01-23-2015, 06:32 PM
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#541
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: On your last nerve...:D
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Airdrie's current mayor will be seeking the PC nomination for area MLA - video at the link
Quote:
Mayor Peter Brown has made it official and will seek nomination for PC MLA in Airdrie. In front of a crowd of family, friends, supporters and community members, Brown made the announcement, last night.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Minnie For This Useful Post:
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01-26-2015, 11:24 AM
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#542
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Franchise Player
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Raj is stepping down.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...ader-1.2932042
Libs with no leader and nobody nominated. WR with no leader and no declared candidates. Be interesting to see if Prentice calls an early election while the opposition has it's pants down.
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01-27-2015, 09:15 AM
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#543
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Edmonton
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This is exciting news. I did not like Raj as leader but will consider the party if I like their new leader.
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01-27-2015, 09:21 AM
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#544
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GP_Matt
This is exciting news. I did not like Raj as leader but will consider the party if I like their new leader.
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I think its pretty grim for the opposition parties in general. Not that it was bright before Raj stepped down, but I just don't think that people will vote for a party with no leader, or basically take a risk like that. Basically its the PC's against the NDP, and aside from Edmonton, the PC's should win a huge majority. The Wildrose will probably get a few rural seats, but even there it could be hard for them. The Liberals might hang on to Blakemans seat and maybe one or two others based on personality more than anything.
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01-27-2015, 09:24 AM
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#545
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Edmonton
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I was thinking in the long term. If there is a snap election the results will be disgusting for the province. The PCs will be able to continue making all decisions behind closed doors and then having a debate in the legislature that is completely fake and meaningless.
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01-27-2015, 09:29 AM
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#546
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Franchise Player
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right now our most effective opposition party is the media that covers the leg.
I legitimately applaud their efforts and am thankful they are there.
__________________
"OOOOOOHHHHHHH those Russians" - Boney M
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The Following User Says Thank You to killer_carlson For This Useful Post:
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01-27-2015, 09:44 AM
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#547
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In the Sin Bin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GP_Matt
I was thinking in the long term. If there is a snap election the results will be disgusting for the province. The PCs will be able to continue making all decisions behind closed doors and then having a debate in the legislature that is completely fake and meaningless.
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Long term, the Liberals (Wildrose, NDP, Alberta Party....) need a leader that can command a room. Even to the point of style before substance (a la the federal Liberals). I'm not certain that exists inside any of these parties at the moment.
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03-28-2015, 10:16 PM
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#548
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: On your last nerve...:D
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Not surprising, I'm sure, but Smith lost the nomination for Highwood.
Quote:
Former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, once the darling of Alberta’s political right who nearly toppled the PC dynasty three years ago, lost the PC nomination race in her riding of Highwood on Saturday.
Smith, who along with eight other Wildrose MLAs, defected to the PC party in stunning fashion late last year, lost her bid to carry the Tory blue and orange banner in the general election to Carrie Fischer, a rookie councillor for the town of Okotoks.
Party officials said 972 ballots were cast in the closely watched race, but refused to divulge the final tally for each candidate.
The ex-Wildrose leader delivered a brief concession speech in which she congratulated Fischer, thanked PC members for participating in the vote as well as her staff and family for helping with her campaign.
“I did want to get a mandate to be the PC candidate for Highwood, but of course residents felt otherwise,” Smith said.
She expressed no regrets crossing the floor last year, and reiterated her support for Premier Jim Prentice saying he is the only political leader with a credible long-term plan.
“It’s important for conservatives to unify under his leadership,” she said. “We have $50 oil, a $7 billion hole in the budget and I think that Mr. Prentice with his budget came through with the right balance of spending austerity as well as revenue increases and dipping into the contingency fund.”
Smith said she would support Fischer’s campaign, but would take time to discuss her next move with her husband.
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Quote:
As news spread through the room that Smith had lost, there were scattered whoops and high fives followed by a loud cheer by those in attendance.
“The chickens have come home to roost. Karma,” said Wildrose president Jeff Callaway, adding Smith’s loss was “the cherry on top” of electing a new leader.
Callaway said Prentice will have to wear Smith’s loss, a point echoed by the new Wildrose leader.
“This is a good lesson for the premier,” Jean said. “Now he’s seen that trying to destroy democracy doesn’t work. It does not work at all for him because the people have spoken and they’ve clearly decided that Danielle Smith and what she did is not what they want to represent them.”
Wayne Anderson, who has been nominated to run for Wildrose in Highwood, said he had looked forward to taking on Smith in the election.
“I think the local PC party itself could not accept Danielle as their nominee,” he said.
Saturday’s stunning defeat almost certainly spells the end of Smith’s political career, said Lori Williams, associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University.
“As a politician, I can’t see anyone wanting to touch her,” Williams said. “She’s got too many negative associations … her glory days are definitely behind her.”
