Alberta News and Views - January 15, 2007 - Issue 1

Commentary:
The first critical test of Ed Stelmach’s leadership as premier is not to find a way to shrink his cabinet, but to bring in a new government that is open, honest, and transparent.

After all, that was number one of the items on his list of five priorities on Honest Ed’s campaign website is, ‘… to govern with integrity and transparency.’

It has obviously been taken off the agenda of Honest Eddie when he says that some of his donors deserve anonymity as far as the donations they made to his leadership campaign is a signal that he is not being honest with the voters and taxpayers of Alberta.

A big step towards the new government being open, honest, and transparent, is to have all donors to all MLA’s campaigns, leadership campaigns, and such published and open for scrutiny before appointing them to cabinet.

By doing nothing less and keeping his very own donors under wraps it shows that when and whatever Honest Ed may talk of democratic reform, opening up government, or getting the sleaze out of the government, he is lying.


How will we know that the people who Honest Ed puts on the panel of experts to study the question of oil and gas royalties, aren’t there because they were on that list of hidden donors?

How much did membership on that hidden list cost? What is the expected return?

To think that Honest Eddie, or any person running for public office, can simply make a promise to anyone who is giving him money to run for the privilege of holding the highest and most powerful political office in Alberta, is either naïve, or just play stupid.

People, who run for public office, are not running for an office in the private sector, hence the use of the word public, in the term public office. It means all those that helped him or financed his run were doing so in the glare of public light.

Doing this will not stop people from donating, if they have no ulterior motives other than to see the best person win the election. If there are other motives then not donating because they cannot stand the light of day, then the voters and taxpayers of Alberta are better served by them not being a part of the process.

If to do otherwise, Honest Eddie, must have something to hide, and that something must be something he does not want Albertan’s to know about, or it is something that cannot stand the exposure to light and is under a rock for some reason.

Honest Ed, live up to your nickname and come clean. Come clean and show Albertan’s that you are truly different. To not be honest tells Albertan’s that Honest Eddie is going to be no better than the immediate past Premier and government will still be a closed-door frat organization.

Now that Honest Ed has sold that one out to the highest bidders what is next?