Alberta Election Thread - Election Day April 16 2019

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

One person doesn't make that true. There are plenty of people who will blindy vote for a party no matter what.

Which makes it all the more important to scrutinize the candidate first, and party second as a voter.

If I was in a constituency with a candidate that was racist or LGBTQ-phobic, I would instantly disqualify that person regardless of party. I would then vote for the 2nd option who isn't and most closely matches my goals. Glad it hasn't come to that in my constituency yet.

Your vetting process may be different. Which is awesome.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

That's rich considering the party you'll likely be voting for is accused of undermining the democratic process through campaign financing violations and bogus email addresses.

Nothing in your post addresses the substance of my post that you quoted, nor does however I vote or plan to vote on its own invalidate the substance of my posts.

[chemgear]

So I hear the Germans are going to vote 92% for the National Socialist German Worker's Party in 2021.

Spoiler!

I mean 1933

/s

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Which makes it all the more important to scrutinize the candidate first, and party second as a voter.

If I was in a constituency with a candidate that was racist or LGBTQ-phobic, I would instantly disqualify that person regardless of party. I would then vote for the 2nd option who isn't and most closely matches my goals. Glad it hasn't come to that in my constituency yet.

Your vetting process may be different. Which is awesome.

Yeah, I'm the same way, personal conduct also caused my to vote against my candidate in the last election as there were rumors of domestic abuse.


Sadly, I'm really kind of tuning out a lot of this election, I'll probably sit down and look at platforms the night before I vote, and see which candidate in my riding was more active.

[Ozy_Flame]

Cowboy - you willing to admit Notley posing in a picture at an anti-pipeline rally from years ago is as relevant or non-relevant as a four-year old article on Klein's daughter voting for the NDP? Or is the threshold different?

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Wow. I don't know what to say about the fact that this is buried in the coverage while the GSA stuff dominates.

Isn't that how it is now? Same funding per student regardless of what school they go to? I could be wrong, but I think that's how it currently is and I'm OK with that - all students should get the same amount for school.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Cowboy - you willing to admit Notley posing in a picture at an anti-pipeline rally from years ago is as relevant or non-relevant as a four-year old article on Klein's daughter voting for the NDP? Or is the threshold different?

It’s about as relevant as Kenny comments from 20 years ago. But I’m sure you think differently on those.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

Isn't that how it is now? Same funding per student regardless of what school they go to? I could be wrong, but I think that's how it currently is and I'm OK with that - all students should get the same amount for school.

Not for private schools. Education property taxes can only go to separate or public schools.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by troutman

I'd say you are probably in the majority. But, these platforms are one of the few voices that minority views have in the community - ex. LGBTQ, indigenous, ethnic and cultural. Music, arts and political programming that isn't offered on commercial radio. Campus news and events.

Those views have no voice on campus in 2019? Really?

And if we're talking off-campus, doesn't the CBC cover all those subjects?

The problem with students associations is they collect money from all students, but only a small minority of students vote in the elections (around 10%). So student unions are basically a way for a few dozen students and their pals to play at being adult politicians, broadcasters, journalists, etc. I know - I used to be one of them.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by troutman

One component of the UCP platform I really don't like is allowing College students to opt out of Student Associations (and fees). This could cripple campus radio, tv and newspapers, that rely on the student levys for funding. These media are important in the community for airing alternative voices. Volunteers at these outlets gain excellent experience that can lead to great job opportunities.

Page 6:
https://www.albertastrongandfree.ca/...eclaration.pdf

Ford has done something similar in Ontario, and it is a big existential threat to these stations and newspapers.

https://www.ncra.ca/news/press-relea...99s-fee-policy

When I was in school years ago probably the only thing every student I know of complained about was the mandatory fees for the crap they never used. Reason being is you are already paying a ton for schooling period, you shouldn't have to pay for these clubs/things that only a select few enjoy and take part in.

[DiracSpike]

The best was when "elections" came up at U of C and everyone would murder a million trees to plaster their stupid election posters on every spare space of wall at the school. And they all had claims that they were going to push back on the Admin and lower tuition or book prices or some other such nonsense. It was pretty clear the only reason anyone did it was to slap it on a resume. The SU had some nice people running it but forcing everyone to pay fees to support it was dumb, like a lot of unions it won't be able to stand up to the market forces of "am I getting the benefit from being a part of this organization in comparison to the fees I pay"

[troutman]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Those views have no voice on campus in 2019? Really?

And if we're talking off-campus, doesn't the CBC cover all those subjects?

Yes, CBC does this to a certain extent too. Here is an archive of broadcasts I think would be rarely heard anywhere else:

http://cjsw.com/genre/talk-2/

Current spoken word:
http://cjsw.com/genre/talk/

Multicultural:
http://cjsw.com/genre/multicultural/

[sorry for derail - this probably could be splintered off to another thread]

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Weitz

When I was in school years ago probably the only thing every student I know of complained about was the mandatory fees for the crap they never used. Reason being is you are already paying a ton for schooling period, you shouldn't have to pay for these clubs/things that only a select few enjoy and take part in.

Certainly that is a common argument. I think at UofC students pay something like $35 annually, and about $5 of that goes to CJSW. I think CJSW could also thrive if some of the funding came from the University itself - campus radio provides value to the University as a whole and the community at large, not just students.

