Pubdate: Fri, 27 Oct 2006
Source: Red Deer Advocate (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 Red Deer Advocate
Contact:  http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2492
Author: Harley Richards

EXPEL 'BAD GUYS,' DINNING PROPOSES

Alberta's prosperity is attracting an unsavoury  element, says a 
leading candidate for the leadership of  the Alberta Progressive Conservatives.

And Jim Dinning thinks the province needs to be more  innovative when 
it comes to protecting its residents,  especially the young.

"It's something the province has to get serious about,  because as 
the prosperity grows, so comes the bad guys,  and we want to throw 
them out of the province and make  Alberta a very inhospitable place 
for bad guys," said  Dinning while speaking at a luncheon meeting of 
the Red  Deer East Rotary Club.

The father of four pointed to the trade in crystal meth  as being 
particularly insidious. He described how the  highly addictive drug 
can be unknowingly ingested by a  young person.

"The notion of crystal meth being laced into a bag of  marijuana, and 
hooking those kids effectively for life,  is a crime that I can't comprehend."

Dinning praised Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski  for her role 
on a provincial task force that developed  recommendations on how to 
combat crystal meth.

It's time to act on those recommendations, he said.

Asked about privatization of health care, Dinning said  the message 
from Albertans has been loud and clear:  they want a publicly funded 
system and are not  interested in the "third way." With some 
innovation, he  added, the public system can be made to work.

Much of Dinning's presentation focused on the "building  block 
themes" of his campaign: preparation, innovation  and conservation.

He said government must prepare for the future by  investing in 
children, education, healthy families and  healthy communities. This 
should include a tax system  that recognizes parenting is an 
important and expensive  job.

"We're going to increase the family employment tax  credit so that 
dollars will flow back into parents'  pockets."

Post-secondary institutions like Red Deer College and  Olds College 
should receive the resources they need to  ensure all high school 
graduates have a place in the  system, he said.

On the theme of innovation, Dinning said in addition to  bitumen 
upgraders and petrochemical plants, investment  in alternative 
sources of energy should be encouraged,  he said. Biofuel and ethanol 
initiatives should also be  supported.

"That's what's going to keep our farms stronger in the future."

Innovation might also help address issues like the lack  of 
affordable housing, suggested Dinning. The three  levels of 
government should work with the private  sector to find solutions.

On the conservation front, Dinning stressed his  commitment to 
protecting landscapes, watersheds and  airsheds.

He called for the implementation of the province's  Water for Life 
Strategy, and for storage capacity along  rivers to be increased so 
"we're able to keep what  we're entitled to keep."

He also acknowledged the need to manage water resources  like the Red 
Deer River.

"We've got to make sure we're smart about the  allocation of water in 
the Red Deer River and along  this river basin, and we don't do 
anything that we have  to look back at our kids 25 years from now and 
say,  'Oops, we made some wrong decisions.' "

Dinning said he would like to see an integrated  land-use plan so 
there is clarity and certainty for the  agricultural, oil and gas and 
forestry industries, as  well as recreational users and municipalities.

He also stressed the importance of fiscal  responsibility on the part 
of the province, and a  "transparent and comprehensive" capital plan 
so that  municipalities, school boards, colleges and health  regions 
can plan for the future.

The inadequacy of wages paid to people working for  social service 
agencies was identified as a concern by  Dinning. These workers are 
instrumental in helping  immigrants, the homeless, the disabled and 
others in  need, but they could migrate to other higher-paying  jobs, he said.

"They have been short-changed and they are the glue in  our social 
infrastructure and our social network."

In response to a suggestion that Alberta is "giving  away" its 
resources under the existing provincial  royalty structure, Dinning 
said the system was  necessary in the early 1990s to attract 
investment into  the oilsands. However, the province will still take 
in  $2 billion in unconventional resource revenues and more  than $3 
billion from the sale of Crown leases and bonus  payments this year, he said.

The system should only be tinkered with after careful  thought, warned Dinning.

"You don't play with investor confidence, and if you  do, you play 
with it at your peril."
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MAP posted-by: Elaine