Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft has begun a "province-wide tour to promote his party’s vision for Alberta". According to Taft, the tour is about "ideas rather than answers":
Kevin Taft, Alberta’s official opposition leader was in Hinton on April 10 to kick off a province-wide tour to promote his party’s vision for Alberta.
“We want to start political debate,” he said, adding the timing is right after Ralph Klein announced he would step down as premier.
“There has been a big shift in the political landscape in the last three weeks,” he explained.
The ideas are outlined in a document called Alberta Horizons and it is broken down into four areas.
“Right now they are ideas rather than answers,” Taft said.
Alberta Horizons outlines the party’s plan for democratic reform and governance, economic sustainability, environment protection and enhancement, and social development.
For democratic reform the Liberals would like to see fixed election dates, the implementation of donation limits for politicians and all-party committees to make important decisions in the legislature.
As for economic stability, the Liberals would never have handed out prosperity cheques.
“That’s a $400 chunk out of a future library or road,” Taft said.
The Liberal Party’s plan for a large surplus includes more money for post secondary education, infrastructure and the Heritage Fund.
Environmental protection and enhancement rank high as a priority for the Liberals. The document starts off by saying that if a program was started now, in a decade 10 to 20 per cent of Albertans could live in homes that generate their own heat and power. Taft said a balance needs to be found between protecting our environment and ensuring Alberta’s economy remains healthy.
“Industry needs to work hard to maintain its social contract,” he said.
10 to 20 percent of Albertans living in magic homes that generate their own heat and power? That's great! How would that work, Kevin?
Oh, I forgot, Alberta Horizons is about ideas, not answers.
Source: Hinton Parklander
