Alberta Politics Thread

[nik-]

I think to intention was supposed to be no intention.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

With a bit more digestion a couple of interesting topics

- 3.4B for investing in renewable energy. Love to know the plans but for me that's the scariest part of the budget. Any government but especially this one having that kind of $ burning a hole in their pocket looking for a cause to spend it on is about as safe as giving out guns at a daycare.
- Alberta investment tax credit. This is smart and long overdue. Love to see the rules but assuming they follow BCs model it would be the first smart diversification dollars spent in Alberta in my lifetime
- Alberta child benefits. Piggy backing on the Feds is a smart way to execute, and these programs are starting to add up. I'm not sure they are all a great idea but I can give them credit for making this commitment real and not playing at the edges. It could actually make a difference.
- big as they are the deficit and debt numbers are optimistic. No way revenues grow as projected and they hold the line on wages and the expense side.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GGG

Really should have held the line on spending during a recession. Not a big fan. I think alberta will benefit from the PST that was introduced once we bring in a more conservative government in 2019. Sometimes you need the left wing party to do the nasty leg work of raising taxes then you need the right wing party to do the leg work of cutting spending.

We left the right wing party in way to long so they started spending and we had no where better to go. So while I'm not a fan of this budget I still think electing the NDP was the correct decision at the time. The right of center party will be back in 3 more years to take advantage of the tax increases imposed by Notely.

Exactly how does the next government 'take advantage' of a massive deficit, massive debtload, high unemployment, and a bloated public sector?

Issues like these don't just go away with a change in government.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Exactly how does the next government 'take advantage' of a massive deficit, massive debtload, high unemployment, and a bloated public sector?

Issues like these don't just go away with a change in government.

These are issues that will plague our province for decades.

You don't simply increase the provincial debt by $50. Billion. Dollars. In four years without any consequences.

Seriously GGG, give your head a shake.

Do you understand that through these actions the NDP government is causing a material deterioration in our credit rating as a province at the same time that they are taking on unprecedented amounts of debt?

The net result is a massive increase in debt, and a massive increase in servicing said debt.

How this isn't sinking in to NDP apologists is absolutely baffling to me.

The 2015 protest vote will haunt our province for decades.

(enoch, sorry, obviously not directed at you, was only quoting your post)

[MelBridgeman]

maths

[CaptainCrunch]

I've seen other calculations of the levy and its far more then what the government is claiming, they might be talking direct levy in terms of gas for your car. But by the time you add other effects such as utilities, consumer cost increases and even what happens because the municipalities aren't exempt and the rebate isn't going to cut it for low income families.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I've seen other calculations of the levy and its far more then what the government is claiming, they might be talking direct levy in terms of gas for your car. But by the time you add other effects such as utilities, consumer cost increases and even what happens because the municipalities aren't exempt and the rebate isn't going to cut it for low income families.

Mel forgot to multiply his figures by two to account for the increased property taxes we'll face as a result of the Province including major municipalities in their carbon scheme.

[GaiJin]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

Mel forgot to multiply his figures by two to account for the increased property taxes we'll face as a result of the Province including major municipalities in their carbon scheme.

Wait till you see your grocery bill next year.

[corporatejay]

Poor people's carbon doesn't impact the environment only 1%er.

[Ace]

Is there any hope to convince a massive floor crossing. I mean there are probably some new MLA's that like the job, and might want to do it a little longer than 3 more years. Would generate instant job security if they were part of a move to overthrow this government...right?

Okay, I officially change my mind, floor crossing is a good option.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Hard to have good surgery wait times when OR's close at 3 pm.

The good news as I found out is that if you require emergency surgery they'll pull a surgeon from dinner. So all Albertans need to do is wait until they're on the verge of death and reap the rewards of post 3pm surgery!

[Makarov]

Everyone here realizes that the term of the AUPE master collective agreement lasts until April 2017, right? And so there is absolutely nothing that the government can do about the vast majority of public sector wages until at least next year's budget, right? And even then, any significant reduction of costs will have to be the result of collective bargaining?

[indes]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Everyone here realizes that the term of the AUPE master collective agreement lasts until April 2017, right? And so there is absolutely nothing that the government can do about the vast majority of public sector wages until at least next year's budget, right? And even then, any significant reduction of costs will have to be the result of collective bargaining?

Oh, NDP is going to reduce government spending?! It's too bad the only area they could possibly save any money can't be adjusted until next year, stupid conservatives. Nothing they can do I guess. Is it hard to defend the NDP? Or after a while do you just get used to the sand in your ears?

[shermanator]

Thought this was an interesting post on the subject by Kathleen Smith. I have a feeling most posters in this thread are going to get huffy over this. For the record, I am neither a PC nor a Wildrose nor an NDP supporter:

This "Alberta Advantage" you hear about was built on the backs of the disadvantaged. And I can tell you from personal experiences that there was never an advantage for me, let alone those who weren't even lucky enough to be working 70 hours a week at two jobs.

...

"This is life in Alberta. When oil is expensive, everything is good and nobody worries about a rainy day. When oil is cheap, everything is bad and we all try to find someone to blame. But blaming the NDP for a bad oil price and a government that pissed away the good days doesn't make any sense to me. After 44 years of the conservatives screwing up, we at least gotta give the new guys a chance."

I am not an economist. I am a reasonably intelligent person with a basic understanding of GDP and interest payments and debt.

More important than any of that is that I am a person with a basic understanding of history and how the austerity measures of the past did nothing but contribute to the hole this province is in today.

https://www.facebook.com/KathleenGeo...53748175673768

[blender]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Everyone here realizes that the term of the AUPE master collective agreement lasts until April 2017, right? And so there is absolutely nothing that the government can do about the vast majority of public sector wages until at least next year's budget, right? And even then, any significant reduction of costs will have to be the result of collective bargaining?

Everyone here realizes that unions need to be crushed with an iron fist and their leaders exiled or put in camps, obviously.

[PsYcNeT]

Wait why did the NDP have to borrow so much money to make budget? Isn't that what the Heritage Fund is for? To make up budget shortfalls?

[username]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Really? This is hardly the most shameful thing in Alberta's political history.

That's a matter of opinion.........and leaving billions in debt for future generations doesn't sit well with me. Had they at least made an attempt to mitigate the amount in any meaningful way I could stomach this but there was literally no effort made to cut anythng.

Highest per capita health care and education costs in the country and what do they do about it? Spend more!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Exactly how does the next government 'take advantage' of a massive deficit, massive debtload, high unemployment, and a bloated public sector?

Issues like these don't just go away with a change in government.

Yup. When Notley won, all I hoped was that the damage she does to this province in four years wouldn't be too great. At this point - and we're only one year in - the damage she has done is unlikely to be healed in my lifetime. This government is a complete disaster for Alberta.

[PsYcNeT]

Conservatives be like "EVERYONE IS SO DUMB AND VOTED IN THE NDP GRRR!" and they be all "CUT BACK EDUCATION BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SMART ENOUGH!"

[username]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Yup. When Notley won, all I hoped was that the damage she does to this province in four years wouldn't be too great. At this point - and we're only one year in - the damage she has done is unlikely to be healed in my lifetime. This government is a complete disaster for Alberta.

I get sick to my stomach knowng that we will be spending billions every year on servicing debt. How much infrastructue will not get built because of this budget?