I am writing this letter in an effort to help explain some of the recent events dealing with Alberta politics. I hope that you will take the time to understand the decision I have made along with the majority of my colleagues after much deliberation and discussions for the constituents at home in Medicine Hat. Recently we agreed to work towards a reunification of conservatives across Alberta, beginning with the Wildrose and Progressive Conservative caucuses in the Legislature. Under Premier Stelmach and Premier Redford, Albertans were not receiving good government and there was a necessity to have a strong conservative opposition that represented the beliefs of many Albertans. I decided to join the Wildrose based on key policies like fiscal responsibility, a smaller and more transparent government, property rights, local decision making in healthcare, and parental choice in education. I have been impressed by the leadership of Premier Jim Prentice, and I believe that all conservatives can unite behind him. I know that Premier Prentice shares our values and beliefs, and he has committed to working with all Albertans as we implement the policies and practices that I was elected to advocate for. Since taking office, it has become clear to me that Premier Prentice is committed to working with all Albertans to restore the principles of good, conservative government. This means getting spending under control, balancing the budget, ensuring local decision making in healthcare, and parental choice in education. These are the same reasons I joined Wildrose, and I believe that we have won. With our policies and our principles being reflected in Premier Prentice, his actions, and the Progressive Conservative team, the time has come to join forces. I believe that we can accomplish more as unified Progressive Conservatives than we can accomplish fighting with people who have the beliefs and principles. I believe that this is not only the best course of action for Alberta conservatives, but it’s also the best path forward for Medicine Hat. I know there will be many questions but I do hope you can take the time to digest all the information in the coming days. This was not an easy decision for myself but for the sake of Alberta, it was one I was willing to make. As we move forward, I will endeavour to earn the trust and respect of my constituents in Medicine Hat. I will still be a forceful advocate for the priorities of Medicine Hat, and I will still stand up and defend the conservative values on which I was elected. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them. As well, below I have included the agreed-to principles and policies that my Progressive Conservative colleagues and I share. Best Regards, Blake Principles and Policies • MLA-driven review of existing property rights legislation including recommendations for improvement • Development of a public prioritized infrastructure list for major capital projects and maintenance • Commitment to running the most ethical and transparent government in Canada • Free votes for private members bills, private members motions and government bills dealing with issues of personal conscience • Commitment to a caucus briefing, debate and vote on all proposed government legislation and major spending initiatives prior to their public announcement. Health Care • Strengthen health care decision making at the local level • A commitment to increasing patient choice in health care within the auspices of the Canada Health Act • Development of a plan to make our health care system fiscally sustainable given the changing demographics of our population Education • A commitment to addressing Albertas school shortage and maintenance backlog • Ensure each school board is using a grading system that is easy for parents to understand and objectively grades a students skills and knowledge of the provincial curriculum • A commitment to the basics of reading, writing and mathematics in the provincial curriculum • An ongoing commitment to protecting the rights of parents in making informed choices pertaining to their childs education Budget and Finances • Development of a new multi-year fiscal plan based on fiscal conservative principles to maintain Albertas triple A credit rating, that will balance the budget, bring an end to debt financing, including for capital, and pay off the provincial debt • Protect and strengthen the Heritage Fund as a means to reduce reliance on non-renewable resource revenues • Limit operational cost increases to the rate of inflation plus population • A commitment to not implementing provincial sales tax and keeping Albertas income and business taxes the lowest in Canada Environment and Energy • Developing an aggressive strategy to promote more consumer use and adoption of cleaner burning fuels and alternative energy sources such as domestically produced natural gas, solar, wind and geothermal power • Strengthening the effective monitoring of our provinces air, water and land quality and a commitment to keeping our provinces environment clean • Maximize the value of our natural resources by expanding access and pipeline capacity to multiple international and domestic markets • Ensure that our tax and royalty regimes continue to be attractive to investment when compared with other competing jurisdictions, and work to decrease unnecessary red tape Municipal Financing • Develop a stable and predictable municipal funding model • Streamline and consolidate the various municipal granting programs to achieve less provincial and municipal red tape
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 23:10:07 +0000
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