New Wildrose Party

[jolinar of malkshor]

Keep an eye on this party. It may very well be an alternative to the provincial PC's. I went to the AGM to see what kind of people were attracked to this party. It had many good policy proposals but it also had a few very right wing ones aswell. I spoke against many of the extreme viws such as the same sex marriage proposal and the abortion issues and happily they were defeated. There were many people there with centralist views. A lot from the PC party and even a calgary aldermatic contestant from ward 2. I suggest that if you want an alternative to the PC's then keep updated on this party to see where they are headed.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/st...drose-agm.html

http://www.wildroseparty.ca/main/

[mykalberta]

This looks like a Dinning/Big Oil backed venture.

I am as blue as blue can get on the right, and when you hear about countries like Norway having a 300bil oil funds chest and Alaska having over 30bil, Alberta with less than 20 seems to be out of whack.

I personally would like to see a fair review of the royalty structures from those 3 different regions just to get a clearer picture. I also disagree with a flat rate increase, I would have liked to see a sliding scale introduced instead but...

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

This looks like a Dinning/Big Oil backed venture.

I am as blue as blue can get on the right, and when you hear about countries like Norway having a 300bil oil funds chest and Alaska having over 30bil, Alberta with less than 20 seems to be out of whack.

I personally would like to see a fair review of the royalty structures from those 3 different regions just to get a clearer picture. I also disagree with a flat rate increase, I would have liked to see a sliding scale introduced instead but...

Dinning wouldn't touch this party with a ten foot pole. Dinning is a liberal not a conservative. The stance this party took was all about when you make an agreement you keep it. That is how alberta has always been.

[RougeUnderoos]

Executive Director: Link Byfield, Morinville (Alberta
Senator-Elect, constitutional advocate, and former
editor/publisher of Alberta Report newsmagazine).

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Executive Director: Link Byfield, Morinville (Alberta
Senator-Elect, constitutional advocate, and former
editor/publisher of Alberta Report newsmagazine).

He is no longer the executive director. He is now vp communications.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Dinning wouldn't touch this party with a ten foot pole. Dinning is a liberal not a conservative. The stance this party took was all about when you make an agreement you keep it. That is how alberta has always been.

With Suncor and the other oilsands company I agree. With the others, its fair game IMO.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

With Suncor and the other oilsands company I agree. With the others, its fair game IMO.

It's fair game to change the rules after they have done all there cost analysis on a certain set of rules? No. If they want to say any new projects would fall under the new rules then fine, that would be fair.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Executive Director: Link Byfield, Morinville (Alberta
Senator-Elect, constitutional advocate, and former
editor/publisher of Alberta Report newsmagazine).

Sorry! any association with the Byfeilds and I stay clear.

I'm extremely libertarian both economically and socially and thus I'm really perplexed that we just can't get a party that reflects these views. If you like fiscal conservatism and Senate reform why is it always packaged up with a candidate(s) that supports some sort of Jesus worship?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

If you like fiscal conservatism and Senate reform why is it always packaged up with a candidate(s) that supports some sort of Jesus worship?

I have the exact same problem. Why don't you start a party? I'll vote for you!

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Sorry! any association with the Byfeilds and I stay clear.

I'm extremely libertarian both economically and socially and thus I'm really perplexed that we just can't get a party that reflects these views. If you like fiscal conservatism and Senate reform why is it always packaged up with a candidate(s) that supports some sort of Jesus worship?

Jesus worship? Can you show me anywhere in the party policies that they should worship Jesus or that religon is part of the party? You are going to have people from all sides of the polital spectrum in any party. If you dont think the Libs, Cons or NDP don't have these type of people then....well I dont know what to say.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Jesus worship? Can you show me anywhere in the party policies that they should worship Jesus or that religon is part of the party? You are going to have people from all sides of the polital spectrum in any party. If you dont think the Libs, Cons or NDP don't have these type of people then....well I dont know what to say.

Ever come across Ted Byfield's column in The Sun? Don't know if he still writes for them, but man oh man... Dude needs to come out of the stone age.
As for Link, well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

[Incinerator]

All they're gonna do is split the PC and Alliance vote thus giving the Liberals a chance, they're not doing the centre-right any favours.

[jolinar of malkshor]

The libs will never form a government in Alberta. I agree that it will split the vote but that will do one of two things. Show the people that they are a real alternative to the PC's or scare the PC's back to be conservatives instead of liberals.