Some history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CJSW-FM

After the attempted closure of the station by the Students' Union, CJSW's management and membership had an up and down relationship with the SU. In march of 1981 Bill Reynolds (Station Manager), Nick Diochnos (Music Director) and Grant Burns (News & Promotions director) headed down to Ottawa for the first annual National Campus and Community Radio conference hosted by CKCU FM at Carleton University. There they learned the possibilities of campus radio (FM licences) and some of the requirements. This ultimately led to the Stations decision to ask for direct funding from the University's student body via a referendum question. The remainder of 1982 was hard-fought, as the station worked to raise its on-campus profile as much as possible in anticipation of the vote. CJSW also made full use of its unique location in MacEwan Hall to broadcast via outdoor speakers and in the student pub - The Den. There were also live concerts from the third-floor ballroom, including the live airing of Iggy Pop's 11 November 1982 performance (with opening act Nash the Slash).

On 3 December 1982 the referendum was won by a 2:1 margin, and the levy of $2 per semester per full-time student commenced with the winter term.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Cowboy - you willing to admit Notley posing in a picture at an anti-pipeline rally from years ago is as relevant or non-relevant as a four-year old article on Klein's daughter voting for the NDP? Or is the threshold different?

The reason why I said what I said in my post is because context and nuance is everything, and time travelling news articles, pictures, tweets are increasingly (intentionally) presented without it or re-framed to add a more nefarious context or accompanied by a headline that is intended to mislead people who don't click on the link and actually read the article. They are used as a weapon to misrepresent their target.

Also Ralph Klein's daughter is not running for premier or even for office. So her historically held thoughts and beliefs in 2015 are completely irrelevant to how the NDP would approach governing in 2019 and beyond, whereas Notley's on the other hand could matter. Albeit again the longer the time passed since the picture and today and the less accurate context provided alongside the image the less relevant it is. So, yes the comparison you made is probably a different threshold.

The one neat thing in that article is that it had Klein's daughter mention that Ralph himself likely would have been proud of her for voting for what she believed in and that their relationship wasn't political. It's honestly a shining example of how people who disagree on some topics should peacefully co-exist. Regrettably politics has taken on a temperature where people judge individual's entire character by their political views.

Again the context matters for everything. Personally I have a lot of respect for Rachel Notley. I think that pipeline protest picture juxtaposed with her current stances and official platform can actually be used to her advantage because it highlights how pragmatic she could be in government vs. where her ideology might have been.

[btimbit]

Alberta Party leader Stephen Mandel says he’ll put the province back on track to be a leader in innovation and diversification if his party were to form government following next month’s election.

“The petrochemical industry is where the great growth can happen because it is supplying … new products for the new age economies. We see this gas royalty in-kind as a way in which we can partner with these petrochemical firms so they can expand their businesses.”

Mandel noted the party would also support the next planned phases of the $9.7-billion North West Redwater Sturgeon Refinery, located 35 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

The three-phase, 150,000-barrels per-day bitumen-blend refinery, Canada’s first new oil refinery in 34 years, is designed to produce diesel, diluent and other products for the Alberta and world markets.

​

He pointed to programs like CanaPux — a technology that mixes and coats oilsands bitumen with polymer plastic, creating a pellet-shaped product similar in shape to a hockey puck — as an example of innovation the Alberta Party would support.

Late last year, Canadian National Railway Co. said it planned to build a pilot plant worth up to $50 million to create the product, in order to transport it by rail and ships to customers around the world.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/polit...ation-strategy

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Weitz

It’s about as relevant as Kenny comments from 20 years ago. But I’m sure you think differently on those.

If Kenney is to be judged on 20+ year old statements, then we can certainly judge Notley and the NDP on actions and statements from the past 5 years. The only thing is, no one is going to do it because there is definitely a separate set of standards being applied.

[Red Slinger]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

If Kenney is to be judged on 20+ year old statements, then we can certainly judge Notley and the NDP on actions and statements from the past 5 years. The only thing is, no one is going to do it because there is definitely a separate set of standards being applied.

Are you judging Kenney for his previous statements or only judging Notley for hers?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

Are you judging Kenney for his previous statements or only judging Notley for hers?

Doesn't sound like he is judging either. But we all know only one party leader gets judged for their old beliefs.

[Ozy_Flame]

I'm seeing some chatter on social media that UCP candidates - Doug Schweitzer and some in Lethbridge - are refusing to do debates? Anyone else seen this?

Greg Clark and Janet Eremenko will attend a debate at MRU tomorrow, and Schweitzer declined, and instead asked of April 11 worked instead, adding that "platforms" should be out by then.

Are they not allowed to debate the issues directly with other candidates yet? Curious to know why that might be. There's only a limited amount of time in this election, seems like a waste especially when voters want answers as soon as possible.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by troutman

Certainly that is a common argument. I think at UofC students pay something like $35 annually, and about $5 of that goes to CJSW. I think CJSW could also thrive if some of the funding came from the University itself - campus radio provides value to the University as a whole and the community at large, not just students.

Some history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CJSW-FM

I was a U of A student, and this year their fees are $205 for the student union.