Alberta Politics Thread

[nik-]

The NDP can't run provincial finances period.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by nik-

The NDP can't run provincial finances period.

Yes they can .... into the ground.

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Yes they can .... into the ground.

Spoiler!

[stampsx2]

How's everybody liking the new ndp beer tax at $1.25/liter?

[Howie_16]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

A lot of the public service are not NDP supporters. I think many were PC supporters who'd had it with irrational highly politicized instructions from the PCs.

However the NDP is positioning themselves to draw the WR/JKPC to focus on slashing jobs, thereby pulling more of the public service to the NDP.

I am a teacher who voted for the NDP for the first time in the last provincial election. I consider myself a fiscally conservative and socially progressive individual and I supported the PCs in the past. I think there should be some cuts to public services right now, and I would be willing to accept a pay cut in our next contract under the right conditions.

I will never vote for the WRP or any party led by Jason Kenney. I have become more and more disgusted with the rural based, right wing anger machine on both sides of the 49th these past couple of years.

I do not agree with everything that the NDP are doing, but I don't see any of the other options that were presented to us would have been any better and probably would have been worse. Unless a better choice, such as a PC party led by someone progressive like Sandra Jansen, presents itself in 2019, I may vote NDP again.

Fire away haters.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

Spoiler!

No i think that picture is from when a reporter asked her to not add any taxes to our province.

[Kjesse]

Howie_16, that "right wing anger machine" comment comes from the NDP's new spin on things such as the bill 6 protests. I think the farmers were right to be pissed off given the manner in which it was implemented. At the same time the NDP basically wrote off all rural support into the future much like the liberals did with the NEP in the 80's-- those farmer's won't soon forget. Its so strange though, remember farmers created the NDP party in Saskatchewan. Times have sure changed. I even think there should be some WCB coverage for farm workers, its just the way they went about it and they were completely insensitive to the farmers' point of view, it didn't matter to the NDP at all. Part of the irony is my own view is that WCB covereage actually benefits the owners not the employees, in the long term.

But the real point of my post is the new Braid column:

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politi...eir-government

Basically, old-time NDPers who are not named to protect their identities are trashing their own party.

I'd like to read a Braid article where he discloses his sources, that would be a nice change, still, I believe he's telling the truth.

[GreenLantern2814]

I'm a fan of the NDP. I think their hearts are in the right place. I also think we're seeing the problem with protest votes.

The right can get as huffy as they want, but the NDP is the fault of both the PCs and the Wildrose. Brian Jean made a nice speech in the legislature the other day; why he and his party chose to run a campaign that didn't feature substantive ideas is anyone's guess.

This is a right wing province. I may not agree with a bunch of it, but it is what it is. Both right wing parties demonstrated such incompetence they giftwrapped the NDP a majority government.

They're in over their heads, but they're the team we've got for the next three and a half years. Hope they can figure it out. More than anything, our premier needs to become a much better champion for her province. You're not the opposition, Ms Notley, you're the boss. Act like it. Lead. Be the premier we need.

[Kjesse]

Time for Emo:

I took my grandmother to the emergency room. The doctor said that she was on an artificial life support system, and that although her brain was dead her heart was still beating. I thought, “We’ve never had a democrat in the family before.” ~ Emo Philips

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Howie_16

I am a teacher who voted for the NDP for the first time in the last provincial election. I consider myself a fiscally conservative and socially progressive individual and I supported the PCs in the past. I think there should be some cuts to public services right now, and I would be willing to accept a pay cut in our next contract under the right conditions.

I will never vote for the WRP or any party led by Jason Kenney. I have become more and more disgusted with the rural based, right wing anger machine on both sides of the 49th these past couple of years.

I do not agree with everything that the NDP are doing, but I don't see any of the other options that were presented to us would have been any better and probably would have been worse. Unless a better progressive choice, such as a PC party led by somehow like Sandra Jansen, comes forward in 2019, I may vote NDP again.

Fire away haters.

If you're a member of the AUPE you're actually getting a raise, nevermind a theoretical pay cut though. It just feels wrong to me given the state the economy is in. Remember, they are borrowing money and leveraging more debt to do this. It's almost half of their budget man.

Personally I don't believe the NDP will discuss cuts until everyone eventually works for them. Raises for everyone!

Fire away?

[csnarpy]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

I'm a fan of the NDP. I think their hearts are in the right place. I also think we're seeing the problem with protest votes.

The right can get as huffy as they want, but the NDP is the fault of both the PCs and the Wildrose. Brian Jean made a nice speech in the legislature the other day; why he and his party chose to run a campaign that didn't feature substantive ideas is anyone's guess.

This is a right wing province. I may not agree with a bunch of it, but it is what it is. Both right wing parties demonstrated such incompetence they giftwrapped the NDP a majority government.

They're in over their heads, but they're the team we've got for the next two and a half years.Hope they can figure it out. More than anything, our premier needs to become a much better champion for her province. You're not the opposition, Ms Notley, you're the boss. Act like it. Lead. Be the premier we need.

Fixed

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by csnarpy

Fixed

Yeah but who's counting? Oh wait...

[Howie_16]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

If you're a member of the AUPE you're actually getting a raise, nevermind a theoretical pay cut though. It just feels wrong to me given the state the economy is in. Remember, they are borrowing money and leveraging more debt to do this. It's almost half of their budget man.

Personally I don't believe the NDP will discuss cuts until everyone eventually works for them. Raises for everyone!

Fire away?

