The start of a Legislature Session seems a good time to relaunch into the blogosphere.
Time is always the serious constraint so best intentions coming out of the election last March to keep up with the public discourse on the digital media were relegated to following discussions as I could and when blogposts were sent to my Facebook site or otherwise brought to my attention. Often the topics bear response, but thoughtful critique is not always the first reaction. I am more inclined to reflect and respond, something I will have to work with as on this medium issues can go by quickly even when more discussion would be enlightening.
In any event, as someone who very much believes that my primary role as a Member of the Legislative Assembly is to foment public discussion on issues of public policy and provide an opportunity for meaningful dialogue and discourse prior to decisions, I can no longer set aside my blog.
I will be posting from time to time wearing a number of different hats. As MLA for Edmonton Whitemud I will raise issues and comment on issues to provoke discussion and obtain feedback necessary to inform my participation in caucus and government decision-making. I will also be posting here and on Facebook generally on the things I am doing and the activities I am participating in on behalf of Whitemud, Edmonton, my portfolio and the province.
As Minister of Education I hope to maintain a healthy discussion about the value of education to our society and future directions. We have embarked on a number of ambitious projects to make sure Alberta students are prepared to take on the opportunities which arise, are ready to participate in the global economy and be citizens of the global community as well as to be able to live, work and participate as citizens locally.
As a member of government, in Cabinet, on Treasury Board, Agenda & Priorities and other committees where I participate in the broader government agenda, I hope to engage in bigger picture discussions on the future of the province and the government's appropriate role in that future.
I had the privilege of leading the development of the 20 Year Strategic Plan which government published in 2004. It had an ambitious design of Unleashing Innovation, Leading in Learning, Competing in the Global Marketplace and Making Alberta the Best Place to Live, Work and Visit. While critics of the day complain it lacked specifics, I can see clear threads through government action (and many other institutions) since then which have moved us well down the path to achieving that vision. Critics wrongly took a comment by Premier Klien about the difficulty of planning for a sudden and steep shift in economic activity to say there was no plan which was clearly and demonstrably wrong.
Having a plan now seems to be everybody's mantra - and of course, as supplemental strategic plans like the Energy Strategy and the Oil Sands Development Strategy are published, there is still that predictable call for specifics. Strategic planning is important. Starting with a vision, a direction and then providing a policy framework and strategic plan provides the basis for good action. Action plans made without the framework are at best ad hoc (they may still be good, but can only be supportive of an overall direction on an accidental or at best intuitive basis).
I am excited about the developments in Innovation. The work towards coordinated efforts in research and development together with support for commercialization will make sure we do Unleash Innovation in our traditional industries of oil and gas, agriculture and forestry, but also provide the opportunity for us to be leaders in biotechnology and lifesciences, nanotechnology, and other areas.
And of course we are well on the way toward President Samerasekera's mission to make the University of Alberta one of the worlds best - top 20 by 2020! We have made real progress on other aspects of the plan - the new Land Use Strategy, updated Water for Life Strategy and work on the Clean Air Strategy all fundamental to both an innovative and competitive economy and the role of stewardship, the quality of life which makes Alberta the best place to live, makes it possible for our children and grandchildren to stay and attracts others to come and to share our opportunities. A lot of topics in there - a lot to discuss.
I may not get to it every day but I hope to be a consistent contributor, and I look forward to your feedback, comments and views.
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