Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Fuzz]

I love that Harper's message is the most bland, generic endorsement he could possibly do. This could be used over and over by Conservatives across the country, since it doesn't mention the UCP or Smith by name at all. Such conviction!

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I love that Harper's message is the most bland, generic endorsement he could possibly do. This could be used over and over by Conservatives across the country, since it doesn't mention the UCP or Smith by name at all. Such conviction!

I was talking about this with my colleague, a fellow old party staffer. IMO this was extorted from him, and he mailed it the #### in. #### camera phone endorsement done in 5 minutes against any old wall in his house, not even naming the person he's supposedly endorsing. For Kenney he did a full televised commercial. Probably begged by his son and did it so he'd shut up.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I love that Harper's message is the most bland, generic endorsement he could possibly do. This could be used over and over by Conservatives across the country, since it doesn't mention the UCP or Smith by name at all. Such conviction!

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Faust

Thomas A. Lukaszuk @Lukaszukab

Tension in UCP caucus meeting. Calgary ministers and MLAs don’t want Danielle Smith picture or name printed on campaign lawn signs.
#ableg #yyc

https://twitter.com/lukaszukab/statu...587593728?s=21

"Maybe we shouldn't be advertising the name of our party leader, even though it's her versus Notley for the next month. Hopefully ignorance is bliss."

What a sad state of affairs for that party right now. Absolutely embarrassing.

[GordonBlue]

Alberta's United Conservative Party government releases 'aspirational' climate plan

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-...plan-1.6362843

but before you get excited...

Andrew Leach, a University of Alberta economist who helped the former New Democrat government develop its climate policy, called the document “a plan to make a plan.” But he said it shows the governing United Conservatives are softening their former opposition to green measures.

“This is doing the work that they decided four years ago they didn't need to do,” he said.

Savage said she recognizes it's getting late in the game for developing a climate policy.

“We're behind. I wish this plan had been out two years ago. We know we have work to do.”


So to be clear for those who want to blindly think the UCP now has a climate plan, they do not.

Their plan consists of Environment Minister Sonya Savage promising a package of commissions, committees and studies to determine what Alberta needs to do.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

More evidence that the UCP is trying to weasel their way into power and not actually interested in representing the people. They are too ashamed of their own party leader and her antics, but really want those sweet Leg positions, pay, and benefits.

The fact that supposed party moderates like Sawhney and Schulz continue to act as sycophants for the UCP as their party of choice (with Schulz even campaigning before the writ is dropped, not sure that's allowed) shows just how selfish some of these people really are.

I'd have more respect for these Calgary MLA's if they just came out and said they're Wildrose by another name.

What a mess.

I don't think that most of the MLAs are Wildrose by another name though. For example, my current MLA is useless and done almost nothing that I can see during this term, but if I had to guess she probably supported Toews during the leadership. I've talked to her and I don't get the impression that she's personally that far to the right. At the same time though, she wants to be re-elected, so so she can't very well come out swinging against the party leader?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Slava

I don't think that most of the MLAs are Wildrose by another name though. For example, my current MLA is useless and done almost nothing that I can see during this term, but if I had to guess she probably supported Toews during the leadership. I've talked to her and I don't get the impression that she's personally that far to the right. At the same time though, she wants to be re-elected, so so she can't very well come out swinging against the party leader?

My MLA (Nixon) was ran for the Wildrose twice, so this is a return to Smith for him.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

My MLA (Nixon) was ran for the Wildrose twice, so this is a return to Smith for him.

haha, well that's a little more obvious that he's a Wildroser!

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Slava

I don't think that most of the MLAs are Wildrose by another name though. For example, my current MLA is useless and done almost nothing that I can see during this term, but if I had to guess she probably supported Toews during the leadership. I've talked to her and I don't get the impression that she's personally that far to the right. At the same time though, she wants to be re-elected, so so she can't very well come out swinging against the party leader?

But they are as long as they're supporting the current version of the UCP and running under their banner. This is Smith's and TBA's party, and they're along for the ride for cushy jobs. These MLA's are passively supporting what they do, even if they don't want to advertise Danielle Smith's face.

They're sheep.

Again, if they came out and said they're representing the Wildrose party by another name, I'd have more respect for them.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Slava

haha, well that's a little more obvious that he's a Wildroser!

