Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[GordonBlue]

If Alberta doctors ratify a proposed new agreement with the provincial government, the province pledges to reverse a controversial legislative change, say documents obtained by CBC News.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...show-1.6580474

Neither the government nor the AMA was answering questions about the proposal on Monday.

In a public letter Friday, AMA president Dr. Vesta Michelle Warren said the organization's board strongly recommends that doctors vote in favour of the offer. Voting starts Tuesday and runs until Sept. 28.

"We share the same goals of stabilizing the health system including the physician practices that are part of infrastructure and targeting other areas of concern," Warren said in a joint statement with Health Minister Jason Copping on Friday.

[Fuzz]

Alberta's minister of labour and immigration has taken to social media to criticize Ottawa's "tyrannical" pandemic travel restrictions and thank "freedom convoys" for their efforts against them.

In a tweet responding to news about the federal government potentially ending COVID-19 border requirements, Kaycee Madu said the measure was "never was about science but about political control and power."

"Thanks to all those citizens, freedom convoys, who had the courage to mobilize against these tyrannical policies," read the remark on Madu's twitter account on Tuesday.

Madu had previously voiced support for at least some of those public health measures.

In May of 2021, Madu posted in the comment section of another user's Facebook page that his government needed to impose stricter public health measures or run the risk of leaving Albertans "in field and makeshift hospitals, gasping for breath because we have [run] out of ventilators, manpower etc."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...590139?cmp=rss

How does this man still have a job?

On Wednesday, asked about Madu's remarks, Premier Jason Kenney said he doesn't monitor Twitter and suggested that if reporters want to hear the minister's "views or clarification from him," they should talk to him.

Oh, right, his boss doesn't care.

[Torture]

I signed up for the Alberta is Calling emails and they are something.


Thread:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1572631358757015557

[aaronck]

I've seen LOTS of ads on my phone about how the Alberta government is apparently putting money back into my pocket- heard one on the FAN960 this morning as well. Isn't this the UCP using government funds to promote themselves?

Love how they are taking credit for Federal grants for childcare when they didn't want to take it in the first place, now it's a benefit for Albertans from THEM!

[Ozy_Flame]

After reading that thread, I guarantee none of the current UCP leader candidates - outside of maybe Leela Aheer - see those as "ACTUAL Albertans".

In fact if you ask Danielle Smith, Brian Jean, Todd Loewen, or possibly even Travis Toews what an Actual Albertan is, I doubt "caffinated urban hipster" is on their radar. They might actually be rough-and-tumble, O/G loving F-150 drivers who have part-time hobbies in ranching, cowpoking, mudding in Waiporous, loving freedom and sticking it to Ottawa.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...590139?cmp=rss

How does this man still have a job?

Does the Minister of Labour under a UCP government really have much work to do?

Oh, right, his boss doesn't care.

Not commenting doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. IMO it’s more of an endorsement than anything else.

[AFireInside]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

If Alberta doctors ratify a proposed new agreement with the provincial government, the province pledges to reverse a controversial legislative change, say documents obtained by CBC News.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...show-1.6580474

Neither the government nor the AMA was answering questions about the proposal on Monday.

In a public letter Friday, AMA president Dr. Vesta Michelle Warren said the organization's board strongly recommends that doctors vote in favour of the offer. Voting starts Tuesday and runs until Sept. 28.

"We share the same goals of stabilizing the health system including the physician practices that are part of infrastructure and targeting other areas of concern," Warren said in a joint statement with Health Minister Jason Copping on Friday.

Problem is the UCP can't be trusted with the promises over contracts. They negotiated with radiologists in Alberta, which included cuts. As soon as the radiologists paid back pay for the time between the last contract and new agreement, the UCP cancelled their contracts.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/poor-tim...ment-1.4858453

"The contract was finalized in November 2019 and included a 12 per cent reduction in fees, retroactive to April 1, 2018. It affected 85 per cent of Alberta's radiologists."

But I'm sure we'll continue to hear about the long waits for MRI's and other scans though. Family medicine and radiology are huge in terms of saving money overall when it comes to healthcare. Catching things earlier, and in a more timely fashion only saves money down the road.

But we all know the goal here isn't to have well funded & structured public provincial healthcare.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

After reading that thread, I guarantee none of the current UCP leader candidates - outside of maybe Leela Aheer - see those as "ACTUAL Albertans".

