Modern democratic governments serve the needs of a population where the common good and essential services cannot be properly satisfied using purely individual means.
Historically, Albertans have supported fully funded essential services; these programs are paid for using many different streams of revenue.
Unfortunately, however, due to sloppy accounting, political inaction, and gross, willful mismanagement by the Tory government, the citizens of Alberta have been ripped-off to the tune of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
The majority of Albertans and Canadians want public, universal health care, but the Tory government in Alberta has done its failed-best to institute American-style health care.
Alberta has the best health care practitioners in the world and it should be the goal of the Alberta government to serve the needs of its citizens, NOT the bottom-line of foreign-owned corporations and their shareholders.
The PC government has failed miserably with child-care initiatives.
Currently, there are spaces for only 10 per cent of Alberta’s young children in regulated child care settings. Despite our growing economy and burgeoning population, Alberta is the only province where the number of day care spaces actually dropped between 1992 and 2004.
Thanks to the PC government’s complete lack of interest regarding day care, many dual-income parents are being forced to choose between hiring a private nanny and having one parent staying at home. Where we used to have proper child-care programs, there is now a child-care crisis province-wide.
I grew up when parents didn’t have to fundraise at casinos for their children’s schoolbooks, classroom supplies, and sports equipment. I grew up when teachers, school boards, and the provincial government all got along.
Compare those times to the era of recent PC governments whose main focus has been on funneling public money towards private schools and P3 initiatives.
Public schools are crumbling inside and out. Children are being bussed half way across the city to attend classes. Students are like sardines in a can with classrooms over capacity.
Alberta Education Minister and P3 advocate Ron Liepert played politics when deciding which communities get new schools; not surprisingly, Liepert’s riding of Calgary-West gets a new school.
Without a plan, throwing money at one problem has created another for the PC government and Alberta’s most vulnerable citizens.
In the middle of a housing crisis, the Stelmach government allocated $7 million towards the Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Fund. On the surface that seemed like a reasonable thing to do in order to help Albertans in a time of need, but without adequate checks and balances in place, fraudsters soon figured out how to rip-off the system.
The allegations were so serious that an audit was ordered to investigate. The Auditor General has stated the earliest he can report will be in November 2007.
Unfortunately, it took over a decade for the PC government to re-institute the senior benefits that it slashed in 1993. The Alberta Seniors Benefit program, though, still does not address the needs for better long-term care.
In 2003, long-term care facilities raised their costs for room and board by 42 per cent. The operators did not have to show or justify the cost increases.
This increase directly penalized the seriously and chronically incapacitated, a majority of whom are seniors. Many senior couples were greatly impacted, as they were quite often trying to maintain two residences. Still other families were forced to remove loved ones from long-term care facilities.
In Alberta there’s a democratic hole big enough to drive a freight train through.
Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft’s recent best-selling book “Democracy Derailed” is an indictment against the PC government.
Documented evidence of blatant corruption, nepotism, and political cronyism by the Conservative government fills page after page.
From 2001 to 2004, a former Assistant to Minister Gary Mar received almost $400,000 in contracts to which no documentation was provided. As the Freedom of Information Act notes: “The work done by the consultant was advisory in nature; therefore the consultant was not required to produce reports.”
Since when is letting public infrastructure fall apart good policy? A government-by-stealth has left Albertans in a financial quagmire.
The Klein-Stelmach government's poor planning has left the province with a maintenance backlog of over $6 billion that must be resolved to avoid even higher bills and the prospect of unsafe roads and public buildings, Auditor General Fred Dunn reported. "It will take a long time to catch up," he said. "The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes."
Dunn said the government appears unable to properly determine how much work needs to be done.
$190 million in taxpayer subsidies have been given by the provincial government to Horse Racing Alberta since 2002.
This year alone the PC government handed over $56 million in subsidies to the horse racing industry.
It should then come to nobody’s surprise that Premier Stelmach’s initial cabinet of 90% men and 90% rural would not change the “cultural landscape” of Ralph Klein.
A vibrant arts community breathes new life and excitement into the souls of Albertans. A community without a soul is like a dog that doesn’t wag its tail.
Health care and the environment are inextricably tied together.
A poisoned and defeated environment leads to a poisoned and defeated society. A sustainable environment leads to a sustainable society.
To the detriment of current and future generations, the PC government has failed miserably in protecting Alberta’s environment.
Sustainability is the critical issue of the new millennium.
But tragically the PC government has a built-in philosophy that believes no matter how archaic their policies are, they know best.
They believe in all sorts of things that the evidence simply doesn’t support.
They believe non-renewable resources will never run out.
They believe unending fresh water will pour down from our mountain glaciers.
They believe corporate profits are more important than Albertan’s quality of life.
And they believe Tory voters of old will vote Tory forever.
The PC government fed Albertans a Big Whopper when they promised: Deregulation will lower your energy bills.
Under the guise of “getting out of the business of being in business,” Alberta’s PC government gift wrapped and handed-over control of an essential service to their friends and political contributors. Albertans have gone from a reliable supply of low cost energy to paying some of the highest utility rates in North America.
Staggering amounts of money belonging to the people of this province – untold billions of dollars have been lost.
This could easily be the most expensive scandal in Canadian history.
- Kevin Taft, Leader
Alberta Liberal Party
Oct. 23/07
- Kathleen, Edmonton
cbc.ca - Oct. 3/07Posted online after the Auditor General concluded that government officials have been abusing their government credit cards and Albertans are paying for it.
Was it overwhelming incompetence? Were under-the-table deals made with oil and gas companies? Were jobs promised for people after they retired from public office?
The amounts involved are enormous - billions of dollars. Perhaps it would be prudent for the RCMP to investigate.
-W.A. Ruzycki, Medicine Hat
Edmonton Journal, Oct. 8/07
When $7 per Albertan went missing from the federal treasury in the sponsorship affair, Gunter and every other Conservative developed paroxysmal symptoms and demanded a full inquiry.
...it is easy to plead stupidity, sloppiness, laziness, inertia, bureaucratic malaise and many other syndromes to cover something that may be much more sinister. This situation demands a criminal investigation...
-Emil Bizon, Edmonton
Edmonton Journal, Oct. 8/07
The Norwegians, who only began setting aside oil and gas revenue for future generations in the 1990s, have more than $500 billion in their rainy-day fund.
-R.C. Allen, Edmonton
Edmonton Journal, Oct. 8/07
The Auditor General’s report showed that former premier Ralph Klein lied to us. Premier Ed Stelmach was part of Klein’s team, yet he failed to raise his voice against what was going on...
I am embarrassed by their arrogance and lack of leadership and vision. Next election, I hope voters consider the opposition parties.
-Robert W. Aishford, Edmonton
Edmonton Journal, Oct. 8/07
Just about anywhere else, Democracy Derailed, Kevin Taft’s latest exposé of Albertan politics, would saturate public consciousness.
The statistical proof of governmental corruption that he assembles would fly off the lips of even junior high students...
And then, because Taft is not just Alberta’s most prominent public intellectual but an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly, the newly enlightened Albertan public would choose him and his party to lead the province.
Well, welcome to Alberta, kids. It ain't like that here.
-Jay Smith
Review of Kevin Taft’s book
“Democracy Derailed”
seemagazine.com, Jun. 28/07
-Wendy Butler
Edmonton Journal, Dec. 15/07
