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Letter to Constituency Presidents from the VP-Policy

As many of you are aware, the upcoming convention of the Alberta Liberal Party in Edmonton will be a policy convention. Members will be asked to debate and ratify policy positions of the party.

But, without your help, there will be nothing to debate. As a grassroots organization, policy is driven from the local associations and party commissions. To that end, I, and the rest of the ALP executive, are hoping that you can call a meeting of your association and submit up to two policy proposals to be considered at the convention. Your proposals may be submitted in the framework that has been attached and must be received before April 7th.

The process you choose is entirely up to your constituency association. It can be a meeting of the Board of Directors, an AGM, or a call to all members, asking them to attend a special meeting.

After the resolutions are received, they will be consolidated by the policy committee. This is a process that involves combining like resolutions and proofing them for format, etc., amending them rather than rejecting them where necessary and possible.

The complete package of policy proposals will then be sent out to your associations on or around April 21st. Your associations may want to meet again to discuss the full package of resolutions to be considered, ahead of the May convention.

Ultimately, these resolutions will be discussed in breakout sessions at the convention, where amendments may be proposed, before being presented to the Annual General Meeting.

At the General Meeting, resolutions will need a mover and a seconder on the convention floor, and the sponsoring Constituency Association will appoint a person to speak to the resolution.

The general assembly of the party will also be asked to consider a new policy framework, which I¹ve also attached for discussion.

Debbie Cavaliere, VP-Policy

See also a sample policy resolution.

Media Releases

In the face of Alberta’s biggest challenges in years, Stelmach offers no new faces

Conservative cabinet shuffle reveals lack of leadership, vision, ambition and just plain common sense

Edmonton – David Swann, Leader of the Official Opposition, was unimpressed but also not surprised by the absolute lack of creativity on behalf of the premier when he basically kept the same bums in the seats around the cabinet table. “We have a premier who has demonstrated time and time again that he is unwilling and incapable of changing the people around him”, said Swann. “Albertans are crying out for bold leadership and here we have Stelmach unable to make the hard decisions. He continues to surround himself with the same people and hear the same voices. He had a chance today to set a new direction, and failed. As a result, Alberta will continue to pay the price.”

Swann was also troubled by the decision of the premier to ignore his previous pledge to listen to and meet Albertans’ priorities. He also ignored his previous comment that people want more effective government, not more of it (see http://alberta.ca/acn/200612/2090686D62539-DEAB-4B63-2047FAC61EB464B8.html). Stelmach failed today to reduce his cabinet size at all.  In fact, he has increased it by adding an additional parliamentary assistant at a cost of $15,000 a year. If Stelmach had reduced his cabinet to 20 – the size of his original cabinet – he could have potentially saved as much as $54 million.

Swann is at least relieved that Ron Liepert has finally been moved out of the health portfolio, something that almost 1,000 Albertans called for on our http://www.liepertmustgo.ca website. “Hopefully, Minister Liepert will not do the same damage to the energy industry that he did to the health care system.”

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For more information contact:

Neil Mackie
Director of Communications
albertaliberalcaucus
Phone 1-866-633-4214

News • Top Stories

Statement from David Swann on recent loss of lives in Afghanistan

The news yesterday of Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang and four Canadian soldiers’ death in Afghanistan has hit particularly close to home.

I’ve had the good fortune to talk and work with Michelle many times as she covered health issues in Alberta and experience her determination to get at the facts of each and every story. She asked all the right questions, sifted through the information with a commitment to the truth in complex situations of controversy. It stands to reason that she would take that same journalistic integrity with her to Afghanistan and find herself in harm’s way to get at the truth. Michelle was a wonderful and courageous woman and I, and my Caucus colleagues, will miss her greatly, as will all citizens who value journalistic integrity.

My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends, and also with the families of the as yet unnamed Canadian soldiers who were also killed. I extend my personal, heartfelt wishes of hope and healing to all.

David Swann, MD