Here is our LaPresse column that was published on May 20, 2007. It was inspired by Satya Das, my business partner, and his recent excursion to Hong Kong and India for one of our projects. It has caused a flurry of emails out of Quebec since it was published. Many of them are angry over how we framed Duceppe and others agreeing that Canada is punching well below its weight in the global reality of today.
Satya Das and Ken Chapman
After a frenetic week of business in Asia, it is a joy to step into the chilled cabin of a plane bound for home, take a long drink of clean water, and catch up with the SRC news.
The joy quickly fades. There on the miniature screen is the anguished face of Gilles Duceppe, explaining himself with all the conviction of a boy caught raiding the liquor cabinet. After the intense, concentrated, high-energy atmosphere of Delhi and Hong Kong, this farcical slice of Canadian politics is just too much to bear, especially when you’re flying 11 kilometres above the South China Sea.
In Delhi, people of serious intent asked about the status of India’s pursuit of a free trade agreement with Canada – they wanted to know how the idea was being received in Canada, and did the politicians and the public approve?
One had to reply, with considerable embarrassment, that India-Canada Free Trade really wasn’t on our political radar screen in Canada. We were too preoccupied with the minutiae of minority governments, with the junior high-school antics of sniping party leaders. Indeed, our national media has not even taken notice of the Indian overture. Why bother with the long-term sustainability of our economy and our society, when it’s so much easier to obsess about Duceppe’s bizarre psychodrama?
Already the world’s third largest economy by purchasing power, India wants to negotiate free access to its huge range of economic opportunities. "We believe that it is mutually rewarding for India and Canada to work towards a strategic partnership," Indian High Commissioner to Canada R.L . Narayan explained to a Toronto business audience at the end of April.
The fact that India is coming to us is hugely significant. It underlines once again the attraction and value of Canada’s abundance of natural resources, human talent, and our ability to craft a civil society from many streams of the human experience. India isn’t alone. Also on the horizon is a Free Trade proposal with the European Union. The pursuit of these opportunities demands significant political focus.
At this stage in history, Canada has an obligation of positive global engagement, indeed of global leadership. Yet our political class seems entirely incapable of even recognising the opportunity, let alone seizing it.
Our combination of political stability and huge energy reserves set us apart in a world addicted to the hydrocarbon economy. This puts an enormous responsibility on us to develop these resources in an environmentally sustainable manner, ensuring that we sharply reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases. Our stability is going to make us the energy supplier of choice for the world. There is a real opportunity for Alberta and Canada is to sell carbon capture and clean coal technology to China and India before they embark on a huge expansion of coal-fuelled power generation.
Yet by benign neglect, we are losing our way in the broader world. Our politicians are reacting instead of leading when it comes to our global engagement. This is a shame, because we have an obligation to share what is best in us. We can set an example for the world in showing how we use our wealth to advance the common good. This will distinguish us from the many resource economies where the bounty ends up in the hands of the few. We have a global obligation to show that investing in the potential of one's people -- mass access to education, health, a clean environment -- is a better application of the enormous resource wealth that fuels war and instability elsewhere.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper intends to meet with Canada’s First Ministers shortly before he leaves for the G-8 summit in Germany, to discuss Canada’s international trade policy and positions. It would be extremely helpful to use this meeting for a full consideration of Canada’s global leadership.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Give Me Prentice Over Harper and Hill Any Day
I was struck by the juxtaposition of CPC stories in today’s Globe and Mail. Off the top, let me disclose I was a Jim Prentice supporter for the leadership of the CPC and still hold out a hope that one day it will happen. I have known him for a number of years, as a PC Party member and a fellow lawyer. We were on opposite sides over the environmental and expropriation issues surrounding the building of Old Man River Dam by the government of Alberta in southern Alberta. He was a young lawyer and second counsel on the matter but his compassion, wisdom and sound judgment was very self evident even in his “younger” days.
