[GT] Alberta Votes 2023.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Alberta spends more per capita on health care than B.C or Ontario. Much of the revenue spent on health care comes from energy royalties. Maintaining those spending levels - never mind increasing them - means some combination of:

A) Keeping oil and gas activity high.

B) Increasing taxes to the levels of other provinces (ie introduce a PST).

C) Running growing deficits.

Any party interested in ‘addressing health care’ needs to be honest about these options. The UCP are honest about the importance of A, but are dishonest in not acknowledging that global oil prices are outside their control. Neither party seems interested in B. And the easy way out for both would be relying on C (though the UCP are probably more deficit-adverse than the NDP).

Jim Prentince was speaking the truth about government entitlements and public finances when he said Albertans need to ‘look in the mirror.’ And look where that got him politically.

That was in the NDP platform. Raise business taxes to the lowest in Canada to help cover costs. The UCP made similar promises on expenses, but had no way to pay for it. One party was honest.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by dieHARDflameZ

Without oil and gas making this province piles of cash, you have no money to pay for healthcare. What a conundrum.

Yeah, I wonder how other provinces manage?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Muta

Who's making assumptions? There's tons of reasons why someone would move to Florida. There's also tons of reasons why someone would not move to Florida. I'm not sure what you're trying to battle here.

People are moving to Florida (and Texas) because the economies in those states are strong and houses in their cities are substantially cheaper than in cities in the NE and West Coast of the U.S.

Which is the same reason why Alberta is seeing strong interprovincial migration. To most people - in the U.S. and in Canada - politics doesn’t matter nearly as much as basic stuff like jobs and the cost of living.

[MotoRacer]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Are you suggesting that some sort of moral or intellectual authority is required to oversee who can and can't vote though? This is some bat#### extremist ideology.

its what you hear from the NDP party every day

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Are you suggesting that some sort of moral or intellectual authority is required to oversee who can and can't vote though? This is some bat#### extremist ideology.

Maybe just an information session to ensure those voting are actually fully informed. Voting is done at a computer terminal.

First you get a run through of each party's platform.

Then you get a Wikipedia style writeup for each candidate in the riding.

Then you get their social media history.

Next get a rundown of all of the racist and moral transgressions.

Then you vote.

You could even have a meme version for the Gen Z group.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

'We' wasted a pretty great opportunity to do that yesterday.

Perhaps. Or, I'd like to think that the stage has potentially been set for bigger and better things for Albertans of all political affiliations. I choose to hope for optimism, rather than continue to be pessimistic.

UCP has majority. They won the war, but lost a lot of key battles and ceded a lot of territory during that war. They can't continue to take their position of power for granted or they risk being toppled.

[ynwa03]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Your right! Down with democracy! When do we march on the capital? Should I take Friday off work?

You are just as scary in your line of thought as the deplorables that you are coming out against.

Thanks for addressing the issue. I never said down with Democracy per se, maybe we need to update it and bring it into the modern age? What that entails, I don’t know. All I know is compassionate people do not want the bigots to dictate policy anymore.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by ynwa03

Do you agree that some voters are racist, misogynistic deplorables? Some voters are uneducated and ignorant? Some are easily fooled and confused? These people all vote for the wrong party every time. For a party that either panders to their extreme and racist views, or who do not have their interests at heart.

Do you also agree that elections and governance is too important a process and outcome to leave up to the whims of people and partys who are operating in bad faith?

If so, then why is what I am saying extreme??

sounds like a one party state argument

people are too stupid and vote for the wrong parties! We'll ensure that you only vote for us forever

[Muta]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

UCP has majority. They won the war, but lost a lot of key battles and ceded a lot of territory during that war. They can't continue to take their position of power for granted or they risk being toppled.

100%. The UCP won, but lost a LOT of ground yesterday. From the popular vote standpoint, they are worse off today than they were yesterday. They're going to have to start playing a lot more nice with urban voters, as demographics in the province change as we head towards 2027 and beyond.

[ynwa03]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Maybe just an information session to ensure those voting are actually fully informed. Voting is done at a computer terminal.

First you get a run through of each party's platform.

Then you get a Wikipedia style writeup for each candidate in the riding.

Then you get their social media history.

Next get a rundown of all of the racist and moral transgressions.

Then you vote.

You could even have a meme version for the Gen Z group.

People are so stuck in their binary. This is the kind of outside the box thinking I mean. We want fully informed voters. We want disclosure on a candidates past in regards to their views on certain topics. It’s not that revolutionary. Voters are being taken advantage of by bigotry masquerading as freedom.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by dieHARDflameZ

Sorry man, was just busy working. Trying to contribute something positive to this province instead of bitching and moaning all day on the internet.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

So you will retract the divisive post from earlier?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by dieHARDflameZ

Sorry man, was just busy working. Trying to contribute something positive to this province instead of bitching and moaning all day on the internet.

All good! I trust you will provide the source today when you're free though?

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Muta

100%. The UCP won, but lost a LOT of ground yesterday. From the popular vote standpoint, they are worse off today than they were yesterday. They're going to have to start playing a lot more nice with urban voters, as demographics in the province change as we head towards 2027 and beyond.

The one good thing about all those Vancouverites and Torontonians moving here for cheaper housing is they might be able to counteract the locked-in blue rural voters

[MoneyGuy]

I know it’s electioneering but I think it’s bad policy to promise there can be no tax increases without support via plebiscite. Let’s see how that works next time there is a protracted downturn in oil and gas.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Muta

100%. The UCP won, but lost a LOT of ground yesterday. From the popular vote standpoint, they are worse off today than they were yesterday. They're going to have to start playing a lot more nice with urban voters, as demographics in the province change as we head towards 2027 and beyond.

They have a technical victory, but they're losing ground to the progressive vote.

One thing to note - the UCP boasts about attracting young people to buy houses and live in the province, but they fail to mention those people bring their politics with them. And those same young people are generally more progressive.

Winning both Edmonton and Calgary still means a party can govern in the Leg with a majority. Flip a couple more Calgary ridings and the whole UCP majority instantly falls apart. Calgary North, Calgary Northwest, Calgary Bow, Calgary Cross, Calgary East were all within a relative hair of being lost to the NDP, which would have put the parties at a 44-44 balance.

The UCP should not be doing victory laps for very long. They have huge, huge ground to regain in Calgary if they want to enjoy longevity.

"Alberta is Calling" might inevitably do the current government in.

[shotinthebacklund]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

So you accept the premise that they didn't actually if anything, they just moved the problem? And that's not my conclusion, that's from the doctors. Or do you not believe them?

Yes, I accept that premise completely, and was saying as much the entire time. reread my comments without bias. The discussion was around paramedics specifically, not the health care system as a whole.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I know it’s electioneering but I think it’s bad policy to promise there can be no tax increases without support via plebiscite. Let’s see how that works next time there is a protracted downturn in oil and gas.

It will work exactly as they intend. "No money left, no one wants to increase taxes, so our only choice is to cut services and privatize." It's amazing people can't see how transparent this cynical bull#### is.

[BlindMilwaukee]

I work in relation to the City of Calgary and my wife works in relation to the RCMP so this has the potential to an absolute disaster for us.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

If youre brave enough to venture outside the city, it's like walking into Mordor, except its run by nazis.

You understand rural Alberta about as well as people from other provinces understand Alberta.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

It will work exactly as they intend. "No money left, no one wants to increase taxes, so our only choice is to cut services and privatize." It's amazing people can't see how transparent this cynical bull#### is.

I am fully confident the Smith government will be providing a subsidized mandatory block week macroeconomics course from the U of C or U of A as a pre-requisite before voting.