Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by troutman

Speaking of coal deals - AB just paid $93.5 M to Montem.

Independent lawyers assessed a fair quantum of damages would have been $15 M.

Montem’s settlement news comes from a press release issued by a corporate office in Melbourne, Australia. In exchange for $95 million, Montem Resources has agreed to drop its $1.75-billion lawsuit, which alleged, among other things, that the government’s 2022 coal moratorium amounted to “the de facto expropriation of its Chinook and Greenfield projects” in the Crowsnest Pass region.#

Nearly a third of the settlement, $35 million, will#go to an investment firm#also based in Melbourne called Wahl Citadel. As Montem Resources explains in its corporate reports, it didn’t have the money for legal costs for a trial that was scheduled to take place last April. So Wahl Citadel provided a loan in 2024 of AU$5 million in exchange for 100 shares. The investment firm later provided another $1 million.

[Wolven]

Two tidbits today that jumped out at me.

1) The province is trying to refuse and hide the results of the Alberta Next panel. After wasting over a million of our dollars on that idiotic effort the UCP has missed the OIPC deadline to release the survey results.

2) Bill 4 has the provincial police force that no one asked for. The provincial police force is actually one of the things asked in the Alberta Next survey results and it seems rather telling that they are refusing to release the results of the survey at the same time they are trying to ram through this bill.

3) Braid is not my fav writer but he calls out the UCP for first using the NWC against teachers and then in the very next day threw "notwithstanding" into an order that basically lifts the limit on gifts that government officials can receive.

It’s an order-in-council from cabinet, signed Oct. 29 by the lieutenant-governor.

The order starts by noting that no political staffer can accept gifts totalling more than $100 a year from the same individual, organization or corporation.

Very modest. But then it says “notwithstanding” that amount, there will be a list of exceptions, even enabling gifts (hockey tickets?) above $500, with no upper limit.

It takes spectacular gall to use the notwithstanding concept to strip rights from teachers one day, then invoke it the next day to deal with gifts for top government people.

The premier’s office says these rules are an improvement on the old ones, which has the same amounts, but fewer approvals required for large gifts. Over $500, the ethics commissioner must now approve.

Notwithstanding that, forgive me, the amounts are much higher than they were before the UCP. Theoretically, no cap exists.

So at the same time they are attacking the working class and refusing to give them what they need to make their jobs more reasonable, they are allowing open bribery of government officials with no limit to the bribe they can receive? Got it.

Total Recall.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by CactusJack

I’m actually kind of scared these recalls are coming too soon. There’s still a lot of shady coal deal fallouts, health scandal reports, etc coming down the pipe and if I’m not mistaken the recall petitions can only be used once per term. IMO, there’s a pretty good chance they won’t be successful right now but will be a slam dunk a few more months down the road. Imagine how much more awful the UCP will be without the threat of recall hanging over them.

Timing is as perfect right now as it will ever be. Those scandals will continue to come during the collection period. Wait any longer and it becomes easier for people to say "it's 2026...let's just wait for the election in 2027". We're also on the heels of the impressive FC campaign. Recalls are designed to be impossible, but current conditions are probably the best chance we'll ever have.

Nevermind the fact that we've had non-stop scandals the last 6 years and most Albertans just keep their heads buried in the sand...until the mating display of blue rectangles lining the roadways wakes them from there reverie.

[Geraldsh]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Two tidbits today that jumped out at me.

1) The province is trying to refuse and hide the results of the Alberta Next panel. After wasting over a million of our dollars on that idiotic effort the UCP has missed the OIPC deadline to release the survey results.

2) Bill 4 has the provincial police force that no one asked for. The provincial police force is actually one of the things asked in the Alberta Next survey results and it seems rather telling that they are refusing to release the results of the survey at the same time they are trying to ram through this bill.

3) Braid is not my fav writer but he calls out the UCP for first using the NWC against teachers and then in the very next day threw "notwithstanding" into an order that basically lifts the limit on gifts that government officials can receive.



So at the same time they are attacking the working class and refusing to give them what they need to make their jobs more reasonable, they are allowing open bribery of government officials with no limit to the bribe they can receive? Got it.

Total Recall.

They are opening the tap to get as much as they can before the recalls send them all home.

[bettercallbettman]

Things are changing. Alberta will be NDP very soon. How could the Cons ever get back in? This teacher fiasco is a joke!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by bettercallbettman

Things are changing. Alberta will be NDP very soon. How could the Cons ever get back in? This teacher fiasco is a joke!

Alberta has interesting demographics. The older more rural residents dont care, the younger, educated residents are pulling in money that can afford Private and truly care about keeping their taxes down to help afford that, they're also not at the point where they're using a lot of health care so these issues dont apply to them yet, and the mushy middle doesnt matter.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by bettercallbettman

Things are changing. Alberta will be NDP very soon. How could the Cons ever get back in? This teacher fiasco is a joke!

That is an interesting thought.

