Click here to see the conference agenda.

A Report Card on Alberta was circulated in advance to help prepare for the conference.  Click here to see the Report Card.

Session summaries have been posted:

• Vision for the Next Chapter of Alberta’s Story
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Economic Growth
• Environmental Conservation
• Democratic Participation
• Health & Education
• Leadership on the National Stage

The purpose of this conference was to create a democratic forum to enable Albertans to discuss future of province at a time of transition.

We will do our utmost to encourage our fellow citizens to do three things over the next two years:

• Discuss: Albertans are looking for vigorous discussion and meaningful decisions on each of these questions (and more).
• Demand: When Albertans aren’t getting the answers or information they need and want, they need to demand better.
• Decide: Ultimately we will have to decide for ourselves who among us are best qualified to further advance those policies and actions which will provide the people of Alberta with the secure and prosperous future they desire and deserve.

If you believe this type of exercise is worthwhile, please organize a mini version of this conference in your community or with your particular group and to forward the results to us for broader dissemination.

Speaker: Monte Solberg – Former Federal Cabinet Minister

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbkx348qp27x9mo.pdf?t=1265850524

Session summary:

[Note: There was substantial disagreement about this session summary among conference participants.  A straw poll vote was taken, the breakdown was: 33 (Yes) - 21 (No) - 16 (Abstentions).]

Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area? If not, what is our assessment?

• With very few exceptions the room agrees with the “F” grade, one “D” grade

Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?

• Be more direct with the rest of Canada
• Disagreement on whether it is only a communication problem or whether it is substantive
• Getting our house in order before we can lead

What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?

• Senate reform (elected senators), provincial senate
• Look to the model of other provinces
• Expand on TILMA
• Strive to be more generous with other provinces (loans from Heritage Fund), promote our economic contributions to the rest of Canada

Small Group Discussion response forms:

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbjxr8axx9wu280.pdf?t=1265848599

Speakers:

• Peter Cowley – Director of School Performance Studies, The Fraser Institute
• Nadeem Esmail – Senior Fellow, The Fraser Institute

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbkx1487dbr5se8.pdf?t=1265850524

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbkww37ahb6w2io.pdf?t=1265850521

Session summary:

Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area? If not, what is our assessment?

• Agreed with “F” for health, some would go higher because outcomes and services are quite good
• Consensus with “B” for education

Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?

• People generally agree on more competition, though some were concerned with establishment of a parallel health system
• Patient focused system where money follows patients (activity based), more patient choice, would consider co-pays but would like to know more about the implications of such a system
• Must assess whether or not to opt out of the Canada Health Act
• Concern about the rural impact of proposed reforms

What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?
Education

• Greater accountability for teachers, discussion on the role of assessment in accountability
• More emphasis on charter schools
• Curriculum review to ensure vocational / life skills are taught
• Teachers should be accredited as experts in certain fields
• Compensation incentives for teachers
• Reform education faculties at universities and ATA processes

Health

• More reporting of the costs of procedures
• Patient charter detailing rights & responsibilities
• Recognition of foreign credentials for doctors
• Greater focus on preventative measures in health care, reward healthy behaviour, pay people to take care of themselves at home post-surgery
• Initiate a dialogue with insurance companies on developing a private health system

Small Group Discussion response forms:

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbjxn9c6ksip8jk.pdf?t=1265848542

Speaker: Marlo Raynolds – Executive Director, Pembina Institute

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbkwx5dk7juid6o.pdf?t=1265850522

Session summary:

Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area? If not, what is our assessment?

• General agreement on overall “D” grade, some disagreement on the grades for the sectors, minority thought slightly higher grade was merited.

Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?

• Disagreement about carbon tax, but market based system preferred
• Some are not sold on the science of climate change
• Agree with environmental approvals, more regulatory / incentive based approach needed
• Some solutions already exist but need implementation, encourage energy efficiency and alternative energy

What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?

• Need more environmental leadership, more environmental education
• Be a steward of the land like farmers and ranchers
• Empowering municipalities to sell power and manage at regional levels (disagreement over this idea)
• Adapt provincial building codes to facilitate energy efficient buildings
• Energy production from solid waste at local / municipal level
• Regionalized power generation, more geothermal and expanded hydro
• Need a good water pricing scheme – not sure how
• Explore nuclear energy option
• Become leader in technology, phase out coal fired plants
• Pollution tax that funds technological development, make sure dollars stay in Alberta, provide incentives for green technologies
• Full cost accounting of pollution

Small Group Discussion response forms:

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbjx73x1guulakg.pdf?t=1265848471

Speaker: Peter McCormick – Professor of Political Science, University of Lethbridge

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbkwv4vvn2ky2ps.pdf?t=1265850518

Session Summary:

Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area? If not, what is our assessment?

