It's his choice!

[ivbinconned]

The difficult choice facing Premier Ed Stelmach

The two big leadership votes in Canada this past weekend ended the same way.

Pulled between diverging front runners, the federal Liberals and Alberta’s Conservatives both opted for compromise candidates.

In Alberta, the clash between Jim Dinning and Ted Morton moved the party in large numbers to third-place candidate Ed Stelmach, whose organization and positioning were superb.

But precedents are not encouraging.

Some have pointed to Harry Strom, the last of Alberta’s Social Credit dynasty, and others to Joe Clark. Both were seen at the time as safe and unifying alternatives, and both failed.

However, circumstances are always different. Ed Stelmach’s future will not be determined by history. It will be determined by Ed Stelmach.

If he has wisdom and courage he will do just fine.

He will notice, for example, that the other improbable winner in this contest -- apart from himself -- was Ted Morton.

A backbench rookie with no media, public or caucus support, Morton knocked out four cabinet ministers on his way to third place -- Victor Doerksen, Lyle Oberg, Mark Norris and David Hancock.

Morton in fact took 28% of the final ballot. Then, because most of his supporters chose Stelmach as their second pick, Morton’s camp gave Stelmach his whopping majority over Jim Dinning.

So only one of the three finalists was actually defeated, not two.

Dinning, remember, had the huge war-chest, the impressive record, the army of professionals, the nine years of preparation, the phalanx of MLAs and ministers, and the establishment endorsements.

Morton had only an idea -- the idea that Albertans must learn to stand on their own feet and reduce the massive outflow of Alberta money to the federal treasury.

Dinning attacked this idea with the same scripted ferocity as Jean Chretien and Paul Martin attacked Stephen Harper. “Ted Morton’s Alberta,” said Dinning, “is not my Alberta.” One of his MLAs said Morton would turn Alberta into Alabama. One of his ministers warned that a party led by Morton would lose the next election.

Dinning said, rather sanctimoniously, he favours peace with Ottawa.

Well who doesn’t? The problem, as Morton pointed out, is that peace costs Alberta $15 billion a year -- a net fiscal contribution of an astonishing $15,000 per Alberta family per year. Albertans cannot secure their future as long as the federal system is creaming 7% of their economy off the top.

Stelmach knows this. But he also knows that most Albertans don’t know it, and would probably rather not think about it.

The easy answer for Stelmach is to deny that Ottawa is a problem. Reconcile with the Dinning caucus, forget Ottawa, and shut Morton out; for while Morton has over one-quarter of the party membership, he has almost none of the caucus. And it’s the caucus with which a premier must daily contend.

Denying the problem would be easy; but it would be poor leadership.

The 41,000 supporters that Morton organized across Alberta represent the province’s newest and most forward-looking political force. They understand that Alberta must play a key role in changing the federal system.

Ed Stelmach, if he assigns Morton a key cabinet role to do this, will go down in the books as a great premier.

And if he doesn’t, I suspect he will end up a footnote like Harry Strom.

It’s his choice.

- Link Byfield

[wilagro]

I'll guarantee one thing...Morton would not be in MY cabinet. I've read enough about his ideas and future policies that he would impose on Albertans.

Byfield is out in...pardon the expression "left field".

[ivbinconned]

Well willy if you have no sympathy for Morton or Byfields view then you are definetly in a minority and so far out in the field you haven't been to town for along time.

For example here is a responce from another site that I posted this on.
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dare I suggest there are already enough phoney conservatives in cabinet


Yes, Morton has won what you might call a strategic political victory. However, Klein was well aware of the general population's support of Morton's policy ideas. Klein chose to sweep that information under the rug. He was and is afraid of where those policies might lead, and he wanted to avoid having ordinary Albertans looking down that road.


Let me say this. Stelmach appointing Morton to cabinet is also dangerous to Stelmach. Byfield is right, the average Albertan does not really understand just how much of Alberta's economy is being siphoned off by Ottawa. Nor do they understand that the average Alberta family pays 12000 per year in federal taxes without getting a single dollars worth of federal services in their province.

When a Cabinet minister starts telling them the truth about taxes, transfers, and a few other issues, Albertan's attitudes will harden ... and there is already a core support for outright seperation, a core that was 25 percent according to Klein's own admission, but likely 30 percent or a little higher now.

Can you imagine a cabinet minister explaining that 12 000 per year is enough to make you a millionair in your lifetime if you invest it over the 40 years you are working .... or that it is every Alberta couples first home and university education for two children?

Why, my fellow Albertans, do you give up so much? To pave Quebec's country roads when yours are gravel, to pay for Quebec families to have free daycare while you have to pay for your own, to pay for half a billion a year in Quebec culture and arts programs, to pay for students outside the province to go to university while you have to send your kids into the workforce ........ to pay for a gun registry we neither wanted or needed, to pay for federal bureucrats who put western farmers in jail for selling their own property while central Canadian farmers are allowed to.

