Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[woob]

The only thing about us all wanting to leave if Alberta separated, is I imagine we'd be one of tens of thousands or more doing the same thing. Housing would wind up a) dropping in price considerably and b) units would take a long time to sell.

[indes]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Y'all ain't going anywhere. Like the Righties leaving Canada when Carney won, like lefties when Conservative won, like Righties when Notley won, like Lefties when Trump won twice, Like Righties when Obama won.

If we separate, I plan on putting a watermelon in my arse on top of the Calgary Tower.

Bold proclamations when the thing (separation) has zero chance of happening.

It's indifference like this that gives the idea of 'separation' credence. Most people are the same, "it'll never happen" so they just don't say anything. Silence is support in instances like these, did no one see Brexit?! An unmitigated disaster that shrunk one of the worlds largest economies by 5% in 4 years.

People who think it's a good idea to separate should have the obvious downfalls described to them like they're 5 olds. And if you think that's too harsh - it's the only same level counter to "we don't need a plan".

[bossy22]

How many companies would leave if Alberta Separated? My wife's would. They have offices in Van, Ontario and in Phoenix. Head office is in Calgary but would move to Vancouver. They are a renewable energy company though so no real loss to Alberta.

[getbak]

Look at how many companies moved their head offices out of Quebec in the 90s because of the separation uncertainty there.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Y'all ain't going anywhere. Like the Righties leaving Canada when Carney won, like lefties when Conservative won, like Righties when Notley won, like Lefties when Trump won twice, Like Righties when Obama won.

If we separate, I plan on putting a watermelon in my arse on top of the Calgary Tower.

Bold proclamations when the thing (separation) has zero chance of happening.

After 20 years of living in Calgary, I left Alberta in 2022 and moved to Vancouver. The Conservative provincial governments of Kenney/Smith wasn't the sole reason I decided to leave Alberta, but it absolutely 100% was a contributing factor that went into that decision.

[calf]

Originally Posted by bossy22

How many companies would leave if Alberta Separated? My wife's would. They have offices in Van, Ontario and in Phoenix. Head office is in Calgary but would move to Vancouver. They are a renewable energy company though so no real loss to Alberta.

I work at a Renewable company and there's an initiative happening right now to determine how the proposed changes to the market design and transmission regulation affects our contracts as they all have a "change in law" clause.

I imagine there's a significant number of contracts, including in the Oil & Gas space, that have clauses such as:

"under the laws of the Province of Alberta"
"if any change in law occurs"
and the like.

Anyone would see fundamental changes being a massive shift and as a way to invalidate or renegotiate contracts.

It's not like Alberta separates and all of the sudden everything stays the same except we don't pay Federal taxes.

The only winners are the lawyers.

[Wormius]

I don’t trust the UCP to hire very good lawyers. They’d probably just Ctrl-H every document and change Government of Canada to Government of Alberta.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by woob

The only thing about us all wanting to leave if Alberta separated, is I imagine we'd be one of tens of thousands or more doing the same thing. Housing would wind up a) dropping in price considerably and b) units would take a long time to sell.

This forum is an extremely small sample size and the prevailing political beliefs in the minority in Alberta so it would be interesting to see what the exodus would be. My guess would be <20% but it’s really hard to say because it’s all hypothetical’s due to the fact it’s just so unlikely to happen. Quite frankly I’m surprised it’s even being discussed. If you all are still talking about this I can only assume things are quiet on the UCP outrage front.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This forum is an extremely small sample size and the prevailing political beliefs in the minority in Alberta so it would be interesting to see what the exodus would be. My guess would be <20% but it’s really hard to say because it’s all hypothetical’s due to the fact it’s just so unlikely to happen. Quite frankly I’m surprised it’s even being discussed. If you all are still talking about this I can only assume things are quiet on the UCP outrage front.

Oh, there's plenty of outrage, but with the latest poll on UCP support many of us 38%ers are thinking darker thoughts.

[aaronck]

Originally Posted by getbak

Look at how many companies moved their head offices out of Quebec in the 90s because of the separation uncertainty there.

And the Flames and Oilers- I'm sure the NHL wants no part of a Freedum type independent country and all the insecurity that would come with it

[Whynotnow]

I’d be gone. I’d be close enough to retirement, no way I’m sticking around for that train wreck.

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This forum is an extremely small sample size and the prevailing political beliefs in the minority in Alberta so it would be interesting to see what the exodus would be. My guess would be <20% but it’s really hard to say because it’s all hypothetical’s due to the fact it’s just so unlikely to happen. Quite frankly I’m surprised it’s even being discussed. If you all are still talking about this I can only assume things are quiet on the UCP outrage front.

