Taxpayers grade the candidates...

[coppertop]

cowman, Ed has a lot more than Oberg, Hancock and Norris in his camp as of today, more likely coming over tomorrow, including Carol Haley MLA from Airdrie.
The reason these folks are in Ed's camp is because they know he can use his leadership skills to bring caucus together and get on with the job of governing Alberta.

Dinning held a hoopla at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton today, his supporters were given short notice to be there, and from the look of the crowd on TV, his main bunch showed up, and he made a rip-roaring speech aimed at Morton, but he was singing to the choir, now that isn't going to bring one new vote in for Saturday.

I think it is a two man race between Morton and Stelmach, Dinning as I have said all along needed to win it on the first ballot because he has nowhere to turn for increased support.

Many people turned out to support Morton because they were encouraged to do so by their church affiliation. Interestingly enough, Ed Stelmach is a very staunch churchgoer, and always has been, so as far as family values, integrity and practicing his faith he does not take a back seat to anyone.

Morton and Dinning are busy taking shots at one another, which does not provide any showing of statesmanship in my view.

The biggest gong show of all has been the disorganization by the PC Party, in one family a father and mother, their married son and his wife all voted in the advance poll in Banff Cochrane. Another son, his wife and a couple of young adult children were turned away at the same poll on Saturday, and advised that they either had to vote at Crossfield or Springbank, they live in the same farmyard as their parents and brother !!

[northfarmer]

so what church is promoting Morton? do you know what faith he practices?


does it make a difference?

.....I thinks have met Ed and like Ed....Dinning no thanks, but Morton might be the fresh choice for a new look at things.....

[ivbinconned]

“Winds of Change”
A message to all Albertans from Ted Morton
Monday, November 27, 2006

I would like to begin by again thanking all the candidates for a job well done. As I said Saturday, we heard more new ideas and fresh thinking in the past 2 months than I’ve heard in the past 2 years -- ideas that will benefit both our party and our province.

And to their supporters, I want you to know that I would be honoured to have your support.

If you believe in party reform and renewal, then you have a home in the Ted Morton campaign.

My goal from the start has always been a broad, inclusive coalition that reunites all conservatives -- red, blue, green and calico -- within our party; a party in which every member will be treated with respect.

I would also like to thank my volunteers and supporters for the amazing job they did on Saturday. You’ve started a prairie wild fire, and it blazed across the province Saturday.

Your message was loud, clear and proud: It’s time for change -- in our party and in our province.

You proved that there is no amount of money or backroom deal-making that can’t be overcome by good old fashioned, grassroots politics, neighbour to neighbour, friend to friend.

We certainly don’t have the large corporate donations of Jim Dinning, but we do have something much more powerful. We have each of you.

So now, the choice is even clearer than before:
change versus the status quo, reform and renewal versus a party that just protects the vested interests, and is run by the same old crew of backroom boys.

Those who are invested in the status quo never support change. And to prevent that change from coming, they’ll do what they always do -- they’ll appeal to fear.

Well, it won’t work.

It didn’t work for Paul Martin when he tried it on Stephen Harper, and it won’t for Jim Dinning if he tries it on Ted Morton.

Albertans are too smart to fall for negative mudslinging. Albertans want leadership, leadership that provides hope and points forward to a brighter future.

But this won’t stop the mud-slinging. The backroom boys about to lose their meal ticket aren’t going to go without a fight.

So let’s set the record straight today. Am I a true-blue Tory? Yes.

Do I believe in both fiscal and social responsibility? Yes.

Do I believe that our lives would be better with “Less Ottawa and more Alberta”? Yes.

And so would the lives of all other Canadians!

But first and foremost, Ted Morton is a democrat. I believe in “responsible government”, government based on the consent of the governed.

I am not running to replace “King Ralph” with “King Ted.” I am running to restore democracy and accountability both to our party and to our government in Edmonton.

I will not unilaterally impose any policies on my caucus, on my party or on the good people of Alberta. I will govern by consensus and coalition-building, the way all successful parties govern.

So this morning I want to announce two, specific initiatives that you can expect from a Ted Morton-led government next year.

Health Care Reform

Albertans understand that equal access to a waiting list is not equal access to health care; and that the solution is not more money but more choice.

Last week’s poll in the Calgary Herald showed that 2 out of three Albertans, and three out of four PC supporters want government to let them purchase the health care they need in Alberta, and not force them to go to Vancouver or Montreal.

I am the only candidate left in the race to champion the obvious need for health care reform.

Accordingly, I would make health care reform priority legislation for the next sitting, in spring 2007, of the Legislature.

But ONLY AFTER both the principles and the details have been approved by party members at our next Annual General Meeting in March.

I will advocate but I will not impose.

And the same goes for any other major policy initiatives—whether it is a provincial police force or an Alberta Pension Plan.

A Ted Morton government will be as conservative or as liberal or as moderate as our party members want it to be.

Alberta Heritage Fund Referendum

The leadership campaign has again focused attention on the three basic choices facing Albertans; save, spend or invest?

All leadership candidates advocated saving a certain percentage of energy revenues and putting it into the Heritage Savings Trust Fund. And almost all Albertans agree that the Heritage Savings Trust Fund should be grown.

