and pride in the legacy we will leave for future generations.

SOME EXAMPLES OF THE ALBERTA PARTY WAY OF DOING POLITICS DIFFERENTLY: 
Here is a link to a Letter to the Editor of Will Munsey that captures much of what I am talking about when it comes to the spirit and intent of the Alberta Parry - in his own experience.  He resonates with my sense of the Alberta Party in this letter.  Will's letter tells me I am not alone.

Here is another story about the relationship of municipal governments to the provincial government and how services are provided to the taxpayer/citizen.  It quotes Glenn Taylor the three time Mayor of Hinton, Vice President (Towns) for the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association and candidate for Leader of the Alberta Party.  Full disclosure, I am working on Glenn's campaign for Alberta Party Leader.

Again it shows the change in thinking towards horizontal collaborative partnership relationships that have to replace command and control paternalism inherent in vertical concepts of "senior" orders of government.  Taxpayers want quality public services that represent value for money.  They don't care much which order or level of government provides them. These collaborative partnership models of governance have to trump traditional hierarchies as we Learn Our Way to the Next Alberta. 

This blog post is just some of the reasons why I am in the Alberta Party and supporting Glenn Taylor as its servant-leader.  Join us in moving past the Alberta Advantage and into the journey of defining the Aspirations of the Next Alberta.  The Alberta Advantage was a scheme to make us the best in the world.  The Alberta Aspiration is to use our blessings and skills to become the best for the world.

Interesting Insight Into the Mood of Blog Readers?

So the Burning Question last week was about the mood of some readers of this blog.  This is not a scientific sampling and only a conversation starter.

We did not put a context on the question just what is your mood about so it is hard to be specific around context.  There were 41% who were on the optimistic side and 22% pessimistic.  Things are generally very good in Alberta but the future is uncertain for 34% of us.  For what it is worth the majority of those who responded are not in a particularly happy place.  Why is that with all the wealth we are told we have?

The economy is turning around, so we are told. So why only 41% of us are optimistic? There is a lingering concern that are we in for another energy sector induced Boom.  But is that a good thing in the minds of most of us.  I think not. We have seen the negative results of that last two Booms.  Is it time to print the third version of the iconic Alberta Bumper Sticker? Please God Give me One More Boom and I Promise Not to Piss it Away - AND THIS TIME I MIGHT ACTUALLY MEAN IT!

The Boom-Bust cycles are harmful for most of us. We make a bunch of money but the hours are long and it takes a toll on families.  The other sectors in our economy suffer staff shortages and we end up with social pressures of all kinds.

Can't we level out the booms and busts so we have steady predictable growth that enhances the well being and prosperity of more Albertans and not just the few at the top in the energy industry?  Is the Alberta destiny to be captives of destructive Booms and then devastating Busts?  There are billions of dollars of investment in oil sands already and billions more to come. How can we optimizing the full range of benefits of this investment now and for future generations?

What is our legacy going to be from the development of the oil sands?  I think it can be fabulous but only if we Albertans, as owners of the oil sands, get engaged in the politics and policy around the responsible and sustainable development of our resource.  With a world addicted to hydrocarbons and Alberta being the only place with significant reserves that is a functioning democracy, we citizen/owners have some serious obligations beyond getting as rich as possible as fast as possible from oil sands development.

What are your thoughts on Booms and Busts being the destiny of Alberta?  Do you like it of not?  What can we do to provide for a more rational integrated economic growth, with environmental protection and a society enhancing approach?  We Albertans are the owners of the oil sands.  We have the blessing and bear the burden of oil sands development as a result.  What do you think we should insist on from the industry as our tenants and the government as our property managers?

What would it take to make you proud as an Albertan and as an owner of the oil sands?  I think the announcement of the commercial upgrader/refinery in Fort Saskatchewan area yesterday is a good start. We Albertans will get more value from the bitumen royalty we take in-kind instead of cash and create the jobs and value here, including raising the bar on environmental concerns like carbon capture.    What do you think?

Bill 36: The Alberta Land Stewardship Act - Fix It - Don't Kill It.

I want to direct your attention to a very well written op-ed piece in the Edmonton Journal, written by my friend Joe Obad, the Associate Director of Water Matters. It is a clear and comprehensive survey of why we need to retain the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) but we must fix it too.

The Alliance Party has said they would repeal the ALSA if they formed government. There is an election coming up soon so that is not an idle threat. That repeal position is consistent with the fundamental libertarian-based  beliefs of the Alliance.  They promote that private rights are paramount along with a belief that government is the problem and the marketplace can solve most if not all public policy problems.

