Alberta Election Thread - Election Day April 16 2019

[CaptainCrunch]

[Dion]

[Dion]

UCP unveils full election platform

It also included a costed budget which includes $700 million in new spending over four years and with provincial debt projected to hit $86.1 billion by 2022-23 (compared with the NDP’s projected $101 billion). It also aims to move Alberta closer to the provincial average in program spending through a “rigorous evaluation of all programs and services.”

Stokes Economics assessed the platform and concluded it would lead to a balanced budget by 2022-23, but — like the last NDP budget — relies on two out of three pipelines being built to do so. It also banks on 2.2-per-cent economic growth and employment growth of 1.4 per cent.

The current large emitter tax would be replaced with a new Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program. The first $100 million of TIER would fund new technologies to reduce carbon emissions (the party cited improved oil sands extraction technology and carbon capture as examples) and $20 million would go to the energy “war room.” The rest will fall into general revenue. That change would likely sound a death knell for both Energy Efficiency Alberta, which oversees projects solely funded by the carbon tax, and Emissions Reduction Alberta, an arms-length agency established in 2007 and recognized world-leader funding research technology with carbon tax dollars.

The UCP would retain the NDP government’s capital plan from 2019-20 to 2022-23, and bring back public-private partnerships (like the P3 school build scheme slammed in a Deloitte review under the former Progressive Conservative government). The UCP would also create a 20-year strategic capital plan for the province and pass an Alberta Infrastructure Act to provide transparency around capital project funding.

It would reduce the business general income tax rate from 12 to 8 per cent over four years in the hopes of creating jobs, cut red tape by one-third and replace farm safety Bill 6 with a Farm Freedom and Safety Act. However, the party would maintain some employment law changes made under the NDP, including provisions around long-term, bereavement, domestic violence and child illness leave.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/polit...6-a8931cf397d0

[Locke]

I'm voting for Cthulhu.

[Dion]

Fight over leaders debate

Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary, says there is always a fight when it comes to leaders' debates during a campaign.

"There is a fight over the participants, there is a fight over the panellists, there is a fight over the rules, there is a fight over the date and there is a lot of negotiations that go on in every single leaders’ debate in all jurisdictions."

However, this time, he says it's a bit more interesting because the real fight is between the NDP and the UCP over Fildebrandt's inclusion.

"It is clear that the UCP did not want Fildebrandt in the debate and it is also clear that the NDP wanted Fildebrandt in the debate," Bratt says. "They put out a statement yesterday, the NDP did, saying, ‘We want all parties that are represented in the legislature to participate in the leaders’ debate.’ That’s the argument that they’re using. It sounds like they’re all about fairness but really, they want Fildebrandt on the stage to be able to attack Jason Kenney."

The consortium responded to those upset at Fildebrandt's exclusion from the leaders' debate on Saturday, saying: "The consortium’s criteria for an invitation to the debate is the same as in previous years: leaders of parties that were elected to the legislature under their current party banner were invited."

"If it is parties that are in the legislature, then yeah, Derek Fildebrandt should be in there. But if you count how many candidates they’re running, they’re only running 24 candidates. The Liberals are only running 50 candidates. I think, if you’re going to exclude Derek Fildebrandt, it’s tough to include David Khan. So that’s the fight that we’re at now."

He adds Notley's possible decision to bow out of the debate could be disastrous for her.

"It looks really bad because, first of all, this is a high-profile event. We haven’t seen a sitting premier boycott a leaders’ debate. The NDP has been making a lot of hay about local UCP candidates skipping public forums. How can they make that argument if the leader misses hers?"

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/questions...bate-1.4358881

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Dion

UCP unveils full election platform

https://calgaryherald.com/news/polit...6-a8931cf397d0

Under an Open For Business Act, the UCP would introduce a $13/hour youth minimum wage, publish economic data on the NDP’s minimum wage increase, allow banked hours to be paid at regular instead of time-and-a-half pay, and restore mandatory secret ballots for union certification.

You would think that a 33% tax cut over 4 years for businesses would eliminate the need to force workers to take a pay cut and to add restrictions on their right to form unions, but here we are.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Pros:

- Third Death Star will bring lots of construction jobs
- Interstellar space travel knowledge will help diversify economy
- Has been able to replace lots of high-ranking union employees without exorbitant redundancy packages
- Has the ear of the emperor, Alberta won't be an afterthought

Cons:

- Advancement in technology will see dropoff in oil sands demand; Alberta is not a known tibanna gas rich province
- OHS standards are very poor (how about a railing or two?)
- History of slaughtering women and children
- Policy requiring teachers to report force sensitive younglings to the government seems troublesome

[GGG]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

You would think that a 33% tax cut over 4 years for businesses would eliminate the need to force workers to take a pay cut and to add restrictions on their right to form unions, but here we are.

