Mandel offers message of provincial unity
Former Edmonton mayor sees closer ties between the province and municipalities
“We’re all in this together.”
If there’s one thing Alberta Party leadership candidate Stephen Mandel focuses on in our interview, it’s the notion that we’ve all got to pull together to make things right in Alberta.
In a province divided by angry political debate dominated by parties on the right and left, Mandel’s mantra may well prove to be welcome. I found it refreshing, certainly in terms of how Mandel sees the provincial government getting along with municipal politicians.
As for a potential relationship with municipalities, Mandel says: “We want to become a partner and not an adversary. We want to work with municipalities to help fulfil the Alberta dream within the context of their communities. Now, everybody can’t have everything they want. We have to put it into perspective what (fiscal) capacities we have. But I think we can have a much more effective, efficient, friendly relationship that often times hasn’t existed between urban areas and provincial areas.”
Then Mandel says something that will be joyful to the ears of every city, town and rural councillor, hearkening back to his nine years as Edmonton’s mayor: “We got along reasonably well with all the premiers. But it was a father-son relationship, or a parent-child relationship. I don’t see that as the relationship I want to have. It’s two equals.”
At the same time, the cities, town and counties shouldn’t expect any blank cheques from Mandel — his second big theme is fiscal responsibility.
“Our goal is to allow Calgary and Red Deer and Medicine Hat and Lethbridge, etc., to try to have a vision for their cities and we can be their partner. But we’re not an unlimited partner. ... We understand that the needs are far in excess of what we can afford, and they (municipalities) have to understand that as well.”
Balanced budgets are much on the tip of Mandel’s tongue: “I think it’s important that we just don’t spend unendingly and all of a sudden turn around and we got a $70-billion debt and we’re paying another $3 or $4 billion a year in interest and if interest goes crazy, you don’t know what is going to happen.”
Mayor Don Iveson has made social housing a priority. Mandel is on board with that, saying it is, in fact, a provincial responsibility, though the municipalities can certainly partner with the province and private interests on solutions. “It’s a priority . ... We need to be able to create programs that will encourage the private sector to invest and will have municipalities being co-operative partners . ... They (the private sector) will build it less expensively, they’ll operate it better. We just have to make sure we’ll put the controls in place that they’ll do what they say they’re going to do.”
On education, Mandel is a champion of school choice, including maintaining the 60 to 70 per cent funding for children who attend private schools, which the Alberta Teachers’ Association wants to axe.
“I support people have the right to choose,” he says. “I wouldn’t eliminate it.”
Why not?
“Because people have rights. Not everybody feels comfortable in every environment. Most kids go to the public school system. Some parents want to send their kids to different educational institutions. I just think this is a free country, people should be able to do that, and some provincial funding is not unreasonable.”
I talk to Mandel as he’s on a five-hour drive to Grande Prairie for an event. I ask how at age 72 he’s still up for this kind of thing.
“I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t keen to do it,” he says. “You meet some wonderful people . ... And I really think this is a time in our province for a much more balanced leadership, practical leadership. And I think that’s what Albertans want and as long as we get our message out, we’ll do fine. But it’s going to be a long road.”
His candidacy could also make for the most fascinating provincial election of my lifetime.
I don’t know who the Alberta Party will pick as leader and I haven’t yet talked with the other candidates, so I’m not making a recommendation. But Mandel sounds as sharp, capable and on top of his political game as ever.
If it is Mandel who becomes leader, that will make three interesting, admirable and highly able Albertans leading parties: him, Jason Kenney and Rachel Notley.
Let the political fireworks begin, from left, right and centre.