Excerpts from the Response to the Speech from the Throne
February 12, 2009
As Leader of the Official Opposition, and an immensely proud Albertan, it is my privilege and duty today to challenge the government's flawed premises and assumptions as outlined in yesterday's Speech from the Throne. With no disrespect I offer an alternative vision of our future – the future of a great province of unparalleled potential. I acknowledge that there are some good ideas within the speech, but it fails to answer the question most Albertans are asking – “Where are we going? What is the long-term vision for a different – a better – future?”
The primary purpose of government must be to serve the long-term public interest.
…Albertans want politicians to take the mantle of leadership seriously. Albertans want leaders who will ask tough questions of themselves, leaders capable of flexibility, cooperation and imagination. They want leaders who will listen to citizens and experts not just for politeness' or appearance's sake, but because the voices they hear will actually have an impact on policy.
…it would be unwise to assume that we can continue to depend on one industry to keep Alberta prosperous forever. We need to prepare a healthier, more diverse legacy for tomorrow's Albertans – an Alberta in which a bust in the oil and gas sector will not inevitably lead to widespread recession across the province.
We can be so much more than the world's oil and gas station.
…These people and so many others would gladly support a long-term vision and plan for the future of their fellow Albertans. So I would like to try and offer one.
First, a statement of principle: health is the goal . As a physician, I know that good health is the result of many, many factors. As a politician, I want to work in a government that recognizes and addresses all the factors that create a healthy Alberta.
… The purpose of the health care system is to provide quality of care, access to that care when needed, and reasonable benefit for the cost. Therefore we must measure changes on the basis of how they affect quality, access and cost effectiveness. That means we must gather evidence, examine it carefully, with the guidance of professionals. We must work in the trenches with vulnerable citizens, and develop the practical changes needed to improve quality, access and affordability.
…I applaud the government's progress on increasing the health workforce by increasing the number of spaces in post-secondary institutions for doctors, nurses and the whole range of health care professionals. We should pay special attention to Family Practice and expanding nursing practice as well as Public Health and prevention programs which can pay back $7 for $1 spent. We should develop more specialized surgical centres, which deliver superior treatment with reduced costs by focussing on specific procedures.
…Freedom for responsible business to thrive is the second crucial element of our vision. My father worked in the oil patch, and I know the contributions he and his business made to Alberta. Alberta is built on the backs of hard work and the entrepreneurial spirit. And business will be our most important partner in the crucial work of diversifying Alberta's economy, especially with regard to green technology and new jobs, more jobs than resource extraction, good, long-term jobs.
…Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential fuel for our journey forward but they are not enough. We must create the conditions for all Albertans to thrive and create wealth responsibly – within rules and limits that serve the long term public interest.
A fair, consistent set of rules and standards from government gives business the freedom to thrive.
…Next, Alberta needs a smart, hard-working government .
The fundamental purpose of government is to manage and distribute resources in the long-term public interest. But the complexity of our lives and development demands a higher level of knowledge and analysis of complex systems than ever in our history. It requires the best science, balanced with grounded practitioners and infused by public values. Good public policy – healthy public policy – looks beyond immediate gain or loss to the long term implications for a secure and prosperous society.
…Finally, and most importantly, I believe in fairness to future generations . For too long, we have embraced short-term goals, cut programs in bad times, spent heavily in good times – THE REVERSE OF WHAT PRUDENT ECONOMISTS ADVISE. We cannot do this again.
This shortsightedness is an abdication of this generation's first duty to the next: to provide a lasting legacy that our children and grandchildren can be proud of.
…The next generation has the same desire for prosperity as we do; the same need for clean air, water and land; the same fundamental right to a vibrant democracy; the same urge to live and grow and learn and to reach their full potential.
…Over and above our fiscal responsibility to future generations is our response to climate change. No matter how many billions we manage to save in the Heritage Fund, that wealth will be useless if we fail to protect our environment for Alberta's children. If we do nothing, climate change will imperil our water supply, putting our entire society at risk – families, businesses, whole industries. It will impact tourism, forestry, agriculture. Our emissions threaten our fellow Canadians, indeed threaten everyone on Earth. We are not the “bad guys” in the global warming picture, but we must take responsibility for our share of the problem . Let's work with industry to set targets and develop technology that will lead to real reductions in emissions. And as I noted earlier, let's start building green infrastructure to replace dirty coal plants and reduce our overall dependence on fossil fuels.
We have a duty to ensure that Alberta's promise can be kept for our grandchildren. We have embraced one way of thinking for nearly 40 years now. It's time to change course, to pursue the approaches that will meet tomorrow's challenges.
…I know that many Albertans believe that change is impossible. I don't feel that way at all. I believe that change is inevitable, because I know Albertans. I know Albertans want to build a better tomorrow. I know Albertans have and will make sacrifices for the sake of their friends, their families, their descendants, and – YES – for perfect strangers.
…Albertans may be discouraged and even cynical about politics sometimes, but they are not impotent. After discouragement comes anger; and with anger come empowered men, women and children who will not be intimidated by the trappings of power. They are increasingly prepared to speak truth to power and to take back control of their future.
To read the entire speech, visit:
http://www.liberalopposition.com/index.php/alc/summary_content/C39