Big Business to Push Harper for a National Energy Plan

Looking forward to reading the report from the Canadian Council of Chief Executives tomorrow on a call for a national energy policy.  It is proof again that the Harper dithering and dallying on setting CO2 and other climate change standards allegedly waiting for the US to set their standards first is a political policy that is  bad for business.  Harper can't be very happy with this development.  he may have to make a real decision on climate change...something he does not believe in.,

Here is the key point from the Council “The private sector is ready and willing to do its part, but our industries need a road map that provides clarity and predictability so that they are able to contribute innovative and lasting solutions,”

The irony of Harper being asked to set a National Energy Policy (NEP) by business is too sweet for those of us who know how badly Harper has misrepresented the former National Energy Policy in Alberta for decades.  The fact is NEP was never applied but boy does it get trotted out in ways to misinform Albertan and to vilify the federal Liberals whenever Harper and his henchmen get a chance.  What killed energy prices was not the NEP.  President Reagan beat it to the punch by releasing the US strategic energy reserves and that kicked the crap out of oil prices.

Harper has lost his nerve. Almost every day we see him he is forfeiting his political principles for personal power expediency (something he promised never to do).  He is losing the confidence of his best and brightest MPs (maybe 5 in all) and Cabinet members. (only one left now that Prentice quit Harper)  The man is morally shallow and philosophically narrow on any question of policy substance that might better serve the needs of the country.  Serving the greater good is not why Harper is in politics.  He is in politics, for one purpose, to crush the opposition by any means he can to confirm and continue his personal power over anything or anyone who stands in his way. That may be the Liberals or those in his own party and government how have real integrity and a hope to serve their constituents first - not just Harper..  He just likes to play hardball hateful politics in the intimidating and bullying Cheney - Rumsfeld methodology of the Bush White House.

It will be interesting how Harper will forfeit the trust and respect of big business.  This will happen over his inevitable reluctance to be clear and capable to respond to their demands for climate change certainty in Canada, and not use the US as an excuse for foot-dragging, denial and more master-minding  more misleading messaging based on Harper's faith, but not supported by and scientific evidence.

Harper is melting politically - not as quickly as the Nazis in Raider of the Lost Arc - but he is melting just like them nevertheless.  Get ready for a spring election likely based on a bunch of assumptions that will basically be lies in the Harper budget. We need a new leader for Canada...one we can trust and respect with personal integrity and honestly we can rely on.

Prentice Quits Harper!

Jim Prentice just announced he is quitting the Harper Cabinet effective immediately and his role as MP by year end.

I know Jim Prentice is one of the most talented, capable and progressive members of the Harper front bench.  I have know Jim for years from when he was a young lawyer.  We were on opposite sides of the Oldman River Dam project) We also were members of the now defunct federal Progressive Conservative Party (defunct thx to the lack of personal integrity, honesty and accountability of Peter McKay).  I supported Jim's bid as leader of the federal PC Party at one time.

I am not surprised that he is quitting the Harper government but I'm betting Harper is.  The autocratic leadership style of Prime Minister Harper inside his party, the CPC caucus and his Cabinet as well as the federal public service is not the kind of servant-leader politician Jim Prentice would want to serve for very long.

Politics is in Jim's blood but my betting is he got tired of having to bite his tongue all the time as a Harper Cabinet Minister.  It must be difficult for a man of integrity like Prentice to deal with the hypocrisy that is so central to Stephen Harper's totalitarian approach to governance.  Add the mean-spirited approach to politics and the lack of respect and intimidation management of the PM and the PMO with the bureaucracy - enough is enough.  Prentice's time to do the right thing for himself had come.  Ironically his departure could cause enough of  stir up the sheeple in the Harper Cabinet and Caucus.  That would be good for Canada.

So thank you Jim Prentice and family too for the years of dedicated public service.  Thank you too for your timing and the swiftness of your departure.  I know you will officially reject any such allegations and observations regarding the circumstances of your departure, especially of the kind I reference here.  But the reality is the public is not stupid. We can read the writing on the wall. We know what is going on and politically correct pro forma denials of the well-founded  perceptions will not render them wrong in the public mind.

I hope this is the beginning of the end of the fear and intimidation Harper lords over all in his reach and realm.  Canada needs a new leader and a new government. We need servant-leaders who know and respect the proper role of government, namely to protect and empower citizens.  We need them to know their place too, namely to have the best interests of the country as paramount.  It is time to end the tyranny of the  authoritarian belligerent bully we  now have as our national "leader."  

It is close to election time Canada. Dust off your citizenship and inform yourself on the issues.  Then run for public office or encourage quality candidates that align with your values and your vision for our country. It is time for a change.




  

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

What is Reboot3.0 All About? Changing the Alberta Political Landscape!

RebootAlberta 3.0 Happens This Weekend!
I love horoscopes. Not because I believe them.  They are just fun.  When they reinforce my preconceived notions of reality they are even more fun.  Such is the case in my Globe and Mail horoscope today.   It tells me, as a Taurus, to "Set your sights high today and keep them high right through tomorrow and the weekend.  Some may say your goals are too tough but once you get started your Taurus drive and determination will see your through to success."  Very timely advice given that this weekend is the Reboot3.0 gathering of progressives in Edmonton.

I am strangely energized by this horoscope as I prepare for my presentation and fine tune the process design for RebootAlberta 3.0 this Friday night and all day Saturday.  BTW  you can still register at www.rebootalberta.org/rsvp if you want to meet like-minded progressive thinking Albertans engaged and empowered to make a positive difference about the future of our province.


What is RebootAlberta About?
The goal of RebootAlberta, since it started one short year ago, is to provide a place and space for progressives to gather to share and see how they can shift the Alberta political culture and policy trajectory from the current turn in Alberta's political direction to the ultra right or merely the far right.  I think it is time to set some higher sights about changing the political culture of Alberta to a more inclusive, moderate, progressive balance.  We need to be sure the progressive voice it included and pushes toward a provincial political governing philosophy that weights and integrates implications from all aspects from economic, ecological, social, political and and cultural.  RebootAlberta is focused on getting progressive thinking citizens empowered to fulfil those goals.

Measuring Genuine Progress Differently!
Part of the new integrated approach to policy making is enabled by using more comprehensive measures of progress and wealth - beyond GDP.  Genuine Progress Indicators are the way forward.  Marlo Raynolds will be  reviving and reviewing some work the Pembina Institute did to analyse genuine progress indicators towards a more sustainable Alberta. Here is a link to the original GPI analysis for Alberta.  It would be important to update that analysis in the current economic, environmental, social and political climate in Alberta.

Reboot3.0 agenda items this weekend will enable and encourage Influential Progressives in Alberta to come to life and set some higher sights around setting the future direction and destination of Alberta.  Saturday morning will focus on Alberta citizens and their oil sands ownership rights, roles and responsibilities.  This is a great topic that captures so much of the need to change the politics and governing philosophy in our Alberta.

The Future of Progressive Politics in Alberta
Saturday afternoon will feature presentation from various political parties and groups talking about what they see as the State of the Notion of a Progressive Alberta.  David Swann the Leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and the Official Opposition is attending  Reboot 3.0 and will be one of the featured speakers on the State of the Notion.  We have other speakers from other parties too but unfortunately not the New Democratic Party.  They have their convention in Red Deer at the same time.and while the NDP Executive Committee was keen to participate at Reboot 3.0 we just could not work out the logistics.  We have agreed to keep in touch and push towards a more progressive Alberta.

