Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by WideReceiver

Can someone tell me what the benefit is of opting out of the dental-care plan?

I don't understand how the province can "opt-out" it's citizens from a federal program. As far as I understand, the Federal Government manages and pays for it. So Smith wants to say "haha, #### you, citizens! You can't have that benefit, while the rest of the country can!"? Essentially our tax dollars will go to a program we can't participate in because our premier is a vindictive, evil, ideological ####?

[BigThief]

Smith gets to pocket the federal funding directly. The Alberta Advantage Strikes again

[direwolf]

Talked to a good friend of mine yesterday about all the horrible s*** going on in Alberta. She and her family are born and raised Calgarians, and they’ve lived in Alberta their entire lives. Never did I think that they’d ever leave. But for the first time ever, they’re now seriously considering leaving the province and have begun the process of researching job opportunities, housing, and schools outside of Alberta for their kids. Makes me wonder how many other families are currently doing the same.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Smith gets to pocket the federal funding directly. The Alberta Advantage Strikes again

Are you sure about that? I did a quick glance at the act, and I don't see provincial opt-outs mentioned, or how that would even work. I assume she's going to try to negotiate it so she has more money to pay for orphan well remediation and coal company settlements. This will turn into another divisive issue, of which the UCP are experts at, and their voters dumb enoguh to cheer on.

[Cappy]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/tops...d=BingNewsSerp

Man, she is so close to getting it, but that Ayn Rand dogmatism keeps pulling her back in.

* Flat out believes insurance companies without any evidence to back it up;
* Looks at provinces with cheaper rates (i.e. public insurance) but says, "nope, i believe in free enterprise"
* admits we will have higher insurance rates than any other Province. Just going to have to live with it.

Meanwhile, she's having a $5,000 a plate dinner with PI lawyers soon so that they can try and convince her this is a bad idea.

Is this that corruption that Curves is talking about?

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Smith gets to pocket the federal funding directly. The Alberta Advantage Strikes again

What Smith wants is the funding with no strings attached, but the Feds never do that. What will actually happen when Smith opts Alberta out of the program is that the money will just sit there at the Federal level and then get redeployed to other provinces.

Alberta will literally just miss out and get less money.

Each opt out that the province does is significantly worse than any equalization payment unfairness that conservative voters care so much about but it is the UCP that is intentionally putting us at a disadvantage and not the feds or Ontario or Quebec.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I don't understand how the province can "opt-out" it's citizens from a federal program. As far as I understand, the Federal Government manages and pays for it. So Smith wants to say "haha, #### you, citizens! You can't have that benefit, while the rest of the country can!"? Essentially our tax dollars will go to a program we can't participate in because our premier is a vindictive, evil, ideological ####?

Health care is a provincial responsibility so the province would have to implement the program. Federal programs like this I believe are typically structured "we're going to give you the money so long as you use it for a program that meets our requirements." Smith is saying she'd prefer not getting the money than spending it the way the Federal Government requires.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Ashartus

Health care is a provincial responsibility so the province would have to implement the program. Federal programs like this I believe are typically structured "we're going to give you the money so long as you use it for a program that meets our requirements." Smith is saying she'd prefer not getting the money than spending it the way the Federal Government requires.

That doesn't appear to be how this is structured, and health care has never included routine dental. I get that this is probably how she thinks it will work, but I also suspect she has read less of the bill than I have(and I didn't read much).

Payment of benefit3 The Minister must pay a dental benefit to a person who is eligible for the benefit and who makes an application.

https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/e...1/royal-assent


There is basically no mention of the province, or provincial transfers, or anything like that. So how, exactly, does she opt us out and on what basis in the bill does she claim that right? Or will she implement a dental clawback, so anyone receiving federal dental funds have that amount taken from their taxes? Naw, she'd never do anything that cruel...

[The Big Chill]

Teachers strike will be Oct 6 if no deal is reached

[surferguy]

So the government will lock them out right before their first paycheques are meant to be paid?

Is that how it works?