But by what percentage?

10%? 20%? 30%? 40%?

I have advocated 30% as has the Alberta Chamber of Commerce.

But pressure for new program spending is huge, and the demand for new infrastructure spending is even bigger. I have become convinced that no government will be able to resist these pressures unless we take dramatic and decisive action to establish a province-wide consensus on this critical issue.

Accordingly, as Premier, I would hold a province-wide referendum in conjunction with the next scheduled municipal elections in October, 2007.

The results of this referendum will provide the moral force for government to stick to whatever percentage of savings Albertans choose.

It will establish a social contract between the Ted Morton government and the people of Alberta, a contract that will be respected by my government and, I would hope, by all opposition parties as well.

The winds of change are blowing and I invite all Albertans to join with me in making sure that 1 week from now we have a Progressive Conservative Government led by Ted Morton... and Mark Norris... and Ed Stelmach... and Jim Dinning... and Victor Doerksen... and every other like-minded, conservative Albertan who wants to see the renewal and reform of our party and great province.

[silverback]

I know Haley got re-elected, but as usual she managed to disappear after the election.

How much do MLA's get paid again? Do they take their breaks at seeding and harvest time?

[coppertop]

According to some of the elected officials in my community the evangelical churches are promoting Morton because of his stand on same sex marriage.

I think Morton is a catholic but I am not sure, Ed is catholic, and again I am not sure whether it is Roman Catholic or Ukrainan Orthadox. My view has always been that religion and politics don't mix well,but others view it differently.

[cowman]

Morton is a Catholic. A newspaper article says he attends about three or four times a year. Not exactly a raving fanatic or anything?
Now I don't know who voted for Morton. I did notice at my local polling booth there were a lot of local farmers, small businessmen etc. but have no idea who they were voting for? The local MLA sent out a flyer in the mail about two days before the election urging people to vote Ed Stelmach! He stated he had made the decision to vote for Stelmach and implied all his loyal subjects should fall in line!
Now this clown is about the most useless MLA we've ever had, in my opinion, and I suspect he might be vulnorable in the next election! The Alliance had a pretty good showing against him last time out and he sure ain't done nothing for us since!
But he looks impressive bombing around in his new Viper with a girl 25 years younger than him in the passenger seat!

[coppertop]

Well cowman, if Morton gets in, and can force caucus to tow his line, you better have deep pockets to pay for the private health care premiums he want to implement. He will do away with health care premiums ONCE there are private premiums in place, so it will be a user pay system for those who can afford it, and everyone else will go to the back of the bus as far as health care is concerned.....stay healthy cowman !!!!!

[ivbinconned]

In Saskatchewan we are all ready at the back of the bus...waiting months and months for appointments. But I feel oh so protected by... "universal health care"!

But I can get a c-section for my heifer right away!! Like one hour wait time!!

[coppertop]

The Alberta Health care system started to deteriorate when the Regional Health Authorities were formed in my opinion. The old hospital boards usually ran in the black, had plenty of doctors and nobody waited for hours in the emergency room etc.

Having said that, I realize that there are a lot more people in Alberta now, and the demands have grown. People who would not have survived heart conditions and some cancers years ago, are now treatable and many can live long and reasonably healthy lives, and for that I am grateful.

Private Health Insurance for those who can afford it scares me, just as much as forcing doctors to work in the public sector if they want to work in the private sector. I would hate to be the one who happened to get a grumpy doctor working his PUBLIC HEALTH hours and giving up his fat fee in the private clinic.....

There are so many issues at stake for Albertans with this leadership election, one being the ability of the new leader to bring the conservative caucus together with one common goal, which must be serving Albertans, and working within the existing confederation to further Alberta's position not only as a leader but a province that welcomes other Canadians within our borders, not builds a fence to keep them out.

[cakadu]

"My goal from the start has always been a broad, inclusive coalition that reunites all conservatives -- red, blue, green and calico -- within our party; a party in which every member will be treated with respect".

To play devil's advocate for a moment, if those conservatives who take the opposite stance on same sex marriage, i.e. are for it, will they be welcome in this all encompassing coalition of conservatives?

After watching the all candidates debate, the one candidate that I will give kudos to with respect to the health care question is Mark Norris. At least he had the wherewithall to state that the RHA's would have to go as that is where the money was trapped. In many of the government programs, the money doesn't get to where it needs to go, rather it gets trapped in administrative layers.

[Horse]

I wonder did anyone say they would give us the real figures [ie just where the money goes]on healthcare and then let us have an informed dicision IBC I made an apointment and it will take 8 days to get in here in the great nation of Alta.
I sure cant wait til this leadership is over and we start to get some of the dirt on what has been going on the past 14yr.

[ivbinconned]

Your a great advocate copper but you always overstate your argument like you did with this gem..."common goal, which must be serving Albertans, and working within the existing confederation to further Alberta's position not only as a leader but a province that welcomes other Canadians within our borders, not builds a fence to keep them out."


Alberta has been a welcome place for the motivated for decades and no one that I know of wants a closed border to newcomers!