There should be outrage, more than there is currently

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/men...auditor-genera

The court has ruled#Mentzelopoulos could not be compelled to answer queries about either what documents she had provided, or will provide, to the auditor general or RCMP to assist their ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption in procurement policies at AHS.

The government is appealing those two restrictions.

On Tuesday, the office of auditor general Doug Wylie#filed an intervenor factum, arguing that allowing the government to question Mentzelopoulos about the emails could undermine his own investigation.

Late Thursday afternoon, the government filed its reply to Wylie’s submission in the Court of Appeal of Alberta, accusing him of turning the court into a “political arena.”

[puffnstuff]

Oh and this...

https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/arti...tract-scandal/

Alberta’s government says it’s extending the deadline for a former judge to investigate allegations of high-level conflict of interest and arm-twisting in health care contracts.

Former Manitoba provincial court chief judge Raymond Wyant was expected to submit an interim report to the government today, followed by a full report next month.
The government employee facilitating the investigation says the number of documents provided and interviews requested by the former judge means that initial time frame is no longer feasible.

Deputy minister of jobs Chris McPherson says Wyant will now deliver an interim report in September, with his final report due in October.

[puffnstuff]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/arti...ool-libraries/

Social conservative activist groups provided Alberta government officials with lists of books now facing prohibition under new provincial content guidelines for school libraries, the IJF has learned.

Action4Canada is a conservative Christian group with more than 60 chapters across Canada. The group promotes deeply conspiratorial beliefs, claiming the Canadian government and education system have been “infiltrated by radical LGBTQ activists” and that SOGI education and sexually explicit books are part of a “global agenda#to sexualize children, interfere with parental rights, eliminate the natural family and normalize pedophilia.”

[puffnstuff]

The TBA clowns who have been racking up fines from Elections Alberta and not been paying them have had those debts referred to Crown Debt Collections

https://www.elections.ab.ca/investig...ive-penalties/

[Fuzz]

Oh look, the Christofacist moralizers attempting to set policy for society again. #### off, mmkay?


All kinda hilarious given the discussions that occasionally pop up around here about people not being able to have morals without religion, and yet we see what it is in reality. Hate, fear, discrimination. Maybe stop pretending these #### faces have a monopoly on good morals, eh?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

The TBA clowns who have been racking up fines from Elections Alberta and not been paying them have had those debts referred to Crown Debt Collections

https://www.elections.ab.ca/investig...ive-penalties/

Maybe governor Marlaina can offer up an official pardon? That's what all the cool Trumpers do, isn't it? Pardon the criminals who helped get you where you are. She owes it to them.

[fotze2]

My buds is actually leaving (in fact I’m staying at his mansion in Costa Rica in July). He’s probably worth $90MM. So people are definitely leaving but some for opposite reasons.

[Reggie28]

Originally Posted by fotze2

My buds is actually leaving (in fact I’m staying at his mansion in Costa Rica in July). He’s probably worth $90MM. So people are definitely leaving but some for opposite reasons.

90MM. That’s an oddly specific number. Divorce lawyers, they will tell you the real number.

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by indes

It's indifference like this that gives the idea of 'separation' credence. Most people are the same, "it'll never happen" so they just don't say anything. Silence is support in instances like these, did no one see Brexit?! An unmitigated disaster that shrunk one of the worlds largest economies by 5% in 4 years.

It's incredible that people can look at Brexit and the Quebec referendums and still think that publicly entertaining the thought of Alberta separation, or being complicit in the separation discourse, is a good idea.

Another overlooked aspect of the separation talks that separatists and media seem to be ignoring is brain drain. Quebec's net five-year population growth dropped by double digits between the early '60s to mid '80s. The 1-2% net five-year population growth they experienced in the early to mid 80s and late 90s was solely due to immigration. There was also a significant brain drain from the UK caused by Brexit. It's an irrefutable fact that people with the education, skills, and economic means needed to establish a new country will leave to safer, more stable jurisdictions with higher potential.

In a situation like Alberta, where the economy isn't as strong as Montreal's was back in the 80s and it being a landlocked territory with a single industry, a 5-10% drop (i.e. hundreds of thousands of people) in net migration is a huge blow to the economic prospects of this place.

Between this and all of the other crap from the UCP, it's so frustrating being an Albertan right now.