Editorial Only weeks into his new job, Premier Jim Prentice seems bound and determined to convince one and all that he is a man of action who isn't afraid to make big changes in the way government operates in this province.
Editorial
Only weeks into his new job, Premier Jim Prentice seems bound and determined to convince one and all that he is a man of action who isn't afraid to make big changes in the way government operates in this province.
Since winning the Progressive Conservative leadership on Sept. 6, Prentice has announced promise after promise, week in and week out, all with the apparent goal of showing that he is different in every way from his predecessor, the scandal-ridden former premier Alison Redford.
Whether the frantic pace of the Prentice agenda will succeed in convincing Alberta voters that the PCs have changed their ways and are now on the road to becoming a much more responsible and accountable ruling party remains an open question.
What is certain is that the real challenges facing the Prentice PCs are still to come, including several key byelections, including one that Prentice must run in, and the months-long run-up to the next provincial election.
After announcing plans for another review of rural health care, scrapping plans for new licence plates for Alberta, and making a host of other moves, Prentice made his biggest step yet when he announced last week that he plans to legislate more accountability into government itself.
The new Accountability Act will "restore public trust, improve accountability and end entitlements," says Prentice.
The proposed legislation will be introduced when the next session of the legislature gets underway in November.
"I promised Albertans that as premier, I will change the way things are done in government," said Prentice. "I have been clear on my commitment to end entitlements and restore public trust. One of the first actions I will take when we return to the legislature will be to introduce legislation that strengthens our accountability to Albertans.
"Anyone who wishes to be a part of this government, and a part of my team, will be held to the highest possible standards of public service."
Among other things, the new act would "strengthen conflict-of-interest guidelines for political staff, eliminate sweetheart severance packages for political staff, eliminate sole-source contracts, and introduce clear rules to enforce the distinction between registered lobbyists and government consultants," he said.
While no one can argue that new rules aimed at making government MLAs and their staff more accountable would be welcome, the real test for Premier Prentice will come if and when it's time to enforce the rules and punish violators in a timely fashion.
After all, weren't there already lots of rules in place when Alison Redford took over the premier's job from Ed Stelmach?