Does Alberta Need a Progressive Citizens Movement?
The other Reboot3.0 "set your sights high" opportunity will be about the future direction and mandate for Reboot Alberta itself.  In a recent workshop in Edmonton Dr. George Lakoff  emphasized that one of the vital elements required to influence public policy is a progressive citizen's movement.  This citizen based political movement idea  is not the same as a political party which pursues power through elections.  A citizens movement, like Reboot Alberta, is a cultural phenomenon and would work to activate progressive values through collaborations and coalitions of various groups and social justice agencies.  It would be focused on promoting and strengthening democracy from a progressive point of view.

The politics of the Province of Alberta is shifting.  The ground is moving under the feet of the conventional political operatives and power-brokers.  Citizens are distrusting and disillusioned with politics and government. They are increasingly frustrated, angry and scared.  That breeds fear, uncertainty and doubt and that means climate change in democratic politics.  We have seen the volatility of the voter all over the place, in Alberta from local  municipal and school board elections, to the City of Toronto, B.C, over HST that unseated Premier Campbell. Then we have the USA shift to the extreme right going from being overwhelmingly for Obama to overwhelmingly against Obama in just 2 years.

This is no time for thoughtful progressive Albertans to sit on the political sidelines.  For those who are not yet ready to join a political party, perhaps Reboot Alberta is a place where they can engage to make a difference.   That is one of the key questions going into and coming out of Reboot3.0 this weekend.  I will post my thoughts on the outcomes of RebootAlberta early next week.  Stay tuned.  Better yet, get involved with Reboot Alberta and start by coming to Reboot3.0.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org/rsvp

Why is Province Sitting on PDD Report?

Accountability and Transparency Alert:  The Alberta Liberals in a News Release yesterday have drawn attention to the fact that the Stelmach government is sitting on the KPMG administrative review study on services to Persons with Developmental Disabilities.  


This study was ordered by Seniors and Community Supports department and apparently the Minister has had the report since September 15, 2010 but it is not released publically.  Full disclosure, I worked as an advisor and registered as a lobbyist for the ACDS on the funding and policy development in this area.  My work was completed I am no longer retained on the file but personally concerned about the provincial government approach in the entire area.

The Alberta government is very aware that business dislikes uncertainty but does not seem to appreciate the same impact of uncertainty on the not-for profit community based organizations that are all over Alberta serving vulnerable and disabled Albertans and fulfilling the legal obligations of the government to provide for these citizens.

I call this delay in disclosure of the report results Accountability and Transparency Alert because Albertans should be very concerned as to why the report is being sat on and the department is silent on the findings and recommendations.  I can speculate based on my knowledge of the background and facts I know about the lack of political will to do the right thing in this area.  These are two of the most important value Albertans expect of their government and evaluate their government.  The other key evaluation values used by citizens are honesty and integrity.  Delay of the report release, disclosure and response for pure political reasons discredits the provincial government in the eyes of the voters on all counts.

I will look at the politics of the matter at this time because that is what is likely behind the delay in release.  The provincial government political attitude about the PD Dares seems to be they are suspicious about getting value for money from the system.   At the community level they are.  Staff are overworked, underpaid, spread thin and in highly stressed especially with clients with multiple disabilities.  The province fudges the numbers in reporting costs and in comparisons but I will leave that analysis for after we see what KPMG says.

I harbour suspicions about the mandate given to KPMG in doing this report.  Don’t get me wrong they do quality work but if the scope of the work is limited or who they talk to is dictated, the integrity of the results and the usefulness of the report have to be questioned.  I hear that KPMG were told which service provider agencies they should talk to in gathering information.  If that is the case the process seems to be more political than policy based and the honesty and integrity of the process and findings have to be viewed with suspicion.

There are many wonderful people working in difficult and uncertain circumstances trying to do the right thing for developmentally disabled Albertans and their families.  The province seems to be on a path to discredit the local community agencies in their efforts.  If this is the motivation behind the review and the political pressure of the province I can only surmise that the real reason behind this intimidation of these not-for-profit volunteer and community based service providers is political.  I wonder if the real motivation  of the province to try and replace the community supported not-for profit service providers with private sector marketplace driven businesses to drive down costs, reduce services and  “save” money. 

There are a few very good for profit service providers in the PDD area now.  They are integrated and collaborate with the community based agencies.  In the past there were allegations and fraud charges laid against some private sector service providers but the province lost those court cases partly because, as I understand, the contractual arrangements with the private sector providers were less than clear so abuses were unpunished. 

So let’s not make those mistakes again.  Let’s not continue to make the current foolhardy political mistakes by sitting on the report.  Let’s keep an open mind on what the report says but let’s not be patient and compliant with any further delay in its release.  Let’s insist on a full disclosure and a public response from the provincial government on the process, findings and recommendations.  Integrity, honest, accountability, transparency and a fiscally responsible government would release and respond right away.  

America in an Ugly Midterm Election Mood

Rasmussen Reports polling results show just how confused, volatile and divided the American voter is these days.  The impact of the anger, angst and fear felt by many Americans will affect the Midterm elections.  Just how this will play out in the Midterms shall be known later today.

Tracking 10 key issues in a poll shows the divisions amongst Americans. The Republicans are more trusted than Democrats in 8 of them, including the top two issues of most concern, the Economy (Republicans 49% Democrats 39%) and Health Care (Republicans 47% Democrats 40%).  The Democrats are more trusted on Education and Government Ethics…go figure given Bush’s record on both.   

To see how volatile the American public is the same 10 tracking issues saw voters trusting the Republicans on all of them last August but two years ago when Obama was elected the Democrats were leading in public trust on all 10 issues.

In another more recent Rasmussen Reports poll shows how they are confused 49% of American blame the Bush administration for the economic problems that lead to the recession while 44% blame Obama.  Furthermore 59% of US voters trust their own judgment more than Obama’s on the major economic issues facing the nation…and it has been that way since June.

It is pretty ugly in American politics these days not to mention economically, environmentally and increasingly – socially.  The rise of the Tea Party has been given enormous media coverage because it fits the conflict as normative in their measure of what is “news.”  The anger and fear is being fed by Fox News fanatics and none of the right-sided pundits and political sources are offering solutions - just loud, angry and misleading opposition.  None of that will solve the problems - only make them worse. 

The Edmonton Sun Editorial today likens these Tea Party days to the early times of the Preston Manning Reform Party that started as a grumpy voter movement.  John Doyle of the Globe and Mail says this Tea Party mentality has not yet come to Canada but it will.  I don't know if either narrative about a radical right wing-nut political reality of Tea Party vitriol is good for America or Canada going forward.  Stay tuned...especially to the election results tonight.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org/rsvp
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Lots of Action for a Progressive Alberta Political Agenda in November

There are a very interesting series of events all of a sudden that go to the issues of democracy and citizen participation and open government. 

George Lakoff came to town.  “One of the most influential political thinkers of the progressive movement” according to Howard Dean gave a lecture at Grant MacEwan University Thursday night put on by the Alberta Federation of Labour.  Lakoff wrote the best-selling book “Don’t Think of an Elephant” and told me it has sold over 350,000 copies and is in translation into dozens of languages.  He was so fascinating Thursday night I talked my way into the all day Friday workshop and found.  Thanks to the AFL and President Gil McGowan for the flexibility and hospitality to include me. He gave me a plethora of blog post ideas on and around the Reboot Alberta progressive citizens movement I am passionate about.

