Consider what Alberta's party leaders are promising us: respect and care for the less advantaged, publicly funded health care with major investments to reduce waiting times, smaller class sizes for students, maintaining and developing a highly-skilled workforce, community policing and crime prevention, a better deal for Alberta seniors, vibrant communities, top-notch post-secondary schools, a highly educated workforce, attracting new business, and support for emerging technologies.

With vague platitudes like these, is it any wonder that many Albertans can't be bothered to vote

The sad fact is that this provincial election is a personality contest, in which issues are placed on the back burner. On November 22 Albertans will not have a direct or meaningful say on electricity deregulation, natural gas rebates, taxpayer funding of abortion, car insurance reform, VLTs, spending control legislation, the Heritage Fund, ways to improve our health care and education systems, or anything else. All these issues are decided behind closed doors by the premier, cabinet and government caucus, without direct input from citizens.

Contrast Alberta's issue-less personality contest with the direct say on public policy enjoyed by voters south of the border.

In Nevada, Wyoming and Oregon, citizens voted on proposals to place limits on non-economic "pain and suffering" damages in medical malpractice cases. Colorado voters supported a tobacco tax increase, while rejecting a proposal to allocate its Electoral College votes based on the percentage of popular vote received by each presidential candidate. New Mexico voters approved a proposal to expand the property tax exemption for honourably discharged veterans. Floridians approved measures to establish a minimum wage, limit trial lawyers' profits on medical liability cases, require parental notification for minors having abortions, and expand patients' access to their own medical records. Voters in eleven states approved initiatives to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Californians voted on stem cell research, an extra 1% tax on annual income exceeding one million dollars, and changes to its existing "three strikes" incarceration law. Alaskans voted on initiatives to legalize marijuana and to ban bear baiting. Maine voters rejected a measure to reduce property taxes. Michigan voters supported a law requiring local voter approval for gambling expansion. Montanans said 'yes' to medicinal marijuana, 'no' to watering down their term limits law, and 'yes' to a tobacco tax increase. Nebraskans rejected proposals to expand gambling in their state. Oklahomans supported the creation of a state lottery, with proceeds going into a trust fund for education. South Dakota voters rejected a proposal to exempt food from the state's sales tax. Oregon voters rejected a proposal to ban logging in some state forests.

Although Ralph Klein once praised direct democracy, his own government has failed to give Albertans the right to initiate and vote in referendums on issues of their choice. Klein has not supported any of the four citizens' initiative bills brought forward by MLAs in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2001.

There is no reason why Alberta can't join Switzerland, New Zealand, many U.S. states, British Columbia and other jurisdictions which empower their citizens through direct democracy. So far in this election, over 200 candidates in 83 ridings have declared their support for a citizen-initiated referendum law for Alberta. It's up to Albertans to vote for politicians who will vote for a law to empower Albertans.