concerned-albertans

There is much talk and news coverage of the Wildrose Alliance Party and Danielle Smith, the new charismatic and equally intelligent and articulate leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party. She represents many, many concerned Albertans and I want to thank all those who supported Danielle in the leadership race and look forward to seeing how Albertans respond to Danielle and her ideas. Because she is ideas focused and a public policy wonk. She is going to make you a very proud supporter and I believe Albertans are going to embrace this charming lady and all she stands for. She is a breath of fresh air in what has become the Stelmach Alberta outhouse.

There is no doubt that politics in Alberta has become very interesting and out of the ashes of what is left of the Alberta economy comes a young, female, charismatic, articulate, well educated, well informed and determined leader;  a new leader that has started a prairie wildfire across the political lanscape in Alberta and has already managed to catch the imaginations of true fiscally conservative Albertans, social moderates, social conservatives, fiscally conservative liberals and maybe even the odd ND. And we all know just how odd that is in Alberta.

It is worth noting the dynamic happening inside the PC Caucus and Albertans should try to understand how it is that the premier can keep his critics within the party silenced. This is a battle for power within the PC caucus. It is an internal power struggle between the northern rural powerbase that holds more seats than the southern fiscally conservative caucus members. It is North vs South, rural vs urban, Edmonton vs Calgary, Stelmach vs his old opponents and in this battle of Alberta we are all getting beat on. Stelmach MLA's outnumber anit-Stelmach MLA's and to challenge the premier is a sure way to find yourself on the outside looking in. It would result in a loss of committee posts and money and influence. Not that any Calgary MLA's seem to influence the premier other than our TLC starved health minister.

This article appeared in the Edmonton Journal Ocober 20, 2009. Please leave comments. I have had several converstaions with many Albertans and several current and former politicians and what I can say is that Danielle has their attention and she is well on her way to gaining all the credibility and support she will need to gain the trust of Albertans.  Have a read and stay tuned. Alberta politics just got very interesting.

Daggers drawn for Stelmach

Trish Audette and Renata D' Aliesio October 20, 2009 Edmonton Journal

No endorsement from Manning, Klein

Big names on Alberta’s political right fired shots at Ed Stelmach on Monday, with his predecessor predicting the premier will face a tough time at his party leadership review next month.

When asked whether Alberta’s business community is ready for a change in leadership, former premier Ralph Klein said: “I think so. Enough said.”

Reform party founder Preston Manning made a prediction of his own, that the 38-year Progressive Conservative dynasty may be ready to topple under its own weight.

“The government has been around a long time,” said the former Reform leader, who contemplated a run for the PC leadership in 2006. “When you’re the governing party that’s been around a long time, you’re carrying a lot of weight.”

One former Klein cabinet minister also weighed in, saying he’s frustrated with Stelmach’s leadership, but is contemplating casting a ballot of support when the premier faces a mandatory review from party members next month.

Former Bonnyville Tory MLA Ernie Isley said he thinks the Wildrose Alliance has a better chance of winning ridings in the next election if Stelmach remains at the Tory helm.

“Unless there’s a significant change in attitude in the Stelmach Conservatives, I will be with the Wildrose,” said Isley, who holds memberships in both parties. “At this point in time, it’s more progressive than the Progressive Conservatives are.”

linkAnd then the premier sat down for an in depth interview with the CTV's Barb Higgins. That took all of one minute and as usual there was really nothing of substance other than the premier looking miffed and mad as he is aked why he didn't roll back the entire increase he and all MLA's and cabinet ministers voted for themselves in May 2008. The hypocrisy is thicker than the energy ministers skull.

Finally we have something new to talk about in Alberta politics. Put aside the PC’s inability to understand our economy, their massive and growing deficit, their treatment of Seniors, doctors, nurses, teachers, oil and gas professionals, landowners and their sudden alleged rediscovery of fiscal conservatism.

What’s that you say? All the rest is true except a return to fiscal conservatism? I have to agree. One statement from the premier - that the message he received from the PC loss in Calgary-Glenmore is he needs to be more conservative in his budgeting, is but a small part of the message and problem true conservatives have with the premier and his followers. Apparently that is all he got out of that message, whereas many PC MLA’s learned a whole lot more.

I am sure those first term PC MLA’s that are looking to spend another term in office before collecting a very healthy pension must be wondering if they shouldn’t begin the search for a new career ASAP and get the jump on their fellow PC MLAs. Esspecially after the recent University of Lethbridge/Athabaska University polls released yesterday.

Not one PC MLA is safe in Calgary and the list in rural Alberta grows daily. And the message to Ed et al is loud and clear from not just the business capital of the Province but from across the Province. You’ve really screwed this up, you refuse to admit it, and you have no idea how to correct it. Three strikes and you’re out.

This incompetent and under-qualified PC leadership is costing every Albertan a whole lot more than this premier is willing to admit. That is unless you believe he gets it and Mel Knight gets it and Iris Evans gets it and Ron Liepert gets it.  Do you think your PC MLA gets it? I don’t think any of them get it. The damage this premier and the PC MLAs have done to Alberta is devastating not only to our number one industry but our economy as a whole. It is going to take years to recover. And that is after we rid this province of the PCs and Ed Stelmach.