Williams said many PC supporters likely didn’t view Smith as trustworthy and thought she could be a liability in the next provincial election.
“Winning the nomination is not the primary fight here,” said Williams. “The biggest question was who has the best chance of winning in the next election.”
“Danielle Smith was so polarizing at this stage of the game that the motivation for people to get out and vote for PC would not be as strong as the motivation to come out and vote against Smith,” she added.
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03-29-2015, 12:14 AM
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#549
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Franchise Player
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loooooooool
As far as Prentice "having to wear" this loss ... no he won't. This is absolutely the best possible scenario for the PC's and Prentice. They destroyed their opposition and now they don't have to accept Smith as part of the fold, or god forbid, a cabinet position.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by MisterJoji
Johnny eats garbage and isn’t 100% committed.
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03-29-2015, 01:10 AM
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#550
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Lifetime Suspension
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: blow me
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nm
Last edited by RedMileDJ; 08-31-2015 at 01:20 AM.
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03-29-2015, 06:53 AM
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#551
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedMileDJ
I don't understand how Smith and the other floor closers couldn't see this coming. It was so obvious from the start.
Cross the floor.
Piss everyone off.
Highwood vote will make you unemployed.
Does Smith get a better pension or payout because she lost as a PC, compared to being a Wild Rose? It's the only thing I can think of. She must have known this was going to happen. Or is she really that naive?
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I don't know the exact figures, but Smith will now get a transition allowance (like any other MLA), and its not as sweet a deal as it once was. Before Redford this was where MLAs would get those huge $500k type cheques for this, but now they're greatly reduced and I would guess she will get something like $100k. There is no pension anymore.
Before someone dives in and says that is too much money and she should get zero, let me note that I've seen the payouts for a wide-range of companies in Alberta. People might not love Smith, or politicians in general, but this isn't a huge amount of money in that context, is fully taxable (unless its moved to an RRSP) and in my opinion really isn't a big deal. Certainly not a reason to get into politics, where pre-Redford that may have been an enticement. I believe they also get their extended healthcare benefits half period for a few years as well. This is the coverage for things like prescriptions, dental, chiro, massage, etc.
It doesn't matter which party you are with, those are the rules across the board, although being a cabinet minister or leader of the opposition might be a factor because you would have a higher base pay for that transition allowance in the first place.
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03-29-2015, 10:10 AM
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#552
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Franchise Player
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I expect Smith to end up on a corporate board or two. It was the oilpatch pulling the strings all along, first in funding the Wildrose and her leadership in order to punish Stelmach for the royalty increases, and then in pulling their support from Wildrose when it became clear Prentice would play nice with the oil patch. Smith was a loyal soldier for corporate Calgary, and will get her pat on the head.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze
If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
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03-29-2015, 11:27 AM
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#553
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
I expect Smith to end up on a corporate board or two. It was the oilpatch pulling the strings all along, first in funding the Wildrose and her leadership in order to punish Stelmach for the royalty increases, and then in pulling their support from Wildrose when it became clear Prentice would play nice with the oil patch. Smith was a loyal soldier for corporate Calgary, and will get her pat on the head.
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I doubt it, she has no sway at all with the government now and wouldn't be of use to them. She has shown herself to not be loyal and to make poor decisions, not exactly boardroom material.
If she had sat as an independent then ran for the PC nomination she would probably have won.
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03-29-2015, 11:49 AM
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#554
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In the Sin Bin
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Yeah, if the oilpatch was playing as cut-throat of a game as you are suggesting, Cliff, then they will simply dump her as she is no longer useful. Most pawns are sacrificed, not promoted.
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03-29-2015, 11:52 AM
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#555
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Franchise Player
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Let me ask this question:
Who would you appoint to your Board first: Redford or Smith?
__________________
"OOOOOOHHHHHHH those Russians" - Boney M
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03-29-2015, 11:58 AM
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#556
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Powerplay Quarterback
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Surprised the PCAA didn't step in for her and DQ her opponent like they just did for McAllister. Or just appoint her like they did with Hanson. That's gotta sting.
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03-29-2015, 12:53 PM
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#557
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Franchise Player
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Calgary
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03-29-2015, 12:55 PM
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#558
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In the Sin Bin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by killer_carlson
Let me ask this question:
Who would you appoint to your Board first: Redford or Smith?
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Neither. And no, I will not choose between two options in a false dichotomy.
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03-29-2015, 12:56 PM
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#559
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Resolute 14
Neither. And no, I will not choose between two options in a false dichotomy.
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and less than 4 years ago this was the choice for Alberta voters to be Premier.
It's amazing what they have done to their own credibility.
__________________
"OOOOOOHHHHHHH those Russians" - Boney M
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03-29-2015, 01:19 PM
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#560
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarchHare
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This is the kind of stuff memes are made of. Dani be maaaad!
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