Tom Sindlinger

Money ─ maybe it's obvious and crass, but that's what it will take to win the Leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta. Not policy, not character ─ just money, and lots of it. I'd guess about $3 million. And at this level, that means Misters Bronconnier, Dinning, and Manning, in that order. Money enables organization, which means identifying supporters and making sure they get out to vote. Eventually Misters Oberg, Stelmach, and Hancock will drop out of the race; hopefully, before they fruitlessly spend too much of their own money. Mr. Norris will stay to the end as "an Edmonton voice". My predictions of how they will finish in the race to replace Ralph are at www.sindlinger.ca What are your predictions? Cheers....Tom

I have played hockey in 'Jimmy's Condom' arena, (right beside Norma's Bush Arena), what a coincidence. Anyway, word on the street is that you were 'booted' from the PC party for your stance on the Heritage Fund. What, exactly, did you disagree with? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you for asking about my stance on the Alberta Heritage Trust Fund when I was an MLA. I thought the concept of the Fund was solid. I was critical of the lack of accountability for the Fund's management. For example, the answer to my questions like - "who is on the private panel that makes recommendations", or "why was there a $60 million dollar loss last year" - was "we can not tell you because it would compromise the investment strategy of the Fund". This answer was very perplexing. A subsequent audit report stated "There is considerable scope for collusion between an investment trader employed by the Treasury Department and someone in one of the brokerage houses, which could result in fraud." So, feeling that public funds should be dealt with in public, I spoke in favour of a freedom of information bill (which Alberta now has). Although this could be considered publicly responsible, it was politically troublesome. The caucus asked me to toe the party line, to which I said "no, thank you", and, as you put it, I was "booted" from the caucus, but not the party. I completed my term as an Independent Conservative. I am a member of the Alberta PC Party today........Tom

"As an aside, what ever happened to the five or so billion Heritage Fund 1970- 1980) that Alberta set aside for use in hard times? Durgan." I was a Member of the Legislative Committee for the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund in 1980. The purpose of the Fund, established in 1976, was to provide a source of investment income for when non renewable resource revenue declined; to strengthen or diversify alberta's economy; and, to improve the quality of life through projects providing long term social and economic benefits. The Fund created medical research endowments (which still exit); supported oil sands technology research (which is the basis of today's production from oil sands); provided grants to universities and colleges and created scholarship endowments (one of which I started, the Jimmy Condon Scholarships, which have provided $18,930,467 to 22,458 Alberta students); and, among many other things, provided special loans to other provinces (thereby sharing Alberta's good fortune with other Canadians). All of this was for the benefit of future Albertans (that is, you and me today). Today, however, there is no "future" in the Heritage Fund or the Alberta Government's handling of non renewable resource revenue. The value of the Heritage Fund today ia about $11.4 billion.

Premier Klein’s legacy dismal compared to Premier Lougheed’s Premier Klein’s kingly announcement that every Albertan will be given $400 at Christmas is simple minded, without vision, and an “in your face” irritant to other Canadians. Compare Klein’s $400 legacy with that of former Premier Lougheed. Lougheed’s government had similar surplus revenues in 1976. He recognized the surplus was due to non-renewable resources, not taxes, and therefore created the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund to hold the surplus. The Trust Fund invested in Alberta’s social and economic infrastructure, while at the same time saving for future generations and sharing through loans to other Canadian provinces.