Reboot Alberta 3.0 on Taking Progressive Action happens November 5-6 at the Edmonton Delta South.  There will be discussions on what actions progressive Albertans want to see happen to assure a responsible and sustainable development of our oil sands.  We will be looking at the state of progressive politics in the province, some new random research findings on the thinking around progressive political values and number of progressives in the province.  We will look at new measures of well-being and progress from some work done for the Pembina Institute and look at the future direction of Reboot Alberta.  You can see the full agenda and register at www.rebootalberta.org/rsvp

Peter Senge and Marg Wheatley in Calgary  November 11 and 12 “Building a Sustainable Future Conference” at the University of Calgary.  This leadership conference will be about exploring new ways of thinking.  It will look at how individuals and organizations can work together to create a sustainable world.  It will look at collaborative revolutionary change not incremental change in isolation.  It will look at new processes to restore authentic dialogue, good thinking and wise action with perseverance for the long term point of view. 

John Gaventa is next.  The Alberta Climate Dialogue out of the University of Alberta is holding a public lecture on November 15^th from 4:15 – 5:45 pm at the Engineering Teaching and Learning Centre Room E1-007 on the University of Alberta Campus.  Dr. Gaventa will talk about “Deepening Democracy through Citizen Participation” based on ten-years of collaborative work on the subject citizen action, building democracy, strengthening development and realizing human rights.  He works through the Development Research Center on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability (www.drc-citizenship.org) a network of over 60 researchers and activitists involved in these issues in over 20 countries.

Ken Chapman (yup that’s me!) speaks at the Max Bell Auditorium at Banff Centre November 16 at 7:30 pm on Citizenship, Stewardship and Leadership.   There is a clear and present danger to democracy when citizen disillusionment and distain for the political culture of their times means that they fail, refuse or neglect to take the duties of informed engaged citizenship seriously.  The oil sands are owned by Albertans.  That make us responsible to assure they are developed in responsible, sustainable and integrated ways that deal with economic, environmental, social and political aspects of this resource.  Political leadership starts in the mirror and the world is run by those who show up.  Disengagement from political participation and citizenship is not an option any more.  In a democracy, you always get the government you deserve, especially if you don’t vote.

Alberta School Boards Association meeting in Edmonton November 23, I present two workshops to School Trustees from all over Alberta.  These will be around the power and processes of social media in meeting the principles and values of community engagement from the Inspiring Action on Education report.

Alberta Urban Municipalities Association meets in Edmonton at the Shaw Convention Centre on November 24 and I share a panel on Open Data for local government with Jas Darrah and Mack Male.  The internet has changed the rules and relationships of government to citizens.  The Open Data movement is a good example of how government is responding, especially local governments.  I will be looking at it from a philosophical; values based approach and the emerging participatory Democracy 2.0 perspective.

All in all it is a pretty full and exciting month…and it has only just begun.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Threats to Democracy in America: Lessons for Canada?

I don't usually put in "guest blogs" but this article from Robert Reich former Sec of Labour in Clinton administration, and great writer, has information I thought needed to be shared.  The Americans are our largest customers and what happens there impacts Canada.  So here is his blog post I think has serious implication for us domestically and in terms of US-Canada relations.

H/T to Bill Totten for the link 

at http://billtotten.blogspot.com/

by Robert Reich

robertreich.org (October 18 2010)

It's a perfect storm. And I'm not talking about the impending dangers facing Democrats. I'm talking about the dangers facing our democracy.

First, income in America is now more concentrated in fewer hands than it's been in eighty years. Almost a quarter of total income generated in the United States is going to the top one percent of Americans.

The top one-tenth of one percent of Americans now earn as much as the bottom 120 million of us.

Who are these people? With the exception of a few entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, they're top executives of big corporations and Wall Street, hedge-fund managers, and private equity managers. They include the Koch brothers, whose wealth increased by billions last year, and who are now funding tea party candidates across the nation.

Which gets us to the second part of the perfect storm. A relatively few Americans are buying our democracy as never before. And they're doing it completely in secret.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring into advertisements for and against candidates -without a trace of where the dollars are coming from. They're laundered through a handful of groups. Fred Malek, whom you may remember as deputy director of Richard Nixon's notorious Committee to Reelect the President (dubbed Creep in the Watergate scandal), is running one of them. Republican operative Karl Rove runs another. The US Chamber of Commerce, a third.

The Supreme Court's Citizens United versus the Federal Election Commission made it possible. The Federal Election Commission says only

32 percent of groups paying for election ads are disclosing the names of their donors. By comparison, in the 2006 midterm, 97 percent disclosed; in 2008, almost half disclosed.

We're back to the late 19th century when the lackeys of robber barons literally deposited sacks of cash on the desks of friendly legislators.

The public never knew who was bribing whom.

Just before it recessed the House passed a bill that would require that the names of all such donors be publicly disclosed. But it couldn't get through the Senate. Every Republican voted against it. (To see how far the GOP has come, nearly ten years ago campaign disclosure was supported by 48 of 54 Republican senators.)

Here's the third part of the perfect storm. Most Americans are in trouble. Their jobs, incomes, savings, and even homes are on the line.

They need a government that's working for them, not for the privileged and the powerful.

Yet their state and local taxes are rising. And their services are being cut. Teachers and firefighters are being laid off. The roads and bridges they count on are crumbling, pipelines are leaking, schools are dilapidated, and public libraries are being shut.

There's no jobs bill to speak of. No WPA to hire those who can't find jobs in the private sector. Unemployment insurance doesn't reach half of the unemployed.

Washington says nothing can be done. There's no money left.

No money? The marginal income tax rate on the very rich is the lowest it's been in more than eighty years. Under President Dwight Eisenhower (who no one would have accused of being a radical) it was 91 percent.

Now it's 36 percent. Congress is even fighting over whether to end the temporary Bush tax cut for the rich and return them to the Clinton top tax of 39 percent.

Much of the income of the highest earners is treated as capital gains, anyway - subject to a fifteen percent tax. The typical hedge-fund and private-equity manager paid only seventeen percent last year. Their earnings were not exactly modest. The top fifteen hedge-fund managers earned an average of $1 billion.

Congress won't even return to the estate tax in place during the Clinton administration - which applied only to those in the top two percent of incomes.

It won't limit the tax deductions of the very rich, which include interest payments on multi-million dollar mortgages. (Yet Wall Street refuses to allow homeowners who can't meet mortgage payments to include their primary residence in personal bankruptcy.)

There's plenty of money to help stranded Americans, just not the political will to raise it. And at the rate secret money is flooding our political system, even less political will in the future.

The perfect storm: An unprecedented concentration of income and wealth at the top; a record amount of secret money flooding our democracy; and a public becoming increasingly angry and cynical about a government that's raising its taxes, reducing its services, and unable to get it back to work.

We're losing our democracy to a different system. It's called plutocracy.

http://robertreich.org/post/1344561814

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Dogmatism Explained! Thank You Facebook

I really LOVE social media.  I get to meet so many interesting people - virtually and IRL. I run across them by happenstance, introductions or even recommendations from Twitter and Facebook.  Dr. Judy J. Johnson is just such a discovery coming to me as a recommendation while confirming a new Friend request via Facebook.