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

Teachers strike will be Oct 6 if no deal is reached

I think it is a smart move by the ATA to push this as far out as possible. Smith and Co. now need to actually step up and improve offers that haven't been changed since May while parents can make arrangements for the inevitable.

The key thing to point out here for anyone siding with the government - do you want your kids learning in hallways and libraries? It's nonsensical that this is happening here and totally avoidable with average per student funding and an actual commitment to turning soil on school projects that were promised years ago.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

I think it is a smart move by the ATA to push this as far out as possible. Smith and Co. now need to actually step up and improve offers that haven't been changed since May while parents can make arrangements for the inevitable.

The key thing to point out here for anyone siding with the government - do you want your kids learning in hallways and libraries? It's nonsensical that this is happening here and totally avoidable with average per student funding and an actual commitment to turning soil on school projects that were promised years ago.

Meh, I've seen the curriculum, they're barely learning anything anyways, nothing they cant learn in hallways or the school of hard knocks on the mean streets!

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by surferguy

So the government will lock them out right before their first paycheques are meant to be paid?

Is that how it works?

Teachers are paid on a pro-rated basis over 12 months and have been receiving pay through the summer. Second of all, if the government locks out teachers, that sends a pretty clear message that everything they've been saying about valuing education (yeah right) and bargaining in good faith (barf) is not important at all.

The chances of a lock out are incredibly minute imho. They would immediately lose the support of any parents on the fence in this situation for causing further animosity within the profession and obviously for halting education.

[getbak]

The HSAA (Health Service Workers) has also rejected the latest offer: https://hsaa.ca/post/ahs-tentative-agreement-rejected

[indes]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

I think it is a smart move by the ATA to push this as far out as possible. Smith and Co. now need to actually step up and improve offers that haven't been changed since May while parents can make arrangements for the inevitable.

The key thing to point out here for anyone siding with the government - do you want your kids learning in hallways and libraries? It's nonsensical that this is happening here and totally avoidable with average per student funding and an actual commitment to turning soil on school projects that were promised years ago.

Education, healthcare, sports. Alberta spends the least amount of money in Canada on all this stuff. I'm so tired of the "Alberta Advantage" garbage. We have higher wages sure, but we get the least back from the province and pay through the nose for insurance and energy.

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/co...wed-to-decline

We were just talking today about how a bunch of kids aren't able to play hockey in Ft Saskatchewan because they don't have enough ice. Sherwood Park is in the same boat where the population (strathcona county) has gone from 60,000 to 100,000 since 2000 when they built the last rink. Obviously minor to the issue of not having enough classroom space but when are people going to realize this province is going to ####.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by getbak

The HSAA (Health Service Workers) has also rejected the latest offer: https://hsaa.ca/post/ahs-tentative-agreement-rejected

A little bit of me wants all Unions that are negotiating to all go on strike.

It wouldn't be good, but it might wake up those that think the UCP is a good gov't.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Teachers are paid on a pro-rated basis over 12 months and have been receiving pay through the summer. Second of all, if the government locks out teachers, that sends a pretty clear message that everything they've been saying about valuing education (yeah right) and bargaining in good faith (barf) is not important at all.

The chances of a lock out are incredibly minute imho. They would immediately lose the support of any parents on the fence in this situation for causing further animosity within the profession and obviously for halting education.

My teacher buddy has told me his pay schedule is:

June 30
July 1
August 1
September 30

true/untrue?

[Buff]

Originally Posted by getbak

The HSAA (Health Service Workers) has also rejected the latest offer: https://hsaa.ca/post/ahs-tentative-agreement-rejected

The talk is an imminent strike. The HSAA has always got the short end of the stick because the Nurses' union gets everything the province can offer. This deal was 12% over 4 years pay increase and many increases in benefits. That is 3% per year.... that is the highest per year increase my wife has seen in her 20+ years...

[Buff]

Originally Posted by surferguy

My teacher buddy has told me his pay schedule is:

June 30
July 1
August 1
September 30

true/untrue?

Does it depend on the school board? I'm pretty sure my friend told me monthly pay except for July and August.

[surferguy]

My friend is with CBE