Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Back to the Future: Why Alberta needs more pioneer-style collective action and less American-style conservative ideology. Job loss; declining quality and accessibility of public services; environmental impact of development; and cut throat competition from abroad are the kinds of challenges Alberta faces as it moves into the second decade of the 21st century. Will we be able to maintain our prosperity and quality of life in the face of these challenges? Will we adapt, innovate and develop better ways to support each other and our communities? Or will we see more and more of our neighbours tossed to the curb as the newly “globalized” economy picks winners and losers? Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan will argue Alberta has the tools it needs to deal successfully with the challenges facing the province; all that’s missing is political vision and political will. McGowan believes that it’s time to reject American-inspired free-market conservatism that has dominated Alberta’s political and poli