Ed Stelmach resigning as Premier

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

Screw the left wing nut jobs & ecologists. We have a financial crisis & it's time the Alberta government took care of its citizens instead of kissing producers like Cameron's ass. We can't afford carbon capture at the expense of basic needs & necessities.

Yeah, we need to save up money so every man, woman, and child can afford a hazmat suit.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by SebC

Not sure eliminating the carbon capture project is a good move.

Doing so would immediately give ammunition to anti-oilsands campaigns. Their message would be that we're not even trying.

More importantly, having carbon capture as a mature technology could be critically important in the near future if the regulatory framework around carbon emissions changes. If there's a carbon tax, carbon capture projects could become economically viable (and profitable) just as new upgraders and whatnot cease to be.

I'm not sure if I want to eliminate it either, but I would love if the private side got involved.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by peter12

Well, jokes aside, I don't think we'll have a PC government for much longer. A few weeks ago, I would have said the PCs could win one more election, but now, it's the WRA's to lose, IMO.

I do think it's important for WRA to start telling Albertans why they SHOULD be the next provincial government instead of lobbing bombs at Stelmach and his record. Move on, tell us why you are the party of the future.

The most the WRA can hope for in the next election is to force the PC into a minority situation. The PCs have too much money and are too well connected and organized to dethrone overnight.

There wont will be election anytime before there has to be one, and if gas prices ever go back up and the province starts rolling in it again then you will see an election, but not before.

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Yeah, we need to save up money so every man, woman, and child can afford a hazmat suit.

Don't know what that means exactly. Clear as mud on that one.

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by Azure

I'm not sure if I want to eliminate it either, but I would love if the private side got involved.

Exactly. Let the industry do it on their own. That $2 billion we spend could be used for different services like health, education, infrastructure or for lowering this year's deficit. Not as an incentive to the oil patch. Bottom line is we can't afford it.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

Exactly. Let the industry do it on their own. That $2 billion we spend could be used for different services like health, education, infrastructure or for lowering this year's deficit. Not as an incentive to the oil patch. Bottom line is we can't afford it.

You do realize the govt is funding this because of the issues with "dirty oil" in the US right. 2 or so years ago 50 cities pledged not to use oilsands oil. Not that the pledge means anything but its the tip of the iceberg, if the issue gets large enough they wont allow it to be piped to the US and then we will be screwed. 2 bil is a small price to pay to ease some of the tensions in a increasingly left leaning USA.

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

You do realize the govt is funding this because of the issues with "dirty oil" in the US right. 2 or so years ago 50 cities pledged not to use oilsands oil. Not that the pledge means anything but its the tip of the iceberg, if the issue gets large enough they wont allow it to be piped to the US and then we will be screwed. 2 bil is a small price to pay to ease some of the tensions in a increasingly left leaning USA.

Left leaning US until the next election, you mean? Obama & the Democrats will be history in 2012. The US needs our oil & all the left wing anti oilsand rhetoric won't change that. We won't be screwed, that's the thing.
Then there's China, Japan & other markets we can sell to. The only thing screwed will be us, if more services are cut & we spend to please the anti oilsand crowd which we never will. No matter what we do.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

Left leaning US until the next election, you mean? Obama & the Democrats will be history in 2012. The US needs our oil & all the left wing anti oilsand rhetoric won't change that. We won't be screwed, that's the thing.
Then there's China, Japan & other markets we can sell to. The only thing screwed will be us, if more services are cut & we spend to please the anti oilsand crowd which we never will. No matter what we do.

I think the Democrats in the states might have a better chance then you think. At least to retain the White House? Who is the GOP going to put forward as their nominee? Sarah Palin? Come on....

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

I think the Democrats in the states might have a better chance then you think. At least to retain the White House? Who is the GOP going to put forward as their nominee? Sarah Palin? Come on....

Maybe we should wait until the start of the primaries & caucases in Feb of 2012 to see who the Republicans have. In 2007, did you know who Barrack Obama was?

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

Maybe we should wait until the start of the primaries & caucases in Feb of 2012 to see who the Republicans have. In 2007, did you know who Barrack Obama was?

Yes I did. Your point?

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

Maybe we should wait until the start of the primaries & caucases in Feb of 2012 to see who the Republicans have. In 2007, did you know who Barrack Obama was?

You're falling for the "inexperience" hype, which was more or less an invention of the right. Obama's political career started in 1997 in the Illinois Senate, and he was very well known nationally since 2004, when he addressed the DNC before being elected to the US Senate. He had been discussed as a potential Presidential candidate since prior to his Senate run. Some people just have "it." With that said, there are indeed some Republicans who have "it" as well, but Sarah Palin isn't one of them.

But that really is WAY off topic.

On topic, I think Morton may have seriously hurt his own chances (and perhaps his party's) with the "mothership" remark. When you're trying to get people who left the autocratic old guard party for a libertarian grassroots alternative, "mothership" isn't exactly the tone you want to be striking. That's a huge blunder IMO.

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Yes I did. Your point?

You & who else in this country?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Azure

I'm not sure if I want to eliminate it either, but I would love if the private side got involved.

The industry is involved. But there's little incentive for them to push ahead with carbon capture projects that aren't yet economically viable to safeguard the future of Alberta's economy. That's the Alberta government's role.

[theonlywhiteout]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

You & who else in this country?

A lot of people who were in the know for politics saw Obama coming. I remember in late 2004 when he was elected to senate I said to myself "this guy will be president one day". Wasn't an original thought, many saw him as a up and coming superstar. What is surprising is how fast he obtained it.

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by theonlywhiteout

A lot of people who were in the know for politics saw Obama coming. I remember in late 2004 when he was elected to senate I said to myself "this guy will be president one day". Wasn't an original thought, many saw him as a up and coming superstar. What is surprising is how fast he obtained it.

You were one of the few. I know most canadians didn't know who he was before the Presidential election.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

You were one of the few. I know most canadians didn't know who he was before the Presidential election.

Clearly they don't follow American politics closely then.

[TurnedTheCorner]

I don't follow the US politics very closely (other than what makes it to Stewart/Colbert)...but wasn't Obama really on the map after a speech at the 2004 Democratic convention or something? I'm not Googling this intentionally until after this post, because I want to see if my recollection is correct.

If most Canadians didn't know Obama until 2008, that's weird to me.

[Weiser Wonder]

After 2004, it seemed like a given Obama would be a Democratic nominee for President at some point. The only surprise was that it was in 2008.

[Golden Jet]

Jim Dinning may run again. He hasn't closed the door entirely. Hope he does.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I've also heard rumours of another longtime Tory throwing his hat into the ring--and though I can't say more, I will say that I would consider buying a membership to support him.