We have a number of mutual Friends and I visited her page and clicked on the link she provided.  That lead me to a piece on her new book: What's So Wrong With Being Absolutely Right: The Dangerous Nature of Dogmatic Belief 


Go to the link and read the Q&A section but think about the kind of right-wing reactionary commentary we see from the Harper government, the Fox News commentators and the Tea Party movement.  It will clarify and chill but it will also help you understand just what is going on at a deeper level in the minds of these dogmatic political sources and operatives.


I will be making an effort next time I am in Calgary to meet her, encourage her to be part of the Reboot Alberta progressive citizens movement and invite her to Reboot3.0. 


The democratic deficit, like in Canada and Alberta, will not be fixed by inertia or ennui.  It will only be fixed by a re-energized progressive voice from activists citizens speaking up, showing up and demanding a change in political culture.  Progressives want a governing philosophy that aligns with the moderate and inclusive values of diversity, fairness, equity accountability, honesty, transparency and most of all - integrity.  


We have veered so very far off that course in our federal government especially.  We are in danger of doing the same kind of damage to our society in Alberta without a significant course correction away from the reactionary and retrograde retreat from the culture wars we see happening on the right side of the political spectrum between the aggressive Wildrose Alliance and the tired and timid Progressive Conservatives.    


If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Owning a Canadian | Words You Dont Know

Owning a Canadian | Words You Dont Know

I enjoyed this website because I love words and exposing ignorance. It's Friday night. Not a segment in such a day to take entirely seriously. We have the rest of the week for that.

Have a good weekend everyone.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Hancock Shows the Path Forward for Public Education in Alberta

I highly recommend that every Albertan read this blog post by Dave Hancock, Alberta's Minister of Public Education.  It presents a great compilation of what he and his department is doing to rethink, revise and retool our public education system in anticipation of the needs of the next Alberta. This is all being done under the banner of Inspiring Education.

Dave puts a challenge to all the new and returning School Board Trustees to pick up their game and assume their responsibility to ensure Alberta continues to have one of the leading public education systems on the planet.  Ensuring a quality, relevant and effective Public Education is a place were every citizen can and should become engaged - even if you don't has kids in school.   A quality public education system is one of the best legacies one generation can leave for the next.  We sure could use some serious examples of positive legacies that we are leaving for the next generation in Alberta these days.

We have such an amazing public education system now.  It has its flaws and failures like any human endeavour but that is a challenge not a detraction. The Inspiring Education process has given Albertans some insight and a  serious sense of how we can make it even better.

Public education is (and ought to be) a source of pride for all Albertans.  Hancock knows and believes this.  His blog post shows that pride and that sense of challenge.  Definitely worth a read and reflection.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org/rsvp

Progressive Reflections on the Alberta Elections

The local elections in Alberta last night were significant, maybe even momentous.   The single-minded media focus on the culture wars between the right wing parties for political power shifted last night.  This happened in many municipal mayoralty contests around Alberta but nowhere more dramatically than Edmonton and Calgary.  As someone who has been focused on getting the progressive voice of Alberta back into the political culture, I have to say last night was gratifying and encouraging.

Elections all over urban Alberta last night sent a strong message to the other orders of government that this province has a new progressive narrative that is forward thinking, intelligent, vibrant and very very energized.  The significant increase voter turnout in the big cities shows that people want change and it is not good enough to merely offer a choice between very right-wing Progressive Conservative Party agenda and extremely right wing Wildrose Alliance Party agenda. 

There was the emergence of a progressive political agenda in evidence in these municipal elections.  It came to life in many parts of urban Alberta last night.  I know that progressive political agenda came to life in the Mayoralty contests in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Hinton and County of Strathcona. 

The Mayor and entire town council of Rimbey were sent packing.  It was discovered through FOIP that they were using taxpayer funds to go to conservative related fundraising dinners and incurring other inappropriate expenses.  They were all replaced by some progressive thinking Albertans who want values in their local government and value for their tax dollars. I am sure there are other examples but I have not had time to research them yet.

The contests had different contexts but the consequences are the same.  The old hierarchical, command and control, top down, power broker model of politics in Alberta is no longer acceptable in much of urban Alberta.  I’m betting that rejection of the outmoded model of politics will translate into Alberta provincial politics both urban and rural.  It is sure not a preferred governing model for the not-for-profit, NGO and the rest of the voluntary sector in the province.

Nowhere was this more evident that in the Edmonton and Calgary mayoralty campaigns.  Progressive candidates for Mayor trounced the status quo and conventionally hide-bound conservative candidates in both cities.  Progressives found new ways to enhance the typical election campaigning by networking and creating communities of ideas and issues through social media.  

Progressives found a new, young, articulate, cosmopolitan candidate in Calgary and stuck with a revered forward thinking imaginative candidate in Edmonton.  The revitalized progressive citizen realized these two men they could believe in and trust.  These two candidates came to their campaigns with forward thinking, creative ideas for a modern vibrant and sustainable city.  They outline their ideas in platforms that resonated with the aspirations that progressives want for their cities.  They were pushing towards designing and delivering a better tomorrow while the opposition candidates wanted to hit the pause button to stop progress, or in some cases, go to rewind and take us back 50 years in our thinking.  Nenshi and Mandel both showed grace and dignity in the face of some very nasty but unfounded personal smears and slanders in some vicious but anonymous campaign attacks.

Calgary progressives showed up in droves (50%+ turnout) to send a message to the presumptive (and past?) power brokers that they really don’t own or run that town any more.  Nenshi’s enormous and dramatic win as an outside progressive underdog undid and devoured the Harper Cons election machine that ran the McIver campaign.  Then it defeated and devastated the old Klein cum Dinning election machine that recruited and promoted Higgins.  Those “front-runner” campaigns never saw this comeuppance coming.  Watching the coverage I could tell both conservative based campaigns were obviously shocked on election night by the severity, size and soundness of their rejection by the revival of progressive Calgary voters.

In Edmonton the full court press by Envision Edmonton was intended to undermine Mayor Mandel.  It didn’t just fizzle – it imploded and then burst into flames.  The Envision Edmonton effort in citizen participation unraveled in scandal.  The admitted fraudulent dirty-trick political activities by a key Envision Edmonton volunteer sealed the demise.  The man who managed the Envision Edmonton petition drive fraudulently posed as a Seattle newspaper reporter and deceitfully created a controversy that destroyed the credibility and respect for an otherwise laudable effort at citizen engagement.

He falsely accused Mayor Mandel of personal and political corruption in the potential redevelopment of the municipal airport lands.  Instead of undermining Mandel he energized progressives to actively support the Mandel campaign.  When they showed up on Election Day they made a big difference in the size of the Mandel win and the size of the wreckage that was wrought on the Dorward campaign.  Sadly, I think the deceit and dishonesty of the Envision Edmonton impostor was a cause for voter concern about the integrity, ethics, honesty, accountability and transparency of the entire Envision Edmonton airport effort.  Envision Edmonton made matters worse by refusing to distance and denounce this perpetrator for his dirty tricks and fraudulent actions.  He also unfairly implicated the Dorward campaign under similar suspicions because Dorward was the Envision Edmonton endorsed candidate for Mayor. 

