concerned-albertans

Be Wary of Wild Rose Alliance’s thorns ? Really? Stop and Smell the Roses.

This article recently appeared in the Sherwood Park News and was written by Catherine Griwkowsky and if you do not agree, here is her email and you can email her and tell her exactly what you think at Catherine@sherwoodparknews.com

This lame article is an affront to all Albertans who are fed up with the Stelmach Tories and who seek a new party with solutions instead of tired old policies and worn out criticisms. Wildrose and Danielle Smith do not engage in personal attacks.  Danielle and the Wildrose will stick to the issues of the day; the concerns of Albertans with respect to healthcare, energy policy, property rights, education, Seniors issues and MLA and Ministerial compensation. link 

Click on the link and read what Catherine wrote and read fro yourself. You be the judge. A full retraction must be printed and an apology is owed to Albertans who have joined the Wildrose Alliance Party.

Now this may just have something to do with the Stelmach Tories and their dirty deeds done at our great expense. I have to think this is just another planted Tory influenced article that is meant to inflame northern Albertans and mislead them and misinform them and strike fear in the electorate of this new and rather interesting Wildrose Alliance Party. It is not going to work. Albertans are smarter than the Tories give them credit for.

Nothing new from the Tories. But it has been far from dirt cheap for Albertans. The cost of this government’s incompetence, indifference and confrontational approach is huge. By my tally, unofficial of course, we have over 4 billion reasons to rid ourselves of the hapless, incompetent and old and tired Stelmach PC government. It is the Stelmach Tories 38 year addiction to power that is wreaking havoc across Alberta communities. It is their addiction to spending that has led us into  record deficit territory. The last cuts to come will come from the Premier and PC/Liberal MLA's. And now Speaker King Kowalsky says not on his watch. He is a pure example of what has gone old and stale in the PC fold. Thirty years of his antics is more than this Albertan can handle. They are not true conservatives. They are "The Red and The Dead Stelmach Tories". I put that in quotations hoping I will be quoted. The press gets it; Albertans get it, why not the Stelmach Tories? Go figure.

Of course you have to admit you have a problem before you can begin to deal with it. And Premier Stelmach and his Ministers refuse to admit their mistakes. Those are the mistakes of others. Yes, you and me. It is our fault and I readily admit the mistake of voting for these progressives. We actually had Minister Liepert blaming Albertans for the H1N1 pandemic line-ups. We were causing a stampede. What a shame. No one could have predicted the rise of shale gas in the USA? Hogwash. The Barnett shale has been around for years as have most of the others. It was the Premier and his Ministers that didn't have the knowledge or draw upon those that did, to see what the trends in our number one industry were. These were not overnight sensations as the Premier would like Albertans to think. These were gradual trial and error, R&D and typical of oilfield tools and how they get developed and perfected. If he a friend in the oil industry, he would have known. The rollout of the influenza vaccine simply exposed the incompetence of the health Minister and government. Again. This time on healthcare. Is anyone keeping track? I am.

This government and Ministers have been in denial since they came into office. Of course, in their defence, ignorance is bliss. And when we get misinformed, poorly informed, poorly educated ministers in portfolios they have little, if any experience in, the bureaucracy takes over. When the bureaucrats start running the show, we are in big trouble. They have been running the show since premier Klein left office.

Many of you know that I have had enough, have heard enough and I will admit there is nothing this government could do to convince me that they have seen the light and understand the error of their ways and the damage they have caused to the Alberta and Canadian economy. Quite the contrary. But I am just another Albertan who is a true conservative and believes this government and its Ministers have abandoned conservatism and the "Alberta Way".

We as Albertans have been living with our heads buried in the political sandbox and I will be the first to admit that I should have gotten all over these guys a lot sooner than I did.  Apathy and procrastination is a killer of energy, drive, enthusiasm, ideas and democracy. So is this premier and government.

