Drivers’ examination plan should be parked

Returning testing to the public sector a costly fix for system that isn’t broken

With the serious issues currently facing Alberta, it seems a weird time for the provincial government to mess about with driving examinations.

But there’s never a wrong time for the NDP to push more people into being dependent on the public purse for a paycheque rather than working in the dreaded private sector — hoping, no doubt, such a change will lead to more sympathetic votes from the newly converted come the rapidly approaching next election.

Still, the 161 governmentpaid examiners who by March will replace the current 153 privately-paid bunch aren’t likely to make too much of a difference in the provincial vote, even if they all indeed end up backing the increasingly desperate Dippers.

In announcing the move, Transportation Minister Brian Mason described the current system, which was put in place as part of those gung-ho years of deficitcutting during Ralph Klein’s first administration, as a Wild West way of taking a driving test.

Now if Mason — always my favourite minister because he looks like one of those tough old union bosses — was intent on making the exam itself a proper test of a person’s ability to drive a vehicle, then the change to public ownership of the examination system might be deemed worthwhile.

As it stands, anyone who can manage to tie his or her own shoelaces without toppling over should be able to pass the current test with aplomb. It’s been that way for decades in our province, which helps explain much of the dreadful driving that takes place in Calgary these days, whatever the weather conditions.

But that won’t change. Heck, when a driving licence is thought of as a right rather than a privilege and when cities are set up to make those without such a vital piece of approved plastic virtual prisoners in their neighbourhoods no politician will dare rock that cosy relationship.

So instead, Mason’s announced changes are all about the sanctity of public employment over the assumed follies of the private sector.

Apparently, people are complaining that examiners can charge what they want and that it is hard to arrange a test in some rural areas. Plus some folk claim they are failed so they have to pay for a second test (though perhaps the tree they plowed into during the usual 30-minute gong show might have had some bearing on the negative outcome.)

Regardless, we’re going public all over again with the usual blather about how this won’t cost a nickel to taxpayers because the fees paid will cover all of the $15.9-million costs involved.

Plus, with the change, the government plans to set up an online system for people to book time for their tests. Really?

Wow, maybe they can use the example of the electronic health record that was promised 20 years ago to allow us to book appointments online with doctors and access all our health information. Then again, maybe they’ll give that particular multibillion-dollar boondoggle a pass.

Oh, and we’ll have a call centre as well so people can gripe about problems. Won’t they need to staff such a place or are we to believe current government personnel will add it to their duties at no extra cost?

Inevitably this will cost much more than announced and will deliver less than promised, but by the time that’s obvious, Mason’s buddies almost certainly won’t be around to take any heat.

Instead, it will likely be Jason Kenney who’ll have his feet under the big table by then.

So what does the would-be premier have to say about this?

“The NDP, intent on further growing government spending in an era of massive deficits, is ‘fixing ’ something that isn’t broken,” Kenney wrote on Twitter.

So if and when Kenney’s bunch gain power will they reverse this decision? It’s tempting to call it an endless roundabout except successfully navigating such a wondrous beast of road design is far too testing a manoeuvre for many would-be drivers.