Re: "Leadership a key campaign issue," page 1, March 26 Gazette.
What is this Alberta 2019 election about? The Gazette headline of March 26 proposes that "leadership is a key campaign issue." Local party candidates are quoted to that effect. But I think that Albertans are much more concerned about the direction of government and effective economics than we are about the style of our next premier.
The direction of our present government has been veiled by promises for our care and comfort. But the pattern of their actions over the past four years reveals increases to government size and power, at the expense of fiscal, business and social disruption. It's a vision that diminishes the vision and growth of free enterprise in exchange for increased paternalism and control by state and increasingly leveraging corporations.
This is not acceptable to people who understand the lessons of experience and the value of responsible independence. Students of political history recognize that submission to socialist dreams has always lead to domineering governments, run by leaders and bureaucrats who are not benevolent as they have promised to be. Self motivation of people always betrays the ideals of socialist theory, and leads to domineering fascism.
In the system of free enterprise, the motivations and performance are balanced by realities of market supply and demand. Importantly, just and reasonable regulations, administered with transparency, are what keep immoral elements of cronyism from corrupting the free capitalist system of business.
Democracy is the opportunity and the corresponding responsibility of people to participate, support and hold accountable their government, and thus to provide the grounds for free enterprise.
Marc Nuttle, a seasoned political advisor states: "A government of the people stands on five principles of freedom: 1) rule of law, 2) due process, 3) a free press, 4) independent courts, and 5) transparency." It should be no surprise to us that these essentials are assaulted on a daily basis by forces seeking to take over our assets and our freedoms.
If we aim to be a free society, with a government of the people, where do we stand today with respect to the pillars of what holds that in place? What have we tolerated and allowed to deteriorate the structures that support our freedoms of living and enterprise? What have we required of our candidates and elected leaders in terms of their commitment to democracy in municipal, provincial and federal government?
Conservatives of any label, by definition are supposed to stand for these fundamentals.
Progressives of all kinds are not excused from maintaining these guideposts while seeking to find improvements and solutions for the challenges that we face.
Those who despise our democratic roots (for whatever reason) need to know the folly of that mistake, and not be permitted to tinker with the well-being of our province and nation. We must vote wisely, aspire to honesty and hold our leadership accountable.
– Fred Van Vliet,
Mountain View County
