Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Dion]

I just got home from the candidates forum here in High River.

The six candidates running are:

*Chelsae Petrovic (United Conservative Party)
*Kevin Van Tighem (Alberta New Democratic Party)
*Kevin Todd (Alberta Party)
*Dylin Hauser (Alberta Liberal Party)
*Corrie Toon (Alberta Independence Party/The Independence Party)
*Erik Abilgaard (Independent)

To begin there were no microphones for people to come forward and ask questions. Instead people had to write their questions down on a piece of paper which was then handed to the moderator where she chose the questions that were asked. Questions were mostly generic that ranged from topics about a provincial police and pension plan to heath care, education and AISH. Would not allow questions that attacked candidates on a personal level.

Chelsae Petrovic (United Corrupt Party) was the worst of the candidates IMO. She mostly answered questions by reading prepared government statements you see in the media on an almost daily basis. Very little to no personal insights or comments on the issues asked about. Juts her reading prepaired statements on the issues. A question was asked about a provincial police and the fact that all rural municipalities want to keep the RCMP in place. She dodged the question and talked about what the UCP party would do for crime. As the mayor of Claresholm on leave I expected better from her on a personal level. A major disappointment.

Kevin Todd (Alberta Party) Impressed me with his answers. He's a local guy who lives in Nanton and was a 2 time member of town council. He was very personal with his answers and views on the questions being asked. Very in tune with the issue residents are concerned about. The audience was quite receptive to his answers. Liked him a lot.

*Kevin Van Tighem (Alberta New Democratic Party) I might be a bit biased on this but Kevin was the most personal of all the candidates. He started his opening statement by saying he had been door knocking and talking to residents for the last 4 years to gauge what their issues were. When it came to questions he inserted his personal views on the issues and tried to articulate the concerns of residents. He did repeat party policies but kept that to a minimum and left most of it to his closing speech. Audience was also receptive to his answers and was given a rousing of applause. Overall I liked that fact that he took time to listen and learn what the issues are to residents. Our last MLA (UCP) Roger Reid was a joke and invisible during his term in office. I feel Kevin will represent my region well.

*Erik Abilgaard (Independent) I will mention him only because he was way out of his league. He didn't have an understanding of most issues and added little of substance. That said I give him credit for attending the forum and facing the questions. I'm not sure why he was running but it took courage to show up and face the audience.

*Corrie Toon (Alberta Independence Party/The Independence Party) An interesting candidate as I like to call him Mr Angry. He rambled about how Covid had ticked him off. Talked about businesses that had to close due to the lockdown and the harm it did to seniors who were isolated from their families. As for answers to questions he was anti RCMP and talked about a general distrust of government.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Dion

Chelsae Petrovic (United Corrupt Party) was the worst of the candidates IMO. She mostly answered questions by reading prepared government statements you see in the media on an almost daily basis. Very little to no personal insights or comments on the issues asked about. Juts her reading prepaired statements on the issues. A question was asked about a provincial police and the fact that all rural municipalities want to keep the RCMP in place. She dodged the question and talked about what the UCP party would do for crime. As the mayor of Claresholm on leave I expected better from her on a personal level. A major disappointment.

I'd imagine she was instructed by her TBA handlers to read lines as she spoke off the cuff last night and was an unintelligible disaster. Embarrassing that she is in any elected position.

[Torture]

I would happily vote for Kevin Van Tighem if I could, glad to hear he impressed at the forum. It's a longshot but would love to see him get in.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I trust Tombe, so I'd want to ask him what would drive the reduction in tax base? Yes, companies could move to the US, but they probably already would have. Elsewhere in Canada 11% is still the lowest, so where would they flee to?


https://www.taxtips.ca/smallbusiness...rates-2021.htm


To me, 8% is leaving a lot of money on the table and doesn't make sense when comparing it to the rest of Canada, particularly because businesses don't have any PST related taxes, either.

Did no one on the UCP play Sim City growing up? You always set your corporate tax rate 1% below the level where citizens begin moving away.

Then you take all that money and build a massive road network of figure eights.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Torture

I would happily vote for Kevin Van Tighem if I could, glad to hear he impressed at the forum. It's a longshot but would love to see him get in.

Judging by the response from the crowd I think he has a chance. It's the first forum I've attended where an ANDP got some love from the audience.

That said there was a couple of really dumb broads sitting behind me who got all bent out of shape when Kevin mentioned Danielle Smith in one of his response's. Moderator told them to be quiet and not disrupt the forum

[Dion]

Originally Posted by chedder

I'd imagine she was instructed by her TBA handlers to read lines as she spoke off the cuff last night and was an unintelligible disaster. Embarrassing that she is in any elected position.

