Alberta: What’s Your Vision?

Editorial by Ricardo Acuña [Excerpted]
Parkland Institute Editorialist

The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it. -- Author unknown

We, Albertans elected representatives to the three levels of government where we supposedly have a say. The above quote implies that without a vision for the future, there will be no improvement over what we have today. The one lasting impression left by subsequent elections is that said vision will not be forthcoming from our elected representatives anytime in the near future.

Although lamentable, this lack of vision is somewhat understandable – our electoral system offers no incentive to politicians or their parties to look beyond the next budget or election cycle.

In Alberta, this is especially distressing. Alberta is at a point in its history where envisioning and building the province we want for the next hundred years is not only possible, but necessary. What makes it possible is the current state of our provincial coffers – the fiscal debt is all but gone, the province keeps generating significant surpluses, and we are receiving record revenues from our oil and gas. It is necessary because we know that we will not be able to rely on these natural resources forever, and because the infrastructure and environmental debts we have accumulated over the years are not sustainable.

Of course, we cannot put all the blame for lack of vision and direction on our elected leaders. We citizens must also accept some of the responsibility. We are the ones that become complacent when “times are good.” We are the ones who demand our governments inject money into roads or education or health care without vision and without considering the bigger picture. We are the ones who don’t expect or demand visionary leadership and long-term planning from our leaders.

We have, somehow, allowed our common sense and our values to become separated from our expectations of politics and government. As Albertans, we value health care and education, and honour community and cooperation; we treasure our environment and natural spaces, and recognize the importance of long-term visioning. And yet, for some reason, when it comes to electoral politics, we put these values aside and focus on things such as the fiscal bottom line, short-term fixes, and one-time funding injections.

It is up to us as citizens to ensure that any long-term vision for the province reflect the true values of Albertans and not be based on stale political or economic dogma. It is up to all Albertans to articulate their vision for the province, and then to demand that our elected leaders work to make that vision a reality.

At the Parkland Institute, for example, we see our role as facilitating this process.

As you read various article supportive of progressive social change, I urge you to think about your own vision.

If we want our government to have a long-term vision for the province, then we must begin by articulating our own vision. The best way to do this is through active dialogue and discussion with other Albertans (and with Canadians in general) . We, and our children and grandchildren, will be the ones who live in the Alberta of 50 to 100 years from now. Even if our political leaders were interested in or capable of doing this kind of long-term visioning and planning, isn’t it too important a process to leave in their hands alone?

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