Last time the NDP got into power, it was a short-term revolt by the voters in an effort to send a message to the PCs to "do better". However, instead of doing better the PCs thought the takeaway was that they needed to "unite the right and eliminate the chance of losing".

But really, we just wanted a party that was willing to do better.

This time, if the NDP gets to form government, I think they have a much stronger bench and will be able to really roll up their sleeves and get to work to deliver a strong and effective government. If the people start to feel the positives of the NDP it might be enough for some people to permanently switch their vote.

Truly, as long as the Wildrose... I mean UCP, remain as they are now, they should never get the benefit of the doubt from the voters again.

[btimbit]

I think the more likely outcome is the right splits again, the new PC party attracts enough voters that recognize the UCP is just the Wildrose crazies, and if we're lucky we have a repeat of 2015.

The real key will be which of the conservative parties goes downhill after that happens

[getbak]

https://bsky.app/profile/thebreakdow.../3m4lylzob6k2y

Originally Posted by The Breakdown AB ‪@thebreakdownab.bsky.social‬

So...

UCP Minister Rajan Sawhney held an open house in Calgary.

It did not go well for her.

[calf]

Originally Posted by getbak

https://bsky.app/profile/thebreakdow.../3m4lylzob6k2y

I was there - a very angry and vocal crowd.

She was sitting at a table talking, everyone was waiting until someone got onto the mic to mention that it wasn't a Q&A, but an opportunity for folks to have a one on one conversation with her, so everyone needed to line up.

With at least 150 people there, that didn't go over well. She did get up and smugly reminded everyone that it was never communicated what the format would be, and this was what it was going to be. She also mentioned that people could always email her office and schedule a meeting, where someone yelled "raise your hand if you never got the meeting you asked for" and most people raised her hand.

Safe to say, it didn't do anything to alleviate tensions in any way.

[Reggie Dunlop]

"Agenda? WE set the agenda!"

Probably what happens now is that these sort of events hosted by government MLAs will cease.

[Yellefan]

Originally Posted by calf

I was there - a very angry and vocal crowd.

She was sitting at a table talking, everyone was waiting until someone got onto the mic to mention that it wasn't a Q&A, but an opportunity for folks to have a one on one conversation with her, so everyone needed to line up.

With at least 150 people there, that didn't go over well. She did get up and smugly reminded everyone that it was never communicated what the format would be, and this was what it was going to be. She also mentioned that people could always email her office and schedule a meeting, where someone yelled "raise your hand if you never got the meeting you asked for" and most people raised her hand.

Safe to say, it didn't do anything to alleviate tensions in any way.

She is my MLA and has never responded to any emails or phone calls I have made to her office. Didn't go to this because it looks like it's about what I expected it to be.

[troutman]

We had a remarkably pleasant and productive meeting with an MLA today. We took this person on a tour of the Pass - they were well informed on the issues and curious about our concerns. Not a monster or ideologue, with their own ideas and opinions. Not afraid to debate with caucus when they have disagreements.

We agreed to meet again and continue to share information.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by troutman

We had a remarkably pleasant and productive meeting with an MLA today. We took this person on a tour of the Pass - they were well informed on the issues and curious about our concerns. Not a monster or ideologue, with their own ideas and opinions. Not afraid to debate with caucus when they have disagreements.

We agreed to meet again and continue to share information.

It’s actually refreshing to hear that. Civility and discourse is important.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by troutman

We had a remarkably pleasant and productive meeting with an MLA today. We took this person on a tour of the Pass - they were well informed on the issues and curious about our concerns. Not a monster or ideologue, with their own ideas and opinions. Not afraid to debate with caucus when they have disagreements.

We agreed to meet again and continue to share information.

Clearly you mean a UCP MLA. Did you ask them about their healthy debate of the use of the Notwithstanding Clause?

Even if they come across as reasonable in conversation, enabling the revoking the charter rights of teachers is pretty monstrous action.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Clearly you mean a UCP MLA. Did you ask them about their healthy debate of the use of the Notwithstanding Clause?

Even if they come across as reasonable in conversation, enabling the revoking the charter rights of teachers is pretty monstrous action.

We were focused mainly on the environment and economy, but this person argued against using the NC.

[Geraldsh]

Originally Posted by troutman

We were focused mainly on the environment and economy, but this person argued against using the NC.

This person should consider crossing the floor in the near future.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by troutman

We had a remarkably pleasant and productive meeting with an MLA today. We took this person on a tour of the Pass - they were well informed on the issues and curious about our concerns. Not a monster or ideologue, with their own ideas and opinions. Not afraid to debate with caucus when they have disagreements.

We agreed to meet again and continue to share information.

Who was the MLA?

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by troutman

We were focused mainly on the environment and economy, but this person argued against using the NC.

What they say doesnt matter if they voted for it. They can say anything they want, their actions are whats important.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by troutman

We were focused mainly on the environment and economy, but this person argued against using the NC.

How did they vote?