So in the Globe and Mail today we see Jim Prentice adding fairness and equity in a proposal to “shake up” the process for aboriginal land claims settlements. The issues are the back log of claims and a means to dispense with the stacked deck our aboriginal people face in pursuing settlements. When the “government of Canada acts as defendant, judge, jury and research body” in such matters, it is had to seen the balance and fairness and equity of such “negotiations.” Talk about conflicting roles!
Prentice sees the Indian Clams Commission, an independent body where he once served as a co-commissioner in the Mulroney days, as the means to his ends. The ICC under Prentice’s idea will be delegated the power to actually settle treaty and land claims itself, not the conflicted government of Canada. According the G&M front page story, this approach “marks a “seismic shift in the way land-claims treaties have been negotiated in the past 60 years.” I agree!
Then, by way of contrast, we have the page A4 story and picture of the co-conspirators of Stephen Harper and Jay Hill (CPC Whip) presumably mulling over their latest masterpiece a “manual on disrupting committee meetings.” We have the Keystone Kons shifting their share of the blame many times before in a masterful display of “Bush-league” tactics. They justify this travesty again blaming the opposition by Hill claiming all they are doing is “to push back when we see the opposition parties basically getting together and trying to put together a coalition government between the three of them.”
HELLO! What do you expect in a minority government? The Kons and the “other parties” did the very same thing in order to bring down the Martin Liberal minority government when it pleased…save and except the dearly departed (in more ways than one) Belinda Stronach. The reaction to disrupt and abdicate the responsibility to govern is not an acceptable response Mr. Hill!
The CPC is a minority government selected by Canadians with expectations that they would work towards finding compromises and actually actively govern, perhaps with a tad of integrity and alacrity from time to time. We see delay tactics from both sides but especially from the Cons. Worse yet we see our “government” engaged in cheap tactical gamesmanship designed to “push back!” Again we see the character flaws of the current PM shining through. He seems always to be more intent on winning skirmishes in Question Period and now at Commons Committee instead to showing a capacity for meaningful leadership.
I can’t help thinking that if Jim Prentice were the CPC leader today we would have a socially progressive and a fiscally conservative government with enlightened and compassionate leadership that respects people as citizens and taxpayers. We could trust our leader as a person of integrity and character with new approaches and new ideas and a personal capacity to govern.
But alas my desire for change is not much more than thinking and hoping. Unfortunately thinking doesn’t make it so and hope is not a method to achieve meaningful change.
So in the Globe and Mail today we see Jim Prentice adding fairness and equity in a proposal to “shake up” the process for aboriginal land claims settlements. The issues are the back log of claims and a means to dispense with the stacked deck our aboriginal people face in pursuing settlements. When the “government of Canada acts as defendant, judge, jury and research body” in such matters, it is had to seen the balance and fairness and equity of such “negotiations.” Talk about conflicting roles!
Prentice sees the Indian Clams Commission, an independent body where he once served as a co-commissioner in the Mulroney days, as the means to his ends. The ICC under Prentice’s idea will be delegated the power to actually settle treaty and land claims itself, not the conflicted government of Canada. According the G&M front page story, this approach “marks a “seismic shift in the way land-claims treaties have been negotiated in the past 60 years.” I agree!
Then, by way of contrast, we have the page A4 story and picture of the co-conspirators of Stephen Harper and Jay Hill (CPC Whip) presumably mulling over their latest masterpiece a “manual on disrupting committee meetings.” We have the Keystone Kons shifting their share of the blame many times before in a masterful display of “Bush-league” tactics. They justify this travesty again blaming the opposition by Hill claiming all they are doing is “to push back when we see the opposition parties basically getting together and trying to put together a coalition government between the three of them.”
HELLO! What do you expect in a minority government? The Kons and the “other parties” did the very same thing in order to bring down the Martin Liberal minority government when it pleased…save and except the dearly departed (in more ways than one) Belinda Stronach. The reaction to disrupt and abdicate the responsibility to govern is not an acceptable response Mr. Hill!