How about billions to Bombardier, Micheline tire, or a host of other central Canadian businesses ?

Why do Albertans continue to sacrifice so much of their future
Posted by smaug;
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He did not mention the fact that Quebecs ag subsidies are lavish...as high as $120.00 per acre on some crops in the recent past. Amazing considering Quebec is a have not province...but made possible while Albertan's and wilagro and copper sleep.

[wilagro]

Half-truths, lies and distortions designed to rabble-rouse the populace can be quite effective if expounded repeatedly.

Do you have any idea how buying and marketing co-ops and Quebec provincial gov't support has boosted Quebec agriculture? Is it any wonder that Quebec farmers are optimistic.

In Alberta for example, we support big agri-business ventures based in the USA or Taiwan while our own producers suck the hind teat. When Cargill opened up their livestock processing plant, our government lent money to them, one of the richest corporations in North America.

[ivbinconned]

"Do I have any idea"...thats funny. No one here has posted in the past three years as much detail about Quebec ag subsidies as I have and it has come from much research and contacts in eastern Ontario that are miffed about the great government subsidies that the broke Quebec government seems to be able to deliver. Of course with Alberta $$$$$$$$

This information is not that hard to find...look through the archives of the "Ontario Farmer" or the Quebec based, http://www.laterre.ca/index.php?action=accueil and get your self a translation program and then willy...you will be as smart as me.

Those who don't read have no advantage over those who can't!

[cowman]

It will be interesting to see what Ed Stelmach does? Does he take some bold initiatives or does he play the same old game of the previous government?
I suspect the "instant Tories" who put him in did so to continue the "same old/same old"? Times are good in Alberta right now and Joe Sixpack doesn't want to rock the boat!
But the fact is in the last five years government spending has gone up 50%...and I don't see that trend reversing? Now maybe we can afford that for awhile...but I wonder for how long?
For those who don't know the oil and gas sector is coming down fast? I suspect by as early as next year we will see a drastic reduction in the surplus? Klein throwing another $ billion to schools, the Coliseum, the Saddledome in his final days, will be expensive? Stelmach could stop this...but at a high political cost?
I don't think Ed Stelmach got such a sweetheart deal, to tell you the truth? The Klein governments overspending the last few years has set the stage for the PC party to look really bad if we go into a bust? Stelmach will look like a real loser if this happens...just like Ralph Klein looked like a real winner because of the boom?
In one of the local papers they had a writeup on Stelmach and how he thought about more bitumen being refined here? The spokesman for Encana stated very clearly they would love to do that but economically it just wasn't feasible unless the Alberta Government was prepared to help out! Eds reply was no government money...and no force to make them refine it in Alberta! In other words business as usual...but it sure sounds good?
Stelmach says we need to focus our energies on more housing? Is the Alberta government going to come up with some money to make this possible? I thought the government was out of the business of being in business, so how might this be possible? Or are they going to be a cheering section?
Finally Stelmach said whatever Quebec gets...Alberta should get and he says he told Stephen Harper that? Does this mean we should be the Alberta Nation...within a united Canada, of course! Or was this just blowing smoke?

[coppertop]

cowman, one way the province can assist with the housing situation is to allow affordable housing to be built on provincially owned lands within various urban centres. By allowing these lands to be utilized the cost to build would be significantly lower than privately owned land, the private developer isn't really interested in building lower cost homes.The province already does provide infrastructure grants for utilities, eg. water and sewer,plus 75% funding to replace or expand waste water lagoons in rural hamlets. Much of the boom in this province has caught the municipalities most affected without ample developed land.

I just returned from the large Land Use Policy Framework discussions in Red Deer, and one of the suggestions that seemed to get a lot of support was to have a lower royalty rate on resources that were to be refined here, a higher royalty rate on raw products.This may provide the incentive to refine products here vs exporting raw. When we consider that we lose 16 Billion annually as a province from the raw bitumin shipped from the oilsands alone, I would think that some sort of royalty concession would be worth it to Albertans.

[cowman]

Well not sure if we can afford anymore "concessions" on tarsands? On some of it we only get 1% now? I don't think we should get less than 1%...do you? Is this how we change the royalty structure? By getting less than we already have? Does that make economic sense?
I wonder how the "Land Use Policy" thing is shaping up? I heard at one time that the government is going to have this in place by spring? Is that right? Is this "provincial plan" going to be like the one that rules on hog barns/feedlots etc., where basically the province decides what happens...not the municipality? I think the municipalities would love that because it sure takes the heat off them! And hey if your in tight with the MLA and the PC party it would be "Katie bar the door"!
Red Deer county spent a whack of money doing a "land Use Policy" which they promptly violated themselves as well as at least one councillor and now it is basically wide open...at least in regard to industrial land! And it is always real funny that somehow it always seems to be the best farmland!
I guess "land use Policies" are only as good as the people who write them?

