Five vying for provincial Liberal leadership Politics: Leadership vote on Sept. 10

Okotoks Western Wheel

Hugh MacDonald

The Edmonton-Goldbar MLA believes the provincial budget can be balanced without having to make any significant cuts.

Hugh MacDonald said the Province’s revenue stream isn’t the problem, it’s how the government is managing and spending it.

“There’s lots of ways that we can control our spending without cutting back on public education, public health care and other needed government programs,” he said.

His priority for the party will be to rebuild its constituency associations across the province to compete in the next election.

MacDonald would also cut the size of cabinet to 16 or 17 positions, from 24. As well, he said the provincial capital project list could also be extended over time.

He said the Province still has close to $11 billion in the provincial stability fund, and while he doesn’t suggest spending it all, he said it can help the province through rough economic times.

MacDonald wants to ensure that bitumen from the oil sands is upgraded in Alberta, and not sent out of the country, losing value and jobs in the process.

“Upgrade as many barrels of bitumen here as possible,” he said.

He also supports building a pipeline to the Pacific coast to be able to export oil to Asian countries.
MacDonald wants to move away from the single health board and establish five health regions across the province.

“I think as a tax payer you have every right to know where your health dollars are being spent in this province and right now you don’t because you see one global amount in the department’s budget,” he said.

MacDonald said he would cancel the municipal sustainability initiative, which provides grants to municipalities. In its place, he proposes letting municipalities keep the education portion of property taxes.

”It’s a stable, predictable source of funding for each and every municipality and we would fund public education completely out of the general revenue fund,” he said.

Did you miss the Lethbridge Forum's Livestream? Here it is!

 Watch the candidates and you decide!

http://www.albertaliberal.com/news.php?n=35#video

Did you miss the Red Deer Forum? See it Here!

Why does Hugh have a hole in his shoe?

Livestream of Forum

MacDonald sees ‘no need’ for nuclear, supports increased oil sands activity

By Erin Steele, Record-Gazette

Hugh MacDonald, MLA for Edmonton-Gold Bar since 1997, was in Peace River last week as part of the provincial Alberta Liberal Leadership race and took some time before his luncheon to discuss some contentious energy issues with the Record-Gazette.

MacDonald, who had previously worked in the oil patch for 20 years, says he would like to see more development of the Peace River Oil Sands, but says it needs to be done in a sustainable way.

"If we are to maintain low corporate taxes and low personal taxes we are going to have to develop our oil sands and bitumen production," he said.

Hugh Stands Up and Shows What Working and Believing in the Liberal Party Takes! Leadership Forum in Red Deer, July 31, 2011

Edmonton Journal


After Payne’s attack, MacDonald, a four-term veteran MLA, pulled off his shoe, held it over his head and pointed at a hole in the sole.

“There’s a hole in this shoe for a reason,” he said, pumping the shoe in the air. “This hole was put in this shoe because I have worked very, very hard for this party and I resent people suggesting Laurie Blakeman and I have not been doing our work.”

Hugh MacDonald Has A Plan for Municipalities, Lethbridge Herald, Jamie Woodford

The Lethbridge Herald
City, Friday, July 15, 2011, p. A3

Liberal has a plan for municipalities

Hugh MacDonald wants to make the Liberals competitive again.

"We would like to organize our party better so that we can compete in the provincial election," he said.

The Liberal leadership contender was in Lethbridge Thursday for a public meet and greet to share his ideas on how to rival the long standing Conservatives.

One of the main platforms on his campaign is a policy alternative to the current municipal sustainability fund that would "give municipalities more control over the taxes that are raised in their respective jurisdictions," he said.

"At the moment there is $1.7 billion collected across the province in education property taxes, and we would like to see that property tax requisition go to the municipalities," explained MacDonald. "In other words, we will fund public education for both separate and public school boards completely through the general revenue fund, just as we do now for private, charter and francophone schools."

He said as much as 30 per cent of one's property taxes may be slated for education, which goes into a pool for students provincewide.

"What I'm proposing is that we leave that money that's collected by the City of Lethbridge in the city of Lethbridge," he said, adding the municipal sustainability initiative would be eliminated.

"(It's) a good program, but it has strings attached," he said. "A city shouldn't have to rely on the relationship with the premier's office or the minister of municipal affairs to get municipal funding or grants."

In 2010 Lethbridge received $15.5 million from the municipal sustainability fund.

Under MacDonald's proposed policy alternative, the City of Lethbridge would keep the education portion of property taxes, therefore receiving $26 million.

"Over a 10-year period, that would mean your mayor and council would have stable, predictable municipal funding in the range of $260 million," MacDonald said.

He acknowledged some municipalities and school boards might not like the idea, but argued the time has come to "show more respect and provide more autonomy to municipalities big and small."

"This is one way of doing it," he said. "You get the money, you spend it, and you're accountable to your taxpayers, your citizens."

He said all other provincial grants programs would remain as they are.

MacDonald said he feels his role as an opposition member has given him the necessary experience to run the party.

"I've have shown over the years an ability to keep the government on their toes and keep them accountable to the taxpayers," he said. "To ensure that the government of the day, the government that the citizens select, is accountable. And I have done that, I think, quite effectively."

As MLA for the Edmonton-Gold Bar riding for the last 14 years, MacDonald said he never ran for leadership in the past because of his family.