• General agreement on “D” grade with one table giving a higher grade, and two groups suggesting a lower grade

Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?

• Problem with “dumbing down” of politics, impact of mass media
• Agree with opportunity of internet / social media, though technology is not the sole answer, more face to face interaction is also needed
• Not just about voter turnout, also about issue engagement

What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?

• More direct democracy, change the nature of confidence votes / party discipline / decrease power of the whip, allow recall of MLAs, electronic voting on budgets and legislation
• Broadcast provincial caucus meetings on the internet with exceptions for in camera sessions
• Record votes in legislature in electronic form that can be retrieved by citizens
• Improve young voter education on political structures, engage them earlier, more interesting messages for youth, less intimidating, national youth service to promote participation
• Lower the voting age, more convenient voting locations
• Consider mandatory voting, allow spoiled ballots (Australian model)
• Incentive for people to vote (tax credit)
• Re-examine government funding of political parties
• Foster a feeling of belonging, increase profile of public service
• Preferential ballots, runoffs (must win over 50%)
• Open data approach to sharing information
• Greater focus on a cohesive “vision”
• Creating new parties / more competition
• Remove corporate donations from politics

Small Group Discussion response forms:

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/hbjwu81jpuhbd4w.pdf?t=1265848134

Speaker: Michael Percy – Dean, School of Business at the University of Alberta

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/h92g25821e11r0g.ppt?t=1265670681

Session Summary:

Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area? If not, what is our assessment?

• General agreement with speaker’s “B” (economic) and “B-” (social) although some thought assessment was too generous
• In some places the boom may have already started again (Fort McMurray)

Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?

• General agreement that social infrastructure / quality of life / sense of community required to keep talent in Alberta but need more concrete solutions for rural areas, challenge of urbanization
• Some indicated too many government-led solutions
• Who builds social infrastructure: government?

What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?

• Safe place for people to live / raise families is crucial
• Recreate Alberta’s image; stand up for the province (not apologetic)
• Spend on infrastructure during low economic cycle, focus on maintenance during boom
• Balance between government and community decision-making (hybrid solutions)
• Empowering social institutions (e.g. churches, community organizations)
• More provincial / municipal cooperation, share prosperity across the province
• Improve literacy rates, completion rate, focus on engineering
• Transfer skill sets from oil and gas industry to other industries
• Stable, transparent, regulatory regime for business certainty
• Tax incentives to motivate business to take more responsibility, must be a low tax jurisdiction
• Alberta residency bonus (some felt economic incentives not effective)
• More value-added technology / innovation
• Build pipeline to the coast / diversify export markets, stop being price takers, Alberta negotiated trade agreements

Small Group Discussion response forms:

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/h92fx2oklncrruo.pdf?t=1265673149

Speakers:

• Kyle Fawcett – Cabinet Policy Committee on the Economy and MLA for Calgary-North Hill
• Preston Manning – President & CEO, Manning Centre for Building Democracy
• Danielle Smith – Leader, Wildrose Alliance Party

Session summary:

Trends: Urbanization, shale gas, weak U.S. economy, oil sands, environment, globalization, carbon emissions

A self-reliant Alberta

• Alberta is the best place to live, work, play, invest and a raise a family

A grown up Alberta

• Emerging as a province in its own right
• Time for Alberta to lead again, tired of victim mentality

Alberta as the best possible home to those who live here and best neighbour to those who don’t

Speaker: Mark Milke – Director of Research, Frontier Centre for Public Policy

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/h8zey5prh2gur9c.pdf?t=1265665178

Session summary:

Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area?

• General agreement on “D” grade
• Current savings plan not acceptable
• Difficult not to increase spending when times are good (i.e., when massive surplus, people flowing into the province)
• Comparisons to other oil producing jurisdictions not fair because of equalization program

Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?

• Broad agreement with solutions and alternatives
• Consumption tax as a long term solution
• Legislate 30% of resource revenues to Heritage Fund
• Concern given current spending; others prefer tax cuts to diversify economy
• Funding that follows student / patient
• One group concerned about schools/hospital in rural communities
• Dealing with the public sector monopoly on labour
• Pension reform, from defined benefits to defined contributions
• Return to balanced budget, consider infrastructure debt

What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?

