In case you don't remember from junior/high school social studies class, once a Bill has passed through the elected members of the House of Commons it goes to the appointed (not elected) Senate, where it must be approved. There are many Canadians that find an appointed Senate to be undemocratic and would like to see it changed to an elected Senate, or abolished altogether. You may notice that here in Alberta we have been voting for senators for quite a while, since 2004 I think. Those who get "voted in" as Senators are considered Senators in waiting, until the Prime Minister decides if he wants to recommend them for appointment when a spot opens up. This is a very general explanation, if you want more information I recommend looking on Wikipedia.
Senate nominee candidate, Ian Urquhart, is spending the day in Medicine Hat today.
You have the opportunity on Thursday, April 12 at 12 noon, to meet and talk with Ian Urquhart, Independent candidate at Inspire Cafe at 675 2 St SE.
The following information came from Urquhart's campaign office:
About Urquhart:
Ian has been a Professor at the University of Alberta Department of Political Science since he moved to Alberta in 1987. He has taught a wide range of courses in Canadian and Alberta politics. A recipient of several teaching awards including a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canadian Studies at Portland State University. He has spent several years volunteering with the Alberta Wilderness Association, until April 2009 he sat on Board of Directors for the Association to become the editor of Wild Lands Advocate, the Association’s magazine. For his efforts he received AWA’s Wilderness Defenders Award in 2007.
Ian’s dream for the Next Alberta is a more inclusive, balanced Alberta that builds on our strengths. It makes protecting our environment a key priority. It sees Albertans use our petroleum wealth to encourage renewable energy. It stresses public participation’s importance to a healthy democracy.
While visiting Medicine Hat, Ian is looking forward to sharing his ideas, but also learning a lot from what this innovative city has already done, especially from an alternative electricity perspective.
Some of Ian’s thoughts for Renewable Energy include:
Industrialization and innovation -- applied to a new economy accelerate growth and development.
Petroleum will be an important part of the Next Alberta’s energy economy. It’s vital to our hopes of developing renewables. Federal tax revenues from petroleum can kickstart the drive to diversifying our sources of energy. This wealth gives us a wonderful opportunity to emulate what the Lougheed government did in the 1970s by creating the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA). AOSTRA stimulated the growth of Alberta’s bitumen sector. A Renewable Energy Technology and Research Authority (RETRA) could do the same for renewables.
Ottawa will devote a significant portion of the nearly $200 billion* in federal tax revenues it is likely to receive from bitumen extraction over the next 25 years to partner with Alberta and create a Renewable Energy Technology and Research Authority (RETRA).
*The Canadian Energy Research Institute
The federal government will the U.S. example and offer a 30 percent personal tax credit for purchasing renewable energy technologies such as solar-electric and wind turbine systems.
The federal government will encourage the development of a all- Canadian west-east pipeline. Let’s replace the foreign oil consumed in Eastern Canada with Alberta petroleum.
For more information check out his website: ianforsenate.ca
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