The CPC is a minority government selected by Canadians with expectations that they would work towards finding compromises and actually actively govern, perhaps with a tad of integrity and alacrity from time to time. We see delay tactics from both sides but especially from the Cons. Worse yet we see our “government” engaged in cheap tactical gamesmanship designed to “push back!” Again we see the character flaws of the current PM shining through. He seems always to be more intent on winning skirmishes in Question Period and now at Commons Committee instead to showing a capacity for meaningful leadership.
I can’t help thinking that if Jim Prentice were the CPC leader today we would have a socially progressive and a fiscally conservative government with enlightened and compassionate leadership that respects people as citizens and taxpayers. We could trust our leader as a person of integrity and character with new approaches and new ideas and a personal capacity to govern.
But alas my desire for change is not much more than thinking and hoping. Unfortunately thinking doesn’t make it so and hope is not a method to achieve meaningful change.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
This Site Allows and Likes Comments but Dislikes Anonymity
Thx to the Cowboys for Social Responsibility for correcting their post on yesterdays offering in this Blog. For some strange reason Blogger did not provide for Comments to be posted on “Rankled Reformers Resurrecting to Reject Harper.” CfSR thought I did not allow comments and they said so when they responded to he merits my item – and rather well I thought.
There is plenty of interest in yesterdays post so I thought I would try again with this entry to see if it would enable Comments that relate to “Rankled Reformers Resurrecting to Reject Harper.” It did not work. I have checked my site parameters in Blogger and Comments are enabled. I don't know what else one can do. Sorry!
I have been Blogging since late July 06 and have only deleted one Comment (so far) because it was libelous. I invited that Commenter to connect to me by e-mail and if they removed the offensive language I would hope he would resubmit. He did connect with me and we talked on the phone and he resubmitted a more appropriate comment as I recall.
I note that CfSR does not allow anonymous Comments. I find them offensive and often cowardly and say so very often. I wonder how others feel about anonymous comments. I am considering following the lead of CfSR and perhaps asking a Commenter who want to remain anonymous at least give a good reason for doing so.
Any thoughts? I guess without Comments on this post you will have to share your comments with me by email at: ken@cambridgestrategies.com
There is plenty of interest in yesterdays post so I thought I would try again with this entry to see if it would enable Comments that relate to “Rankled Reformers Resurrecting to Reject Harper.” It did not work. I have checked my site parameters in Blogger and Comments are enabled. I don't know what else one can do. Sorry!
I have been Blogging since late July 06 and have only deleted one Comment (so far) because it was libelous. I invited that Commenter to connect to me by e-mail and if they removed the offensive language I would hope he would resubmit. He did connect with me and we talked on the phone and he resubmitted a more appropriate comment as I recall.
I note that CfSR does not allow anonymous Comments. I find them offensive and often cowardly and say so very often. I wonder how others feel about anonymous comments. I am considering following the lead of CfSR and perhaps asking a Commenter who want to remain anonymous at least give a good reason for doing so.
Any thoughts? I guess without Comments on this post you will have to share your comments with me by email at: ken@cambridgestrategies.com
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Rankled Reformers Resurrecting to Reject Harper
UPDATE: May 21 - more MSM is now picking up on the story.
Just as been predicting, the Harper’s “Gnu Government” political pandering to Quebec and personal power agenda is pissing off the base and he is about to start paying the consequences. There are moves afoot to revitalize the Reform Party and it is coming out of Kingston Ontario. There are not many happy campers in Reform country in Alberta either from what I see and hear.
My guess Prime Minister Harper’s summer of discontent will spread by wafting on the July winds like the Mountain Pine Beetle. You know it is big and it is moving and it spells disaster, but you can’t be sure where it will land next. When it does land - look out – it will attach itself to all the grumpy old Reformers in the area, just like the Mountain Pine Beetle takes over all the old growth forest.
Harper has found he can engineer a bump in the polls enough to just flirt with risking an election but it only lasts for a week or so. He can’t sustain a 40% approval level and he will not risk an election if he can’t win a majority. Now he has seen his “Canada’s New Government” poll results showing declining popularity and his trust levels retracted to the point where the Cons are even a bit below the ill-defined and detested Liberals some days.
