Alberta Politics Thread

[GGG]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Can you imagine what would happen if highway maintenance and registries went back provincial and became unionized.

What a freaking nightmare that would be.

Both of those work because of competition between business. Where you can have real competition it works.

Then you look at Telecom and Sasktel and MTS were able to consistently have lower prices than the big 3. This is due to the high barriers to entry.

Monopolies and oligopolies should be government run. Because the only thing worse than a government monopoly is a private one

[para transit fellow]

this PPA deal seems to have a few surprises

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle31303953/

"After extensive public hearings in 1998 and 1999, the fine print in the pending power contracts stated that companies could back out of the 20-year deals if government policies made them unprofitable. However, the words “or more unprofitable” were added on July 28, 2000, among a shopping list of what were supposed to be quick and relatively minor fixes, according to an internal ministry memo."

aND

"On Aug. 18, the modifications were bundled with the PPAs and made into a regulation. Mr. Klein’s cabinet voted not to announce the new regulation through the typical process. Instead, the regulation was quietly posted on a government website for five weeks and then removed. The regulation can be ordered today from the government’s printer, although it still doesn’t appear in a list of regulations available to lawyers"

[Kjesse]

nm

[Dion]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Can you imagine what would happen if highway maintenance and registries went back provincial and became unionized.

What a freaking nightmare that would be.

Trust me it was. You'd walk into the registry building and there would be rows and rows of chairs with people waiting for their number to be called. Take #45 and see they are calling #3 and your heart would sink. You get within 10 and half the boths close with clerks going for lunch. Gawd I feel old!

[CaptainCrunch]

More along the lines of the way that the unions could totally hold this province for ransom if they were allowed to take over highway work and things like registries.

In support of a nurses strike they could plug up the highways for "Maintenance" on a holiday long weekend.

In support of our union brothers and sisters the teachers we're going to either do a work slowdown at the registries until they get what they want, or walk off the job in support of.

[Tacopuck]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

this PPA deal seems to have a few surprises

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle31303953/

So the NDP were unaware of the clauses existence (at least so they claim) however they knew about the "backdoor" dealing between the previous governments and Enron?

Sounds convenient...

[CaptainCrunch]

I want this to go to trial, because it would be interesting to hear how the government explains that they knew about the clause and went ahead with doubling the Carbon tax anyways.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Tacopuck

So the NDP were unaware of the clauses existence (at least so they claim)

Wait, they were either completely unaware (and incompetent) or they outright lied?

I'm shocked. Utterly shocked.

[Tacopuck]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Wait, they were either completely unaware (and incompetent) or they outright lied?

I'm shocked. Utterly shocked.

And they are trying to take the moral high ground saying these clauses were "illegal" and "unethical".... smh

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by Tacopuck

So the NDP were unaware of the clauses existence (at least so they claim) however they knew about the "backdoor" dealing between the previous governments and Enron?

Sounds convenient...

Very convenient.

And this is what you get when you have a government with no experience, an ideology driven agenda, and only 4 years to push through as much legislation as possible.

None of the posturing in the press or otherwise changes the fact that the government did not read the PPA agreements before blindly enacting legislation that triggers an out clause agreed to at the turn of the century.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Not a chance, its about their economic policy at the worst part of this crisis. They've shown their not worth trusting.

Plus in my mind even if the Oil went back up, which I'm not convinced that by 2018 that it will get even close to 65 to 70, its a so what, the NDP has basically chased away the investors that would be interested in that Oil.

Just talking to people that I know their expectation is that Oil at the price your talking to is pretty much a pipe dream, their expectation is at about 55.

The tell all is when the markets sank across the country the day everyone found out the ndp got elected in Alberta. "Tsx tumbles after ndp win in Alberta"

http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/bl...ory-in-alberta

[PaperBagger'14]

"But Craig Jerusalim, portfolio manager at CIBC Asset Management, said some of the NDP’s “harshest rhetoric” surrounding tax rates and oil and gas royalties came at a time when oil prices were around US$80 a barrel.

The NDP government will likely refrain from kicking the industry when it’s down, and perhaps focus more on preserving jobs, at least in the short term,”

[GaiJin]

The Business Climate Change Leadership Plan?

[Ironhorse]

Enmax breaks their silence:

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politi...rked-for-enron

The bit at the end is interesting:

“Everybody’s lawyering up,” says one, who doesn’t want to be named, for reasons that will be clear from the rest of this quote.
“It’s awesome. Bring it on, Premier Notley. Too many lawyers are sitting around twiddling their thumbs right now.”

[OMG!WTF!]

The two billion dollar cost is also just a lie or total stupidity. Take your pick. It's actually 600million or $2.25 a month per average electrical bill in Alberta. Such abject stupidity.

http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/ne...billion-report

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Enmax breaks their silence:

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politi...rked-for-enron

The bit at the end is interesting:

Great. Hopefully these are Alberta lawyers at least.

Our Provincial Government is a Three Stooges skit except we have way more stooges.

[Resolute 14]

It says a great deal about how backwards this government is that they are lying to inflate the damage they are causing us.

[CaptainCrunch]

Math is hard m'kay

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It says a great deal about how backwards this government is that they are lying to inflate the damage they are causing us.

Its textbook childish behaviour.

If we burn the place to the ground we're still not technically 100% proven wrong and we're still the Kings of the ashes!

[GaiJin]

So Hoffmans new line is that the clause is invalid because the PC's didn't consult the public. Hhmm just like the NDP consulted the public about the carbon tax?