Have you wondered why governments
always seem to
be responding to a crisis in
health care? Or why the media is
so focused on stories about nursing
or teaching?
If you had just been rescued
off an island with no connection
to the outside world for the last 30
years, you might think that people
today spend 80 per cent of their
days consumed with the operations
of health and education. You might
have the impression that both are
so desperate for money they are on
the brink of failure. You might also
have heard experts say there are no
acceptable alternatives to the way
we care for the sick and teach our
kids and no choice but to pay more
taxes for health and education and
accept lower standards for other
government services.
After a few days, you would see
that most working people still earn
their living in the private sector and
government is still responsible for
hundreds of other services. You just
don’t hear about it in the media.
Why not?
The short answer is that there
are a lot of skilled, well-funded
interest groups persuading the public
and governments of specific
problems and the money needed to
address them. Most of this constant
campaigning is funded directly or
indirectly with taxpayer dollars
and has started to intensify now
that a provincial election is mere
months away.
What do Albertans think are the
most important issues? More importantly,
what do voters think? In my
experience as a political strategist,
we make a distinction between people
and voters. I know polling will
show that people agree the biggest
issues for government are healthcare
and education. But politicos
know the biggest issues for voters are
their own economic issues (jobs and
taxes) and infrastructure that makes
their lives easier.
Albertans are concerned with
the economy, the financial mess the
province is in and worried what the
red ink is going to do to taxes. At
current trends, the provincial debt
will reach $90 billion by 2023–24
and all parties are talking about fiscal
restraint. All the political parties
know that in an economy where we
can’t get pipelines built, voters care
C E O U P D AT E
about good roads, good jobs and
low taxes. Voters have a personal
and direct relationship to their economic
situation. Their connection
to roads is through longer commute
times and observation of road
condition. What they need to hold
governments accountable for the
condition of their roads are hard
facts they can relate to and use to
challenge those running for office
about their platforms.
Data exists to prove that roads
build the economy and benefit
everyone in society every day. But
to give voice to these facts, someone
needs to step up and speak for
roads. It falls to us, the roadbuilders,
to speak up for roads. The ARHCA
Board of Directors approved a public
advocacy campaign for the upcoming
election to provide voters with
information they need to make
informed decisions about the condition
of their investment in public
roads and solutions Alberta could
use to protect their investment.
Plan to attend the Advocacy Session
at the annual convention to learn
more about the campaign. In 2019,
ARHCA will speak for roads. n
Who Speaks
for Roads?
khunaspix / 123RF
By Ron Glen, CEO, Alberta Roadbuilders
and Heavy Construction Association
ALBERTA HEAVY 2018 7
/www.challengergeomatics.com