Private property is one of the great things about our society and a basis of our prosperity.  There are times, however, when the greater good of community, has to take precedence.  For example when infrastructure requires private property to be expropriated and used for community needs like roads, schools, hospitals and so forth.  Now there is an other community interest legislated in the ALSA that recognises of a common community responsibility for stewardship of water, air, land and habitat protection.That is a good thing.

The balancing and choosing between competing values and interests is the essence of good governance.  That is why we elect governments. There is a growing suspicion amongst land owners, in rural Alberta especially, that bad politics might be used to choose instead of good governance.  It seems to many that politics are are play here. People are concerned that their lands can be taken by the government at the discretion (or whim?) of a Minister, without compensation or appeal to the courts.  That is the wrong way to go and once such a suspicion is embedded, it is hard to prove otherwise.  Cynicism dominates.  There is a line of argument that says none of those fears are founded but they persist anyway.

There is a perceived lack of clarity in the legislation that needs to be fixed to assure people that politics are not at play here and will not be.  There needs to be an explicit commitment to the protection of property rights of landowners.  There needs to be a clear commitment to a fair and open expropriation process with a legislated guarantee of adequate compensation and the right to seek redress from the courts if need be.

People knows that politics tends to enable abuse and coercion and that can't come into play here or anywhere else in good governance.  Interpretations of the implications of the ALSA vary and the intentions of the PC government are suspect.  Frustration, fear and distrust dominate the public discussions and the feelings of those showing up at the community meetings who hear and outline of the downside of the ALSA.

The fact that there is so much suspicion, lack of trust and disrespect for the stated intentions of the government on this matter is very telling.  It shines a spotlight on just how big the trust and respect gap is between the governed and the governors in Alberta these days.  It is the belief of many Albertans that our democracy is broken when well intended policy decisions are met with such fear and resistance.  It is also a terrific opportunity to play opposition politics and feed the fear and frustration for political gain. It is for others to decide if that is happening here but it is a legitimate question .

There is a lot that is very good and progressive about the ALSA.  Clearly some things about the legislation that need to be fixed for clarity, reassurance of intent and with strong guarantees to protect the property rights of citizens.  The value of environmental stewardship is near and dear to the hearts of most Albertans, including most private property owners. We can't lose those aspects of the legislation with a political promise of the Alliance to merely repeal the entire Act once elected. Repealing it is not a viable option.  That goes too far in the other direction.  Revisiting it and clarifying it is the best approach.

Joe Obed sets out the issues and events and the need for Albertans to have the ALSA.  He also put  the duty to get it right squarely on the Stelmach government.  We can only hope that there will be an honest, open, accountable and transparent process that empowers people and that the province engages in an authentic conversation with Albertans so we can keep the best and fix the rest of the ALSA.  We all need to be sure we get it right and that means we need fix it - not kill it.

Conversations matter.  Not every conversation changes the world but every time the world actually changes it  was usually started by a conversation.  Lets park the debate model that looks for winners and losers.  Lets dispel with the superficial meaningless public consultation processes.  Lets have an adult conversation that is province wide that uses the best evidence, the best expertise and seeks a mutually acceptable solution based on the principles or peace, order and good government...not top down command and control power politics.  Hopefully we will see some amendments to the ALSA in line with these aspirations in the forthcoming session of the Legislature.  Time will tell.

In Egypt the Revolution Was Tweeted! Is Alberta Next?

Very interesting article in the Sunday edition of the Toronto Star by Don Tapscott entitled "Here Comes the Wiki Revolution."  I like Don Tapscott's writings and read his books. Still have to get to MacroWikinomics but the sub title alone "Rebooting Business and the World" grabs my attention as one of the instigators of Reboot Alberta. 

Tapscott starts with a challenge to the Malcolm Gladwell assertion last October in The New Yorker magazine essay "Small Change:Why the Revolution Won't be Tweeted."  Gladwell contended that social media only created "weak ties" between people and it took "strong ties" and close relationships to bring about real social change.

Tapscott says "If Twitter, Facebook and YouTube didn't exist, Hosni Mubarak would still be president of Egypt.  The social media tools gave Mubarak's opponents unprecedented ability to share information and organize their activities, including massive protest which riveted the world's attention."  This is the core new reality of the shift of power to the networks of engaged citizens from hierarchies of personal power brokers.

Last June  a 28 year-old businessman Khaled Said was beaten to death by two police officers. Said has posted video of these police officers dealing in illegal drugs.  Shortly after Said 's death a Facebook page was created called "We Are All Khaled Said" with pictures of his beaten body in the morgue.  Within weeks the site had over 100,000 friends and that grew to over 500,000 and became a rallying point for Egyptians.

