Alberta premier comes out with new initiative at policy convention

EDMONTON – Amid talk of fiscal sustainability and moving Alberta’s pipelines as far as the Yukon, Premier Alison Redford announced a new initiative at the PC policy convention this weekend – one that’s part of her push to expand grassroots involvement and unify her party.

“Our ultimate success over the next three years depends on how we come together as a party…that’s how each of you comes in,” Redford said to PC members gathered at the South Radisson Hotel on Friday.

Last fall, a leadership council was created, bringing together board members, constituent presidents and MLAs, “to inject fresh insight into (PC) policy,” as Redford described.

Now the premier is taking that idea a step further, saying that over the summer months, she will be creating policy advisory commitees (PACs). They will be led by an MLA and made up of Tory members, who – through the PACs – will have a chance to influence policy decisions.

In the coming weeks, official invites will be sent out to party members to get involved in areas of their choosing – such as health care, education, or government transparency.

Redford has set a target of having the first PACs running by the fall, with meetings to be held regularly throughout the year.

Deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk believes it’s all about opening up the lines of communication.

“We have to somehow increase our ability to directly communicate with Albertans, and share with them what it is we’re doing and then directly hear from them what they want us to do.”

But the crowd of demonstrators gathered outside the PC convention, expressing their anger about the province’s recent cuts, feel as though they’re not being heard.

“The policies that they’re enacting right now which hurt the most vulnerable in the province…those are policies they need to reverse. They need to hear from Albertans and from those of us who provide services to Albertans that they’re going the wrong way,” said AUPE president, Guy Smith.

“We know that there’s many Albertans – including those inside the Progressive Conservative party – who aren’t in favour of these cuts,” he added. “So we hope that change comes from within the government.”

This weekend’s PC convention is the last gathering of members ahead of a fall leadership review.

With files from Jenna Bridges, Global News

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