Dorward said, in a post-election CBC radio interview, that he does not think that the Envision Edmonton meltdown or the fraudulent blogger hurt his campaign.   Perhaps he is right.  We will never know for sure but I think it did.  Consider for a moment that Envision Edmonton pushed the fact that the 90,000+ signatures on their petition needed to be heeded by Edmonton City Council.  Well, only 58,000 voted for Mr. Dorward.  Where did the rest go or did they really care about the airport issue in the first place?  Did Dorward pick up many new votes as a result of the scandalous anonymous and inaccurate attacks on Mandel?  Many people sign a petition with no intention of being really engaged on the issue.  Do these low voter numbers for Dorward compared to the number of petition signatures show that, or was it a more serious rejection of his campaign?  Don’t know but it does matter, especially if you want a working democracy based on integrity, honesty, trust, transparency and accountability.

So what does this all mean for changes I see coming towards a more progressive political culture in Alberta?  Some things are clearer than others.  For sure dirty trick and fraudulent politics will not be tolerated.  It will cause a significant portion of voters, and progressive citizens in particular, to take offence and rise up to oppose such tactics.  There is a need for a more refined level of media literacy especially in the new and digital media world.  There is a growing group of Albertans who know that it is just not enough to denounce these activities…you have to show up, expose them and defeat those who engage and acquiesce in the perpetration of such incorrigible activities.  Progressives did that in Edmonton and Calgary, on-line and at the ballot box.  

There is also a new value set that is emerging in Alberta.  Many progressives will want a hand in writing that new narrative and want to help design and deliver the next Alberta That new narrative is not going to be about continuing a simple-minded conservative ideology bent on perpetually lower taxes as a way to chase/attract foreign investment then coupled with royalty give-aways.  It is going to be about the current generation paying its way and leaving asocial, environmental and economic legacy to the future we can be proud of.

The new narratives are in the hearts and minds of progressive thinking citizens who see themselves coming back to democracy and electing servant leaders not political power brokers.  They see the economy working for the society not the other way around.  They see the economy and society embedded in the environment and that we must work in harmony with the ecosystems of the plant instead of just trying to engineer our way around Mother Nature.

The winning progressive candidates for Mayor in Edmonton, Calgary and other cities campaigned to create communities that are vibrant, diverse, dynamic, inclusive, conscious, meaningful and imaginative. They wanted to ensure public policies and local politics integrate economic, environmental and social concerns based on shared political and other cultural values. These progressive candidates see a positive role for government that creates a shared means to protect property, provide effective institutions and quality infrastructure to support and sustain citizens and their families.  They seek to make municipalities that are responsible, safe, caring and compassionate societies where individuals can realize their personal potential and in turn contribute in ways that advance their lot in life and also add value to the greater good. 

Progressives are not prepared to stand back and allow the contemptuous policy approach of many fiscal conservatives who see the marketplace as the only public policy option.  Too many fiscal conservatives are not trying to get value for taxpayer dollars in ways that advance our society.  They mostly want to cut taxes to levels that will starve vital public services like education and health care.  Without sufficient taxpayer provided resources these sectors simply can’t do their jobs.  By pushing a tax policy designed to under fund public services they ensure these public services will fail to perform.

The next step is for the libertarian or ultra-conservative dogma to kick in and demand that the private sector comes to the “rescue.”  Historically that has been a failed and expensive strategy because the taxpayer inevitably has to bail out the private operator. Remember the recent bankruptcy of the private surgical clinic in Calgary we spent millions to sustain as a case in point?  That is not an isolated case and we must not allow it to become the norm.

As part of the Reboot Alberta progressive citizen’s movement I have to marvel how fast and far this idea of a progressive Alberta political culture has come in one short year.  The proof is in the increased voter turnout and the progressive election results in Edmonton, Calgary and many other Alberta communities.  Progressives are coming to life again all over Alberta.  I am encouraged by this and know it is not too late for Albertans to take back the political agenda of the province - and it is about time.  The stage is set. The times are a-changin’ and the progressive Alberta voter has to come back to democracy and seems focused on taking back control of the political culture and agenda of our province.  I saw that return to citizenship start to happen on October 18 in local elections all over Alberta.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org/rsvp

Edmonton Journal Exit Poll

Here is a link to the Edmonton Journal Exit Poll.  This is an interesting exercise in political participation.  I wonder how closely the on line participants will reflect the final results.  Vote first and then come to the Exit Poll and tell us your story.

If you are not sure where to vote use this like to Elections Edmonton for the polling station in your neighbourhood.  They are open until 8 pm so you have time but be sure to take the time.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Edmonton Candidates for Mayor Encourage Young Voters

Thx Rick Lee of Sonic Radio 102.9 for this video on encouraging younger people getting out to vote. Thanks also to all the Edmonton Mayoralty Candidates for participating.  AND THANK YOU to all those citizens who have taken the time to get informed on the issues that concern them in this election and who will show up at the polls today to make a difference in the way they see the future of our city.

I have voted in Ward 6 and my choices were Mandel for Mayor, Batty for Councillor and Spencer for Public School Trustee.  Now go make your own choices.  YOU will be glad you did.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Edmonton Sun Endorses Mandel

OK - the political ground in Alberta is really shifting.  The Edmonton Sun has endorsed Stephen Mandel for Mayor.  Mandel is the most progressive, proven and capable candidate on the ballot this time.  He deserves another term for all the reasons the Sun points out and more.  Mandel is the clear, credible, competent and conscientious choice to lead Edmonton for the next three years.  For the Sun to recognize this is counter-intuitive given their past positions dramatically opposed to progressive values.

BTW the Calgary Sun has done the same thing.  They endorsed Nenshi, the other openly progressive candidate for mayor in Calgary.  The political culture of Alberta is not all right wing and reactionary - not any more.

There is a serious disappointment and clear effort at diminishing our democracy in this Edmonton municipal election. The Mandel opposition has come from the well funded Envision Edmonton group who are mostly a one issue group around the closing of the municipal airport. It has been loud and oft-time loutish with orchestrated heckling and booing of Mandel at forums.  I have no problem with activist and aggressive citizen engagement.  I have encouraged it in this blog for years. What we also need is informed and respectful citizen engagement where we can disagree without being disagreeable.  That has not always been the hallmarks of Envision Edmonton. This is not a condemnation of all the responsible, respectful and dedicated volunteers who have done an admirable job of motivating thousands of citizens to their cause.

The Envision Edmonton efforts have failed to gain momentum and has now in a much deserved decline.  They has lost the respect and forfeited the trust of Edmontonians looking for integrity, honesty, accountability and transparency in politics. The admittedly unfounded and dirty trick smear campaign against Mandel by Nathan Black, the Envision Edmonton petition manger was a dramatic indication that at least this leader of Envision Edmonton was prepared to resort to Nixonian levels of political dirty tricks. Passion is not a free pass to promote and participate in political corruption.

 The fact that Envision Edmonton has stood by Mr. Black shows that they don't understand nor ascribe to the political values of integrity, honesty, accountability and transparency that Edmontonians demand of our political culture.  They, like Mr. Black, are now suffering from self inflicted and fatal wounds.  This citizen's movement has fallen from grace and now should not be trusted by any reasonable voter in Edmonton.

I support the closure of the municipal airport.  I have seen no substantial evidence or proof of Envision Edmonton claims of city council acting undemocratically on the closure issues. They has produced a petition that is too little, too late and contrary to law but pursue the matter in the courts anyway.  I also categorically reject the tactics employed by Mr. Black and Envision Edmonton by association since they have stood by him in the face of his admitted breaches of integrity, honestly, accountability and transparency in politics.

