Alberta Politics Thread

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Was she campaigning to lead the fight against the NDP, or was she campaigning for the PC leadership position?

What's the difference exactly? If you want to lead an opposition party it's because you don't agree with the government.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Slava

What's the difference exactly? If you want to lead an opposition party it's because you don't agree with the government.

Is that what motivated you to try your hand at politics? Honest question.

[iggy_oi]

Never really thought about or looked into this before, but does anyone here know what happens if enough MLA's change parties between elections that it creates a new majority? Could the elected premier be ousted? I'm assuming not otherwise this would likely happen more, but figured I'd ask.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Is that what motivated you to try your hand at politics? Honest question.

I think that every politician thinks that they can help make things better by getting elected. There is a big difference between my running for the school board and her running for leader of a party though. As leader isn't your goal entirely to win and defeat the other parties because you think that you have better policy and can do a better job?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Never really thought about or looked into this before, but does anyone here know what happens if enough MLA's change parties between elections that it creates a new majority? Could the elected premier be ousted? I'm assuming not otherwise this would likely happen more, but figured I'd ask.

Well basically the government would lose a confidence vote (budget or something like that, not just a random vote) and the party with a majority could ask the Lt. Gov. to form a government. Or the government could be dissolved and we would have a general election. It would essentially be like a minority government until that confidence vote.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Never really thought about or looked into this before, but does anyone here know what happens if enough MLA's change parties between elections that it creates a new majority? Could the elected premier be ousted? I'm assuming not otherwise this would likely happen more, but figured I'd ask.

As Slava notes, the government would continue on as a minority. If it lost a confidence vote, the premier would then be obliged to inform the LG and certainly ask for an election. The LG could theoretically ask the leader of the party with the majority if it could form a government instead, but as a practical matter, with so many floor crossings, I say it would be virtually certain they would dissolve the Legislature and order a new election.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Was she campaigning to lead the fight against the NDP, or was she campaigning for the PC leadership position?

The latter includes the former by definition.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

They dont build bridges big enough for him to hide under.

[chemgear]

Even today, the NDP loudly doubles (triples?) down. Crazy. I can't believe we are talking about investment having to deal with Sovereign risk in Canada let alone our own goddamn province.

http://calgaryherald.com/business/en...y-battle-royal

“Remember that the government triggered this situation themselves,” Nenshi continued.

“Who would ever invest in this province if they thought the government would just simply invalidate their contract decades later.”

Who, indeed?

While governments may have the ability to alter historical contracts through law, the province would do so at its peril.

If investors believe the sovereign risk within the province has suddenly jumped, Alberta won’t easily attract investment for its billion-dollar plans to build new renewable facilities and natural gas plants, or will pay a premium.

One can’t escape the lingering feeling if the province admitted it made a mistake by inadvertently tripping the opt-out provision in the PPAs, and allowed the Balancing Pool to terminate the returned agreements, bigger losses would be mitigated down the road.

But each new move — launching the lawsuit, blaming Enron, possibly overwriting 16-year-old contracts through legislation — piles one bad decision upon another.

Curiously, the premier said the province isn’t considering breaking any other contracts that it deems unfair to taxpayers. EDIT: Yet

“It’s not just a question of unfair. The question is whether the matter was duly entered into under the rules that people believed to be in play at the time,” she said.

“Maybe they were, maybe there weren’t.”

[Resolute 14]

"We're only going to break this one contract. But no others. Pinky promise!"

Fool me once, Rachel...

[CliffFletcher]

And now the Eastern media are vilifying Alberta over the Jansen thing.

Not so progressive: Trump-style politics seep into Alberta

Be sure to read the comments.

The establishment commentariat need some group to vilify and shower with contempt. Looks like the folks in Toronto have picked Alberta. I expect this province will be subjected to relentless derision as a Canadian substitute for Trump. Because, you know, that sort of undisguised contempt for whole regions worked so well for Clinton and the mainstream media in the recent election.

[Resolute 14]

The self-absorbed idiots in Toronto attacking Alberta is nothing new.

There are a lot of times I wish we could just get rid of equalization entirely. A lot of people in central Canada would be shocked at how dependent they are on the west.

[Ozy_Flame]

Not to put a fire on things, but former MP Rob Anders was campaigning for Trump during the US election, and Mr. Kenney is good friends with that guy.

My point being is that it is going to be easy going forward for media to associate Trump politics with Alberta. Especially if things like Keystone get approved.

Get ready for a bumpy ride.

[Resolute 14]

Of course, Ozy. The liberal elite similarly has never struggled to demonize the right as being too American. Should we actually act like this is something new for your benefit?

Remember all the secret agendas that never came to pass? And, of course, all the soldiers... with guns... that were unleashed into the streets of urban Canada!

The Trump example is potentially relevant in one aspect though. If the elitists want to keep demonizing the population the way they are, they do stand the risk of setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy. There is already a good deal of resentment in the air.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The self-absorbed idiots in Toronto attacking Alberta is nothing new.

There are a lot of times I wish we could just get rid of equalization entirely. A lot of people in central Canada would be shocked at how dependent they are on the west.

At least next year Alberta will probably stop paying into the pot. The 2016-17 equalization calculation apparently is calculated on the last 3 years. One year of boom is still there, so come 2017-2018 we should start seeing some eastern provinces start to sweat.

[CaptainCrunch]

Then the cry of those Albertan's aren't paying their fair share and their hording money and cookies and eating babies.

Oh the humanity.

[Robbob]

Also found this when I was looking around on equalization payments

https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comm...s_billions_of/

[CaptainCrunch]

We're not even really a country anymore. We're a loose confederation of distrustful angry and envious neighbors who look to screw each other at every turn for political and financil gain.

We're all a%%%%%% who couldn't give a crap about the bigger picture.

We have a neighbour in Quebec who's basically the neighbourhood shark running a ponzie scheme. We have hippies and farmers and snobs and heads and preppies. But we really don't have much of a country anymore.

To me the solution is less centralized powers at this point. Make the government responsible for cross provincial concerns and national defense. everything else gets managed at a provincial level. And once a year the federal government gets together with the provinces to air out grievances. There would be no equalization at all. If your province can't make due then that's your bad.


At least that would break up the power that Quebec and Ontario have in this confederation.

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

And once a year the federal government gets together with the provinces to air out grievances.

Can't wait for feats of strength, and watching Notley try to pin Trudeau to end the meeting.

[White Out 403]

Albeeeeerrrrtaaaa!

@#&% Yeah!