She pretty much read the lines. In fact she looked lost at times when asked to answer questions. Not very bright or intelligent. Just another yes person for the UCP

[Faust]

The Breakdown @TheBreakdownAB

Last night, Livingston Macleod went & had themselves a candidates forum.

You would think in that constituency, UCP Candidate Chelsae Petrovic would have an answer on coal mining in the Eastern Slopes ready...

It's hard to tell but she seems to support coal?

#abpoli #cdnpoli

https://twitter.com/thebreakdownab/s...936288768?s=21

[Fuzz]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1658671623267028992


What a wonderful person to be making decisions for Albertans.



Please, stop these bigots from making us America.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://twitter.com/user/status/1658671623267028992


What a wonderful person to be making decisions for Albertans.



Please, stop these bigots from making us America.

so many of these posts showing the true character of UCP candidates. No, a simple change in name for the ANDP isn't going to make people who vote for this kind of person vote for another party.

[Fuzz]

Really looking forward to the debate. I predict Smith gets angrier and angrier as Notley brings up all the things she has said, and all he terrible candidates. And Smith when angry is pretty off-putting. Well, even more so than normal.

[Ozy_Flame]

Shall we take shots every time the words Notley/Singh/Trudeau alliance comes up in the debate? It worked for Jason Kenney in 2019, and I remember being quite tipsy.

Props to anyone who can channel David Khan and get in a "good at laying pipe" line.

[puffnstuff]

Im sure it will be fine if the ucp creates an Alberta pension plan, I mean what could go wrong?

https://www.levernews.com/desantis-a...street-donors/

[Fuzz]

New Angus Reid poll, NDP with a narrow lead in Calgary.



https://angusreid.org/alberta-electi...calgary-polls/

More than two-in-five (44%) in Calgary say their opinion of Smith has declined since the dropping of the writ. Outside of Calgary and Edmonton, one-third (32%) say the opposite and that their opinion of Smith has improved.

That's good. That's bad. How the hell can your opinion of this disaster improve??? I'm starting to think some Albertans are just not good people.

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

Im sure it will be fine if the ucp creates an Alberta pension plan, I mean what could go wrong?

https://www.levernews.com/desantis-a...street-donors/

Republicans are evil, and the UCP is quickly closing that gap.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Looks like Trevor Tombe disagrees quite a bit with the NDP/Hirsch budget:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1658505422691774464

I'm not opposed to this but raising it 3% sure gives the UCP a nice hammer.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Michael Scott, now there’s a guy who actually went and DID something. Wasteofspace’s political hero.

Name calling. Classic Pepsifree move!

[timun]

Originally Posted by edslunch

I just looked at my riding's boundaries, and it looks like one of those gerrymandered districts in the US. I highly doubt it is, and I don't even know who sets the boundaries, I just thought it was interesting how specific portions of specific neighbourhoods are scooped in or out. Like why the jog to exclude a portion of 33rd Ave while a similar sized block dips down into Lakeview?

I assume it's based on an algorithm trying to find a certain number of people per riding, it's just curious.

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

We don't have gerrymandering here as the boundaries are drawn and evaluated by independent commissions.

Also, with respect to Calgary-Elbow, the district is drawn up to not split neighbourhoods. The district does not "dip into Lakeview": south of Glenmore and east of Crowchild is North Glenmore Park, not Lakeview. The "jog excluding part of 33rd Ave" consists of Rutland Park and Currie Barracks.

Prior to 2010 the district did include Lakeview, Rutland Park and Currie Barracks, but it did not include Altadore, South Calgary, Garrison Woods, and Upper and Lower Mount Royal. It also jogged south of Glenmore down to Heritage Drive, incorporating Kelvin Grove, Chinook Park and Eagle Ridge...

EDIT: See below. Areas in red were formerly part of the district until the 2012 election; areas in green were added to the district. I think the new alignment makes more sense.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by edslunch

I'm not opposed to this but raising it 3% sure gives the UCP a nice hammer.

Does it though? Should voters care all that much about corporate taxes going up to...still the lowest in Canada? If an 8% rate is so brilliant, why haven't other provinces followed?

[Fuzz]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1658759766834053120


Why not our own military, too? She also seems committed to endless sprawl, so that's another poor policy she supports.


Has she come up with even one good actionable idea in all her ramblings?

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

New Angus Reid poll, NDP with a narrow lead in Calgary.



https://angusreid.org/alberta-electi...calgary-polls/



That's good. That's bad. How the hell can your opinion of this disaster improve??? I'm starting to think some Albertans are just not good people.

Another pollster that has to be wrong for JB to be right.

It is weird that Angus Reid has UCP+8 provincially but trailing the NDP in both urban centres. Their model must assume very high turnout in rural areas I suppose, or else gigantic margins.