Redford's trip to South Africa cost Alta taxpayers $45,000

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Slava

Great, but that's not what has happened in Alberta. We have huge issues like healthcare and education. We need more schools and more facilities in general, and have no way to pay for them with the current system. Rather than bringing real options to the table though, we have opposition who focuses on $45k that would've been acceptable at what..$25k?

Was it necessary to go to Mandela's funeral? Nope! If she had to go it should have been on her dime!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Whatever one first class ticket round trip costs to Ottawa and the cost of a layover at a hotel

That and she could have postponed the swearing in ceremony a day or 2 to avoid having to take a commercial flight home.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Whatever one first class ticket round trip costs to Ottawa and the cost of a layover at a hotel

An Air Canada first class ticket (I assume that flying Westjet would be beneath Alison) to Ottawa is approx. $2900 each way.

And the hotel room shouldn't be the Presidential Suite at the Fairmount Chateau Laurier, even though as Premier I'm sure she feels she deserves it.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by Slava

Great, but that's not what has happened in Alberta. We have huge issues like healthcare and education. We need more schools and more facilities in general, and have no way to pay for them with the current system. Rather than bringing real options to the table though, we have opposition who focuses on $45k that would've been acceptable at what..$25k?

Now this is something I agree with you on. In the last few years WR has shown almost no alternative ideas outside of Rick Bell-esqe cheap outrage.

Redford is entitled, and looks out for no one but herself politically, the flood taught me that. She deserves to be the leader that causes the PC to get booted out. As of right now, that ain't going to happen.

The provincial Liberals are neutered wimps, and the WR have not done a good job at all explaining what they would do outside of budget cutting. They still have the boogeyman stink on them from last go round. Smith should be out there on camera pounding these guys with an alternative message that PC supporters would resonate with. Instead she just surfaces on Facebook from time to time, to hit the PCs with a spending fiasco, then she goes into hiding.

Honestly, I loathe the PC party. I loathe Redford. However, no one has yet shown me they will be different in a responsible way. WR hasn't, the Libs will never get elected, so who does that leave us with?

An uppity lawyer, who looks out for herself and her rich friends, with little to no worry anyone is going to lose the trough anytime soon.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by Slava

I'm of the opinion that the province has a revenue problem and not a spending problem. I also am in favour of debt while rates are low for infrastructure projects and capital projects in general. I suppose that's the point of departure; while some people want add this $45k to the $8B it doesn't really work that way.

If there is a revenue problem then the solution is to raise taxes in some form. How can a leader expect to credibly push that through while also saying that she is too important to fly first class. This is all pretty similar to when the car manufacturers needed money so they took their private jet to Washington to ask for cash. Even if it does make sense it still looks terrible.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Now this is something I agree with you on. In the last few years WR has shown almost no alternative ideas outside of Rick Bell-esqe cheap outrage.

Redford is entitled, and looks out for no one but herself politically, the flood taught me that. She deserves to be the leader that causes the PC to get booted out. As of right now, that ain't going to happen.

The provincial Liberals are neutered wimps, and the WR have not done a good job at all explaining what they would do outside of budget cutting. They still have the boogeyman stink on them from last go round. Smith should be out there on camera pounding these guys with an alternative message that PC supporters would resonate with. Instead she just surfaces on Facebook from time to time, to hit the PCs with a spending fiasco, then she goes into hiding.

Honestly, I loathe the PC party. I loathe Redford. However, no one has yet shown me they will be different in a responsible way. WR hasn't, the Libs will never get elected, so who does that leave us with?

An uppity lawyer, who looks out for herself and her rich friends, with little to no worry anyone is going to lose the trough anytime soon.

She will try to buy the labour unions again. All I can say is the unions won't be fooled twice and she will have to get her votes elsewhere. Good luck with that!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Slava

Its the same thing though, the employer is paying. Its virtually the same as anyone else traveling for business.

The employer is the taxpayers who elected her. The $45,000 she spent on the trip might be a drop in the bucket to her but to many Albertans that's a years salary. We have people here in High River who are still waiting for thier DRP money to help get on with their lives and many i've heard have lost hope they will ever see it. Maybe she should spend more time in her province helping the people who really need help. One thing is fore sure, she won't win a seat in this riding.

[Jacks]

Slava comes to Redford's defense, there's a shocker. 45K spent, could have been 1/4 as much but who cares? It's a tiny amount compared to the budget.

As a financial adviser you should really think twice before posting this stuff.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

The important point is that Alberta would benefit from another party that has strategic economic policy.

Narcissism and Wasting money are definitely political and economic fails...but you need to be able to do more than just howl about that.

Alberta's economy is tied very tightly to oil and gas which leads to huge economic mood swings...we really need good stable leadership with some skill to ensure that there is a long term plan to minimize those swings.

I'd much rather keep the leadership we have (with all its warts), than roll the dice with the other political options we have right now.

