Canada and Alberta need more markets for our oil and gas, and Enbridge’s plan to construct a pipeline to Kitimat would open up those markets for us. Combined with the Alberta Liberal plan to increase bitumen upgrading here in Alberta and western Canada, the pipeline would guarantee greater prosperity and economic security for all Canadians.

The federal Liberal plan to ban oil supertankers off Canada’s northwestern coast, diverting them to the port at Vancouver, is well-intentioned, but it would make the Kitimat project impossible. And even worse, the ban doesn’t serve the supposed goal of protecting the environment. Vancouver’s harbour is incredibly busy– a far riskier environment for spills than the less-used port at Kitimat.

If I were Premier, I would work with British Columbia to ensure this pipeline is built to the highest environmental and safety standards. And I would work with all Western Premiers to keep the economic benefits of upgrading here in Canada.

There’s an opportunity in Alberta for real political change. Albertans have lost trust in the Stelmach Conservatives and see a lurch to the Wildrose Alliance as a move from frying pan to fire. As the Conservatives fight I’m suggesting that we talk actively in the sensible center about the best way to achieve a centrist/progressive government in the next election. As the number one choice of progressive voters who want an alternative to the Tories it makes sense for the Alberta Liberals to take the lead with any cooperative venture among progressive and moderate parties.

Vote-splitting among progressive parties results in right-wing governments that don’t represent the majority of Albertans. It’s time for a new approach.

Our members voted in favour of closer “cooperation with other progressive political parties.” We respect our members and the principles of democracy and are doing what they asked us to do.

Any agreement on specific methods of cooperation will have to be approved by a vote of the party’s membership. This won’t be a back-room deal.

I am not so concened about right and left politics. I care more about right and wrong politics. How can we better reflect Albertans’ values and hopes for Alberta? That is what we should be giving our energy to.

I’m prepared to set aside our differences with other parties in search of a better way of governing this province. There’s a better way for us and for our children! Let’s work at it together.

Let’s Talk!

On behalf of my colleagues in the Official Opposition, I wish all Albertans a very safe and happy Canada Day.

Today, Canada turns 143 years old. I hope Albertans can take a moment to celebrate our heritage, remember our successes and look to our future.

For some Albertans, this will be their first Canada Day as Canadian citizens. Others will be continuing a longstanding family tradition. Whether new Canadian, First Nations or descendant of one of the many waves of immigrants from Confederation onward, I know that all Albertans will come together to celebrate Canada Day and Alberta’s contributions to our country.

On behalf of my caucus colleagues, again, I wish everyone a fun, invigorating and inspiring Canada Day.

The Alberta government is currently fighting attempts by the federal Tories to force a National Securities Regulator on Alberta. Every once in a while, the Official Opposition must stand with the government. This is one of those times.

Alberta’s provincial securities industry made it possible for our oil and gas sector to help transform our province into one of the most prosperous jurisdictions in the world. And the presence of the Calgary Stock Exchange and local bankers who understand local investment opportunities continues to help Alberta’s entrepreneurs build a prosperous future.

Forcing a national securities regulator on Alberta threatens that future. Forcing Alberta startups to go hat in hand to Toronto for venture capital isn’t the way Albertans want to do business, and we support Finance Minister Ted Morton’s attempt to protect Alberta’s interests. Ted and I may not have much in common, but on this we can agree: standing up for Alberta is the duty of all our leaders, regardless of party affiliation.

As Leader of the Alberta Liberals I am lucky enough to meet a great variety of people. These Albertans have provided me with invaluable stories about themselves, their experiences, and accomplishments.

Recently, I had the privilege of meeting Ezzrett “Sugarfoot” Anderson. Back in 1949 Mr. Anderson was recruited by the Calgary Stampeders as one of the first African-American players in the CFL. He played for the Stamps for nine seasons. Throughout his football career and to this day “Sugarfoot” has done much to aid the Alberta African-American community in gaining equality within the province. He has never been afraid of speaking out against racism and discrimination in the province.