[coppertop]

cowman, I likely used the wrong wording regarding royalty structures. I would suspect that there would be higher royalties for raw products, and perhaps they would remain as is for refined.

The Land Use Policy Framework is a very ambitious project, with a goal of having a draft document ready by June. Now, this can change, depending on the priority it is given by the new Minister and Cabinet.

Regarding municipalities having their say, I would suspect the majority of municipalities wish to continue to have the final say as they do now local land zoning, and development permittting etc.

The Provincial Land Use Policies are just a guiding document with absolutely NO TEETH, which has caused the current hodge podge of development across the province.
For instance, if you wished to open ten chain stores or industrial businesses in Alberta, you would abide by ten sets of rules under the current structure.
If you wished to locate a hog barn you would also abide by local zoning rules, but provincially mandated regulations.

A lot of heat put on the resource industry, particularly oil and gas exploration during the meetings. Municipalities and many other groups represented felt that there should be Regional autonomy, with land zoning, and the same sort of mandate currently held by the EUB and NRCB.

To use your Region as a scenario, Red Deer/Lacombe/Ponoka/and areas east could make up one Region. In that region a board would be created to make all zoning decisions, and all approvals for various resource and mining industries. Some went so far as to suggest that the a large portion of the royalties and taxes collected would be pooled within a region, which would also jointly pay all costs associated with development. No matter how this shakes down, it is going to take a lot of GUTS by the government to make any real changes.

The group that was invited to attend were chosen from a group of between 600- and 800 that had attended focus groups held over the late summer, early fall. There were approximately 150 of us invited to this weeks sessions in Red Deer. One thing I appreciated was the opportunity for input by all attendees, vs the usual sitting listening to speakers ramble on for hours. This was a working meeting wne all ideas were either supported or tossed aside by the entire group.

[cowman]

Thank you for that information and Yes I would agree any government who tries to push this agenda is going to need a lot of guts!
As far as resource developement goes I would suggest agencies like the EUB are roundly seen as being very pro-big business? It seems, no matter what, their goals are get that well/pipeline/powerline built? I wonder if this land use policy will be more of the same?
By the way I was impressed by how Stelmach answered a question by the press on slowing down growth? He answered "Make no doubt about it. Our foot is pressed down on the gas pedal...and that isn't going to change!" I like that answer.
I don't think much of Mandel but Bracconier could be a tough cookie if he chooses to enter provincial politics? He is very popular in Calgary and his whining for more money all the time seems to have struck a cord there? God help us if we ever get the Liberals in charge of the bank account!

[coppertop]

In my opinion the whole provincial government BOARDS needs to be re-evaluated. The NRCB, EUB, SURFACE RIGHTS BOARD, WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARD etc.

Huge budgets for some of them, and in the case of the EUB, floor after floor of support staff in the Calgary office, not to mention the field offices. Board appointments are made in a ad hoc fashion, in some cases the individuals have expertise in the areas necessary, in others, they are appointed because they are friends of friends etc.

The EUB have do have a lot of work on their place, but the NRCB has NOT had a hearing in almost a year, and given the amendments to the AOPA legislation giving the livestock industry almost the right to do what they want, it is doubtful if that side of the NRCB mandate will be busy in the future, and yet there are two major and four field offices complete with staff etc.

The government restructuring ministry really didn't get much done since the last election, and who knows whether or not that ministry will still exist after next Friday. There is a need for more efficiencies within the provincial government, even in these boom times with the dollars rolling in.

I look to the new premier to be a strong fiscal manager, he was in all his ministries.

[cowman]

coppertop: Well I sure hope he is up to the task! Despite our obvious differences on this forum I do realize that the "grassroots" have spoken...and Ed is the MAN!
And I do realize he is the voice we need to rally behind, to keep the things we hold dear in this province!
And because of all the good things said about him...I do think he is a man of honor and integrity! I sure hope he is up to the task.

[coppertop]

cowman, as long a differences don't result in personal attacks and name calling, they are healthy. It would be a very boring site and world if we all agreed on everything, and sang from the same songsheet !!!

[ivbinconned]

"name calling"...I suspect you are refering to me copper.

Quit whining and get over it. You screwed up, goofed up or whatever when you showed your prejudice against Morton because of his place of birth! I called you on it and described it as bigotry…others agreed. Read you dictionary!!
The sad thing is the fact that it was a tactic that was uncalled for and obviously unnecessary.

But you are in good company, many others in the past have, in paranoia, resorted to low tactics out of fear their interests where under threat. But others have also had the class to apologize. In this case though you just keep on whining about being called names…if the shoe fits…