The problem we now face in Alberta politics is that our government has taken on the holier than art thou attitude; they know best and if you don't like it you are somehow a bad Albertan and a far right nutcase. In other words the premier and government know what's best for us and we better just fall in line.

The retribution that is being rained down on true conservatives within the PC party is also unprecedented. Life long, trustworthy and true conservatives are being threatened and bullied  and told they better hold the party line or else. That line is a little trampled now and faded as a stampede or exodus is happening. True conservatives and concerned Albertans in general are joining and supporting the Wildrose Alliance Party which now has +/- 13,000 members and is growing exponentially. If you are a Stelmach Tory, that means very fast.

Now this is the dead season for Alberta politics and Albertans no doubt have had our fair share of abuse and surprises this past year or two but common sense was supposed to prevail. Sadly the Stelmach PC's, for all their rural roots, have very little common sense. They have nothing but disdain for southern Albertans and the oil and gas industry that employs as many as 800,000 Albertans directly or indirectly. Yes, 800,000. This is another number the Tories don't get.

The Stelmach Tories have no respect for property rights; witness Bill 50. They do not respect free speech. Dr. Duckett has called nurses lazy, tea sipping slackers. Liepert blames Albertans. Iris says she didn't see it coming, no one could have predicted this and that. Ed is on it. Absolute bunk. I can see how a nurse may not have the background to manage a $ 37 Billion budget and a finance portfolio. And is Mel Knight qualified to run what amounts to the largest oil and gas company in the province? Not in my lifetime. Premier Ed is on it? God help us.

And what of the Health Minister, Crocodile Duckett and his bedside manner? I spent the month of August in the Rockyview Hospital and the respect I have for those nurses, doctors, NA's and healthcare workers and support staff is so high, I cannot decribe it. When you get sick and you know nothing about what your problem is, you need the experts to save your life. They are truly the best this province has to offer and not once did they get political or bad mouth anyone. They were always cheerful even though they were always under a lot of strain. They simply did their jobs and I cannot tell you how difficult that is these days.

Not once, when I wanted to talk to a nurse, did I find them on a break or sipping tea. They are swamped; there is no time for breaks. You take one if you can and you sip on the fly.  A NA is not qualified to do a nurses job and that was very apparent but their warmth and generosity is crucial to recovery and attitudes. Thanks to the Rockyview and all those I met. I will now defend you to the end and to a new beginning.

There was also a time when the oil and gas industry and the development of the oilsands was employing thousands of people outside the province, in particular Ontario. At a time when the auto industry was collapsing, the oilsands employed many manufacturers in Ontario to produce equipment that was to be put into service in one of the oilsands plants or upgraders. It was keeping many companies afloat. And now?

But when the Stelmach PC's decided to unilaterally change the rules of the game (Massive Royalty Increases) in the middle of the game and  rip up contracts, the industry and investment community became very skittish. Had the PC Tories understood the economy, what fuels it and employs Albertans, they never would have ventured down that path.  And they were warned time and again. Alas, here we are.

What a disgrace. What a disappointment. A pure betrayal of what we as Albertans have worked so hard for and have staked our livelihoods on. It is a fatal mistake for the Stelmach Tories and Albertans are ready to toss this government asap. We need MLA's that defend and promote the interests of their constituents. We need a vision, a leader and a purpose and this government has none of the above.

So if you agree with me, do  not fear this government and the threats that are raining down on what were their biggest supporters. There is strength and some comfort in numbers.  Or as some might say, misery loves company. I am here to fight for Albertans rights and for their families and businesses. I am here to support doctors, nurses, seniors, teachers and workers that are caught in the middle. I am determined to get it right.

If there is one thing I have learned in my lifetime it is that a bully needs a punch in the nose. It is the only way to stop the bullying. If it takes several punches, so be it. Time for them to go, they have overstayed their welcome by more than a few years. Time for change. Time for new ideas and approaches; for new, young, enthusiastic and energetic blood. Time for change. Time to stop and smell the roses.