I encourage the citizens of Edmonton to send a clear message that we are tired of old-style politics based on personal power or propaganda where self-interested ends justify any means.  Reject those candidates who are endorsed by Envision Edmonton on October 18.  Send a clear message that we do not want and will not tolerate a Tea Party approach to politics in Edmonton.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

ARTES Releases Edmonton Public School Candidates Report Card

ARTES is another progressive citizens movement in the spirit of Reboot Alberta but focused on the Edmonton Public School Board elections. They have published a "report card" on various candidates that may help you get some focus on what questions you need to ask yourself as you pick a candidate on October 18.

They have published their methodology to arrive at these ratings and comments on candidates too.   The criteria they used to assess candidates are interesting too:

• Ability (competence, experience, professionalism)
• Independence (courage, open to new ideas, does not rubber-stamp, questions assumptions)
• Accountability (honest, trustworthy, transparent, understands board governance)
• Responsiveness (communication, listens to and represents public, supports disadvantaged groups)
• Vision (leadership, co-operation, passion)

I like this list of qualities used to assess candidates.  It aligns well with the values we found in a Reboot Alberta survey of Albertan's values in politics and policy making, namely integrity, honesty, accountability, transparency, fiscal and personal responsibility.  Ver much aligned with the values criteria used by ARTES in their report card. 

 

With the Edmonton municipal elections getting most of the media attention it is easy to overlook the critically important concurrent election of school boards.  There is a significant increase in the number of candidates running for school boards all over the province and fewer acclaimed candidates.  This is good news for progressive politics and a healthy democracy in Alberta.  

Do not forget to mark you ballots for your local school board elections all over Alberta on Monday.  This is a critical voting opportunity too.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Alberta Gets to Vote on Monday - Will Progressives Show Up?

There are elections for municipal politicians and school board trustees all over Alberta on October 18.  These elected officials are the closest to the community but ironically result in the lowest voter turnout.

There are some indications that this is changing in Calgary and Edmonton at least.  I have not had the time to review other places to get a sense of voter turnout intentions.  I can only hope the sense of the import of the opportunity to participate in our democracy is hitting home with Albertans.

One of my passions is citizenship and citizen engagement.  This blog is often focused on those concerns.  I hope for more than citizens turning up to vote but actually knowing what the want from government and making an effort to see which of the candidates comes closest to their values and concerns.  That takes a bit of time but with the Internet this research is very easy to do.

I am not going to tell you how to vote but I do want to encourage you to vote.  I especially want to encourage the progressive thinking Albertans to vote.  The people with this value set have become very disillusioned with politics and have withdrawn from democracy as a result.  That is no way to change the system.

Elections are about choices, change and charting courses. So let me make some observations about the Mayoralty races in Edmonton and Calgary in that context.

EDMONTON:
Edmonton is a two-horse race between Mandel and Dorward.  Both fine candidates but with very different world and local views about issues and the direction for the city.

There is an undercurrent of this contest being a proxy race for the next provincial election in Edmonton.  I think there is some truth to that.  Dorward is an unsuccessful PC candidate from the last political election but is now the favourite of the Wildrose faction in the culture war in right wing politics in Alberta.  Mandel is less defined as a partisan politician but he is being framed as the PC Party choice.  I actually think he is better understood and the anybody but WAP choice.

How this will undercurrent of provincial party influence plays out on the choice for Mayor of Edmonton will send a message about the potential strength of the WAP in Edmonton.  Right now the WAP is very weak in Edmonton but a win or even a strong showing by Dorward will be seen as a serious shift in momentum for the Wildrose in Edmonton.

It is entirely possible for Mr. Dorward to win this election for Mayor on Monday but only if progressive voters continue to stay home on election day.  If progressive stay indifferent to consequences of elections or presume a Mandel victory so they don't need to bother - don't be surprised by a Droward win.

CALGARY:
This is an even more interesting race for Mayor.  There is the same provincial implications undercurrents.  McIver the early leader is the Wildrose choice.  Then we have Barb Higgins, the recently retired TV news anchor cum candidate who thinks she is the right person to run a multi-billion dollar civic budget.  She is the PC darling with the backing of the Dinning PC leadership brain trust.

Then we have Naheed Nenshi, the upstart outsider progressive candidate with a more modern and motivated campaign approach based on issues and policy. Nenshi was at first a group of third tier progressive candidates including Wayne Stewart and Bob Hawkesworth but he broke from that pack.  Nenshi is now tied with the original front runners all around 30% support according to a very recent Leger poll.  Hawkesworth has withdrawn and is supporting Higgins.  Stewart has also withdrawn and is supporting Nenshi. Just to make it more interesting.

Here is a chance for progressive voters in Calgary to vote for a young, intelligent, articulate and capable political alternative.  They can show up and support the momentum of Nenshi and send a message to the establishment that runs Calgary that their presumption of the perpetual traditional right-wing conservative political culture is not a given in the future of that great city.

Full disclosure - I know Nenshi the best of all the candidates.  He is involved in Reboot Alberta too and was one of the people who helped merge the Renew Alberta group with the Alberta Party as a progressive centrists political alternative for our province.  I worked with Ric McIvor a few year ago on men's issues in bullying and domestic violence and his knowledge and understanding of the complexity of the issues impressed me.  I have never met Barb Higgins but know a lot of the people running her campaign.

CONCLUSION:
There is a very important subtext to the Mayoralty races in Edmonton and Calgary with potential implications for the future of provincial politics in Alberta.  If McIvor and Dorward win the Wildrose will become even wilder and emboldened.  If Higgins wins the Calgary establishment will rise up and once again want the run the province from behind closed doors like they did when Ralph Klein was Premier.  If Mandel and Nenshi win we can see signs of a shifting in the political culture in the province and the old one-party system is an artifact of the past.  It will show that there is a yearnings for a more progressive, inclusive, accountable government that is open, based on integrity and stewardship - not just getting and keeping personal political power

The choices made by Edmonton and Calgary represent two-thirds of the Alberta population.  That alone has serious implications for politics in the rest of the province.  None of my readers  will be surprised by my choices.  I am voting for Mandel and would vote for Nenshi - if I lived in Calgary.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Alberta Local Elections Less Than a Week Away!

Early indications are that there is more interest in local elections for municipal government and school boards this time than three years ago.  Only anecdotal but the advance poll in Edmonton shows a marked increase in voter turnout.  The Edmonton Sun non-scientific on-line "poll" shows 67% of us say we will vote.  We always say we will vote but we perpetually lie about our actual voting behaviours.  Maybe citizens will have more integrity this time and do what they say on October 18th

Three years ago things were pretty rosy in Alberta, energy prices were soaring to new highs and everyone was scrambling to keep up with the overheated economy.  Now the change is dramatic but in reality we are in a more normal economic situation but tinged with some critical uncertainties.  Uncertainties like the US economy and the rise of the BRIC nations and enormous personal and public debt overhanging the psyche and climate change seeping in as a reality.  It all adds up and with record gold prices we see the economic angst being acted out in the market place.