The citizenry is ornery and volatile and not in a mood to be trifled with these days. With the rise of the Reformers again the future looks even more dire for the Keystone Kons. The Greens are on the rise, the Bloc is bumbling and the ND’s need a progressive government that they can make deals with to feel they have a purpose or else they end up infighting amongst themselves. The Liberals are under funded and unfocused but those things can be fixed…at least they are no longer demoralized.
It looks like Harper is about to board up the House of Commons for the summer and hit the BBQ circuit with his wardrobe and makeup department in tow. I'm betting we will definitely not see him with a cowboy hat on backwards and the vest that was five sizes too small at this years Calgary Stampede.
If the Reform Party resurrects itself with a vengeance in Calgary by this July, we may not see Steve Harper at the Stampede at all this summer. He may end up spending more time commiserating with Dubya on the ranch in Crawford Texas instead. He may believe it would be a might friendlier down in Texas instead of the BBQ circuit in Alberta by then.
Just as been predicting, the Harper’s “Gnu Government” political pandering to Quebec and personal power agenda is pissing off the base and he is about to start paying the consequences. There are moves afoot to revitalize the Reform Party and it is coming out of Kingston Ontario. There are not many happy campers in Reform country in Alberta either from what I see and hear.
My guess Prime Minister Harper’s summer of discontent will spread by wafting on the July winds like the Mountain Pine Beetle. You know it is big and it is moving and it spells disaster, but you can’t be sure where it will land next. When it does land - look out – it will attach itself to all the grumpy old Reformers in the area, just like the Mountain Pine Beetle takes over all the old growth forest.
Harper has found he can engineer a bump in the polls enough to just flirt with risking an election but it only lasts for a week or so. He can’t sustain a 40% approval level and he will not risk an election if he can’t win a majority. Now he has seen his “Canada’s New Government” poll results showing declining popularity and his trust levels retracted to the point where the Cons are even a bit below the ill-defined and detested Liberals some days.
The citizenry is ornery and volatile and not in a mood to be trifled with these days. With the rise of the Reformers again the future looks even more dire for the Keystone Kons. The Greens are on the rise, the Bloc is bumbling and the ND’s need a progressive government that they can make deals with to feel they have a purpose or else they end up infighting amongst themselves. The Liberals are under funded and unfocused but those things can be fixed…at least they are no longer demoralized.
It looks like Harper is about to board up the House of Commons for the summer and hit the BBQ circuit with his wardrobe and makeup department in tow. I'm betting we will definitely not see him with a cowboy hat on backwards and the vest that was five sizes too small at this years Calgary Stampede.
If the Reform Party resurrects itself with a vengeance in Calgary by this July, we may not see Steve Harper at the Stampede at all this summer. He may end up spending more time commiserating with Dubya on the ranch in Crawford Texas instead. He may believe it would be a might friendlier down in Texas instead of the BBQ circuit in Alberta by then.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Stelmach Government Moves One Step Closer on Tobacco Control
The Campaign for a Smoke Free Alberta supporting tobacco control legislation is moving along well. We are assisting the campaign made up of a coalition of 15 professional and health advocacy groups that are the driving force supporting this policy initiative. They are promoting the health and wellness aspects of tobacco control and the dangers of exposure to second hand smoke that currently impacts half a million Albertans.
Smoking bans in public and work places became an issue in the recent PC leadership campaign. It is now being addressed and moving through the government’s policy development and legislative process lead by the Minister of Health and Wellness Dave Hancock. Seven provinces have already passed smoke-free legislation and have banned the “power walls” displays of tobacco products. Six provinces have outlawed tobacco sales in pharmacies. Alberta is just now catching up on these tobacco control public health and workplace safety issues.
A recent poll showed public support for the Hancock initiative at an all time high of 80% for public and workplace bans, 78% for banning pharmacy sales and 67% against tobacco power wall displays. These citizen support figures are essentially the same for urban and rural Albertans.
