When it comes to your priorities for Moving Alberta Forward, put up your hand if removing “Wild Rose Country” from the Alberta license plate comes to mind. I didn’t think so. I’m guessing you would like to see some schools built. Not announced, but built. Perhaps you would like to see the burgeoning wait times or the understaffed urgent care centres in our health care system improved? Maybe, just maybe, you would like to see our government address the culture of cronyism that pays PC insiders and failed leadership candidates like Gary Mar an annual salary of $560,000? Or maybe you, like me, are worried about the fact that we will be paying almost $1 Billion in interest payments to service our debt by 2016?
I’m quite confident we would come up with a long list of to-dos and not one of them would include the buffoon-like decision to remove our license plate slogan.
Enter your provincial government. Alas, the brain trust in the PC Cabinet (the same people who blamed Alison Redford for all their problems) gets together and comes up with a plan. Let’s spend over 15 million dollars to remove the slogan Wild Rose Country from Alberta license plates, and replace it with”Alberta.ca.” What will Albertans think of this? Does anybody ask this question? Apparently not …if somebody had, they would have realized that the people paying their salary (YOU) think this is a rather silly idea, and don’t approve of it.
Many provinces across Canada celebrate their culture and heritage on their licence plate. Whether it’s “Friendly Manitoba” or PEI’s “Birthplace of Confederation,” provinces often have license plates that celebrate who they are, not just the fact that they have a website.
This almost reminds me of another gem of an idea these guys came up with. A few years ago they decided they were tired of the slogan “The Alberta Advantage,” so they changed it. What did they change it to? — Alberta ….freedom to choose, spirit to achieve! I can just see them high-fiving each other over this creation. There’s only one problem. The “Alberta Advantage” is what we were known for. We would stand a little taller, chin up, chest out, as we humbly, but proudly used the slogan. I’m curious, have you used the new one? I didn’t think so. It’s no coincidence by the way, that Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and his colleagues have happily latched on to the idea and now market “The Saskatchewan Advantage” themselves.
Remember during the last election campaign when Alison Redford announced she wanted to change the character of Alberta, as if something was wrong with us. Somehow the most prosperous, entrepreneurial, honourable, common-sense-driven and successful province in this great country was off course. Like many of you, I was deeply offended by that. Now word is that this same group of people wants to take “Wild Rose Country” off the Alberta license plate.
Make no mistake about it, this is political, and to me, it stinks of a government on the run, willing to do anything to maintain its grip on power.
I’m not sure what’s more insulting. Another ill-conceived idea that completely undermines the traditions and beliefs of Albertans, or the fact that they insult us by taking us for granted. Once again the PC’s thrust full-on into a project that the voting public doesn’t want or even have the stomach for. Last time I checked, I took my orders from you. That’s the role of an elected official. Government would be wise to remember that. I don’t think we need to change the character of this province, or the great people in it. The “Alberta Advantage” and “Wild Rose Country” are part of our heritage and should be celebrated.
The character of our government however is clearly due for an overhaul.
