POLITICAL PLATFORM Honesty, Accountability, and Integrity By Drew Barnes, MLA January 2, 2015 _______ Do you ever wonder what gas would cost if there was only one service station in Cypress-Medicine Hat? Ever wonder how the service would be from Air Canada if WestJet didnt exist? Or from WestJet if Air Canada didnt exist? The cost of a bottle of water in a tourist trap can be astronomical – and the retailer gets away with charging ridiculous prices because he’s the only provider of water in the area. It’s certainly not good for the consumer; a healthy level of competition and choice serves everyone well. Good opposition leads to good government. Wildrose ran to form government in 2012 on a policy platform of smaller government, less bureaucracy and effective health care. I am grateful to be your Cypress-Medicine Hat representative and I wholeheartedly accept my job in opposition. Our relevance and effectiveness has been proven again and again. We deserve credit for the elimination of the secret PC trust account, for the cancellation of sky palace, and for shedding a light on the waste of taxpayer dollars on the air fleet. We also deserve credit for many excellent policy ideas that the government has already adopted. Examples include the publication of some improved infrastructure information, the fast-tracking to complete Highway 63, and the repealing of the Land Assembly Project Area Act. These are good steps forward, but there is still much to be done. Responsible government, less bureaucracy, health care that works, balanced budgets, enhanced property rights and democratic reforms are still the central goals of Wildrose, but the party is also focused on presenting new ideas. There will be an increased focus on research and consultation with stakeholders and Albertans. We will recruit active members from the business community, and Albertans with experience in the public service, to ensure that we have the capacity we need to lead. Finally, the party will hold a leadership race to ensure an excellent replacement for our respected interim leader Heather Forsyth. I am grateful to the countless Albertans who reached out to me when nine of my Official Opposition colleagues chose power over principle and crossed the floor to join the government. The response from 23,000 Wildrose members has been overwhelming! There has been a tremendous rejuvenation by party members and a new focus on constituency building. As Official Opposition, we will stay focused on our main task, which is to hold the government to account. This government will not operate without scrutiny and competition. This task was entrusted to us by 440,000 Alberta voters in 2012, and we will continue to represent them in the Legislature with honesty, accountability and integrity. Thank you for your continued feedback. You can reach my office at 403-528-2191,#5,1299 Trans Canada Way SE, Medicine Hat or [email protected] My best wishes to all for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2015.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:32:44 +0000
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