Who did you vote for? - Official Election Results Thread

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by troutman

That is troubling. How does he even get one vote?

Nevermind. Five more polls were posted for that riding, and I think about 90% of those votes were PC. That race is over too.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Johnny 99

If oil prices go down, it can only be bad for Alberta's one-dimensional economy. Kevin Taft may not have a great personality, but he gave a speech last week in which he stressed the need for us to diversify our economy, invest our surplus in sustainable public work projects and curb our spending. Right now, the only reason things are so good is because the difference between the provincial government's spending and intake is made up by the huge amount of money they receive via royalty payments. Once, as you say, the world economy starts to head into deep recession (which I believe it already has), it would make sense to argue that world oil demand will fall, yes? The less demand, the lower the price is, and hence the lower amount of cash government has to throw around. The incredible lack of foresight shown tonight by the common Albertan astounds me. They have learned nothing from the previous oil boom and bust cycles. Do people actually think that things are going to be roses and ice cream forever? Give your head a shake - we're at the top of Mount Everest right now - the only way is down.

I don't think anyone is saying Alberta doesn't have problems. I just don't know what your silly posts are all about.

[KevanGuy]

Originally Posted by Johnny 99

He gets votes because he is somehow perceived as the good guy because he got his nomination ripped from him for being a homophobe and racist.

WHoa, that is in my riding. Whats the story there?

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by TheDragon

So my Saskatchewanian friends tell me. I haven't lived there for almost 8 years now, but apparently there was quite some talk about Saskatchewan developing their own oil reserves - which they claim has 4x's the oil in them then ours. Coupled with the continued development and expansion of the uranium, diamonds and natural gas they're already producing.

I don't really see how sask has 4x the oil we do, when the formations in ft. mac and peace river are the largest hydrocarbon deposits in the world.. We're talking 1.7 - 2.2 trillion barrels. About 5-10 million years ago they might have, but something forced the oil to migrate west and up through the rocks into shallow sandy deposits in alberta.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Johnny 99

If oil prices go down, it can only be bad for Alberta's one-dimensional economy. Kevin Taft may not have a great personality, but he gave a speech last week in which he stressed the need for us to diversify our economy, invest our surplus in sustainable public work projects and curb our spending. Right now, the only reason things are so good is because the difference between the provincial government's spending and intake is made up by the huge amount of money they receive via royalty payments. Once, as you say, the world economy starts to head into deep recession (which I believe it already has), it would make sense to argue that world oil demand will fall, yes? The less demand, the lower the price is, and hence the lower amount of cash government has to throw around. The incredible lack of foresight shown tonight by the common Albertan astounds me. They have learned nothing from the previous oil boom and bust cycles. Do people actually think that things are going to be roses and ice cream forever? Give your head a shake - we're at the top of Mount Everest right now - the only way is down.

Ya the whole boom bust thing has really been brutal for alberta. It's a world class economy and will be so for decades in the future.

BTW, how would you propose we go about diversifying the economy? Diversifying the economy sounds nice, but how is that even practical. Which industry will pry talent away from Oil and Gas? How could you even manufacture that?

[Thunderball]

This is disgusting. The PCs have a weak and pathetic leader, with hapless planning... and they are en route to their biggest election result yet?!?

[TheDragon]

Originally Posted by Johnny 99

If oil prices go down, it can only be bad for Alberta's one-dimensional economy. Kevin Taft may not have a great personality, but he gave a speech last week in which he stressed the need for us to diversify our economy, invest our surplus in sustainable public work projects and curb our spending. Right now, the only reason things are so good is because the difference between the provincial government's spending and intake is made up by the huge amount of money they receive via royalty payments. Once, as you say, the world economy starts to head into deep recession (which I believe it already has), it would make sense to argue that world oil demand will fall, yes? The less demand, the lower the price is, and hence the lower amount of cash government has to throw around. The incredible lack of foresight shown tonight by the common Albertan astounds me. They have learned nothing from the previous oil boom and bust cycles. Do people actually think that things are going to be roses and ice cream forever? Give your head a shake - we're at the top of Mount Everest right now - the only way is down.

Ummm, If we're headed into a recession, then EVERYTHING will be in decreased demand, not just oil. However, even in a recession, the world needs energy. Lights and computer screens need to stay on. Divesifying our economy won't help any.

Infact, oil is probably the safest commodity there is right now.

But thanks for your jabs at the "common Albertan's" shortsightedness.

[corporatejay]

I cannot believe how much of a pounding this is turning out to be.

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Ya the whole boom bust thing has really been brutal for alberta. It's a world class economy and will be so for decades in the future.

BTW, how would you propose we go about diversifying the economy? Diversifying the economy sounds nice, but how is that even practical. Which industry will pry talent away from Oil and Gas? How could you even manufacture that?

that's an excellent point. people often talk about diversifying the economy but fail to realize it's practically impossible

[Resolute 14]

Yeah, Chandler's no longer a threat. He's fallen to third.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

This is disgusting. The PCs have a weak and pathetic leader, with hapless planning... and they are en route to their biggest election result yet?!?

