Fixing Up Government

After decades in the hands of an aging and increasingly incompetent administration, the Alberta government needs a tune up. 

A new Alberta Liberal administration would:

• Take the total of $25 million being spent on rebranding Alberta, and direct those funds to improve public policy development, or direct it towards core social programs.

• The Public Affairs Bureau accounts for 65% of Executive Council’s budget.  That is $18.5 million that is spent on communications just through the Public Affairs Bureau.
o Every other government Ministry has communications budgets as well, and those total an amount of $15.5 million.
o If there is one area where efficiencies can be found it is surely in government communications, where there seems to be double the money spent on the same service. 
o That is surely money that is better spent on developing better policy that does not need spin, or supporting core public programs.

• Begin a cross Ministry policy review for all Ministries that provide social support programs.  Many vulnerable people get transferred from one Ministry to another as their support needs change.  There are currently cracks that people to fall through when these transitions occur, and a policy review to better coordinate and streamline these supports will make Alberta stronger and provide a better quality of life to its disadvantaged citizens.

• Strengthen Alberta’s civil service.  Currently there is too much reliance on outside consultants.  This is work that could, and should be done within our Ministries.  By strengthening the civil service, we ensure that we always have the best and brightest working for the interests of all Albertans.  The public money that is currently spent on outside consultants would then be directed to Albertans, and this money would stay in Alberta.

• We would close some of the expensive international trade offices and re-deploy the employees to meet other staffing needs.