Alberta Politics Thread

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Tacopuck

What Brian said was definitely not the language we should expect to come from a politician however I'm getting pretty sick of Notely making any political based attack against her a gender issue. The whole golf course thing was especially annoying.

I'm sorry you are a public figure, male or female, you have to be able to withstand intense and unrelenting public criticism. You are the leader of our province, lots of people are upset with you, people are going to say nasty things about you, that does not give you the right to publicly shame an individual or organization just because you dont like it. Making it a gender issue is doing a disservice to the position you hold. The issues behind the criticism is not a gender issue, the issue is you are terrible at doing your job with the province, get use to it or give the people a reason not to criticize you.

/rant

Sure I guess. But she isn't even quoted in that article and doesn't seem to be looking for attention? I mean regardless of your political stripe you would think that making jokes about beating women would be rightly shamed and characterized as distasteful.

[Tacopuck]

Originally Posted by Slava

Sure I guess. But she isn't even quoted in that article and doesn't seem to be looking for attention? I mean regardless of your political stripe you would think that making jokes about beating women would be rightly shamed and characterized as distasteful.

My rant was more directed to the section i quoted. You are right Notely specifically hasn't commented on it yet. However that hasnt stopped the army of NDP supporters on social media (and MSM) to make the connection

[Slava]

Yeah well as a man (so probably the wrong category to make this comment), I just felt like that golf thing was blown out of proportion. I just felt like the NDP (or other groups) would have put a Ralph Klein head in the middle of the fairway and thought that was fine.

Even so though, you can't make jokes (or whatever you want to term it) about beating women. Its just not funny under any circumstance and completely unacceptable. Its not asking for attention when people are called out for it either.

[Tacopuck]

Originally Posted by Slava

Yeah well as a man (so probably the wrong category to make this comment),

Even so though, you can't make jokes (or whatever you want to term it) about beating women.

But again this is at the core of what I'm trying to argue.

You shouldn't have to worry about making a comment, your comments and opinions are no less valuable when taken in the proper context.

Politicians shouldn't make jokes about beating ANYBODY, not just women.

[CliffFletcher]

I wonder how a show like Spitting Image would go over in today's social climate?

[CaptainCrunch]

Ugh.

I get what he was trying to say, in that he was complaining about the new election funding rules that give a advantage to the NDP.

But come on man, use your brain.

[Zarley]

Pretty cringe worthy joke, but he did the right thing and apologized.

The whole outrage over Notley golf target thing was way overblown. How many times did we see protesters burning effigies of Harper over the past few years? The golf target is simply a more civilized version of that behaviour. It comes with the territory of being a politician.

[nik-]

What a moron.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Robbob

She Speaks...in front of a union in Ottawa

http://www.660news.com/2016/08/24/no...llar-deficits/

“We got rid of a backward-looking, climate-change-denying, deficit-offloading, austerity-loving, failed Alberta Conservative government.

“We’re not just going to cross our fingers and hope that cutting taxes for rich people will magically turn the economy around. That’s what Conservatives do.”

The only thing that speech was missing was her representing the 'Nixon.'

[Jacks]

Really stupid self inflicted wound. What a dumb ass.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Brian Jean attempts to ad-lib a joke about Notley. Backfires spectacularly.

Wow that's dumb. Like super dumb. I agree that it's obnoxious how often standard political attacks get gender-ized when the target is a female politician, but it should be obvious to anyone that the implication that you're going to physically beat a woman has obvious sexism-charged connotations.

But the worst thing is how easy it would have been to make that line totally innocuous. "I've been beating this drum for ten years, and I'll keep beating it until we beat Rachel Notley and her NDP government in 2019" or something along those lines. Why wouldn't his mind immediately go there? Bad politician-ing, Mr. Jean.

[Tyler]

I like her!

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Zarley

Pretty cringe worthy joke, but he did the right thing and apologized.

The whole outrage over Notley golf target thing was way overblown. How many times did we see protesters burning effigies of Harper over the past few years? The golf target is simply a more civilized version of that behaviour. It comes with the territory of being a politician.

The rhetoric and vitriol thrown towards Notley and other female cabinet ministers around the province is frightening. The allegations are serious enough that many are being investigated by the RCMP.

Wildrose leader Brian Jean, who has been a vocal opponent of Bill 6, condemned violent social media comments in a Facebook post on Friday.

“These kinds of comments cross all bounds of respect and decency and have absolutely no place in our political discourse,” Jean said.


