Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Parallex]

Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere but AUPE held a strike vote with 90.1% approval, things don't seem to be going great with the ATA, and HSAA workers either.

The UCP is going to be facing some heavy labour unrest this summer.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere but AUPE held a strike vote with 90.1% approval, things don't seem to be going great with the ATA, and HSAA workers either.

The UCP is going to be facing some heavy labour unrest this summer.

They will have to jet PP in and convert back the union guys to the UCP!

[puffnstuff]

Surprise...no wait not surprising at all

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/...f05531df5.html

The chief executive of Atco Ltd. says discussions around Alberta secession are already hurting the investment climate.#

Nancy Southern said Asian partners in a major hydrogen project have said they won't make final investment decisions unless there is certainty around the Alberta separatism question.#

"There's just too many questions for them to be confident that they can move forward with large-scale investment decisions, and so I think the separatist discussion is very unhelpful and not constructive to Alberta," she said in an interview Wednesday following Atco's annual shareholder meeting in Calgary.#

[Looch City]

Lol, Smith be like:

[Slava]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

Surprise...no wait not surprising at all

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/...f05531df5.html

The chief executive of Atco Ltd. says discussions around Alberta secession are already hurting the investment climate.#

Nancy Southern said Asian partners in a major hydrogen project have said they won't make final investment decisions unless there is certainty around the Alberta separatism question.#

"There's just too many questions for them to be confident that they can move forward with large-scale investment decisions, and so I think the separatist discussion is very unhelpful and not constructive to Alberta," she said in an interview Wednesday following Atco's annual shareholder meeting in Calgary.#

This is one factor that many separatists don't remember or ignore. The impact on the Quebec economy was terrible when they were pushing to separate because it was far too uncertain. This is exactly why SunLife moved its headquarters, and other head offices bailed on Quebec during that time, for that reason. CP moved to Calgary, and there were a lot of suggestions that this separatist movement was why. It's not hard to see that big businesses (and small businesses as well) want certainty and predictability in their environment. They've got enough to deal with, aside from these kinds of issues.

[Drak]

Unfortunately, the Alberta economy suffering as a consequence of uncertainty will just see these MAGA weirdos blame it on the Federal Government.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Drak

Unfortunately, the Alberta economy suffering as a consequence of uncertainty will just see these MAGA weirdos blame it on the Federal Government.

It's part of the design. This is part of the economic war that Trump alluded to. We're being chewed up so we're easier to digest. Or more desperate to be digested. Take your pick.

[GioforPM]

https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/05/14/O...David-Moretta/

[puffnstuff]

Very trumpy response from M Smith

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/pol...globe-and-mail

Premier Danielle Smith’s former chief of staff has jumped into the fray over allegations of corruption in health care procurement, filing a $12-million lawsuit against ex-Alberta Health Services CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos and the Globe and Mail for what he claims are defamatory statements.
While not a defendant in Mentzelopoulos’s#bombshell lawsuit, which alleges she was wrongfully dismissed for investigating alleged corruption in health-care contracting, Smith claims Mentzelopoulos and the Globe have portrayed him “in the worst possible light.”

“The damage to Smith’s professional reputation caused by Mentzelopoulos has resulted in Smith suffering emotional distress, stress, depression, anxiety, embarrassment, loss of reputation, humiliation and an inability to secure work in his chosen profession,” the statement of claim reads.

[puffnstuff]

AER sucks

On May 15th, the#Alberta Energy Regulator approved Northback Holdings Corporation’s applications#for a coal exploration program, a deep drilling permit, and a temporary water diversion licence on Grassy Mountain.

https://albertawilderness.ca/the-alb...tain-now-what/

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

AER sucks

On May 15th, the#Alberta Energy Regulator approved Northback Holdings Corporation’s applications#for a coal exploration program, a deep drilling permit, and a temporary water diversion licence on Grassy Mountain.

https://albertawilderness.ca/the-alb...tain-now-what/

See your above posts. Sounds like the proper people were paid out in order for certain decisions to go their way.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

AER sucks

On May 15th, the#Alberta Energy Regulator approved Northback Holdings Corporation’s applications#for a coal exploration program, a deep drilling permit, and a temporary water diversion licence on Grassy Mountain.

https://albertawilderness.ca/the-alb...tain-now-what/

In the Herald:

However, the AER cautioned that the application before it was only to consider the Northback’s application for an exploration program at Grassy Mountain.

“Accepting the need for this Exploration Program does not constitute approval of a coal mine,” it said.


There are still many hurdles for Northback and much resistance, including my new punk band The Coal Haters.

[puffnstuff]

New cabinet ministers to be sworn in
May 16, 2025 Media inquiries
New members of Premier Danielle Smith’s cabinet to be sworn in by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani.

A media pool camera and videographer will be used; no additional media will be permitted.

When
Friday, May 16
12:30 p.m.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

New cabinet ministers to be sworn in
May 16, 2025 Media inquiries
New members of Premier Danielle Smith’s cabinet to be sworn in by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani.

A media pool camera and videographer will be used; no additional media will be permitted.

When
Friday, May 16
12:30 p.m.

How horrible must the new cabinet member be, to completely bar the media from even seeing them?

"We would like to introduce the new Minister for Killing Puppies, Mancomprisedentirelyofsatansvomit Smith. Esquire."

[Leeman4Gilmour]

I don't know much about the Grassy Mountain project. Assume it's metallurgical coal though? Why is it hated?

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

I don't know much about the Grassy Mountain project. Assume it's metallurgical coal though? Why is it hated?

Because it is difficult (impossible) for them to harvest the coal without polluting the water.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by troutman

In the Herald:

However, the AER cautioned that the application before it was only to consider the Northback’s application for an exploration program at Grassy Mountain.

“Accepting the need for this Exploration Program does not constitute approval of a coal mine,” it said.


There are still many hurdles for Northback and much resistance, including my new punk band The Coal Haters.

When do The Coal Haters play a show?

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

I don't know much about the Grassy Mountain project. Assume it's metallurgical coal though? Why is it hated?

On the BC side, there is the Teck mine, that has operated for years and has polluted the downstream ranching and farming in Idaho and Washington state. There are many pending lawsuits. It is also at headwaters, so adding to drought problems. There is a separate mine in BC that recently finished operations, and since it was a shell company, they simply closed up shop and the parent company walked away, leaving BC with the cleanup, that exceeds the royalties that they had gathered.

The Grassy Mountain project is run by a shell of a shell of Gina Reinhardt.

So many people see the project as an attack on ranchers and farmers in the Milk River watershed, and a real effect on drought. Alberta in the end will probably lose money on the deal. The mountain will be destroyed. The surrounding towns and environment useless for tourism.

Somebody in government will be getting rich, though. There must be a reason for the push.

[Mr.Coffee]

For the completely ignorant, how come the waters have to get polluted? In the process there is literally no way to operate a coal mine without polluting the water? Seems very weird to me. I’m presuming it’s sort of like the oilsands where the water’s used in operations and cannot be cleaned after the fact or something?

[GGG]

https://thenarwhal.ca/for-decades-b-...ow-to-stop-it/

Basically you are taking the top off a mountain and moving the rock into an adjacent valley. The rock underground has selenium in it so when the rock has been moved to the surface rain water leaches through the rocks drawing out selenium in dangerous concentrations.