You've been proven right though. Albertans will come down hard on any upstart left-wing party.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by peter12

You've been proven right though. Albertans will come down hard on any upstart left-wing party.

I agree... Albertans are clearly not socialist... but I can't for the life of me believe that the PCs are cleaning up in Edmonton and about to win the biggest seat total yet.

Taft has to resign, and I think Hinman does too. These two guys must have done a horrible job of convincing voters to abandon the PC ship.

[burn_this_city]

Heheh as a card carrying PC member this makes me giggle.. They were so sure of themselves.. People knew better than to split the rightwing vote by going wra. I though the liberals would get more votes via newcomers, but I knew long time albertans would stick to their guns.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by peter12

You've been proven right though. Albertans will come down hard on any upstart left-wing party.

I'd say that's a little simplistic.

The Liberals and NDP spent absolutely nothing on this campaign. I don't think Stelmach is particulary popular, it's just that who else do you vote for? No other party has practical solutions for problems Alberta has. It's easy to talk about how Ed and the PC's do the wrong thing, but nobody really offers realistic solutions.

I'm don't recall any commercials other than some Ed sucks group ... The liberal leader and the NDP leader are the opposite of charismatic and practical, so what else are people supposed to do?

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

This is disgusting. The PCs have a weak and pathetic leader, with hapless planning... and they are en route to their biggest election result yet?!?

could it be the other parties have weak pathetic leaders as well? unfortunately, Albertans don't have a legit choice - it's a one party system until the Liberals find a decent leader and develop a good platform. If they had both, this would have been a great opportunity for them

[Johnny 99]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Ya the whole boom bust thing has really been brutal for alberta. It's a world class economy and will be so for decades in the future.

BTW, how would you propose we go about diversifying the economy? Diversifying the economy sounds nice, but how is that even practical. Which industry will pry talent away from Oil and Gas? How could you even manufacture that?

It is quite simple really. Firstly, the rapid oilsands development should be stopped by raising the royalty rates to a much higher level. The Conservatives tried to pull one over on the voters by upping the rate by a small percentage, and it seemed to have worked by the results we're seeing tonight. Secondly, there needs to be much more emphasis on education in this province. For such a rich place, one of the richest on earth, there is no reason that post secondary education fees are so high. Oilsand development should only be allowed to accelerate at the same rate as other sectors of the economy. Infrastructure should constitute a high rate of investment. Unfortunately, our governments at both the provincial and municipal level have failed to have any kind of positive forward thinking. People like Ralph Klein and Al Duerr will be looked back on as fools who didn't believe that infrastructure was a good investment in a province so full of a natural resource whose price could only go up. We have such an enormous amount of resources to invest - other provinces and countries would kill (and have done so) to be in the position we're in. There is simply no excuse for people seeing the dollar signs now and not worrying about the future. I work in the oilsands, in fact I'm there right now, and all my co-workers all have new fifty thousand dollar trucks, a 400k+ mortgage, and they can afford their payments now because there are good paying jobs and lots of work. Do you really believe that over the course of a thirty to forty year mortgage that Alberta will not go through some years of economic slowdown?

Those that do not know their history, are doomed to repeat it.

-Pierre Trudeau, 1985

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Heheh as a card carrying PC member this makes me giggle.. They were so sure of themselves.. People knew better than to split the rightwing vote by going wra. I though the liberals would get more votes via newcomers, but I knew long time albertans would stick to their guns.

Giggle all you want... this is politically speaking, very, very unhealthy. You have one massive party winning every election with absolutely no real plan and a disappointing amount of dithering. I was a card carrying PC member, and I should fit right in.

[SteveToms]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Giggle all you want... this is politically speaking, very, very unhealthy. You have one massive party winning every election with absolutely no real plan and a disappointing amount of dithering. I was a card carrying PC member, and I should fit right in.

Well said.

No Plan whatsoever

[Azure]

Any recent updates for those of us who aren't watching?

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

could it be the other parties have weak pathetic leaders as well? unfortunately, Albertans don't have a legit choice - it's a one party system until the Liberals find a decent leader and develop a good platform. If they had both, this would have been a great opportunity for them

To paraphrase the Simpsons, "how can one weak pathetic leader do so well, and another weak, pathetic leader do so poor?"

All four guys are well below par. The Liberals tried to out-socialist the PCs which never works. Lawrence Decore had the right idea, and they need to find their new Decore. The WRA let themselves get pigeon-holed by their social views, and clearly didn't do a good enough job of proving they could be an alternative. They need an A-list leader like Manning... since they're essentially starting from scratch now.

The NDP seem to be in their own little world and getting their typical results in NE and central Edmonton.