Alberta Election Thread - Election Day April 16 2019

[Slava]

Wow, the Alberta Liberals brought out a zero income tax policy for people under $57,250 and a combined $114,500 for couples. No mention of the taxes payable over that or the PST, but that's very interesting to me. It's about time the focus was on consumption taxes instead of income taxes.

https://www.albertaliberal.com/fiscal_future

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

^ That's the beauty of the AP, they promise spending on everything and also balanced budgets. In my opinion, it hurts their credibility because it means I don't know what they would actually do if by some miracle they won.

I am very undecided in this election, no interest in going on a podcast but I would be very interested to listen once its done!

Its an old trick that parties that have no chance of winning do. The Federal NDP would throw out all of these outlandish promises and goodies because they knew that were never going to win, and would never have to live up to that promise. But it makes them look like the good guys in an election.


The latest poll that I've seen was on the 22nd by Ipso, and the Alberta Party was losing ground.


https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elec...acker/alberta/


I just think that the Alberta Party is running a bit of a lackluster campaign. I've driven through my neighbourhood and haven't seem many signs. I have a ton of followings on Twitter to major news sources in Alberta and Canada and the Alberta feeds are dominated by the NDP and UCP (duh?) but there's hardly a mention of the Alberta Party and no real mention of the Liberal Party.


I doubt its a lack of hard work on the AP parties fault, it might be election inexperience with their strategy team.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by Slava

Wow, the Alberta Liberals brought out a zero income tax policy for people under $57,250 and a combined $114,500 for couples. No mention of the taxes payable over that or the PST, but that's very interesting to me. It's about time the focus was on consumption taxes instead of income taxes.

https://www.albertaliberal.com/fiscal_future

Holy #### this is amazing. It's definitely the path to a PST considering the page talked about getting more from tourists and out of towners, but that massive increase to the personal exemption and across the board income tax cuts are huge.

This is unbelievably awesome policy that unfortunately will get lost cuz it's the ABL's.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Slava

Wow, the Alberta Liberals brought out a zero income tax policy for people under $57,250 and a combined $114,500 for couples. No mention of the taxes payable over that or the PST, but that's very interesting to me. It's about time the focus was on consumption taxes instead of income taxes.

https://www.albertaliberal.com/fiscal_future

This is definatly something I would be supportive of, would love to at least have a serious debate about this.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Regorium

Holy #### this is amazing. It's definitely the path to a PST considering the page talked about getting more from tourists and out of towners, but that massive increase to the personal exemption and across the board income tax cuts are huge.

This is unbelievably awesome policy that unfortunately will get lost cuz it's the ABL's.

I definitely think that tax-wise it's the way to go. But there's no pressure to deliver here because they aren't winning, regardless. I don't even now if they are fielding enough candidates to win!

I just hope it starts the conversation though.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I think this is a cool idea - not sure when it could be done, but I can't see Alberta not doing this some day if the autonomous driving trend continues to grow.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1111314836095328256

This would never work here, everyone knows the left lane is for continuous driving. The other two lanes are always for the slow drivers (ie everyone else), never for the left lane heroes.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Regorium

Holy #### this is amazing. It's definitely the path to a PST considering the page talked about getting more from tourists and out of towners, but that massive increase to the personal exemption and across the board income tax cuts are huge.

This is unbelievably awesome policy that unfortunately will get lost cuz it's the ABL's.

I wonder what the break point would be percentage wise if we went to a zero income tax, and all PST, I would think that PST would have to be a pretty large percentage that might effect voluntary purchases.


I mean its funny, I buy very little now, except for essential stuff, so something like this would be a huge boon to me.

[Ozy_Flame]

Regardless of whether the AP could pull it off (I doubt it it too, but the concept is great but seems ludicrously expensive), I would be all for the next governing party to explore how we're going to handle autonomous car lanes on public roads. I think we need to have a "ready-to-go" plan that includes a pilot project and, if successful, iterative rollout.

That said, there are next to zero autonomous cars on Alberta roads right now, so this idea is likely years away still.

Would also like to see a comparison against rail/HSR, costs and benefits. I think improved transportation between Calgary and Edmonton is something a lot of Albertans would be interested in.

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by Slava

Wow, the Alberta Liberals brought out a zero income tax policy for people under $57,250 and a combined $114,500 for couples. No mention of the taxes payable over that or the PST, but that's very interesting to me. It's about time the focus was on consumption taxes instead of income taxes.

https://www.albertaliberal.com/fiscal_future

Why wait until almost total irrelevancy before coming out with a really interesting policy proposal.... jeesh. Better late than never.

That sound you hear is the wind rushing out of the AP sails. If they want to be the true third party option they better come up with something to counter or copy this immediately.

[Corral]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I have no idea what you are saying here....anti-oil cant want positions of power to further their agenda?

What?

https://twitter.com/user/status/1111311990075482112

You shouldn't conflate the Premier with other candidates or caucus members. The point i'm making is in response to the suggest that Notley herself is actively or passively working to sewer the oil industry. Patently ridiculous. If she were actually capable of doing that as Premier, it would mean just about anyone can sit in that Office and do pretty much whatever they like. That just isn't true at all - or at least we had all better hope that isn't true.

