Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Monahammer]

IMO this is to slush fund development of dumb #### like data centers. You should hear some of the stuff coming out from AE about the O'Leary project. They are trying everything to make it happen.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Torture

Not only are they duplicating all of the management and reducing economies of scale - oh and Joe Lougheed, son of Peter Lougheed is in charge. Neat story but I'm not sure how his experience as a lawyer qualifies him for this type of role? Guess all the investment bankers said no. Anyways, key difference - they want to be able to invest the money for Smith's pet projects. (Kevin O'Leary's AI nonsense comes to mind) Smith has mused about using the Heritage fund for local projects in the past. Of course, they say this is about 'maximizing growth' but this doesn't necessarily achieve that goal. It just allows us to take riskier bets, concentrate our risk in Alberta and likely increases our reliance on O&G. If these projects were such a slam dunk investment they wouldn't need this new entity to attract investment dollars.


Just like you should be worried if an investment advisor promises you outsized returns with no risk, the narrative about chasing higher returns should worry Albertans. Shades of /r/wallstreetbets - don't worry, we can get better returns than everybody else with no more risk. We're smarter than the whole investment market. Put it all in Bitcoin or Gamestop. Diamond hands to the moon!

But didn’t you hear Horner on CBC this morning? He said it will make strategic sovereign wealth fund type investments that AIMCO can’t make. He couldn’t explain what that means but gave an example of water exports to the US, which really clears things up.

[Monahammer]

Lol we are SO boned

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Slava

That's not true, though. They want to participate in deals with other sovereign wealth funds and that's the angle. This is another push toward independence. So, while the idea of duplication and all that is stupid, it doesn't mean that the investments will be into pet projects or things like that. A lot of the sovereign funds in the Middle East have been prudent (my opinion here) in diversifying that wealth because they recognize that the writing is on the wall and they need to find income for the future that is not just fossil fuels. Many of these mandates are much greener and sustainable.

On the sovereignty front, if this comes to fruition and Alberta has a fund with, say, $250bn sitting there, it will be very interesting to see how that is viewed in Canada.

The interesting thing is this has nothing to do with saving O&G royalties, it’s just investing this $2B and getting great returns until we have $250B in 2050. Any province could do this, even the Federal government, especially considering IIRC that we borrowed the $2B.

The flip side is there is no commitment to saving royalties for a rainy day. $250B sounds like a lot of money from $2B, but imagine how big it would be if we invested $2B every year, or if we invested the whole $24B that’s currently in the Heritage fund.

They’re making this sound like a continuation of Lougheed’s dream but it’s quite different, apart from the CEO’s name.

[troutman]

SIGN THE PETITION:
Restore Alberta's Coal Mining Ban Now

https://saveourslopes.ca/

High River mayor let's loose on coal mining and UCP COWARDICE.
https://www.youtube.com/live/J7lZOmi...GKojgxPrZuvkzW

[darockwilder]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

I have worked with one of the doctors listed in the report, and at some point in between the cocaine and the repeated solicitation of colleagues for sex, he apparently went off the rails. Somehow, he became a voice of science to the extent as to where people absolutely despise working with him to the effect that it hampers communication and has resulted in patients having worse health outcomes. But he is apparently respected enough by the provincial government to be a coauthor on this report.

Which one? BTW I looked at the Biographies in the report and a few of the "experts" not only include their experience but also the way that they had been victimized by the provinces Covid policies. I wonder if they include that information whey they submit other publications?

"He was also an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta when his position was terminated due to his stance against some public health measures."

"he was terminated for choosing not to be vaccinated"

"had his academic appointment abruptly terminated for publicly raising concerns about the public health response measures"

Why would this be included? It seems to indicate they may have an axe to grind.

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by troutman

SIGN THE PETITION:
Restore Alberta's Coal Mining Ban Now

https://saveourslopes.ca/

High River mayor let's loose on coal mining and UCP COWARDICE.
https://www.youtube.com/live/J7lZOmi...GKojgxPrZuvkzW

Signed. And a lame response came back from the govt and it weasel words about what approvals are and neglects the strip mining issue. And then it asks me to educate myself. Similar to but shorter than another response I got before.

Here it is...
Thank you for your form letter.

