It's Time to Preside Over a New Pride in Being Albertan

Today in an Edmonton Journal Op/Ed piece Preston Manning asks the question “Should the political energies of Albertans be directed toward revitalizing the governing Progressive Conservative Party or toward replacing it...?”

Tammy Maloney blogged about working to change the current government whether you are interested in the Alberta Party or the Alliance. She makes a good case for supporting either party as long as we agree that it is time to change out old for new.

Even Ted Morton thinks that it’s time to build new as he states that it’s time to bring the Alliance and the P.C.’s back together, back to the ‘mothership’ as it were; although I don’t really see that as new, I think you get the idea.

I don’t think that many Albertans would disagree that at the very least this is a government in disarray as Danielle Smith stated this week.

One of the reasons that I have personally aligned my political values with the Alberta Party is because I don’t find it hard to disagree with any of them on this point. Yes Mister Manning it is time for change, it is time to replace our current government. Yes, Ms. Smith Albertans do have “real uncertainty...”

It is time to stop putting up with the internal bickering and constant positioning of the P.C. MLA’s as they strive to retain power rather than serve the citizens that elected them.

It is time to elect a government that has its primary mission clearly aligned to serve the citizens of Alberta. It is time for the Alberta Party.

Sue Huff, the Interim Leader of the Alberta Party stated today the “We need to be courageous & dream bigger, if not for ourselves, then for our children & grandchildren. “ This statement alone encourages me to look beyond the old and to build new.

While it is true that the Alberta Party is still in the early stages of developing policy, I like that the policy that is under consideration is going to be based in collaboration and founded on what is in the best interests of the citizens of Alberta.

I also believe that we build policy from the perspective of how Alberta can be not just the best IN Canada but the best FOR Canada.  That is where true leadership resides, that is where true Citizen Servant Leaders should work, and that is what the Alberta Party is doing.

I am not afraid of ‘inspirational and aspirational leadership’. It is often in the striving to achieve that true progress is made.  I like a political party that is able to attract socialist and capitalist thinkers. A party that is able and willing to accept liberal, conservative, independent and otherwise aligned political activists. A party that is willing to do politics differently, a party that is willing to do governance differently.

Over the next few weeks I am going to be outlining my thoughts in this blog on the type of policies that the next Leader of the Alberta Party should be considering, the things that I would want to do or see done if I were the leader of this party.

As I reflect on how politics and governance have devolved in Alberta to this state of disarray and confusion I can’t help but think of what it was the Peter Lougheed helped to build back in 1971. Jeremy Barretto is blogging on his ideas of what Mr. Lougheed would do and I must say that I agree wholeheartedly with Barretto’s ideas.

It is time to “Preside over a new pride in being Albertan” as Barretto states. I don’t see that happening under our current government and now, once again, we need to build.

Finally, I have to say that it is people like Tammy and Jeremy that inspire me to continue this journey that I find myself on. They are so representative of the Alberta that can be. We just need to find a way to get there. And for me that way is the Alberta Party.

It’s a New Day, Are We Ready for a New Way?

As political bombshells are falling in Alberta I have been reflecting on the opportunities that are being presented to us as citizens that choose to engage and fulfill our role in the democratic process.

Yesterday, someone left a note on my desk and it inspired me, so I thought that I would share it with you. This captured, almost perfectly, my sense of purpose found within the Alberta Party.

An Excerpt from

Leading With Passion

By John Murphy

Light a match in a dark room and watch as the light instantly overcomes the darkness.

Observe the power and grace of that single, solitary flame dancing with life. Now light several candles or kindle a fire and experience the added warmth and comfort extending from that first, vulnerable flame through others. This is the heart and soul of leadership – the essence of inspiring others. It is about courageously casting off fear, doubt and limiting beliefs and giving people a sense of hope, optimism and accomplishment. It is about bringing light into a world of uncertainty and inspiring others to do the same. This is what we call passion, the fire within.

Passion is a heartfelt energy that flows through us, not from us. It fills our hearts when we allow it to and it inspires others when we share it. It is like sunlight flowing through a doorway that we have just opened. It was always there. It just needed to be accepted and embraced. Under the right conditions, this ''flow'' appears effortless, easy and graceful. It is doing what it is meant to do. It is reminding us that we are meant to be purposeful. We are meant to be positive. We are meant to be passionate. We feel this when we listen to and accept our calling in life. We feel it as inspiration when we open the door of resistance and let it in.

Inspiration springs forth when we allow ourselves to be "in-spirit," aligned with our true essence. Stop and think about it: When you feel truly passionate and inspired about someone or something, what frame of mind are you in? What are you willing to do? What kind of effort are you willing to put forth? How fearful are you? Chances are, you feel motivated to do whatever it takes, without fear or doubt, to turn your vision into reality. You grow in confidence. You believe you can do it. You are committed from the heart and soul.

It is time to put Alberta first again, rather than the internal party politics of power and control, fear and retribution. I believe that it is time for politicians to be purposeful, positive and passionate about Alberta again.

The Alberta Party is committed to doing politics differently in Alberta. We are committed to strengthening the relationship between our government and the citizens we serve. Unfortunately, too often in Alberta the voices of Alberta’s citizens fall on deaf ears in our legislature, I believe that it is time again for the elected representatives in Government to be our voice into government rather than their voice to us.

The resignation of Premier Stelmach along with the rise of the Alliance has opened up the door for new discussions to take place, let us not allow the governance of Alberta to be defined by the politics of division, the politics of power, the politics of the past. It shouldn’t be about the politics of the right and the left, or worse yet; the politics of the right or the far right. The discussion that we are about to engage in cannot be defined in that narrow context.

Albertans need to step up and re-assume our responsibilities as citizens. Albertans are yearning for Citizen Servant Leaders.  As a friend of mine commented recently, governance is not just Of the People, By the People, For the People – it also needs to be WITH the People. That is the new Alberta that we can build together if we are willing to rise above the politics of the past.

It’s a new day, are we ready for a new way?