April 23 2012: Alberta Provincial Election

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by First Lady

NDP's no change and I don't recall PC's looking to change it either.

Kinda surprising that the NDP don't want to change it, I suppose Mason is looking at a pretty big payday though.

I thought Redford said she was going to scrap it entirely?
I assume she would then replace it with something else because there is no way the politicians are going to vote to end their pension AND their payout plans.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I don't have a problem with pay when they're in office, I just don't think we should be paying so damn much for transitional allowances. Kevin Taft serving 11 years and getting a $400,000 check from our tax dollars doesn't seem fair to me, especially since again he'll probably have a good job waiting for him in private life. I'd be cool with $100,000 max.

I'm going to say this hopefully not sound terrible, but $100,000 would be pathetic. That kind of thing doesn't come close to what people earn in the private sector without all of the hassles that come with being a politician of any stripe.

Originally Posted by Rerun

Sweet work if you can get it. Alberta law states that an employee is entitled to 1 weeks wages for every year worked up to cap of 8 weeks wages.

Love it when politicians deem it necessary to give themselves a little extra.

Lots of jobs give more than the bare minimums though. Should politicians also be paid minimum wage because thats what the law allows for?

[First Lady]

Surprisingly balanced backgrounder on Danielle from the Star.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/p...Zo_a7g.twitter

[Rerun]

Unraveling the mystery of MLA pay

http://mauricetougas.wordpress.com/tag/alberta-mla-pay/

All MLAs start with the same salary, $52,092. Then it gets complicated. After that, everyone gets $26,046 in untaxed pay. So, that’s just a little over $78,000 a year, but with the tax-free portion, it’s actually worth a lot more. And for a select few, there is additional money for being the caucus whip, or house leader, etc.

The base pay low, relatively speaking; truck drivers at Syncrude wouldn’t get out of bed for $78,000. To make up for it, dozens of committees were created — some of which do important work, some of which never meet — to bolster everyone’s pay. Even the opposition gets in on the act, which is why MLA pay is not a big issue until something like the phantom committee uproar occurs.

For example, I did a little survey of the pay allotted for every MLA in the province, all 82 of them, and I found something interesting.

As far as I could tell by a quick, unscientific scan, there were 80 different salary totals of out of 83 MLAs. (Three MLAs shared the same salary of $197,493.) The pay levels of backbench MLAs varied from $129,734 to $160,406, and any number of variations in between. Some of the differences were only a few dollars, but others were huge.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Sweet work if you can get it. Alberta law states that an employee is entitled to 1 weeks wages for every year worked up to cap of 8 weeks wages.

Love it when politicians deem it necessary to give themselves a little extra.

Those are just legislated minimums. Common law damages for dismissal without cause are generally significantly higher than that.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Those are just legislated minimums. Common law damages for dismissal without cause are generally significantly higher than that.

True, but 3 months pay for each year worked is probably somewhat excessive. I'd be happy giving these guys 1 month for every year served.

Plus, don't they get this severence package even if they quit? Usually people only get severence when they're fired or laid off.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by kn

Top 12 MLA transition allowance payments to outgoing provincial politicians:

Ken Kowalski: $1,189,000
Ed Stelmach: $991,000
Rob Renner: $872,000
Barry McFarland: $720,000
Iris Evans: $698,000
Janis Tarchuk: $645,000
Richard Marz: $544,000
Cindy Ady: $512,000
Mel Knight: $512,000
Lloyd Snelgrove: $512,000
Hugh MacDonald: $491,000
Kevin Taft: $405,000

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ri...099/story.html

Nice gig!

If Slava could manage all that money he could take the rest of the year off.

[Rerun]

Frankly I think the whole remuneration system for politicians should be completely revamped. Pay them a decent taxable salary of say $150, 000 a year, have them on the same pension system as all other provincial employees, and pay them a reasonable severence package that average person would be entitled to in the private sector who was in their pay scale.

No more golden handshakes at the taxpayers expense. It use to be that someone went into politics for the honor of serving their country... not to make a killing upon retirement.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

If Slava could manage all that money he could take the rest of the year off.

Can you put in a good word for me? I promise not to screw it up!

[edslunch]

Are there any decent per riding polls available on line?

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by First Lady

That's correct. And Libs suggesting same with a 8 month cap.

NDP's no change and I don't recall PC's looking to change it either.

I caught a sound bite earlier this week between Mason and a caller. The caller asked why Mason voted against the increase in MLA severance a few years back, yet is accepting the new increased benefits just the same. The caller asked Mason to put his money where his mouth is, and decline. Of course, Mason said no, that he was entitled to the new severance and would take it.

The caller said it was convenient that a guy who knew his objection wouldn't matter ended up taking the benefit. Mason just evaded the caller and said, basically, well you know what I am taking the severance because I am entitled as a long term MLA.

So there you go from the leader of the NDP. There will be no principled stand, just another politican that takes pot shots, yet feeds from the same trough.

[Rerun]

April 21, 2012

Calgary holds key to Alberta's election

By David Akin, Parliamentary Bureau Chief



CALGARY - Alberta's provincial election Monday - almost certain to be an historic one for the province and for the country - comes down to a pitched battle in the province's biggest city between the conservative Wildrose Party and the more liberal PC Party of Alberta in Calgary. "There is absolutely no doubt that Calgary will determine this election," said Duane Bratt, chair of the department of policy studies at Calgary's Mount Royal University. "The PCs have to sweep Calgary to stay in power, but the number of safe seats is getting smaller and smaller."