[Paladium]

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

I'd much rather keep the leadership we have (with all its warts), than roll the dice with the other political options we have right now.

I kept hearing that when I lived in Ontario when the Liberals were in power - and all they do is spend money to keep in power at teh cost of an additional $110 billion so far during their reign.

I don't know much about Alberta but all I ever heard was about some oil money reserve you have or had - that you banked in the good times. But rather than be fiscally responsible we'd rather just did into the cookie jar. When will it ever end.

As an aside someone who works in government and takes a $15,000 private flight and people on here defend her that she didn't know because she didn't book her travel - are wearing Technicolor glasses. Everyone is entitled to their entitlements though.

[1stLand]

Slava, as a guy who will be volunteering for lawn sign duty during your alderman run next municipal election, I feel obligated to advise you make no further comment on this spending controversy

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Expensive travel certainly is a trend for Redford.

Last month, Redford and her advisers toured India on a trade mission. She then went to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. The cost for that trip was estimated at $120,200.

The Edmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald have reported overall travel spending has gone up under Redford to well over $700,000 in 2013 and is already more than $200,000 in 2014.


And then again, who can forget the $500,000 trip to the summer Olympics in London in 2012?

Redford and friends certainly are getting to live the high life since she became premier... at our expense I might add.

What was the cost of Harper's trip? Government jet, etc.? Oh, wait. PSH doesn't disclose his costs does he?

What was the cost of Harper's little 'junket' to Israel? 200 people flew on the taxpayer's dime. Where's your faux rage over that?

Your outrage over government waste only applies to Party's you don't support it seems.

[Dion]

The plot thickens as the PC party digs a deeper hole..

Redford's office said earlier this week the premier had to take the government plane because there were no commercial flights available.

But the Opposition Wildrose party noted Thursday that Air Canada had a flight landing in Ottawa about two hours before Redford had to be on the tarmac with Harper.

An Air Canada spokeswoman confirmed there were open seats on that flight, which involved a trip from Calgary to Winnipeg and then from Winnipeg to Ottawa.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/na...637/story.html

[Thor]

I am deeply offended by the use of the abbreviation alta! Its AB Rerun, what madness is this!?

[taffeyb]

Normally, I wouldn't have an issue with our Premier spending money on while on trips. I don't care about $15 orange juices. If she is representing our province and trying to drum up business and awareness, I don't expect her to run across the street to Mickey D's and buy a value menu item just to keep Rick Bell happy (I would love to see his expense statements to see if he too is walking the talk***).

However, this is situation is different. To feign lack of awareness is troubling. Obviously, this was going to be expensive to fly home "early". The sense of entitlement is troubling...it was a "fluid situation", so I'm sure that the swearing in ceremony could have been pushed off a day without any opposition.

*** just a comment...I'm sure that someone will point out that the Premier is spending public money. Keep in mind that Sun Media is also owned by the public by choice if you have shares in Quebecor or entitled to a public pension in Quebec. May go through different pockets, but ultimately public money as well.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Slava comes to Redford's defense, there's a shocker. 45K spent, could have been 1/4 as much but who cares? It's a tiny amount compared to the budget.

As a financial adviser you should really think twice before posting this stuff.

As a financial advisor I can tell you that this has no bearing on my day-to-day business whatsoever.

EDIT: tl;dr and really don't want to get into this anymore.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Maybe "penny wise- pound foolish" is quite the simplification; but it does hold true. We have a premier with a spending problem, and a province with a debt/ deficit problem. It isn't about the $45K when the province has an annual budget in the 10's of billions. It's about how she spends money, and how she wastes money. If she wastes money on travel; where else does she waste? And how do the hundreds of people who work under her also spend their work budgets? (And carry that on through policies, etc.)

Just for the record, "penny wise, pound foolish" stands for the principle opposite to the one you are using it for.

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by Thor

I am deeply offended by the use of the abbreviation alta! Its AB Rerun, what madness is this!?

Alta is old school. It was the actual abbreviation if I'm not mistaken. Like Sask, Man and Ont.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Just for the record, "penny wise, pound foolish" stands for the principle opposite to the one you are using it for.

Sorry, I was thinking of a different expression. "Look after your pennies, and your dollars will look after themselves."

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by longsuffering

What was the cost of Harper's trip? Government jet, etc.? Oh, wait. PSH doesn't disclose his costs does he?

What was the cost of Harper's little 'junket' to Israel? 200 people flew on the taxpayer's dime. Where's your faux rage over that?

Your outrage over government waste only applies to Party's you don't support it seems.

Is it still Harper's trip if the leader of the Opposition goes as well?
The differences though are that heads of state are expected to attend things like this. It would have been seen as an insult if Harper snubbed the event.
As well, the Harper trip was booked first and Redford was offered a seat on that trip with all expenses paid. All she needed to do was get to Ottawa and back but she turned that trip into $45000 because she didn't want to be inconvenienced by having to sit in first class with the public.