As spring session draws to a close, it will most likely be remembered for what was not debated rather than for what was.

For all the talk and bluster about Alberta finally taking some action to address the sustainability and lack of choice within our health care system, not one piece of legislation was introduced and not one substantial debate was held on health care reform.

Granted, a health policy framework was floated and "stakeholder" meetings were held. Yet, ultimately the government was scared off by a small but well organized opposition. Heck, they even backed off their Plan B: introduce the legislation, with no intention of passing it, for "further debate."

It's getting tougher for Alberta politicians to ignore the large stinky elephant in the room that is health care. Health care accounts for 37 per cent of total Alberta government spending this year, and health care budgets continue to grow at 10 per cent a year.

It's simply unsustainable.

Alberta's own-source revenues, (other than resource revenues - which are wholly unreliable) are only growing at 5 per cent a year.

It's a simple equation: what happens when your costs are increasing faster than your revenues You either reduce your costs or increase your revenues (ie. raise taxes). Fortunately for taxpayers, there are more ways to accomplish the former than the later.

The health care issue will have to wait for the next premier to tackle, but waiting doesn't come cheap. Taxpayers will likely fork out yet another billion dollars more for health care in next year's budget.

Albertans shouldn't fear reform. They should, however, fear the thought of continuing to do nothing. Doing nothing but feeding the bottomless pit that is health care will result in more of the same. Costs rising faster than revenues are a recipe for tax hikes, and as we have seen for the past many years, more money doesn't result in better health care.

Another debate that never happened was on Tory MLA Doug Griffiths motion to "ensure that all budget surpluses- be held in a holding account until its allocation is debated by the Legislative Assembly."

It's slightly ironic that a motion calling for more debate never got debated itself. However, the lack of debate on this motion was not by choice. Mr. Griffiths' motion was scheduled to be debated during the fourteenth week of session, and this session lasted eleven weeks.

Last year's difference between budgeted expenditures and final revenues is likely to be in the $9 billion range. That's a lot of money being spent before it gets debated in the Assembly.

The Finance Minister counters that all money spent will be debated and approved in the Assembly, which is technically correct. However, surplus funds are often approved after they are spent, which makes the Assembly's decision a yes or no question, rather than one of choosing between various options.

Doug Griffiths' motion was unquestionably worthy of debate and even more so, worthy of support.

Alberta is at a cross-road. Major decisions need to be made in regards to the future of our health care system and how to deal with one-time windfall revenues. But Alberta is also in a holding pattern. No major decision will be made until a new premier is selected. Hopefully that race will be the catalyst to launch the debates Albertans are longing to hear.