Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by edslunch

People are generally considered adults and legally independent of their parents/guardians (this is an important point) at 18 for most purposes. They remain adults their entire life. Our democracy allows adults to vote. Seems reasonable to me. Any ability to restrict voting rights for adults should be based on existing laws for incapable persons - e.g. power of attorney, etc.

in short - it's not broken, don't fix it.

Hear me out, I've got a new system. What about "if you wear diapers, you can't vote"?

[BlackArcher101]

Why are we required to answer a skills-testing question to win a prize from a contest, but not to vote?

[#-3]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Is there any indication or evidence that suggests voting younger brings about higher engagement and builds stronger democracies? I didn't know this before but a minimum voting age of 18 didn't become the norm until the 1970's.

Austria introduced voting at 16 in 2007 and in their first election in 2008 they saw considerable interest and turnout in 16/17 year old voters but in subsequent elections those numbers dropped and it doesn't look like that initial younger voting period has carried over into higher turnout for the 18-30 group as those kids aged.

I think people are leaning on 2 well known effects.

Default opt in programs, having higher participation rates.
Voting in the previous election being the greatest predictor of voting the current.


So if you went to 14, then made election day a school field trip to the area voting stations (which often just means a walk to the gym), then your participation rate in the 14-18 demo should be huge, and on the second cycles and huge percentage of 18-22s would have voted in the previous election.

[Harry Lime]

It's been eye opening for me on exactly how many people voted UCP because they think that teachers are turning their kids gay, and they think the UCP will crush the teachers to protect them. It's stunning how many things are wrong in that line of thinking.

And then I hunt down where that nonsense is coming from, and it mostly stems from Florida. WTF.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

It's been eye opening for me on exactly how many people voted UCP because they think that teachers are turning their kids gay, and they think the UCP will crush the teachers to protect them. It's stunning how many things are wrong in that line of thinking.

And then I hunt down where that nonsense is coming from, and it mostly stems from Florida. WTF.

Not just Florida, Rebel Media is super happy to fan those flames. Some people feel this is just fine, and hasn't affected our society at all, or how stupid people are easy to influence. All good though! Now we have a premier who's a ####ing moron! Apparently we are required to protect this sort of "speech".

https://twitter.com/user/status/1671488209853861888

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

It's been eye opening for me on exactly how many people voted UCP because they think that teachers are turning their kids gay, and they think the UCP will crush the teachers to protect them. It's stunning how many things are wrong in that line of thinking.

And then I hunt down where that nonsense is coming from, and it mostly stems from Florida. WTF.

The whole indoctrinating kids in school to be liberals is such a hoax. The cons have have the easy majority of popular vote since 1973. How could that be if public schools had an anti conservative agenda?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The whole indoctrinating kids in school to be liberals is such a hoax. The cons have have the easy majority of popular vote since 1973. How could that be if public schools had an anti conservative agenda?

Meanwhile we have an entire publicly funded school system who's basic principle is indoctrination.

[Harry Lime]

I'm not going to click the link, but I'm sure it's easy enough to tear apart.

Ontario is a Conservative government. If they are talking about one classroom in the entire province, it's probably one teacher that flew off the handle. Also, Alberta is much more of a mess in education than Ontario. Teachers literally do not have time to create personal social vendettas.

I find it unlikely that the source here would even hold up. Why would a political talking point from the deep south states suddenly be replicated in another country?

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

And then I hunt down where that nonsense is coming from, and it mostly stems from Florida. WTF.

Well, Smith thinks DeSantis is just the bees knees, so...

[#-3]

Honestly I when I hear people go on anti-abortion screeds, I immediately suspect they have paid off a few mistresses to "make a problem go away"

When I hear about the anti-trans / anti-gay rhetoric, I assume they are either part of some Lady G style grinder ring, or they are wearing ladies panties to work and have their wife pegging them every night.

And I when I see the articles on child grooming, I wonder if all the wouldbe priests of yesteryears have just moved on to trash right wing tabloids, when they realized everyone has started to watch their kids a little closer in churches these days.

It all seems like a whole lot of projection to me.

[edslunch]

I was phoned tonight from an Alberta # for a survey about the legal age for drinking, cannabis and tobacco. I didn't participate but fund it an odd thing to survey about. Anyone talking about changing age limits (apart from voting )?

