Diana Ablonczy, MP
Calgary –
Nose Hill
Alberta
Via Fax: 613-992-2537
Dear Ms. Ablonczy:
RE: Government’s role and accountability
to society and what we can possibly contribute.
Thank you for the recent e-mail from Bob
van Wegen April 18, 2000.
Background and motive to the commentaries and
the OISD initiatives:
The commentary is based on the proprietary
comparable strategic studies we are working with -mainly for the
corporate sector.
The motive behind the decision to issue
commentaries and also the initiative to form the OISD (Okanagan
Institute for Strategic Development) is our concern for the growing gap
between the role that government plays in our economy, and the role
society desperately needs our government to play in order to secure
social satisfaction.
Brief summary of our concerns:
Canada is not a planned
economic system. Canada is a democratically governed mixed economy.
Our wealth generating and wealth distribution system depends on two
interrelated fundamentals:
1.
a competitive sustainable business and industrial sector which
combines our resources into economic production - distributing wealth
and securing the tax base through (better paid) employment.
2.
a government sector that provides the services that the pricing
mechanism and private sector fails to provide, and that intervenes
before economic, social and ecological problems cause adversity. And
that which the community in good democratic order has decided, and has
been tested against government’s role in our economy.
The shift.
Over the past fifteen years the economy and
marketplace has moved from a closed economy to more open global
conditions.
The government is simply not able to secure jobs
and social satisfaction with the same methods that worked in the past.
Post war government and central bank policies no longer translate to
better paying jobs and better socioeconomic standards in the
community.
The problem is that our government institutions
from local to federal level continue to operate and intervene in the
economy with outdated methods and systems.
The problem stems from an absence of modern
analysis and planning tools. For example, in British Columbia’s Forest
sector, industry failed to identify the economic and market shifts and
ecological issues and therefore did not adapt. The government also
failed in its role to monitor and intervene. During the good times, the
system failed to encourage long-term investment, adding value, and using
fewer resources. During the bad times, it stimulated industry to expect
government assistance and bailouts.
The community must assume that government will
analyze and detect issues in the market/pricing mechanism and in the
industrial sector and address them - intervening when necessary – to
ensure that the issues do not become acute, causing job losses,
socio-economic problems and social discontent.
The present slow acting system will be increasingly
inadequate. When problems show up in financial statements, ecological
problems and in Auditor General’s reports - it is too late.
Today, our government simply does not meet the
standard set out in the constitution, and does not meet the necessary
role in a democratically governed, knowledge-driven, open, mixed
economy.
“government is
committed to… furthering economic development to reduce disparity in
opportunities”
Constitution Act of
1982
The Test
·
HRDC Job Transition and the Industrial Adjustment Service
programs are among the programs that contradict economic
development and reduction of disparity in opportunities.
·
IAS and HRDC participation does not meet recognized
accountability standards for government intervention in an open
knowledge and technology-driven economy.
Systemic problems
The accountability problem (such as in HRDC) is a
symptom of the underlying fundamental problems in our system.
The problem is rational ignorance. The majority of
voters do not consider that tax transfers for programs and projects such
as HRDC, Fast Ferries, etc. are at the expense of other aims in the
community.
Case-by-case criticism of the government in
the house and in the press will not move the majority of voters -
rational ignorance will prevail. The government and bureaucracy can
curb most criticism by masking the damage with statement such as – “ a
mistake was made, but we are helping people that need help”,
etc.
The alternative
Studying the Reform Party and political parties in
other parts of the world that resonate protest against existing parties
and government - all failed to establish the broader and deeper
political base necessary to become a sustainable political force.
The New Democracy party in Sweden is probably the
best example of a party that failed to transform protest into
government. In spite of the name, the party is a center right party
that for legitimate reason challenged both the left and right
establishment. Surfing on a cross-political dissatisfaction sentiment
with the government, in 1991 the party got 25 of the 349 seat in
the Swedish parliament and had a real opportunity to move from protest
to power.
Unfortunately – for Sweden- the Swedish New
Democracy party ignored the voter’s rational ignorance and never moved
from protest to becoming a real alternative for people, and therefore
lost its position and seats in the parliament.
What can we offer?
We are in the process of forming the Okanagan
Institute for Strategic Development, a cross-political organization
providing research, analysis, and formulation of viable solutions in a
global economy and marketplace. The initial focus is on Government’s
role and accountability to society from local to federal level in a
mixed economy.
Our comparable analysis, including Government
transfer systems - as managed through HRDC, Forest Renewal BC, BDC, etc.
- has been a strong contributing factor in the decision to launch the
institute and the first project area. Our objective is to continue to
address the strategic issues facing this and future generations and to
seek solutions in conjunction with people and organizations that place
the same importance on the economic, social and ecological issues facing
the community.
Later this year we will be seeking individual
support and contributions to the Institute. It is also our intention to
offer strategic research and analysis on a for-fee basis.
The issue of government’s role and accountability
and adapting our system to reality in the economy is the most
critical issue facing the community in our time.
We would be glad to provide our services to you and
your party to assist in moving from protest to becoming a real
alternative for Canadians across the country. Our concern is to
identify and address the strategic issues facing the community and
formulate approaches to solution - documented and supported by evidence
and reasoning - that people can support.
I would be glad to discuss the options, and
whatever outcome I will always appreciate staying in touch.
Yours truly,
OISD
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