"We have a young family, but our family is growing up and moving out, and if I'm elected I will have the time, hopefully, to organize our party and lead it into the election," he said. "In life you get lots of chances to do many different things, but you only get one chance to raise a family."

MacDonald is one of five contenders in the race for leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party, running alongside Edmonton MLAs Laurie Blakeman and Raj Sherman, and Calgary's Bruce Payne and Bill Harvey.

The new leader will be chosen in September.

© 2011 The Lethbridge Herald. All rights reserved.

HUGH'S POLICY

  PUBLIC HEALTH CARE

Hugh believes there needs to be more accountability and fairness in the health care system of our province.

He will continue to support a strong, publicly-funded and publicly-delivered health care system.   In order to begin to resolve the many issues we face in the health care system, he would propose several measures.

He would establish a system of 5 health regions and 2 independent boards, the Alberta Cancer Board and the Alberta Mental Health Board.  After several years of centralization, it is apparent that our present structure does not work to provide the health services which  Albertans desire and require.

He would like to expand the public delivery of continuing care services rather than depending on private operators to fill the need that clearly exists for Alberta seniors.  He would also ensure that the nursing home standards in this province are appropriate and rigorously enforced by implementing random independent inspections of all nursing homes.

ENVIRONMENT

On the environment, we must take action to ensure clean air and water for future generations.  Hugh says that polluters must pay, not taxpayers.

PROPERTY RIGHTS

The centralizing trend we have seen in health care under the present government is also apparent with respect to Property Rights.  Hugh would repeal Bills 19, 36 and 50.

Hugh has raised concerns in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta over Bill 19 which became law in May 2009 as The Land Assembly Project Area Act.  While this Act seems harmless and benign on the surface, it is flawed.  The government has consistently bungled the management of its relationship with private land owners.  It never widely consulted with citizens of Alberta before introducing this legislation which may not provide proper compensation for acquiring land. Hugh challenged the government on its process.

Hugh has also challenged the government on Bill 36 and Bill 50. Bill 50 would see the building of $14 billion in transmission lines for the sale of electricity to the United States.  This Bill became law in October 2009. The government justifies placing the whole burden of the cost of these transmission lines on the Alberta taxpayer by claiming these lines are necessary to keep the lights on in Alberta!  The truth was revealed in a leaked cable between the American Ambassador to Canada and Murray Smith, Alberta’s minister of energy who later became our representative in Washington.  In May of this year, Hugh stated frankly that “it's clear… the provincial Tory government has for years been promoting electricity exports to the U.S.” but needed additional transmission lines to make it happen.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

We must nurture the young through education. The greatest natural resource we have in Alberta is our people. Yet, this very resource is being put into jeopardy by the present government which is not ensuring that our children receive the best education possible.

In its February budget, the present government set education spending at $6.2 billion, a sum covering the provincially negotiated wage increase of 4.5% for teachers.  However, it did not cover increases in costs of programs that are more costly this year than last because of the increase in inflation.   The government attempted to blame the teachers for cuts in educational programs by accepting a wage increase the government itself negotiated.  All of these cuts in education and particularly, cuts to programs and teachers, could be prevented by an additional $100 million.

What is worse, the government has now announced that next year’s deficit will be $1.3 billion lower than anticipated.  Why not take $100 million from this unexpected money and give it to school boards to preserve the educational system we have?  The government refuses to consider this option, yet it gave $1 billion more to the fossil fuel sector for drilling stimulus initiatives. 

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS

The government is equally misguided with respect to its policies regarding municipal governments.  We need to provide stable, long-term funding for municipalities to create efficient local planning.  

The Municipal Sustainability Initiative is one way we currently fund municipalities.  Originally, it was intended as a ten year, $11.3 billion program.  Yet, in the first 5 years of this 10 year program, less than one third of the money has been received by municipalities.   In addition, this money has fluctuated from year to year, thus making long-term planning difficult.  Such funding is always welcome, but ask the question:  Is there a better way to provide stable, predictable funding to municipalities?

In Hugh’s view, there is!

Municipalities are funded in part through the “Property Tax Rate”.  This year, approximately $1.6 billion was collected for educational purposes as part of our “Property Tax” throughout the whole province.

Hugh proposes that the $1.6 billion collected through the educational portion of property taxes remain with the municipalities which collect it. This stable and predictable source of revenue would allow mayors and councillors to plan well ahead. This source of funding is important for towns, cities and municipalities since there are no political strings attached and local citizens will be making the decisions regarding the  projects on which to spend this infrastructure money.

Hugh insists that other municipal grant programs such as Transportation grants, the Gas Tax Fund, Green Trip and Sustainable Investment Funding for smaller communities would all remain in place. 

In allowing municipalities to keep the school tax portion of their property taxes, Hugh would fund education from K to grade 12 from General Revenues while maintaining the constitutional rights of both Public and Separate School Boards to tax.  The decision to impose new taxes and the reason for them would be the prerogative of the local citizens through their school boards.

There is much to do in this province.  Hugh dedicates himself to working with you and other Albertans in creating a fiscally sound, but more caring community in which to live and raise our families.

THE PARTY’S NOT OVER! 

JOIN THE MACDONALD DRIVE

For more information visit Hugh’s website at  www.votehugh.ca

Campaign Office:  1066 Capilano Mall

Telephone:  780-757-2787 or 780-566-7575