Inefficient bureaucracy repeatedly cited in suggestions to cut Alberta's red tape

At least one person believes that the Alberta government could improve the province's fortunes by negotiating a strategic deal with B.C.: You let us build our pipeline and we'll take backNickelback.

Fortunately, that response was a one-off among the almost 2,300 comments provided during the first month of the Alberta government's online survey seeking input on how to cut government red tape.

Cutting government bureaucracy was the most common suggestion, representing a fifth of the2,291 responses sent to the Cut Red Tape crowdsourcing tool between June 24 through July 24. CBCNews obtained the full list of comments through a freedom of information (FOIP) request.

An analysis of the responses which answered the question, "Tell us the problem and how it affects you?" found that many flagged inefficiencies in provincial departments and government services.They rangedfrom suggestions oftoo many managers in government, problems with the health-care system, the return of standardized tests for Grade 3 students and problems within Alberta Health Services.

That emphasis on bureaucracy makes sense toChaldeans Mensah, a professor of political science at MacEwan University, who believesdepartment red tape is a hot topic for manyAlbertans.

"We all want quick and efficient services when dealing with government," he said. "We want to avoid too many onerous rules and to understand things efficiently."

Anonymous thoughts, personal stories

Questions in the form identified as optional include the complainant's email address, postal code and suggestions on how to fix the problem they have identified. People could post their thoughtsanonymously and they were able to submit the form numerous times.

Although all private information was removed from the 552 pages provided to CBC News, the responses often detailed specific andpersonal examples of how inefficiencies have affected them.

Education was a frequent topic, as was red tape experienced by businesses in the oil and gas sector, the minimum wage and long waits for Graduated Driver Licence (GDL) road tests.

• Alberta government turns to crowdsourcing for tips on red tape troubles

Some people took a cheeky approach to the form. One person simply put "Boaty McBoatface" in the comment section, while another complained about it taking too long to get a burger at a restaurant. "I went to a fast-food restaurant and it took more than 15 minutes to get my burger because the teen was allowed a break to go to the washroom," they wrote.

Back to more serious issues, other comments cited specific concerns withenvironmental policies and a lack thereof, AISH andthe United Conservative Party's promised"war room."

In a similar vein, some commenters took a run at thered tape ministry itself, which is led by MLA Grant Hunter.

"Literally, there's a special kind of irony in a Conservative government, priding itself on low taxes, low government interference, etc. in appointing an Associate Minister of Red Tape Reduction," wrote one person.

Some of the comments were influenced by news stories at the time. For example, on the same day the online red tape reduction form was launched, school superintendents were told by the deputy education minister that standardized tests for Grade 3 students would arrive "in coming years."

More than 100comments posted through the online tool in the first month were related to the standardized tests.

That's the beauty of having an open portal, said Gail Kelly, a senior consultant with Crestview Strategy and a former organizer for the Progressive Conservative party.

"I think it's a digital open mic. It allows anybody and anyone to go up and say anything they want and share that with government," she said, describing the Cut Red Tape website asjust one of the government's tools for public engagement.

"It's very difficult for everyday Albertans to find their voice in government. I think this is just one tool to engage."

But both Mensah and Kelly agree that the open website isn't perfect.

For example, said Mensah, it could be used in targeted campaigns by special interest groups or organizations that want to bring forward a specific issue.

"I would be careful not to formulate an overall strategy on red tape reduction on these online inputs because it's very difficult to verify who is putting it in there," he said.

Alberta's red tape reduction

As of Thursday, more than 3,200 comments hadbeen submitted through the online form, the government confirmed.

The government passed the red tape bill in June, which aims to cut regulations that it believes will slow business growth.The online tool is just one part of a wider effort to examine the issue, along with panels ofbusiness and industry experts.

• Alberta creates two industry panels to help reduce regulatory red tape
• Bill to cut red tape actually creates more red tape, opposition says

The online tool has no expiry date, said a spokesperson for the red tape reduction department.

The government did not confirm how many people are sifting through the comments sent in through the online tool. Hunter, associate minister of red tape reduction, was unavailable for an interview.

Mensah said he expects Albertans will see more of the government's plan to reduce red tape soon.

"The red tape concept is very broad and I think that Albertans will buy into it because there are areas that they think needimprovement in the way they deal with government," he said.

"I think these ordinary frustrations that people have are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the government's overall plan to deregulate the economy much more to make it more productive and efficient."

They said it: Sample responses to the survey

• No Pipeline to B.C., Nickelback HQ'd in Vancouver:Bring Nickelback to their home as a trade to get our pipeline built
• Government ministers who send out Christmas cards to all and everyone:Idon't know if they pay for them personally but we all look at these cards and think, 'What a waste.' ... Send an email wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Saves the environment, money, trees. We all [threw] the cards in the garbage."
• Cut costs by eliminating hundreds of wall clocks:Cease spending on clocks and batteries in all government buildings. a)Remove current round analog wall clocks and b)Stop buying new round analog wall clocks. ... Offices have the time displayed in several places, in big digital format on the screens of video displays in meeting rooms. And the time is displayed on all computer screens and government-issued cellphones. Surplus battery wall analog clocks or auction off to staff in buildings with money to go to charity. Bonus: Spend no more time to spring forward and back, spend no more money on batteries and clocks and labour to install them and keep them operating.