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics.../19663371.html

[SebC]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Back to Hehr. I believe he is losing support for two reasons. One, his mayors run. Some don't like that he didn't step down, others don't like being sloppy seconds and not knowing if he will do it again. Two, as I understand it, he and his supporters have been telling people at the door he is willing to cross the floor to the PC's in minority situation. You either stand for something or nothing at all.

That's odd: when he was at my door (the only one, by the way) he said nothing of the sort to me, even after I specifically asked him about it.

[Hack&Lube]

The other day my buddy and I were on a bar patio and the candidate for that riding came over handing out flyers, cards, and buttons for himself. My friend recognized him from their hometown and they had a long conversation.

After he left he turns to me and says: "that's the guy that ran for and lost every single election from grade 10 through to university and dated the ugliest girl in school!"

[oilyfan]

For people interested in voting strategically and holding back the Wildrose/PC tidal wave by having a strong opposition this is a good site:

http://www.changealberta.ca/winnablecandidates.aspx

[Slava]

Originally Posted by The Goon

Went to vote in the advance polls earlier this afternoon. Perfect, we were in and out in three minutes (Calgary West). My 19-month old son entertained all the election workers by applauding when Mommy and Daddy put their ballots in the box.

Looking forward to seeing how things shake out Monday night - I'm a political junkie, so these things are exciting.

Election night is really fascinating to me. I have a dilemma though. I have been requested and expected at two different parties (First Lady's invite must have gotten lost in the mail). Truth is I would prefer to sit in a room with a TV and no one else there though...I think its a mental disability!

[SebC]

Originally Posted by oilyfan

For people interested in voting strategically and holding back the Wildrose/PC tidal wave by having a strong opposition this is a good site:

http://www.changealberta.ca/winnablecandidates.aspx

LOL, I hate that site. It's not strategic voting if you're ruling out both WR and PC.

[Senator Clay Davis]

And now for the least shocking news of the election...

Albertans headed to the polls Monday will face a momentous task.

For the first time in 41 years, they will cast a vote in a provincial election where the outcome isn’t known in advance.

Wildrose has a lead on the Progressive Conservatives heading into the home stretch.

Although the PCs would not agree, there’s a good reason for this.

The mighty dynasty which ruled four decades by adapting to changing times has run out of gas.

It’s grown out of touch with Albertans and, judging from the way it has conducted this campaign, doesn’t even know it.

It began straying from the path of fiscal conservatism years ago.

While it could get away with that during boomtimes, when the recession hit, the red ink told the tale.

After a rocky ride marked by a huge royalty snafu and warnings about a health-care system in crisis, Ed Stelmach finally saw the writing on the wall and stepped aside.

Admittedly, his successor Alison Redford carried a lot of baggage from the previous regime into this election. It didn’t help that her promise to the teacher’s union to restore $107 million in education spending brought enough “conservatives of convenience” out of the woodwork to put her in the premier’s office.

Riding high in the polls after her leadership win, Redford had a brief opportunity to make the rusting old hulk shipshape again.

She had a chance to assess the public mood and bring her party back in line with the hopes and aspirations of ordinary Albertans.

If she’d listened, she would have learned they’d grown weary of the Tories’ arrogant sense of entitlement to more pay and perks, their intimidation of school boards, councils and their own MLAs who didn’t toe the party line.

They’d grown suspicious that patronage held sway over progress.

They had lost confidence in a government that spends more money per capita than just about any other province, but has little to show for it in terms of health care and savings for the future.

Confoundingly, she didn’t even acknowledge this discontent.

Instead, she embraced a big government, big-spending agenda.

As former PC supporters are fond of saying, “we didn’t leave the PC party, it left us.”

With a less formidable foe, Redford might have squeaked out yet another four years for the tired Tories.

Sadly for them, Wildrose staked out the territory they abandoned.

An innovative approach to health-care, bringing spending into line and a plan to wean the province off its dependence on energy royalties and manage resource wealth for future generations have struck a chord.

Alarmed by the polls, the Tories branded their upstart rivals as “frightening” on everything from health care to letting citizens have a say in the way the province is run.

Their own remedy to the health care dilemma, more spending, has been a pricey flop.

So what do they do? Trot out another big-spending plan for 140 family care clinics that many doctors say doesn’t make sense.

Tory attempts to paint Wildrose as scary and inexperienced are doomed to fail. It’s not like their own team is composed of NHL all-stars.

Besides, Albertans are wise to this ruse.

We’ve seen a couple of other upstart parties demonized by desperate opponents.

One was Reform, which makes up the roots of the current federal Conservative government.

Next door to Alberta, the Saskatchewan Party has left that province basking in prosperity since it took over the reins.

To borrow a phrase from Redford, the Tory party’s politics have caught up with them. Their lacklustre performance reveals how bereft of new ideas they’ve become.

Alberta is overdue for a change in government.

And we believe the Wildrose party has the vision and energy to set Alberta on a course to a bold and exciting future.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/04/21...e-for-a-change

[Slava]

^ well at least darklord now knows who to vote for.

[Senator Clay Davis]

New poll predicting an absolute rout

Danielle Smith's Wildrose Party is poised for a sweeping majority in Monday's Alberta election, the latest poll says.

The poll, conducted by Forum Research Inc., shows Wildrose maintaining a wide lead over the Progressive Conservatives, with 41 per cent of voters backing the party compared to the PC’s 32 per cent. It's a wider gap than what was found by another major poll earlier this week.

The support is enough for Wildrose to capture 62 of the province's 87 seats, Forum projections show. “We expect to welcome a new majority government to the provincial scene on Monday night,” polling firm president Lorne Bozinoff said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2410297/

I sincerely doubt its going to be that lopsided. At least I hope its not that lopsided