The recent Auditor General's report was a slap in face for the long-governing PC Party. There has been a lot written about the absolute mismanagement of the climate change file, contract issues in AHS and several other areas.
The news isn't good.
The Auditor General exposed the much-promoted climate change strategy as little more than a smokescreen; all talk and no action. Don Braid said it best: "The climate change failure is the essence of bad government."
Alberta Health Services was singled out again for exactly the same issue the Auditor General identified in 2011; a lack of oversight on contracted surgical services. Anyone who has ever run an organization of any size or type, public or private, knows that keeping an eye on contract terms is basic good management. When the quality of care for Albertans is at stake it's even more important to get it right. I'm not surprised to see ongoing mismanagement in AHS, but it's disappointing all the same.
But I'm not here to pile on mismanagement by the outdated, self-serving PC Party (okay, maybe just a little). I want to talk about what's coming.
Recall back in early March, then-Premier Alison Redford asked for an audit of the government's travel and expense policy and the use of government aircraft. The audit is due any time now and I expect it will be a doozy.
I could be wrong of course. This is the last chance to prove the PC Party still acts in the best interests of Albertans. If this report is even close to scandalous, the people of Alberta won't forgive the PCs. And they won't forget. And a new leader won't be good enough.
My prediction? The report will be damning and it won't just be Alison Redford who will be at fault. It will expose the systematic use of taxpayer dollars on personal and PC Party business. It will finally, once-and-for-all shine a light on the rot that's crept into the government of Alberta, OUR government, over 43 years of PC rule.
It's long past time for change. This report might just be the issue that pushes the PC Party over the edge. And though they will somehow try to put a positive spin on this by saying a new leader will clean house, Albertans are smarter than that.
They know that after you've fired the coach a few times, the problem is with the players.
So what do we do about it? Simply put, Alberta needs better management in government. We need to get back to electing people dedicated to public service over their own self interest (or special interests for that matter) and one that will dismantle the culture of entitlement that's built up over 43 years of PC rule. We need a party that brings to government the energy, enthusiasm and can-do attitude Albertans show every day, but that's been missing in government for so long.
The Alberta Party believes that this is the province that can be the leader in bringing governments back to what they should be - strong and compassionate stewards of our resources, our amazing people and our future. To get there we need a government working for Albertans, not themselves.