As a CBE teacher, I am not part of AUPE. I am a member of the ATA. A possible pay cut is more than hypothetical as our current agreement ends next Wednesday.

http://www.cbe.ab.ca/careers/Documen...nt-CBE-ATA.pdf

[Howie_16]

Originally Posted by Delgar

Howie_16, that "right wing anger machine" comment comes from the NDP's new spin on things such as the bill 6 protests. I think the farmers were right to be pissed off given the manner in which it was implemented. At the same time the NDP basically wrote off all rural support into the future much like the liberals did with the NEP in the 80's-- those farmer's won't soon forget. Its so strange though, remember farmers created the NDP party in Saskatchewan. Times have sure changed. I even think there should be some WCB coverage for farm workers, its just the way they went about it and they were completely insensitive to the farmers' point of view, it didn't matter to the NDP at all. Part of the irony is my own view is that WCB covereage actually benefits the owners not the employees, in the long term.

I can't agree with you here. We were the only province without any legislation in this area, the PCs were beginning the process of drafting such legislation and I believe that Mr. Jean was once in favour of such a move.

Please don't try to convince me it wasn't WRP strategy to get the farmers whipped into a frenzy. The "Anger Machine" was a very accurate description of what was taking place, and led to threats of violence towards the Premier.

[Kjesse]

Howie_16,

The NDP Minister of Agriculture agrees with the part of my statement you bolded: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...take-1.3415855

Clipped:

Alberta's agriculture minister conceded his government didn't do a great job explaining its plan to extend Workers' Compensation coverage, and occupational health and safety rules to paid farm workers.

Oneil Carlier spoke at the Alberta Federation of Agriculture's annual meeting in Red Deer on Friday.

"I think we learned our lessons. Communicate sooner, more often, faster, harder what ever that might be," he said.

"But I think we've turned that corner and I'm really looking forward to getting to work and making sure this legislation works for Alberta," said Carlier.

Carlier adds the province is in the process of setting up a consultation with farmers and ranchers to come up with regulations to govern the new farm worker law.

[puffnstuff]

The wildrose didnt have to whip farmers into a frenzy. The NDP did that just fine all on their own.
Imagine the response by the ATA if the government unilaterally and without consultation fundamentally changed something to do with how you taught your class or got paid. Would a teacher frenzy be accurate?
Based on what Delgar just posted, maybe they learned something. Still have to see if it makes a difference, but based off some of the NDP rhetoric lately, doesnt seem likely.

[Dion]

Worried the New Democrats start to question their government

One rural New Democrat, active at the heart of the party for decades, says the government’s headlong policy changes have caused big problems.

“The carbon tax issue — they moved too quickly on this,” says this veteran who, like all the others, won’t be named at this point.

“We could have done a lot more consultation.

“We did a great job with the major oil companies, getting them to support the tax,” he adds. “We should be engaging those people (the industry types) to sell the message to the average Albertans.”

That’s simply not true. First, the carbon tax wasn’t mentioned during the campaign. Second, the whole environment policy comprises only 220 words of the NDP’s election platform. The word “climate” appears only once.

This is immensely complex policy that needed a full public airing long before it became law. Even New Democrats who fully support the policies now see the sense in that.

“A lot of the stuff done in the first year should have been done in the second year,” the veteran says. “They would have had more time to explain and sell the policies.”

Then their own opacity over Bill 6, the farm safety legislation, provoked monumental demonstrations and anger.

The government apologized then, but now Notley tells her Ottawa audience that the bill passed “despite a vicious, over-the-top incitement campaign run by Alberta’s right wing anger industry.”

“You needed to talk about that legislation, you needed to bring out the human rights issue, the clear fact that the court had warned Alberta to amend its legislation,” says the worried New Democrat. “If you convince people, you’re going to have an informed and willing public.”

Even after alienating large parts of rural Alberta, the New Democrats have done little to win people back. They don’t connect well with community newspapers — “the rural Bibles,” the NDPer calls them — or local decision-makers.

To suddenly be shunned by your own, after being scorned for so long by nearly everyone else, can breed a deep resentment.

“They’ve moved way past me,” says another loyalist who once ran for the party. “I have no idea what they’re doing and I have no points of contact. I am frankly very worried.”'

The NDs I spoke to still support the government and certainly want it to win again.

“But they’ll have to be very smart in the next three years, especially in their communications and outreach,” says one, with confidence no more convincing than Joe Ceci’s.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...eir-government#

[Kerplunk]

Ya, the outrage over Bill 6 was more directed over how it was implemented, not why it was implemented. Poor consultation, poor communication, and the attitude of "implement it now and fix up the details later" is what had people stoked up about it. If the NDP had done more detailed work and had better communication up front, there would haven't have been the same response. But, in what seems to be the running theme for them, they took the "shove it down everyone's throats" approach to implementing the legislation.

[indes]

I wish I could just run a deficit, it would be so easy to budget!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

The right can get as huffy as they want, but the NDP is the fault of both the PCs and the Wildrose. Brian Jean made a nice speech in the legislature the other day; why he and his party chose to run a campaign that didn't feature substantive ideas is anyone's guess.

Because Prentice called a snap election in a bid to take advantage of an unprepared opponent after Wildrose's leaders betrayed the party and left it drifting. I can't say whether Jean would have fared better if Prentice had waited six months for the call, but I can say that at no point in Jim's wildest dreams did he ever think the NDP would be a threat. His arrogance should not be forgotten as a major contributing factor this mess we currently 'enjoy'.