Back to the local realities in Alberta - will we see a revived sense of citizenship in improved voter turnout next Monday?  What will be the ballot questions?  Calgary is in a culture war that is illustrated by the wide array of candidates for mayor.  I wonder if Calgary wants a new face for their city or if the entrenched power structure will opt for a version of a status quo candidate, McIver or Higgins.. Mandel won in Edmonton two elections ago because both highly touted front runners were found wanting in some fundamental way.  The chance for change took over and both of them were rejected in favour of the third place candidate - Mandel.  Could that happen in Calgary this time?  Would Nenshi, Stewart or Hawkesworth benefit from this kinds of yearning for real change in Calgary?

Edmonton started out as a yawner of a campaign but has heated up significantly thanks to Envision Edmonton efforts to press for a plebiscite on the municipal airport closing.  The mayoralty campaign here is turning into a battle for the next narrative of the story Edmonton wants to tell itself about itself.  There is a sense by the traditionalists Envision Edmonton types to almost emulate the Wildrose as the yearn for an Edmonton of a  time past.  The modernists just want to be left alone and get on with their lives, make some money and without having to worry about messy things like politics, democracy, citizenship and social issues.

The real question in Edmonton is will the progressives show up and support Mandel or just presume his win is a foregone conclusion so they can stay indifferent and inert politically.  If that happens and the grumpy types from Envision Edmonton show up then anything can happen.  That is the nature of politics.

School Board elections are interesting in Edmonton - have not followed them in Calgary.  EPSB is in for some serious change for sure, not sure about the Catholic board here but will ponder that in the next few days. too.

I encourage all Albertans to get informed and get into discussion with friends an family about what they want from their government and make a conscious considered choice at the polls.  I especially encourage progressives to take this plea to heart.  Indifference is inexcusable in tight races.  The progressive voice is being lost in the Alberta political culture because we are not speaking up and not showing up.  Other voices are speaking up and showing up.  And they are taking over the political power in our province.

Remember it is not THE government.  It is OUR government - whether you voted or not.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Inspiring Hearts & Minds = Innovation in Education

Here is an updated blog post by Kim Bater - a candidate for School Trustee in Banff.  Kim is a very creative leader and thinker with a dedication to public education.

Thanks to Esme Comfort, another candidate for school trustee in the same district for the link on Twitter @esmecomfort if you want ot follow her.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Social Media 3Q Update: Who Uses Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & MySpace? | Social Media Today

The digital world is still an amazing force that is changing communications, community, consciousness and content that we pay attention to in our daily lives. The demographic mix of users is changing and the growth is leveling off. It had to at some point but the level of engagement is still a phenomenon the be reckoned with. The impact on any business that depends on a social license to operate - like forestry, banks, oil&gas and oil sands need to figure out how to tap into this new world and how to use it.

Social Media 3Q Update: Who Uses Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & MySpace? | Social Media Today

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Alberta Tea Party Possibilities Update

I recently did a post on the possibility of an Alberta Tea Party forming at some time possibly from the social conservatives and separatists in our midst.

Canada 2020 recently hosted a panel on Polling with Frank Graves (Ekos Research) Nik Nanos (Nanos Research) and Bruce Anderson (Harris/Decima) moderated by Don Newman.  The panel was broadcast on CPAC last night and I missed it but hope it will be repeated.  Should be worth a watch.

I point this out because Susan Delacourt who writes on this Ottawa-ish for the Toronto Star picked up on a comment from Harris/Decima about the possibility of a Canadian Tea Party equivalent. She wrote a story about it here.  Susan has also written a blog post on it the concern here called "Distemper of our Times."

Nik Nanos, a very reliable pollsters at the Canada 2020 event, commented on "...the forces of disaggregation, the forces of discontent and the forces of dilution...of power."  He concluded by saying "So to wrap up: expect political instability and turbulence.  I believe we are at a risky but unintended place in our democracy -- that the forces of disaggregation

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Premier's Awards for Alberta Public Service

The 2010 Premier's Award of Excellence are now out.   These are the Alberta Public Service employee awards for "outstanding achievement in business excellence and service delivery to Albertan."  There are Gold, Silver and Bronze levels

These are a great form of recognition by the Premier. I actually won one of these awards even though I never worked as a public servant.  I am very proud to wear the Gold level pin.  I was one of the external people bought in to help design and execute the Future Summit back in the day.  The folks who ran that terrific project were generous enough to include me and another external consultant in their team to receive the award.

Ironically I was an external consultant on the Domestic Violence and Bullying project a few years back.  It was  dealing with male perpetrators and victims of domestic violence.  It was a tense situation and a delicate role to play.  I think I was the only male in the front lines of this very important project.  It was the inspiration of the Minister of the day Iris Evans and Colleen Klein, the wife of former Premier Ralph Klein.  It also won the Gold level that year.  A different attitude by the internal administrative powers in place then actually excluded external people from participating in the Award of Excellence recognition. This had nothing to do with the Minister of Colleen Klein - just a small minded senior bureaucrat at the time.

I was proud to be associated with a great team of dedicated civil servants who worked on the ground in these projects and exemplified the essence of "business excellence and service delivery to Albertans" in both projects.

So my congratulations go out to this years Premier's Award of Excellence recipients. Thank you for your great work and service to the people of Alberta.  I for one really appreciate it.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Canada Touted as a Green Energy Powerhouse

Interesting quote in the Calgary Herald today.  "The most pressing business challenges in the Alberta oil sands are the same ones the environmentalists have identified" according to Samir Brikho, the CEO of the international engineering firm AMEC PLC.

Looks promising to see some of the energy industry talk be about transforming Canada into a clean energy powerhouse.  That is the central premise of the book Green Oil written last year by my business partner Satya Das.  We published it through the Cambridge Strategies Inc. imprint Sextant Publishing so you can buy it at better book stores and online in hard copy or by digital download at the Cambridge Strategies Bookstore

Ironically the government of Alberta has the policy positions in place to promote this objective but is seems that there is insufficient focus and political will to design and execute an proactive plan to those ends.  Check out the report "Responsible Actions: a Plan for Alberta's Oil Sands"  This document outlines six integrated strategies to optimise economic growth, reduce the environmental footprint and increase the quality of life in Alberta.

The Strategies are:

1. Develop Alberta's oil sands in an environmentally responsible way;
2. Promote healthy communities and a quality of life that attracts and retains individuals, families and businesses;
3. Maximize long-term value for all Albertans through economic growth, stability and resource optimization;
4. Strengthen our proactive approach to aboriginal consultation with a view to reconciling interests;
5. Maximize research and innovation to further support sustainable development and unlock the deposit potential;
6. Increase available information, develop measurement systems and enhance accountability in the management of the oil sands.

The resent values research we did with OSRIN on what Albertans want to see guide and drive the development of their oil sands...remember Albertans own this resource...track very well with this "Responsible Actions" policy proposal.  

The Priority Actions in the plan for a focused implementation include:

1. Revise the current environmental impact assessment process to support cumulative effects management;
2. Increase the pace of reclamation in the oil sands areas;
3. Continue implementing the Fort McMurray community development plan to address housing shortages and investigate opportunities for regional service delivery;
4. Leverage bitumen royalties to develop value-added oil sands products;
5. Develop a regional plan for the Lower Athabasca Region within the Land Use Framework
6. Conduct a pilot project to assess the cumulative environmental impact of oil sands development on the rights and traditional land uses of aboriginal people.

Some significant progress is being made in some of these Priority Action areas notably #3 and #5.  I am not sure of the progress in the other areas. I just don't know.  Strange we don't hear more about the progress in the work in these areas and less about multi-million dollar taxpayer paid advertising campaigns that we hope will counteract the negative messages of some aggressive ENGOS.