Secret ballots for union certification is quite reasonable. Think about what you are actually opposing here.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by GGG

Secret ballots for union certification is quite reasonable. Think about what you are actually opposing here.

I am. Despite it being illegal, employer interference during the time between when an application is filed and the vote actually happens is a very real problem whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

[Dion]

nm

[GGG]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I am. Despite it being illegal, employer interference during the time between when an application is filed and the vote actually happens is a very real problem whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

And pressure from fellow coworkers trying to unionize is a very real thing whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by GGG

And pressure from fellow coworkers trying to unionize is a very real thing whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

Pressure is absolutely a real thing, which is why after an application is made with the 65% required for automatic certification notices of the application are required by law to be posted in the workplace so that if any employee(s) were coerced they can prevent the application from being approved by informing the labour board.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Pressure is absolutely a real thing, which is why after an application is made with the 65% required for automatic certification notices of the application are required by law to be posted in the workplace so that if any employee(s) were coerced they can prevent the application from being approved by informing the labour board.

Curious as to how often coerced employees go to the labour board as opposed to staying silent. Can the level of fear be strong enough to prevent employees from coming forward?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

Pros:

- Third Death Star will bring lots of construction jobs
- Interstellar space travel knowledge will help diversify economy
- Has been able to replace lots of high-ranking union employees without exorbitant redundancy packages
- Has the ear of the emperor, Alberta won't be an afterthought

Cons:

- Advancement in technology will see dropoff in oil sands demand; Alberta is not a known tibanna gas rich province
- OHS standards are very poor (how about a railing or two?)
- History of slaughtering women and children
- Policy requiring teachers to report force sensitive younglings to the government seems troublesome

You missed some key points


Pro's - cost of industry drops due to slave friendly programs
- A safe and secure future for a thousand years
- ease in restrictions of spaceships, everyone has one, everyone can pilot
- flying cars




Cons
- A religious based theocracy
- smuggling and spice addictions cause an increase in prices on all consumer goods
- zero gun control as everyone seems to carry a blaster

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

You missed some key points


Pro's - cost of industry drops due to slave friendly programs
- A safe and secure future for a thousand years
- ease in restrictions of spaceships, everyone has one, everyone can pilot
- flying cars




Cons
- A religious based theocracy
- smuggling and spice addictions cause an increase in prices on all consumer goods
- zero gun control as everyone seems to carry a blaster

Yeah he has a few good ideas but I’m going to pass. His sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped him conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given him clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort. How is it going to solve our problems with pipeline infrastructure and climate change?

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Dion

Curious as to how often coerced employees go to the labour board as opposed to staying silent. Can the level of fear be strong enough to prevent employees from coming forward?

It happens less often than complaints of employer interference, while neither system is perfect, if the goal of both is to protect employees from both employer or union interference/intimidation then I’d suggest the method which helps prevent the more common of the two is the better option.

I don’t think anyone would argue that an employee filing a coercion complaint against a union application, especially in a case where less than 51% of the employees actually want to form a union, would be putting themselves at greater risk than an employee making a complaint about their employer interfering in their attempt to organize. So when you consider that there are still more complaints of the latter it’s hard to argue that the level of fear would be much of an issue.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Yeah he has a few good ideas but I’m going to pass. His sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped him conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given him clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort. How is it going to solve our problems with pipeline infrastructure and climate change?

He also simply can’t be trusted to deliver on his platform. He has a long documented history of being wishy washy on his policies.

[PepsiFree]

Considering i have to bank overtime hours instead of getting them paid out, Kenney can go ahead and pound sand if he wants to roll banked hours back to from time and half.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Yeah he has a few good ideas but I’m going to pass. His sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped him conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given him clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort. How is it going to solve our problems with pipeline infrastructure and climate change?

I find your lack of faith in him disturbing. He practically ended the trade blockade on Naboo single-handedly. He could end the pipeline blockade in Burnaby.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

I find your lack of faith in him disturbing. He practically ended the trade blockade on Naboo single-handedly.

That was a complete fluke, we all saw it.