Minister Jean agrees with your take on protecting the foothills. That is central to our Coal Industry Modernization Initiative. We are also focused on protecting the headwaters of the Eastern Slopes. They are very important to the future of our province. We agree that providing clean water matters and it is central in our announcements.
I encourage you to inform yourself about the new policy Coal Industry Modernization Initiative at http://www.alberta.ca/coal-industry-...ion-initiative .
It includes protections that matter and prohibits mountain top removal mining and will not allow any new open-pit coal mines in the foothills.

Thank you for contacting us.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by darockwilder

Which one? BTW I looked at the Biographies in the report and a few of the "experts" not only include their experience but also the way that they had been victimized by the provinces Covid policies. I wonder if they include that information whey they submit other publications?

"He was also an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta when his position was terminated due to his stance against some public health measures."

"he was terminated for choosing not to be vaccinated"

"had his academic appointment abruptly terminated for publicly raising concerns about the public health response measures"

Why would this be included? It seems to indicate they may have an axe to grind.

Don't forget the guy who ran for the People's Party of Canada who according to his twitter went down for Trump's inauguration and has been retweeting articles about the need to withdraw covid vaccines.

Then there is the lawyer who previously ran for the UCP.

I can't believe that we paid money for this 2021 Danielle Smith open line segment where they disparage masking, social isolation, and vaccines... yet promote hydroxichloriquine and ivermectin as being treatments.

[puffnstuff]

This time it will work for sure...

The UCP government has ousted the entire board of Alberta Health Services for the second time since Danielle Smith became premier, the latest step in the province's massive restructuring of the health system.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...tion-1.7447590

[calf]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...sidy-1.7447808

Government moving to have a flat rate for daycare starting April 1 instead of having the family subsidy being means tested.

My family is in the fortunate position to only get the base amount. We stand to save $70/month for our not-yet-in-school child. I'd much rather a family who suddenly can't make ends meet gets that.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

This time it will work for sure...

The UCP government has ousted the entire board of Alberta Health Services for the second time since Danielle Smith became premier, the latest step in the province's massive restructuring of the health system.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...tion-1.7447590

So the CEO is now the board and is now also the deputy minister... WTF??

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by edslunch

So the CEO is now the board and is now also the deputy minister... WTF??

I believe deputy minister is just a title for the most senior civil servant (ie. unelected) in a department

[Locke]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

This time it will work for sure...

The UCP government has ousted the entire board of Alberta Health Services for the second time since Danielle Smith became premier, the latest step in the province's massive restructuring of the health system.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...tion-1.7447590

Look...I'll be one of the first people to admit that AHS needs some re-thinking, but that hare-brained lunatic shouldn't be anywhere near it!

[firebug]

Originally Posted by troutman

SIGN THE PETITION:
Restore Alberta's Coal Mining Ban Now

https://saveourslopes.ca/

High River mayor let's loose on coal mining and UCP COWARDICE.
https://www.youtube.com/live/J7lZOmi...GKojgxPrZuvkzW

Signed and donated.

If I expect americans to start fighting the fascists they elected I better start doing the same thing here.

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by Locke

Look...I'll be one of the first people to admit that AHS needs some re-thinking, but that hare-brained lunatic shouldn't be anywhere near it!

Who are you referring to as the hare brained lunatic? There’s so many choices.

[WideReceiver]

Any opinions on the government’s scheme to add ridings and realign some existing ones? The NDP is creating a plan to oppose it, focusing on rural ridings and some outside of the large cities.

[puffnstuff]

If the ucp is doing it, its not for our benefit

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by WideReceiver

Any opinions on the government’s scheme to add ridings and realign some existing ones? The NDP is creating plan to oppose it.

What scheme is this? Please share any info. Everything election based and riding redistribution wise is handled by an independent body and I think they are very good at being non-partisan. We don't have an issue with gerrymandering like the US. Are the UCP looking to step in?

[puffnstuff]

"The most significant change would remove a mandatory requirement that the commission consider municipal boundaries when drawing electoral lines in major municipalities.
Alignment between a provincial electoral boundary and a municipal boundary would become one of several optional considerations for the commission, under the bill."

What they tabled in the bill, ignoring municipal boundaries, they want to add more rural voters to muni districts, likely in the hopes that it affects the outcome positively for the ucp. Maybe thats the scheme?

[Canadianman]

Originally Posted by WideReceiver

Any opinions on the government’s scheme to add ridings and realign some existing ones? The NDP is creating a plan to oppose it, focusing on rural ridings and some outside of the large cities.

The term you are looking for is gerrymandering.


They are trying to add rural voters to urban ridings to flip them UCP.