• Reduce / streamline bureaucracy, look for service delivery efficiencies
• More funds for municipalities, should be part of the solution
• More careful consideration of regional spending within Alberta
• Need to have a plan to manage growth
• Transparency in financial reporting (Capital vs. Operating)
• Long term operation costing for infrastructure (full cost accounting)
• Give surpluses back to Albertans
• Encourage development of creative economy
• Citizen engagement on spending increases, statutory spending restraint
• Stop subsidization of water and power
• Similar royalties for oil & gas as Alaska / Norway

Small Group Discussion response forms:

http://documents.scribd.com.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/h8yw05g2q2x2cw0.pdf?t=1265665429

Andre Siegfried, a French political scientist who studied Canada, had a rather dour view of Canadian political leaders. A century ago, he wrote that Canadian leaders, “seem to stand in fear of great movements of public opinion and seek to lull them rather than encourage them and bring them to fruition.” On the surface, Alberta’s long periods of one-party government coupled with recent low levels of democratic engagement seem to confirm Siegfried’s view.

An outside observer might think that Albertans are almost indifferent to what goes on in the legislature. He might say that active democracy scarcely exists in Alberta. But he would be mistaken, just as someone who looks upon an empty field in springtime would be mistaken if he were to say there is no life in the field, unaware of the seeds planted beneath the surface.

Sprouts have again emerged, and Albertans have been asking some big questions.

I caught a glimpse of these sprouting seeds on a recent visit to Fort McMurray. Preston Manning was in town to deliver a speech at Keyano College, and I had the opportunity to tag along. When time came for questions and comments from the audience, it wasn’t the economy, energy or the environment that came up. Most wanted to talk about how to improve our political discourse and democratic participation. I heard the argument that without intelligent debate and thoughtful participation, Alberta would be ill-equipped to face the big questions of our time.

Increasing numbers of Albertans are asking questions:

Are we living up to our full potential as a province? What is our vision for the next chapter of Alberta’s story?

Now that we seem to emerging from this economic downturn, what is the state of our public finances, services, and infrastructure? How well have we saved and invested our resource revenues?

How well prepared is Alberta for the economy of the future? How do we properly harness science, technology and innovation?

What reforms are necessary to guarantee high-quality, accessible, and cost-effective health care for Albertans? How do we improve our education system to prepare young people with the knowledge and skills they need to reach their full potential?

Alberta is no longer the poor underdog of Confederation. What positive role do we envision for ourselves on the national stage, a role worthy of our growing economic, demographic and political strength?

How do we encourage our fellow Albertans to be fully engaged in public life and the policy decisions affecting our future? How do we encourage fellow Albertans to be civically engaged citizens who volunteer, donate to charity, vote and are otherwise active participants in our communities?

On each of these questions, Albertans are looking for vigorous discussion and meaningful decisions. This then will be the topic of a Conference on Alberta’s Future planned for February 5-6 in Edmonton. Organized in part by the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, the purpose of the conference will be to generate ideas, proposals, and plans for shaping a more positive and inspirational future for Alberta. I encourage you to visit the website (www.albertasfuture.ca) and offer your ideas for the future of Alberta.

This conference is about ideas, not politics. But this conference is only the beginning. When Albertans aren’t getting the answers or information they need and want, they need to demand better.

This will be the challenge for Alberta’s political leaders; how to respond to the questions and aspirations of Albertans and demonstrate that they have the will and capability to carry the province forward.

The way to defeat an insurgency is to win over the people and make the enemy irrelevant. The challenge for the Progressive Conservative government and for Premier Ed Stelmach is to do just that by responding to Albertans and reinvigorating the party and government. On the other hand, the challenge facing Danielle Smith and the Wildrose Alliance Party will be to mature from protest movement to a prepared government in waiting.

And ultimately the question for all our current and aspiring political leaders is: will you stand in fear of great movements of public opinion or will you encourage them and bring them to fruition? Whoever can encourage the current movement of public opinion and bring it to fruition is likely to carry the judgment of those sprouting seeds in Fort Mc-Murray and across Alberta.

Nicholas Gafuik is managing director of the Mann ing Centre for Building Democracy (www.manningcentre.ca). To learn more about the Feb. 5 and 6 Conference on Alberta’s Future taking place in Edmonton, visit www.albertasfuture.ca