It was an honor to meet him at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. He is an inspirational man. Please visit the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame .

Clean government involves accountability and transparency. Among my 12 Steps for Clean Government released two weeks ago I have called on the Stelmach government to open the books on expenses of all MLAs and their offices. Albertans deserve to know how their dollars are being spent by those they elected.

In Alberta, only the provincial Auditor General can access the specific information of expenses. The general public cannot. Unfortunately, the Alberta Conservative government has stated that the issue is not on the agenda and goes so far to say that there is no need for this information to be public knowledge.

As a commitment to the issue of financial accountability I will be posting the monthly statement of expenses for my constituency – Calgary Mountainview – in the coming weeks. This information will be available directly on my website for constituents and all Albertans to review.

The biggest news out of this weekend’s Alberta Liberal Party convention and annual general meeting was the passing of a resolution on “Cooperation with Other Political Parties.” I watched with a great deal of interest as both sides of the debate made their points and counterpoints. It was a very passionate and fascinating discussion. Contrary to some media reports, I abstained from the vote, as I wanted this question to be decided by the members of our party. I will follow the wisdom of the majority, who decided in favour of the motion.

What the resolution actually says, is not very specific. The contentious part of the resolution that laid out specific instructions was removed following an amendment by one of our longtime Liberal members. The resulting amended resolution was clearly more palatable to the majority of our members in attendance and this is what we will be working with in the coming weeks and months as we prepare for the election.

This is clearly a COOPERATION resolution calling for us to work with progressive parties and voters, including progressive Tories who are leaving the Progressive Conservative party of Alberta in droves, seeking an alternative.

We ARE that alternative. We ARE the ONLY centrist party in Alberta with policies in place and a structure out there in all 83 ridings across the province. It only makes sense that we would be the party to extend a hand and offer to work together.

It’s often said that I’m not a typical politician. I would like to suggest to you that this makes me the ideal person to introduce a new way of doing politics in Alberta, as urged by the resolution this weekend. It is a less confrontational kind of politics, one that puts the interests of the citizens of this province ahead of narrow partisan interests.

The Alberta Liberal Party under my leadership will work in earnest and with the full and open involvement of our membership, to bring people together so that we can form a new kind of government for this province, one we can all be proud of. This is what cooperation means and this is what any good government does.

I am gearing up for a dynamic Alberta Liberal Party Policy Convention taking place this weekend in Edmonton. I am looking forward to a great opportunity to connect with Liberal members and discuss policy to take the party, and Alberta forward. The Friday keynote address is from Warren Kinsella who will give us his insight into political strategy. Over 40 new policy initiatives will be discussed at the Convention and I anticipate a great networking opportunity with our Liberal Team as well as a chance to enjoy the hospitality of the City of Edmonton.

I very much look forward to seeing you there; it will definitely be a great weekend!

After a rigorous two days of exploring heavy oil sites in Fort McMurray late last week with our Alberta Liberal Energy Critic, Dave Taylor, it’s clear to me that advances have been made by some in the heavy oil industry to reduce their water and energy use through innovative processes. I witnessed tremendous progress in the reduction of tailings ponds at the Suncor site, towards the goal of producing dry tailings. The industry representatives we met with at ConocoPhillips’ SAGD site demonstrated that they are making real efforts towards reducing their carbon emissions through corporate investment, due to changing government standards and global pressure.

This is good news, but both industry members and the Liberal party know that we can still do better in terms of reducing our industrial footprint. As signs of an economic resurgence are showing, it’s time to reassert our commitment to work with industry to learn from the past and foster innovation for the future. A responsible government will work constructively with the Alberta energy industry to ensure return on investment and good stewardship of the environment.

My time in Fort McMurray was also a reminder to me that industry accounts for 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, while consumption makes up the rest. Investment in infrastructure, like public transit, is crucial if we are to make strides towards slowing down our use of this non-renewable resource. We all share in the responsibility of reducing greenhouse gases.

David

To read what the press said about my visit, click HERE