Now that you have read what I have said, do I sound like the KKK or a far right wing redneck, separatist plague. Not at all. That is an insult to Albertans inteligence. I bet I sound just like most Albertans. Oh and separation?

I want to separate the Stelmach PC's from the seat of government and any political influence. I want to separate fact from fiction, reality from blatant fabrications and untruths. I want to separate PC politics from porkbarral business grants and loans tp PC party loyalists. I want to separate oil from sand and water from oil and sell it to whoever wants to buy it and employ people in Alberta. I want a healthy thriving energy industry that leads the world in innovation and environmental technology. I want to look out for the best interests of Albertans.

If you are a Stelmach Tory , Albertans have seen and had enough of you.

Good Morning:

Why am I picking on the Alberta Liberal Party today? Why not? The liberal leader claims, like the premier, that his message has not gotten through to Albertans, so I thought I would help him.

Just so there is no confusion here on where the liberals stand on energy policy, I have taken the liberty of cutting and pasting it from their website, a short version is as follows: Remember this when you are heading to the polls. http://www.albertaliberal.com/index.php

First the nice, glossy stuff

-     Unleash “the Western Tiger” by encouraging the building of bitumen upgraders in Alberta and elsewhere in Western Canada, to keep economic benefits on our side of the Canadian border.

-     Implement a fiscal and royalty regime designed to:

-     provide a competitive and appropriate return to Albertans,  the owners of the resources;

-     ensure a thriving Alberta-based energy industry, with a competitive return for the businesses who take the risks;

-     support the long-term sustainability of resource extraction;

-     urgently address environmental issues; and

-     deliver maximum value-added wealth generation in Alberta and Canada, within environmental, economic, and social constraints.

And now the bad news

-     Total revenue collected in royalties will rise 20 per cent from what would be collected under today’s rules, with a re-balancing toward higher royalties from oilsands and more-manageable royalties from conventional gas.

http://www.albertaliberal.com/images/uploads/Prosperity__Energy.pdf

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The liberal policy is naive and totally inadequate and is void of vision and substance. They want to ensure a thriving Alberta-based energy industry and raise the royalties 20% over and above the New Royalty Framework and 20% above the current royalties being paid under the new drilling and incentive plan? I don't think they really put a whole lot of thought into their policies.

The liberal policy would further erode our conventional oil and gas industry in Alberta. Higher royalties have never resulted in an increase in government revenues. I know that is very confusing for the liberals. The liberals don't get it, Ed doesn't get it and neither do our PC MLA's in the Calgary region. Ask them. Higher royalties kills development, kills jobs and erodes government revenues.

The liberals do not reflect the vast majority of Albertans politically and as they veer aimlessly to the left with complaints the royalties are not high enough, just think where we would be now if that kind of poorly thought out napkin type policy was actually implemented. The liberals can never become government in Alberta. Their performance in opposition will ensure they will never gain the trust of Albertans to govern.

If you want to know how little the liberals know about energy and the history and meat of the royalty debate, just call and ask them(1.800.661.9201). Dr. Swann could not explain how royalties work and has no idea what needs to be done to make Alberta competitive once again.

It's OK for the general public to not understand the royalty calculations and incentives but it is another issue to have a policy and liberal opposition party without any knowledge or desire to learn about oil and gas issues and what needs to be done to right the ship. To their credit they have met with several industry people but they have failed to grasp the bigger picture.

It is an example of how the liberals feel they are entitled to be in opposition without actually doing any research or homework on key energy issues in Alberta. They do not agree with our serious concerns regarding the New Royalty Framework(NRF) and how the implementation of it has devastated our economy. They offer no concrete policy alternatives that are of any benefit to the energy industry and this conventional industry is in need of some sustenance and jobs.

In fact the liberal policy would further damage our industry and put more oil field workers out of work.

The liberals are no longer a viable opposition.

There, I got it off my chest. I feel better already. Now back to the PC's.

Have a great day.