Tapscott notes that social media "...can take weak ties between people initiated on the web can become strong ties and forge close relationships that organize for social change. Egypt shutting down the Internet gave citizens no other choice but to take to the street to communicate.  The paradox is dictators typically take control of the conventional gatekeeper media and can effectively control the message and stifle rebellion.  When the access to the Internet and social media was removed by Mubarak, those in remote and decentralized connected nodes "were triggered into action" and took to the streets. It had just to opposite effect from what the dictator expected.

Social Media Implications for Governments
There are some very serious lessons here for modern democracies and free market enterprises.  Stable democracies but with fundamental political deficits around accountability, honesty, transparency and openness, like Alberta and Canada, should take heed.  The political leaders and political parties depend on the voluntary consent by citizens to those in power to govern us. When the citizen wake up looking for change they will show up to make that change happen.  The voter volatility in Alberta is early signs of citizens waking up politically and not liking what they see offered by the current options.

When we vote, or not vote, we voluntarily give up some personal power and individual agency to politicians to form governments that we expect will act for the greater good.  The engaged and informed but frustrated or angry citizen will not comply with the old and outdated vertical political power model. It is being replaced by a horizontal participatory public service model of governance where stable and mature democracies are involved.  Social media is playing an enormous role in creating and sustaining that change to horizontal based shared governance with real citizen participation in the political culture.

Social Media Implications for Industry.
Industry that depends on a social license to operate in the marketplace is also in serious peril from the organizational capacity of social media.  The growing public opposition to big Telcos and Cable operators over ridiculously high cost and low performance of Internet service and the manipulation of rates known as User Based Billing is going to bring them to heel.  That is only one sector to feel the pressure.  Any other regulated sector is vulnerable and those unregulated industries will not escape the power of the mouse.

The shifting of public opinion on oil sands in Alberta and around the world, is another prime area where the corporations developing this resource are now responding to demands for authentic corporate social responsibility beyond providing investment, jobs and public relations campaigns.

Governments and industry who are not accountable, open and transparent, that do not align overtly and effectively with the values of the culture they operate in and fail refuse or neglect to adapt have reason to be afraid - very afraid.

The Alberta Party and Social Media
The Alberta Party and its membership gets this shift from vertical power based democracy to horizontal participatory democracy.  We know that social media is a powerful force to create and sustain this shift in power distribution and citizen participation in politics. We are mocked by those who's power comes from the status quo for saying we want to do politics differently.  We are belittled by conventional-traditional political thinkers who make comments like "it looks like the Alberta Party is trying to Tweet its way to power."   We are and we will because the capacity to do so is in the Internet here and the will of citizens for a better government will make it happen.

Those who think that accusing the Alberta Party of "Tweeting it's way to power" are partly true but they don't understand the difference this new technology is making.  What is happening is not a set of weak tie  relationships but new vibrant networks are forming of like-minded citizens who have decided to get involved in the spirit of Reboot.

They are citizens who are going to retake Control of our democracy and politics.  Many are looking to create Alternatives like the Alberta Party and others are dedicated to changing others parties from within.  Then there is the need to Delete the old attitudes that lead to cynicism and disengagement from politics and participating in preserving our democracy.

Rebooting Alberta
The Reboot Alberta effort was the sparked that got progressives in Alberta together where we realized we were not alone and others shared our values and perceptions.  We also realized political complacency was not a citizenship option in Alberta any more.  We had to get engaged in the political culture of the times to change the trajectory from the hard core right wing shift we saw happening with the rise of the Wildrose Alliance and its libertarian governing ideology.

The forlorn belief that there is no reason to believe that anything can or will change justified not getting involved.  The amazing way citizens in Egypt and Tunisia used their collected energy enabled by social media to overcome fear and get rid of dictators has to be an inspiration.  Citizens in Alberta are starting to challenge how their governments work and behave.

Albertans have a safe secure and stable society but without much resolve to achieve our true potential. We must move past the pure economic realm of the Alberta Advantage.  We need to consider what are our Alberta Aspirations in this changing world.  Those aspirations, must be a stretch that worthy of us and push our potential as people and a province.  We have to be a more integrated in our thinking and always be concerned for the economy, the environment and our social cohesion in policy and politics.

One of my aspirations as an Albertan is in the spirit and intend of the new Alberta Party as we create a new progressive, inclusive political culture with integrity, accountability, transparency, fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship as fundamental values.  I see so much potential in this new citizen's movement that has morphed into the Alberta Party.  I am inspired by the courage and commitment of individual Egyptians and Tunisians who have so much more to lose and so much to gain by getting engaged.  I only hope Albertans  will now commit to change by a personal resolution for a peaceful but profound political revolution in Alberta.