[Corral]

The head scratcher with the Alberta Liberals is why the party hasn't changed its name - despite repeatedly having good policy and good candidates who run under a name which is blacklisted in this province.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I wonder what the break point would be percentage wise if we went to a zero income tax, and all PST, I would think that PST would have to be a pretty large percentage that might effect voluntary purchases.
.

Several States have no state income tax (Texas and Florida come to mind) so we could get a reasonable estimate from these places. Likely need a higher tax rate here due to government spending but it would be a start.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Corral

The head scratcher with the Alberta Liberals is why the party hasn't changed its name - despite repeatedly having good policy and good candidates who run under a name which is blacklisted in this province.

I've always thought that the Alberta Liberal's have had a leadership vacuum. They haven't had a leader in a long time that screams vote for me.


Yes the name brand is toxic and needs to be changed.


If there's a person that should try to take up the mantle its Nenshi, however that should be conditional on changing the party name.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by V

It doesn’t take a picture from a few years ago to show how truly anti-oil Notley is. Just look at her appointments and lack of activity. She is actively attempting to sewer the industry.

In which case shes being paid elsewhere.

Let her go get paid elsewhere.

[transplant99]

Again...her history and track record of anti-oil or at least not pro-pipeline, says something very different. Its just...fact.

In that very video she states there "is no point" to Northern Gateway. What does that mean to you if not that she wasn't willing to be on the forefront of fighting for a pipeline? By definition that is passively sewering that particular pipeline....no?

Im really trying to figure out this strange angle you are taking. Notley most certainly is anti-oil, that much is obvious. The only reason she has even looked like she is fighting for TMX is to....wait for it....try and retain power in the form of the Premiership, so she can further the well publicized NDP agenda. What part of this am I incorrect on?

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Again...her history and track record of anti-oil or at least not pro-pipeline, says something very different. Its just...fact.

In that very video she states there "is no point" to Northern Gateway. What does that mean to you if not that she wasn't willing to be on the forefront of fighting for a pipeline? By definition that is passively sewering that particular pipeline....no?

Im really trying to figure out this strange angle you are taking. Notley most certainly is anti-oil, that much is obvious. The only reason she has even looked like she is fighting for TMX is to....wait for it....try and retain power in the form of the Premiership, so she can further the well publicized NDP agenda. What part of this am I incorrect on?

This part?

Why is the possibility that being in power and understanding the issues more has changed their opinion not an option?

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Slava

Wow, the Alberta Liberals brought out a zero income tax policy for people under $57,250 and a combined $114,500 for couples. No mention of the taxes payable over that or the PST, but that's very interesting to me. It's about time the focus was on consumption taxes instead of income taxes.

https://www.albertaliberal.com/fiscal_future

Not against the idea but I wonder how much the PST would have to be to make up for the loss in income tax. 10%? You can't make the PST too high or people will start looking for ways to avoid it by spending money elsewhere.

[V]

Originally Posted by Corral

If she were actually capable of doing that as Premier, it would mean just about anyone can sit in that Office and do pretty much whatever they like. That just isn't true at all - or at least we had all better hope that isn't true.

???

I don’t really understand what you’re saying here. Are you taking issue with my statement that she’s anti-oil? Or that she’s trying to sewer the industry?

Fortunately you’re right, in a way. She can’t do whatever she wants. She tried that earlier in the term, but kept getting slapped down with court challenges. So now she’s trying the more indirect route by appointing her demonstrated anti-oil friends to important positions with the regulator. And while she’s doing that damage, she’s taking the even more indirect route of doing nothing to actually help anything, and in fact downplays the importance of pipeline projects.

[CaptainCrunch]

Honestly to me its all about perception.


she had a very meh response to Northern Gateway and Energy East and put all of her eggs in one basket and that was a tactical mistake on her part.


She should be screaming from the rooftops on Bill C-69 and C-48 because frankly the UCP has bought it up as a election issue in their platform, it should be a discussion point in this campaign.


I think that the NDP is really starting to lose any bit of momentum that they might have gained on the attack ads and negative campaigning, the problem with negative salesmanship or blasting your competitor is that people will either eventually tune it out, or they will start to wonder what they're afraid of and pay more attention to what the competitor is saying platform wise.


At this point, with something like what 20 days left, the NDP really has to start turning their page on negative attacks and ooga booga commercials and find a message that doesn't involve, Jason Kenney is . . . I don't know . . . could he be . . .

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Slava

Wow, the Alberta Liberals brought out a zero income tax policy for people under $57,250 and a combined $114,500 for couples. No mention of the taxes payable over that or the PST, but that's very interesting to me. It's about time the focus was on consumption taxes instead of income taxes.

https://www.albertaliberal.com/fiscal_future

They perhaps should work a sliding scale into it. As is, if you earn more than that, you go for zero % to 9%. It doesn't sound like an exemption limit, where it is zero up to 57k, and 9% on earnings above that. It sounds like you cross the threshold, you pay. Which I think would lead to some creative compensation plans and tax tricks, and a lot of people make $57,249 a year.


I do support a shift from income to consumption taxes though.