Alberta Politics Thread

[GGG]

That's a great read, I would be interested in reading a counter arguement to it but in the face of the plan to phase out coal early it appears that they are taking reasonable steps to ensure energy price stability over the meat and long term.

It also appears that the restructuring of the energy market is following a similar path to the royalties. Hire experts in the field and rely on their expertise to implement solutions.

The NDP needs to make step 1 of their plans to hire the experts rather than after they screw things up

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

The most coherent description of the electricity snafu's big picture

Finally, a Plan (albeit drip-by-drip) to Phase Out Coal and Keep the Lights On
by
Nigel Bankes

B.A., M.A. (Cantab.), LL.M. (UBC). Professor. Chair of Natural Resources Law.

http://ablawg.ca/2016/11/29/finally-...the-lights-on/

If anyone else reads this and says "what the heck is the difference between an energy only market and a capacity market?", this kind of explains it okay;

http://midwestenergynews.com/2013/06...-markets-work/

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

The most coherent description of the electricity snafu's big picture

Finally, a Plan (albeit drip-by-drip) to Phase Out Coal and Keep the Lights On
by
Nigel Bankes

B.A., M.A. (Cantab.), LL.M. (UBC). Professor. Chair of Natural Resources Law.

http://ablawg.ca/2016/11/29/finally-...the-lights-on/

Very good read. He does a good job of showing the interrelationships of all of the new laws the government has been putting forward in the last few weeks. Well reasoned and coherent, thanks for finding and sharing!

[the_only_turek_fan]

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politi...ows-tight-race

New poll shows the PCs in third and the NDP 4% behind the WRP.

An earlier poll showed the NDP at 16%, and the PCs in first place.

[Resolute 14]

That poll puts NDP support in Calgary at a level dramatically higher than everyone else has had them recently. I find that rather unlikely. At least for a poll conducted before the pipeline announcement. The only argument I can imagine for such a swing is a dramatically negative Kenney effect. I'm not sure it would be *that* pronounced though.

[CaptainCrunch]

After all of the elections where polls have utterly failed I'm having trouble believing this one.

Especially with the number of pratfalls that the NDP has created over the last few months.

Maybe the Kenney bounce has faded a bit because he's not exactly getting positive press over his fight to unite the right.

To be honest I would be ok with a minority government situation in the next election.

[Slava]

Isn't it an online poll? I didn't read it to be honest, but I just don't believe the NDP is anywhere near 30%.

[troutman]

People were chanting "lock her up" at carbon tax protest in Edmonton, organized by Rebel Media. Sad.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...-tax-1.3880911

[Fuzz]

Ya, Rebel "Media". What kind of media organization organizes a protest? I hope they get banned at whatever press event they try to get into. They are clearly not deserving of that kind of special access.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by troutman

People were chanting "lock her up" at carbon tax protest in Edmonton, organized by Rebel Media. Sad.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...-tax-1.3880911

Do people not realize that chants like hurt their position as it takes the conversation off their issue, and makes others who may feel the same way embarrassed to be seen on the same side of an major issue as them?

This really pisses me of, because they are hurting Alberta. @ssholes.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Ya, Rebel "Media". What kind of media organization organizes a protest? I hope they get banned at whatever press event they try to get into. They are clearly not deserving of that kind of special access.

Fox news and the tea party. "Grassroots"

[GaiJin]

Originally Posted by troutman

People were chanting "lock her up" at carbon tax protest in Edmonton, organized by Rebel Media. Sad.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...-tax-1.3880911

Nothing wrong with the Rebel organizing it at all. The lock her up is a bit much, but is this as sad as May encouraging lawlessness? Or is her cause that righteous to you?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Wait, who were they suggesting be locked up? The article says Notley... But that makes no sense. Lock her up for what?

If it was May, that would make a lot more sense.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by GaiJin

Nothing wrong with the Rebel organizing it at all. The lock her up is a bit much, but is this as sad as May encouraging lawlessness? Or is her cause that righteous to you?

Her reaction is pretty sad as well. It isn't that hard for ones political beliefs to fall somewhere in-between Rebel Media and the Federal Green Party.

I don't understand why someone attacks Rebel Media and you respond with "But May did this!!"

[troutman]

Originally Posted by GaiJin

Nothing wrong with the Rebel organizing it at all. The lock her up is a bit much, but is this as sad as May encouraging lawlessness? Or is her cause that righteous to you?

Fair question. I think future lives are in the balance. At this point I still believe low level civil disobedience and good scientific communication can result in the protection we need. Not destruction of property or terrorism.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by GaiJin

Nothing wrong with the Rebel organizing it at all. The lock her up is a bit much, but is this as sad as May encouraging lawlessness? Or is her cause that righteous to you?

I think there is something questionable when a purported media organization is holding political rallies? You wouldn't see that from Bell Media for example.

I also think signs comparing the carbon tax to sodomy and banning gay activists from school were a little much. But I guess it depends on your view.

[FireGilbert]

Agreed the media should not be organising protests against anything (save maybe restrictions to freedom of the press). Rebel is more of a right wing echo chamber than an actual media news source however and things like this are part of their MO.

From a FB post criticising the CBC's coverage of the carbon tax protest:

Rebel didn't bus people there FOR support, they provided buses for people who already were in support

Wow, some people are really reaching to rip on the CBC.

[Resolute 14]

That's actually hilarious... but only for the reason Kavvy mentioned. The last thing you want, if you want to be taken seriously, is to tie yourself into Trump supporters.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Kavvy

Do people not realize that chants like hurt their position as it takes the conversation off their issue, and makes others who may feel the same way embarrassed to be seen on the same side of an major issue as them?

This really pisses me of, because they are hurting Alberta. @ssholes.

I agree. I lost the plot when Suzuki started calling for "denier" politicians to be locked up.

http://dailycaller.com/2014/05/20/sc...-change-video/

[troutman]

Ezra Levant organizes a carbon tax rally that turns really, really weird

http://theamericanenergynews.com/mar...s-really-weird

If you don’t like the media, make your own.

But I already said that who was behind the gathering of roughly 1,000 wasn’t nearly the weirdest thing going on at Levant’s “rally.” What was? Well, I counted five or six pretty weird things.

One, disagreement over the crowd count took a very strange turn on Twitter.

Two, the dudes with signs saying the Alberta carbon tax equals sodomy.

Three, Bernard the Roughneck’s speech.

Four, while federal Conservative Party leadership candidate Chris Alexander was at the microphone the crowd began chanting “lock her up,” referring to Premier Notley.

Five, the carbon tax equals sodomy signs weren’t the only awful placards at the rally. One sign read, “Don’t let gay activists in schools.” An anti-immigration leaflet calling for less immigration was passed out to the crowd.

How did Canadian politics become so debased?

Many of the actions described above are right out of the Trump/KellyAnne Conway/Breitbart playbook. Is Canada about to embrace the same post-truth, fake news politics as the United States, where “facts” no longer exist?

If Canada does, Ezra Levant may be the drum major at the head of the parade. And if you think things were weird at Saturday’s Rebel Media rally, just wait.