Changing Educational Paradigms

Sir Ken Robinson was recently in Red Deer to a packed house interested in the future of public education.  We will be able to provide some clips of the presentation ion the near future.

Here is an interesting video on Sir Ken Robinson on changing educational paradigms.  This is interesting stuff for context on Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta.  You should block off the evening of March 17 for a lecture by Michael Adams of Environics and author of a new book about the last half of life for Baby Boomers called "Stayin' Alive." 


Dr. Jean Twenge will also be speaking on  her new book "The Narcissist Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement."  This is part of the Learning Our Way as Aspiring Albertans series pf lectures and workshops we at Cambridge Strategies do with the ATA.

You can learn more and order tickets by clicking here.

His comments on ADHD are relevant to a new book by Kathryn Burke call "An Accidental Advocate" we have helped publish.  This book is a first person account of Kathryn's journey with her ADHD son and the struggle to get him the educational help he needs.


You can learn more about the book and order it here

Thoughts on the Changing Political Landscape in Alberta

Brandon Beasley has written a very interesting opinion piece in the University of Calgary student newspaper The Gauntlet "Alberta Politics: Out With the Old."

His point is that the re-alignment of Alberta politics would see the Progressive Conservative Party split in two.  The progressives would go to"the upstart centrist" Alberta Party and the conservatives would join the social and fiscal conservative Wildrose.  The Alberta Liberals would fold into the centrist Alberta Party leaving the NDP on the left.

This would provide a full spectrum of choices for a revived democracy in Alberta.  An interesting proposal for sure.  I wonder what it would take to make it happen.  For sure the PCs are likely to split to some further degree with either social conservatives leaving if a progressive wins and progressives leaving it Ted Morton wins.  There is no leadership candidate who has announced yet that is compelling enough to bridge that chasm.

As for the Liberals, unless someone like Anne McLellan runs and wins the leadership there is little chance for change to the fortunes there.  I don't see Anne wanting that "challenge" these days.

The NDP has it's core support and is comfortable in its role as the Jiminy Cricket kind of conscience of Alberta politics.  They are there just to keep the others honest and on their toes...and they are good at it. In fact they are very good at it that nobody wants to see them in any other role.  

Just some thoughts on possible options as time goes on and three political parties are hold leadership campaigns.  Hard to imagine the same old - same old is going to be the expected outcome of such a thirst by citizens for a real change in Alberta politics.

Oil Sands Film Completely One-Sided

There is a need for a real conversation about the oil sands based on evidence and science.  Propaganda by any side does not help and it is good to see some evidence based push back by industry.  The slick ad campaigns by industry and the Alberta government are perceived as nothing more than the propaganda from the other side.

Albertans as owners of the oil sands are not amused by any of this posturing.  Albertan's own the oil sands and we are becoming a target around the world.  The agitprop approaches are not helpful.  We want and deserve to have a sense of pride in this amazing opportunity.  That opportunity is not just to get rich as possible as quickly as possible.

The real opportunity is to be the best stewards of our Alberta owned hydrocarbon resources on the planet.  That means environmental stewardship, biodiversity stewardship, social impact stewardship, reclamation stewardship and to maximize the fiscal return from the exploitation of the resource for future generations of Albertans.  

Creating jobs and attracting investment is just the ante into the oil sands game.  There is so much more that needs to be done, can be done and to the credit of those oil sands corporations in the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative - is being done. More on that in later posts.

Creative Culture is Key to Inspiring Action on Education

Haley Simons is the driving force behind Creative Alberta and one of the key people behind Sir Ken Robinson coming to Red Deer last week.

Creative Alberta is also a strong supporter of the citizen's movement to Save Our Fine Arts (SOFA) that has 7000 people involved in the cause.  SOFA convened almost 700 citizens to an evening n Calgary on January 25 to hear Minister Dave Hancock and others talk about the role of arts education in Alberta.  You can watch the SHAW TV coverage of the SOFA event and see the broadcast time slots at this link.

Haley recently wrote a piece on the SOFA meeting that was published by the Alberta Teachers' Association. I highly recommend you read it.

I was at both evenings and thoroughly enjoyed both of them...and am part of Creative Alberta and a fan of SOFA too.

Next up in the public engagement on the future of public education is a public lecture by Michael Adams and Jean Twenge on March 17 at Sutton Place Hotel in Edmonton. This is part of the Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta project we are doing in conjunction with the ATA.  You can learn more and get tickets here.