Each session the Alberta government lays out its plans for the upcoming year with its Speech from the Throne. This years Throne Speech didn't do much to encourage those taxpayers hoping for a combination of tax cuts and some remote indication that spending would be brought under control.
But probably more important than what Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong said, was what he didn't.
With the Alberta families working hard every day to provide for their families, taxpayers would have been pleased to hear their government is working just as hard. Perhaps something like:
"People are demanding the maximum value for not only what they buy but for what they pay in taxes. Whether on a personal, municipal, provincial, or federal level all of us must try to stretch not only every dollar but every penny. Such is the challenge facing my government."
With the Fraser Institute, economist Paul Boothe and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation warning the government of looming deficits if doesn't put a lid on the massive spending increases seen over the past few years, taxpayers would have been buoyed to hear:
"A perceived lack of fiscal responsibility is perhaps the greatest reason for the cynicism that people feel towards governments today, but my government is changing that perception in this province, and not because it is expedient or fashionable. This government is initiating fundamental change in the way it manages the public purse because there is no other choice. It is that simple. Putting our financial house in order is critical to maintaining the strong economy that Albertans need, want, and expect."
With a provincial budget expected to be released in the next month, taxpayers should have heard:
"The provincial budget will be frugal and fair. It will keep the government on course to do what it promised Albertans it would do and what Albertans elected it to do."
With cynicism of public officials on the rise all across Canada and a renewed call for democratic reforms like recall and citizens initiated referenda, taxpayers would have been overjoyed to hear:
"Government must be by the people as well as for and of the people. Albertans want open government, and they want a bigger say in the business of government than a periodic trip to the polling booth."
With health care budgets unsustainably rising at ten per cent each year and Albertans demanding a glimpse into Alberta's "Third Way," taxpayers needed to hear:
"My government must change the way it does business when it comes to providing health care ... Our current system is too expensive, and we all know that more money is not the answer. Albertans pay enough for these programs already ... The answer is to continue providing quality services while living within our means. To do it, the government has to be imaginative. It has to look at everything. It has to take risks and try new things."
Unfortunately taxpayers didn't hear Alberta Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong read these words in 2006. They did however hear Alberta Lieutenant Governor T. Gordon Towers read these words in 1993.
These were the words that set the Klein government apart from other governments when it took office in 1993. These were the words that set a bold, visionary agenda for the "Klein Revolution". These are the words so many taxpayers long once again to hear.