Alberta Needs Leadership: New Premier gives us more of the same…
Author: mike | Date: December 6, 2006 | Please Comment!
Mr Stelmach sounds more and more like George Bush on Iraq – ‘Stay the course’. The results could be similarly disastrous for our northern people and the land. How can Premier Stelmach have such blind faith in the market system to solve all our social and environmental problems? Does government not have a responsibility to steer the economy with appropriate incentives, taxes and regulations?
Government’s role is to ensure social and environmental protection in such a way as to ensure a future for business! Without an environment, there will be no economy! The needs and views of the people of the north matter so little, that this government allows oil extraction to trump other human values. I’ve always said, the oil isn’t loosing value sitting in the ground. This is abdication of leadership and means more of the same from the Conservative government. Citizens are also looking for a real commitment to climate change but politicians have not caught up.
1:35 pm on December 14th, 2006
But first, to ensure an effective opposition, the Alberta Liberals need to change leaders.
1:37 pm on December 14th, 2006
Kevin Taft, the “ideas man”…
Commenting on new premier Ed Stelmach’s priorities contained in the new Alberta agenda, Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft had this to say:His five priorities sound pretty vague, said Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft. There’s no sign of any new ideas…
9:28 pm on December 15th, 2006
This view is simply the most classic of the far right. I spend some time in some of the ‘conservative’ online forums… and this poistion is completely typical. You can call up the Frasier Institute and ask them at any time, they’ll tell you the same:
“The Free Market Solves All”.
“Technology will solve the problem”.
“Just make sure we’re globally competitive…”
The only new ideas the liberals need are the ones that will enable them to get the conservatives out of office in Alberta, because until then, nothing really changes.
As for alternatives to the omnipotent Free Market panacea, there are PLENTY; Mr. Swann’s suggestion of “to steer the economy with apporpriate incentives, taxes and regulations” is surely the start, but how to apply this, in a province filled with so many who are uterlly paranoid of state intervention in the economy?? (“STEERING the economy!?!?!…” they’re seeing visions of Josef Stalin and crying ‘Communism’!!)
Stelmach has just shown that the Alberta government is still a long ways off from anything even resembling progressive policy.
…. oh, hi Dave! nice site! Hope everything’s gone well for you and family in Africa.
11:22 pm on December 16th, 2006
Everyone I talk to, and I talk to a lot of Albertans, has a very negative view of Taft, including those who vote Liberal in federal elections.
They call him ineffective as opposition leader – and that’s one of the more polite descriptions they have for him.
I have received e-mails from my readers over the last year in particular, who identify themselves as Liberals, but they say they can’t bring themselves to vote for Taft because to them he’s not a true Liberal.
The Alberta Liberals need a new leader and fast. Taft is not connecting with the “Average Joe” out there at all (call it the Ivory Tower / Iggy Syndrome).
 David responds: I have experienced Kevin Taft as a competent, compassionate and very effective leader during my tenure as an MLA. I’ve also spoken with many Albertans over the past three years and I get an overwhelming sense that Kevin is registering favourably with the electorate. In closing, if Kevin Taft is not a true liberal, then who is?