[Thunderball]

I was intrigued until I saw Byfield's name. Despite the intent not to be a theological based party, with people like that in high levels within the party, there's no way to avoid politically unpopular social debates that wear down the party's electability and mainstream support.

Sign me up for the Fiscally Conservative Socially Neutral Libertarian party.

[jolinar of malkshor]

One person alone doesn't run a party let alone this party where the MLA's are required to follow the party policies. I was very leary of the direction this party was going to go when I first read their proposed policies and some of the people that were involved. But if the AGM is any indication there was far more mainstream people than alliance types (about 75% mainstream). The president was very involved in the PC party for many years.

Also, the more mainstream people that get on board the better it will be all together.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

The libs will never form a government in Alberta. I agree that it will split the vote but that will do one of two things. Show the people that they are a real alternative to the PC's or scare the PC's back to be conservatives instead of liberals.

That's really my ultimate goal by voting for a third/fourth/fifth party. The tories are fine when they are slashing spending, cutting taxes, and increasing accountability. But as Klein got later into his second term the spending valves started to open, the small 'c' conservative MLA's started retiring and the MLA's that replaced them became people more interested in being in power than governing prudently. Naturally this leads to increased government spending (Power for power's sake is an expensive policy: You have to buy your way into seeming big and important). We now spend twice as much per capita than any other province. Where does the money go? How efficiently is it being spent? Be damned if Stelmach knows, that's why he's upping royalties, he needs to find ways to continue feeding the beast. Those still under the party tent are there for porkbarrelling and thus being truly conservative isn't good for Stelmach lest he feel the sharp cold pain of a knife in his back at the next leadership review.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

The libs will never form a government in Alberta. I agree that it will split the vote but that will do one of two things. Show the people that they are a real alternative to the PC's or scare the PC's back to be conservatives instead of liberals.

See, I don't really see the PCs acting as Liberals here in Alberta. I see them going right down the middle with their head hanging out the right-side window.

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

One person alone doesn't run a party let alone this party where the MLA's are required to follow the party policies. I was very leary of the direction this party was going to go when I first read their proposed policies and some of the people that were involved. But if the AGM is any indication there was far more mainstream people than alliance types (about 75% mainstream). The president was very involved in the PC party for many years.

Also, the more mainstream people that get on board the better it will be all together.

I don't know where that'll get them when we already have the PCs.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

That's really my ultimate goal by voting for a third/fourth/fifth party. The tories are fine when they are slashing spending, cutting taxes, and increasing accountability. But as Klein got later into his second term the spending valves started to open, the small 'c' conservative MLA's started retiring and the MLA's that replaced them became people more interested in being in power than governing prudently. Naturally this leads to increased government spending (Power for power's sake is an expensive policy: You have to buy your way into seeming big and important). We now spend twice as much per capita than any other province. Where does the money go? How efficiently is it being spent? Be damned if Stelmach knows, that's why he's upping royalties, he needs to find ways to continue feeding the beast. Those still under the party tent are there for porkbarrelling and thus being truly conservative isn't good for Stelmach lest he feel the sharp cold pain of a knife in his back at the next leadership review.

The PCs in Alberta have become much like the Federal Liberals were pre-scandal... a power party where people with aspirations went to achieve their goals rather than act with the policies they were elected on.

However, much of the increased spending came from poor planning in the 1990s and reckless cuts. Rebuilding bulldozed hospitals, re-attracting healthcare workers fired 10 years prior, getting infrastructure up to code, etc. With that, its not like the Klein/Stelmach Gov'ts have done that efficiently and effectively. Feeding the beast with royalties is a good way of looking at it. Never before has this province spent as much as it is now, and yet there is less bang for the buck than ever before too.

All this making it obvious that the PC party has become too omnipotent, and a new party with the trappings of the Lougheed PCs (except more fiscally prudent and socially neutral) need to re-emerge. This party can't be carrying any christian right baggage like Byfield, since even the appearance (despite the controls that jolinar and first lady have mentioned about the Wildrose and Alliance parties) is as damaging as the actual existence. Even if someone like Byfield has absolutely no influence on the party policy, the fact that he is in a high ranking position gives the impression he might be, and that spoils the idea of voting that party right then and there.

[Slava]

Does Alberta need another religious right alternative to the PC's? The Alliance already fits that bill don't they/

[Got Miikka?]

Every time I crack me a fresh Velvet Fog I have a new Wildrose Party.