DISCLAIMER: I can’t reveal my source, and this is NOT something I know personally, so I consider it information that “sounds plausible but cannot be confirmed and may or may not actually be true”.

With that out of the way, rumour in my riding is that our current (UCP) MLA cannot stand Danielle Smith and is biting his tongue through this election campaign, hoping she doesn’t bring the whole party down with her. The issues, apparently, relate both to the fact that she is ideologically out of touch with mainstream Albertans, and that she is so prone to “foot in mouth disease.”

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Father Lacombe, Bishop O'Byrne, Saint Mary's and Our Lady of the Rockies (Bishop Grandin) are all schools within the same walking distance to the train as the Smart Building.

i went to Father Lacombe. It's definitely not as close to the Ctrain than Smart is to Brentwood.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

DISCLAIMER: I can’t reveal my source, and this is NOT something I know personally, so I consider it information that “sounds plausible but cannot be confirmed and may or may not actually be true”.

With that out of the way, rumour in my riding is that our current (UCP) MLA cannot stand Danielle Smith and is biting his tongue through this election campaign, hoping she doesn’t bring the whole party down with her. The issues, apparently, relate both to the fact that she is ideologically out of touch with mainstream Albertans, and that she is so prone to “foot in mouth disease.”

I am afraid that most voters will bite their tung and vote for Smith.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

It’s going to be interesting for sure. The latest poll that I’m aware of is from Leger, and showed NDP +3 province wide but a dead heat (44-44) in Calgary.

https://legermarketing.wpenginepower...ch-29-2023.pdf

I think Leger is a pretty decent pollster, but… those numbers are now pretty old—they were in the field March 24-27. I haven’t seen anything more recent.

But these would seem to confirm that Calgary is going to be the battleground, with the ANDP doing well in Edmonton and grabbing a couple of seats elsewhere and the UCP mostly sweeping rural areas. Calgary, especially in the suburbs, is going to be where this election is won or lost.

EDIT TO ADD: care should be taken in reading too much into “sub groups” within polling samples, as they are smaller sample sizes which accordingly have more potential error. That can lead to improbable oddities—like the linked poll which has the UCP winning female voters 46-43 but losing male voters 50-42. So just take those subsample data with a bit of a grain of salt.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I am afraid that most voters will bite their tung and vote for Smith.

Calgarypuck is pretty affluent relative to the general population and I think many that don't interact with our lower classes may be in for a shock at election time. I do and I'm stunned at the support for the UCP.

Like I regularly hear guys actually stressed that Danielle Smith might not win. "God, I hope the NDP doesn't get in! You're voting UCP right?! We need everyone voting!"

[Muta]

One thing that needs to go the ANDP's way next month is that young people come out and vote, which is always a non-reliable factor. Senior-aged, old-school conservative types will be out voting for sure; it's the young people that align closer to centrist policies that really need to start getting more engaged in their political ecosystems, as it's really their futures at stake here.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Calgarypuck is pretty affluent relative to the general population and I think many that don't interact with our lower classes may be in for a shock at election time. I do and I'm stunned at the support for the UCP.

Like I regularly hear guys actually stressed that Danielle Smith might not win. "God, I hope the NDP doesn't get in! You're voting UCP right?! We need everyone voting!"

And those lower classes get harmed the most by UCP policies, whereas the NDP would actually benefit them. Conservatives brainwashing the lower classes to vote against their own self interests might be the greatest con job ever pulled

[chedder]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Calgarypuck is pretty affluent relative to the general population and I think many that don't interact with our lower classes may be in for a shock at election time. I do and I'm stunned at the support for the UCP.

Like I regularly hear guys actually stressed that Danielle Smith might not win. "God, I hope the NDP doesn't get in! You're voting UCP right?! We need everyone voting!"

Not just the less affluent. I have many urban professional friends in big jobs who spew the same 'but Notley socialist' crap as the general population that you speak of.

[timun]

I don't know anyone in O&G—including very well-educated white-collar professionals—who doesn't absolutely despise the ABNDP.

[TheIronMaiden]

Calagry is as much a conservative strong hold as the rural parts of the province.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by timun

I don't know anyone in O&G—including very well-educated white-collar professionals—who doesn't absolutely despise the ABNDP.

*Fuzz raises hand* I know a few colleagues who feel the same as me.