Alberta needs the Wildrose Alliance Party and the Wildrose Alliance Party needs Danielle Smith. She is smart, likeable and an appealing leader and here’s why.

Danielle Smith reflects the values of average Albertans. She is well educated, articulate; center right, a fiscal conservative first and, in my opinion, a reflection of a new Alberta conservative that is also socially compassionate and responsible. Not possible you say? It is if Danielle Smith wins the leadership of the Wildrose Alliance. She understands that the ability to provide the social services and benefits Albertans deserve is entirely dependent on a vibrant and profitable business community. She believes we must balance the budget and provide a competitive fiscal policy that attracts  businesses, people and capital to Alberta and ensures a stable, predictable flow of revenues to the government.

 She believes considerable savings can be realized in waste and mismanagement and eliminating bloated and systemic bureaucratic inefficiencies, duplication and overlapping areas of responsibilities.

The fiscal regime has to be stable, predictable, reliable, competitive and sustainable. For oil and gas, the New Royalty Framework has to be replaced with a highly competitive royalty and drilling incentive program that is long-term and provides jobs for Albertans, investment opportunities for companies, and provides government with a more predictable and dependable revenue stream.  She has the vision we require to restore Alberta’s advantage and credibility across Canada and internationally.

A socially conservative leader is not going to win over the hearts of the majority of Albertans. I continue to hear this time and again and from many respected Albertans. Wildrose Alliance members need to take that to heart. As a libertarian, Danielle Smith is socially compassionate and responsible, a moderate who believes we need to support our seniors and take care of those Albertans that cannot take care of themselves. That sounds like most of us. That is not far right.

She holds an English and economics degree and understands the balance that must be maintained between the role of government, investor risk and reward, taxation and profit and that a profitable business is good for economic growth, employment and government revenues.

The more Albertans are exposed to Danielle Smith, the more people like her. She is a communicator that would seriously outshine the other leaders in Alberta politics. The best part is she knows what the hell she is talking about. She understands business both urban and rural and understands that our economy is dependent on a vibrant and active oil and gas industry.

She is a strong supporter of enshrining property rights as opposed to this PC government that will soon introduce legislation (Bill 50) that tramples on landowner property rights. She holds extensive experience in this area and will act in the best interests of property owners across the province.

She understands small business as former director of provincial affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and represented 10,000 small Alberta businesses. She sees the bigger and longer term picture and is ideas oriented. She has travelled Alberta extensively and has many influential supporters across the province.

She understands our education system and supports a strong, inclusive and affordable education system that focuses on learning excellence and producing graduates from our universities that will enter the Alberta workforce and provide the province with a home grown, highly educated and trained workforce. Right now we have our grads leaving Alberta. Skilled trades people are staying home and are unemployed. Nursing grads have to go elsewhere due to a hiring freeze. Trades people are not finding adequate employment.

And free speech? The PCs do not support free speech, Danielle Smith and the Wildrose Alliance do.

 But the biggest reason the Wildrose Alliance party and Alberta needs Danielle Smith is her ability to take over a room, to capture attention, to lead people and organize and attract and motivate Albertans with a wide range of expertise in all sectors of our economy. She has the ability to get Albertans involved politically and she is humble enough to know it is a team effort and Albertans need to be consulted and their expertise relied upon.

With Danielle Smith as leader, the party will be able to attract highly qualified Wildrose Alliance candidates across the province that are true conservatives while attracting people concerned about providing quality and timely healthcare and an accessible and a focused educational system specific to our current and future economy.

She is a breath of fresh air, as many have put it, and will continue to gain the support of rural and urban Albertans, businesses, families and seniors, teachers, students, doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals. And her supporters are willing to offer their expertise because of a deep concern for Alberta and its future. She is what Alberta needs. And she will provide the leadership the party needs to continue to raise the funds that will be needed to run candidates in every constituency and challenge the PC’s across the province in the next general election.

Make no mistake about it, the ability of the Wildrose Alliance Party to challenge the PC’s to govern this great province, relies solely on the ability of the party to raise sufficient funds to finance a large campaign to replace the PC’s. And the ability to raise the funds necessary requires us to elect a leader that would attract and appeal to the majority of Albertans.

A social conservative candidate would leave the party on the right without the ability to attract a broad base of members of all age groups and expertise and income levels. The ability of the party to raise funds would be severely hampered and many new members would simply disengage from the process. Many new conservative movements end up on the political fringe. This is why. Wildrose Alliance members must choose the right person at the right time and right now that is Danielle Smith.

The Wildrose Alliance Party has a historic opportunity to challenge the PCs but only if Danielle Smith is chosen Leader and the party stays center right.

Danielle Smith as leader of the Wildrose Alliance party is the best shot we as Albertans have to force a change in government and restore faith and trust in government and lead Alberta out of the abyss Stelmach and the PC caucus have unwittingly thrown us into. 

I urge all Wildrose Alliance members to vote for Danielle Smith as leader. If Danielle Smith becomes the leader, the race is on and we can concentrate on nothing more than gaining the respect and trust of Albertans under the leadership of a competent, intelligent, articulate, mainstream Albertan who gets it.