Mired in deficits and spending more per capita than any other province in Canada, Alberta’s government finds itself open to a roasting. Enter MLA Rob Anderson.
Our MLA, the Wildrose Alliance party’s house leader, has taken it upon himself to bring common sense back to the Legislature. However, he’s quickly learning the old adage stands up: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
He started off the week pointing out that the provincial budget includes $115 million for renovating MLA offices. Wouldn’t that money be better spent on 4,100 long-term care beds or about eight new schools?
No dice.
Later in the week he introduced a private members bill to cut MLA severance pay by two-thirds. Severance pay is money paid to MLAs who lose elections, or, in other words, to MLAs fired by their constituents.
Every PC MLA in the house voted against the bill.
Now, to be fair, the renovation of MLA office space project has been underway for two years, and the government argues it has saved $90 million by moving forward during a recession and taking advantage of lower prices. But Anderson’s point still holds up – taxpayers would see much more benefit from long-term beds or desperately needed schools than office space for overpaid politicians.
As for the severance pay cut, there is no telling how much Anderson’s bill would have saved taxpayers. However, with a large number of PC MLAs facing defeat in the next provincial election due to the rise of the Wildrose Alliance, its safe to assume taxpayers stand to save millions.
These are only two issues, and both can be debated. However, with them Anderson is laying out a larger argument; Is the provincial government governing ‘for the people?’ The answer this week is definitely ‘no.’