The Premier has reconfirmed tobacco control legislation must have the support of the PC Caucus and he will abide by that decision. With the change in leadership we are now seeing some change in the political climate around tobacco control in Alberta too – but it is far from a slam dunk. The first indication of this positive change in attitude was the recent Provincial Budget increasing tobacco taxes in the face of past edicts that “…the only way taxes are going in Alberta are down!”
The proposal has passed the first two stages of Agenda and Priorities Committee and the Cabinet Policy Committee. Now it has to go to the Cabinet and Caucus for a decision. The Campaign for a Smoke Free Alberta (http://www.smokefreealberta.com/) has mobilized a very impressive effort to have citizens to contact local MLAs to encourage support.
Now the MSM are getting into the issue big time, with front page stories. The political newsletter Alberta Scan (780-421-9077 for more information) is carrying a very informative piece on the politics of this initiative now too. We have done three related interviews, representing a range of interests and perspectives, on our affiliate website Policy Channel (http://www.policychannel.com/) as well. One interview is with the CEO of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, another is with the President of the Alberta Federation of Labour and there is an interview with the past-President of the Canadian Medical Association…all of them supporting the tobacco control proposals.
The Yukon is the most recent jurisdiction to catch up on this public health issue and recently passed a private member's bill imposing a territory-wide smoking ban in public places. The Feds have signalled the same kind of ban in federal buildings across the country. Albertans clearly believe this is an idea whose time has come but it is still a political decision so nothing can be taken for granted.
Now it is time for the Stelmach government to make sure Albertans have protections from second hand smoke and we discourage smoking as a public health and wellness issue, particularly amongst teenagers, 8000 of whom took up the habit in 2005 alone.
Smoking bans in public and work places became an issue in the recent PC leadership campaign. It is now being addressed and moving through the government’s policy development and legislative process lead by the Minister of Health and Wellness Dave Hancock. Seven provinces have already passed smoke-free legislation and have banned the “power walls” displays of tobacco products. Six provinces have outlawed tobacco sales in pharmacies. Alberta is just now catching up on these tobacco control public health and workplace safety issues.
A recent poll showed public support for the Hancock initiative at an all time high of 80% for public and workplace bans, 78% for banning pharmacy sales and 67% against tobacco power wall displays. These citizen support figures are essentially the same for urban and rural Albertans.
The Premier has reconfirmed tobacco control legislation must have the support of the PC Caucus and he will abide by that decision. With the change in leadership we are now seeing some change in the political climate around tobacco control in Alberta too – but it is far from a slam dunk. The first indication of this positive change in attitude was the recent Provincial Budget increasing tobacco taxes in the face of past edicts that “…the only way taxes are going in Alberta are down!”
The proposal has passed the first two stages of Agenda and Priorities Committee and the Cabinet Policy Committee. Now it has to go to the Cabinet and Caucus for a decision. The Campaign for a Smoke Free Alberta (http://www.smokefreealberta.com/) has mobilized a very impressive effort to have citizens to contact local MLAs to encourage support.
Now the MSM are getting into the issue big time, with front page stories. The political newsletter Alberta Scan (780-421-9077 for more information) is carrying a very informative piece on the politics of this initiative now too. We have done three related interviews, representing a range of interests and perspectives, on our affiliate website Policy Channel (http://www.policychannel.com/) as well. One interview is with the CEO of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, another is with the President of the Alberta Federation of Labour and there is an interview with the past-President of the Canadian Medical Association…all of them supporting the tobacco control proposals.
The Yukon is the most recent jurisdiction to catch up on this public health issue and recently passed a private member's bill imposing a territory-wide smoking ban in public places. The Feds have signalled the same kind of ban in federal buildings across the country. Albertans clearly believe this is an idea whose time has come but it is still a political decision so nothing can be taken for granted.
Now it is time for the Stelmach government to make sure Albertans have protections from second hand smoke and we discourage smoking as a public health and wellness issue, particularly amongst teenagers, 8000 of whom took up the habit in 2005 alone.
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