[Fuzz]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...884770?cmp=rss

Holy crap. So Dr Hinshaw was going to be hired for a role, and AHS blocked it.

"I was told that this person was no longer going to work, not going to fill the position," she said. No additional reason was given to Tailfeathers.

Asked whether there was any involvement from political staff in Hinshaw's employment, a spokesperson for the Premier's office did not directly answer.

"Alberta Health Services is responsible for hiring decisions and the government of Alberta does not comment on AHS personnel decisions," wrote Sam Blackett in a one-sentence statement.

This has the feted stench of TBA and Smith interfering again. I hope Dr Smith sues them into oblivion. Are we not living in a society of norms here? WTF kind of gangster bull#### is this? Thanks, UCP voters, you've achieved another win. What a ####ing embarrassment.

[Fuzz]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1671688902506102784

If you click through...

This motion appears to be able to give control of the AGM and all events to Patrick Malkin, who is one of the newly elected UCP board members backed by TBA…

It would give single authority to Malkin for UCP events, including AGM’s, which also include policy. That means oversight as to what policies are introduced and voted on and which ones aren’t. This is control of the entire party. So there’s that.

Well that sounds nice...who is this Vince Fellow?

https://twitter.com/user/status/1671856239171747840

Oh. ####.

Mother####er. Boy, it sure was good of you people to mock me about worrying about Christofacists taknig over. Good thing that would never happen.


I'm continually astounded by the blindness and stupidity of common people. You've kind of doomed us. So well done.

[PepsiFree]

You can take some consolation in the fact that a provincial government is only really capable of a light dooming.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You can take some consolation in the fact that a provincial government is only really capable of a light dooming.

That's nice, until they push for separation. Then they can go full doom.

[Fuzz]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1671671713388720129


Could these people be any more on brand? Like, he's basically laughing his ass off at the UCP voters at this point. He's mocking you. I can't help but think there is some scheme going on here, not being officially an MLA so able to get away with some massive bull#### over the summer. Or am I just way too cynical?

[MoneyGuy]

During pandemic restrictions newly elected municipal officials were sworn in by Zoom. They couldn’t do that?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://twitter.com/user/status/1671688902506102784

If you click through...



Well that sounds nice...who is this Vince Fellow?

https://twitter.com/user/status/1671856239171747840

Oh. ####.

Mother####er. Boy, it sure was good of you people to mock me about worrying about Christofacists taknig over. Good thing that would never happen.


I'm continually astounded by the blindness and stupidity of common people. You've kind of doomed us. So well done.

This looks like grifters going to grift rather than a policy issue. It appears to be about who is running the event as opposed to policy. I don’t think the motion being made here that this individual would control the floor. That likely is governed elsewhere in the constitution.

From a financial oversight perspective I look forward to the cost over runs and fees higher than previously. This guy is both providing the budget numbers for the events and putting on the events. What could go wrong.

[Sliver]

How is it that being a practicing Christian - or a practitioner of any religion, really - does not disqualify you from holding public office? Our government should be secular. Let's run things based on reality, not cater to the delusions of the indoctrinated.

As soon as you say you're praying, red flags should blast up a flagpole. You're praying?! Sorry, you don't work here anymore. The citizens deserve somebody tethered to reality making decisions; not somebody who grounds themselves in a book of fairytales. It's so fuucking maddening and absurd. How is it we even allow children to be indoctrinated into this crap before they're 18? How do parents let their daughters follow a misogynistic idealogy? How can they read passages on rape, beastiality, incest, murder, infanticide and genocide and then say, ahhh, better get my kids on board with this.

Remove all indoctrination and pretend the Bible didn't exist. Then reveal it today. You'd be a laughing stock. It's dumber than scientology. Fuuck this. So sick of seeing three churches per neighbourhood, too. It's embarrassing for us. I'd prefer to see statues of Zeus or some other cool god than a scrawny whitewashed dude literally tortured hanging on a cross everywhere I go. It's so morbid and it's not even real. And then you have decisions that affect us all made by adherents to this absurd and messed up cult. Ffs.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You can take some consolation in the fact that a provincial government is only really capable of a light dooming.

Jurisdiction over healthcare, education and labour laws. What could go wrong?