On Thursday, Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig-Boyd, who comes from a farming family, broke down in tears during the final Bill 6 debate in the legislature. She said the violent discourse brought about by the debate had created a climate of fear.

“I myself was somewhat concerned to go home last week. I do know now what it’s like to be cyberbullied, I do know what it’s like to have threats.”

That you don't seem concerned or think this sort of thing is all 'just the way things are' speaks unkindly to your character in my opinion.

Also, the hollowest of hollow remarks, "They did it too."

[automaton 3]

I thought this quote was apt:

“The Notley approach was naïve and ass backwards. Her government is now in the position of relying on Trudeau, and to some extent, the rest of the country, to be fair to Alberta, in recognition of its leadership on carbon pricing.”

http://business.financialpost.com/ne..._lsa=0de0-8f3e

[Weitz]

Anyone with half a brain knew that any sort of Carbon Tax in Alberta would do absolutely nothing in regards to getting a pipeline built.

This country is sad. Bordering on pathetic now.

[Tacopuck]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The rhetoric and vitriol thrown towards Notley and other female cabinet ministers around the province is frightening. The allegations are serious enough that many are being investigated by the RCMP.


That you don't seem concerned or think this sort of thing is all 'just the way things are' speaks unkindly to your character in my opinion.

Also, the hollowest of hollow remarks, "They did it too."

I'm sorry Public service in the form as a political representative is not meant to be an easy job, if you cant stand the backlash of the decisions that you and your party make, then step down.

Does that mean politicians should be subject to violent attacks? No but thats why we have the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies to deal with events as such.

You cant avoid this, gaussian distribution of a large population size (Alberta population 4.1M+) guarantees these "events" (events that are divergent of whats considered normal - IE what is socially acceptable to the general population versus some ####### spewing violent remarks) will happen. It cannot be avoided (unless the population size is reduced several orders of magnitude).

So in short, dont go into politics unless you have thick skin, because it will be tested, its mathematically unavoidable.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

That you don't seem concerned or think this sort of thing is all 'just the way things are' speaks unkindly to your character in my opinion.

Also, the hollowest of hollow remarks, "They did it too."

The idea is that if hateful comments on social media are bad when they're aimed at politicians, they're bad when they're aimed at all politicians. Not just women, and not just the politicians we like.

I doubt any politician in this country received more social media abuse in the last 10 years than Harper. Which isn't surprising - he was prime minister. Still, I don't recall any public outcries over how Harper was treated.

And of course, this goes beyond politicians. If you have any kind of public profile, you're going to get nasty things said to and about you in social media. The fact it's everywhere doesn't make it right, but it does raise the question of who deserves special protection or sympathy. I think we're agreed on children, but I don't see the point in singling out other groups of people. Especially when there isn't a whole lot we can do about anything short of death threats.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Tacopuck

I'm sorry Public service in the form as a political representative is not meant to be an easy job, if you cant stand the backlash of the decisions that you and your party make, then step down.

Does that mean politicians should be subject to violent attacks? No but thats why we have the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies to deal with events as such.

You cant avoid this, gaussian distribution of a large population size (Alberta population 4.1M+) guarantees these "events" (events that are divergent of whats considered normal - IE what is socially acceptable to the general population versus some ####### spewing violent remarks) will happen. It cannot be avoided (unless the population size is reduced several orders of magnitude).

So in short, dont go into politics unless you have thick skin, because it will be tested, its mathematically unavoidable.

I can't tell if you're unwilling or unable to distinguish between criticism and threats though. Politicians being criticized is absolutely fair game and no one seems to dispute that. But over the top threats of violence (and clearly they have been there) have no place. Wasn't Bill 6 about the time when people were basically making death threats on social media towards MLAs? I would be concerned for myself in that position as well, and no I don't think that is "just part of the job".

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Anyone with half a brain knew that any sort of Carbon Tax in Alberta would do absolutely nothing in regards to getting a pipeline built.

This country is sad. Bordering on pathetic now.

But, but, but Social Licence!!!

Want to guess how many times that term is used in this article? Go ahead, guess.

http://business.financialpost.com/ne..._lsa=6f94-dc01

What is that even supposed to mean? We're being nice so you should be nice to us?

It does sound like purely ideology driven rhetoric rather than reality based reasoning so its right up the NDP's alley.

[Ozy_Flame]

Unfortunately social license has some bearing, since it is about public optics on what you're doing and having that support. Pipelines having some of the most scrutinizing sets of eyes on it coast to coast and these types of projects draw in public perception now more than ever.