As an owner of the oil sands and a citizen of Alberta I want more updated information on this policy and its implementation.  If it is being attended to aggressively it would go a long way to assuring me that the right things are being done.  I want to know my government, as my proxy holder, and the industry, as my tenant, is doing the right things in the right way and right now to promote integrated action in create responsible prosperity from this enormous advantage we have from the oil sands.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Alberta Party and Doing Politics Differently

I was unable to make it to the AGM of the revitalized Alberta Party on the weekend. I had a speaking engagements in Calgary of the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative and the Banff Centre Leadership Development program.  Then I had to be back to host a table at the Gandhi Foundation Dinner my partner Satya Das was speaking at.  It was a busy weekend already.

From all accounts the Alberta Party AGM was a positive exercise in doing politics differently.  Dave Cournoyer was there and offers a comprehensive blog post on his impressions of the meeting.  It is worth a read and some time for reflection on this new political initiative.

The comments on Daveberta's blog post are interesting too in that the sense of the Alberta Party is working on doing politics differently.  The goal is not to beat the other party in the pursuit of political power but rather to make Alberta the best it can be.  I see the potential for Alberta to aspire to look beyond trying to be the best in the world but rather to be the best for the world.  I hope the Alberta Party can help refocus our province towards this kind of future.

Dave King is very active in the Alberta Party too and one of the co-instigators of Reboot Alberta.  He has written a thoughtful blog post that sums up this progressive spirit of the Alberta Party...at least to my mind.
Dave King captures my sense of where we need to move the political narrative and culture of the province.  The adversarial gamesmanship of conventional politics turns off citizens, discourages quality people with the necessary wisdom and servant-leadership qualities and capabilities from getting involved in politics and governing.

The influence of big business and donors working behind closed doors in government relations seems like collusion for self-interest and not open collaboration to create a better Alberta for a greater number of citizens.  The merchandising of messages instead of sharing ideas and concerns and seeking mutually agreeable solutions is the basis of party politics these days.  Too many everyday Albertans feel their governments are not listening to them and that their opinions don't count any more.

We live in complex and chaotic times and solutions offered by superficial and artificial mock battles played out in the media between partisans is not going to get us to realize the potential we have as a province.  Achieving our potential will not result by one side merely proving the other side wrong and therefore "winning."  Albertans lose in that situations.  This progressive approach to politics will take a greater degree of pioneering leadership embraced by people with a genuine intent on serving the greater good not just winning the next election.

I am hopeful that the Alberta Party can be the beginning of that more progressive and enlightened approach to politics and government and can develop into being as a positive force in the betterment of the lives of Albertans.  The prerequisite for any of this is an informed, engaged and conscientious sense of citizenship. More citizens have to take back control of the power and become influencers on the politics of our time in order to overcome the deficiencies in our democracy that have been caused by decades of political indifference.

Full disclosure - I am a member of the Alberta Party but not actively engaged in their organizational efforts.  My time is focused on Reboot Alberta and that is a progressive citizen's movement in Alberta that welcomes participants from any or no political affiliation provided you want to do help Alberta to be more than it is and serve a greater good beyond ones self.  Reboot is a great place to start re-engaging as a fully responsible citizen without the burden of political affiliation.  If you are a partisan who wants to change from within your party you can find others with a similar goal at Reboot too.

If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 Nov 5-6 at Edmonton Delta South at www.rebootalberta.org

Donald Duck Meets Glenn Beck

This came via @prog_blog and is a very funny and telling narrative of the "reality"of the radical right

 
If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta register now for RebootAlberta 3.0 at www.rebootalberta.org

Is There a Tea Party Movement in Alberta's Future?

Is there a potential for an Alberta Tea Party?  Where has Craig Chandler gone?  What happened to WAP leadership candidate Jeff Willerton? Where are the Alberta Separatists these days?  Where are the Libertarian activists located politically these days?  We get little or now news from them for quite some time but we know they are out there...in more ways than one!

My sense is they are hiding quietly in the basement of the Wildrose Alliance Party.  So long as Danielle Smith can keep up the media generated momentum for the alliance side of the WAP, the wild side of the party will keep quiet and wait until the power shift happens.  If that happens after the next election expect the Tea Party types to come out of hiding.  they will want to reassert and impose their values on what has become a very compliant, confused and all-too content and comfortable Alberta public.  It will be a a hard-fought contest for the heart and soul of the WAP too but all of us will suffer in the internal culture war that will ensue.

The sense is the popularity of the Wildrose Alliance Party has peaked but at a significant level of support that cannot be ignored.  They are not going away but the question is will Albertans vote for them in protest just to send a message to the PC Party?   Smith has done a remarkable job of soothing the citizen's fears about the scary side of the WAP. This is in no small part because she is personally able to do that with her mellow messaging and skillful positioning of herself as a Peter Lougheed kind of politician.

There is a yearning for a return to Alberta of that kind of Lougheed socially progressive social, fiscal conservative and culturally diverse basis of public policy coupled with a long term view of good governance over short term pursuits of political power.  So far nobody has been able to capture the imagination of the Alberta public to convince us that any of the existing parties can deliver that kind of inclusive, creative and conscientious government we used to enjoy under Peter Lougheed.

I hope nobody is fooled by this illusion of the WAP selling us that they are going to be a return to a Lougheed style of governing .  The hard-nosed mean-spirited Harper Conservatives are very much behind the provincial Wildrose Alliance Party in our Alberta.  We have seen the dire consequences to progress from that kind of Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld inspired reckless abuse of power.

The way I see it is with the Harper-Cons coupled with the Fraser Institute inspired WAP will take Alberta into a socially conservative policy approach that will be marked by wedge issues, division and marginalization of minorities and further damage vulnerable citizens.  They abhor government because they think it interferes with individual rights and freedoms and is inefficient. While at the same time they fail to understand the need to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens - especially those who disagree with them.

They think individual competition and marketplaces forces are the only way to create a society based on economic wealth being the trump card in any political policy decision.  They scoff and the idea of a synergy existing between individual talents foster in ways the benefit those individuals and in the service of our society as a whole. They are proudly the anti-intellectual and rejects science, preferring superstition and fundamentalism as a basis to make public policy decisions.

They think nature is a resource only to be exploited now and not protected in a duty to ensure we leave the planet in better shape than when we arrived as an obligation to future generations.  Environmental policy is always seen to be in the way of their version of wealth-creation based on market forces that dictate conspicuous consumption.  Long term conservation and habitat protection policies it must be tamed to ensure "wealth" is created as quickly as possible with little or no regard for the long term environmental or biodiversity implications.  As "wealth gets created they have little if any regard as to fairness in how that wealth is distributed.  If you are poor or disadvantaged the social conservatives say it is your own fault.  You must simply pull up your socks...if you have no socks...well that is your fault too.

So is there a Tea Party in Alberta's future?  In my opinion, chances are yes!  Especially if progressive thinking Albertans continue to avoid their responsibility to re-engage in the political culture of the province.  Abdication  by progressive thinking Albertans of their duty of citizenship will leave the wielding of political power to those who aspire to take Alberta backwards.  If you want a progressive political culture in the Next Alberta come to RebootAlberta 3.0, November 5-6 in Edmonton. Register now at www.rebootalberta.org