In fact if you ask Danielle Smith, Brian Jean, Todd Loewen, or possibly even Travis Toews what an Actual Albertan is, I doubt "caffinated urban hipster" is on their radar. They might actually be rough-and-tumble, O/G loving F-150 drivers who have part-time hobbies in ranching, cowpoking, mudding in Waiporous, loving freedom and sticking it to Ottawa.

I can only imagine the backlash they would get if they were promoting that side of Alberta though. It’s funny, because I’d imagine they’d upset you and some others here either way.

[Ozy_Flame]

I don't live in Alberta. Doesn't bother me, but I chuckle nonetheless.

[GordonBlue]

FYI...
The provincial government eliminated the provincial 13 cent-per-litre tax on April 1 after oil prices began to balloon and consumers grappled with inflation. Now relaxed oil prices have prompted Alberta to partly reinstate the provincial fuel tax starting Oct. 1, Finance Minister Jason Nixon told CBC News on Thursday.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...says-1.6591653

For the next three months, the provincial government will collect a tax of 4.5 cents per litre on gas and diesel.
The government said it would review the policy quarterly and look at the price of oil when deciding whether to continue the relief program.

Nixon said the government is also preparing for a consumer natural gas rebate to begin in October. The rebate is supposed to kick in if the price of gas exceeds $6.50 per gigajoule and will cover the cost above that threshold.

[Lubicon]

That is fair IMHO. Fuel tax was dropped when oil prices spiked, now that they have recessed a little and fuel prices have come down it makes sense to bring a portion of the tax back. Either way taxpayers see the effect. Keep fuel tax and we pay more at the pump, remove it and we see less revenue to the government. Regardless it affects taxpayers.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

That is fair IMHO. Fuel tax was dropped when oil prices spiked, now that they have recessed a little and fuel prices have come down it makes sense to bring a portion of the tax back. Either way taxpayers see the effect. Keep fuel tax and we pay more at the pump, remove it and we see less revenue to the government. Regardless it affects taxpayers.

On the flip side of the argument - when in history has $1.38-$1.43 not been a disastrously high price to pay for fuel. Sure, it appears reasonable beside the recent prices closing in on $2, but add another 4.5 cents and we're coming up on $1.50 again.

That's a catastrophic fuel price for a lot of low income families, still.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by jayswin

On the flip side of the argument - when in history has $1.38-$1.43 not been a disastrously high price to pay for fuel. Sure, it appears reasonable beside the recent prices closing in on $2, but add another 4.5 cents and we're coming up on $1.50 again.

That's a catastrophic fuel price for a lot of low income families, still.

Once you add in inflation gas prices aren’t really expensive today relative to say 2013 or so when in nominal dollars were the same. A 1.40 in 2013 is $1.07 today. So back within a reasonable range for economic growth.

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by GGG

Once you add in inflation gas prices aren’t really expensive today relative to say 2013 or so when in nominal dollars were the same. A 1.40 in 2013 is $1.07 today. So back within a reasonable range for economic growth.

Have incomes gone up by 30% over the last eight years?

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

FYI...
The provincial government eliminated the provincial 13 cent-per-litre tax on April 1 after oil prices began to balloon and consumers grappled with inflation. Now relaxed oil prices have prompted Alberta to partly reinstate the provincial fuel tax starting Oct. 1, Finance Minister Jason Nixon told CBC News on Thursday.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...says-1.6591653

For the next three months, the provincial government will collect a tax of 4.5 cents per litre on gas and diesel.
The government said it would review the policy quarterly and look at the price of oil when deciding whether to continue the relief program.

Nixon said the government is also preparing for a consumer natural gas rebate to begin in October. The rebate is supposed to kick in if the price of gas exceeds $6.50 per gigajoule and will cover the cost above that threshold.

Are they going to make Calgary pay more tax per litre than red deer to stay consistent with the current fuel pricing practice at gas station? Last weekend we were getting gouged by about $0.15-$0.20/litre over the price at the pump in red deer.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Are they going to make Calgary pay more tax per litre than red deer to stay consistent with the current fuel pricing practice at gas station? Last weekend we were getting gouged by about $0.15-$0.20/litre over the price at the pump in red deer.

Who's to say we were getting gouged? Generally Red Deer has always been more expensive than Calgary for gas in my experience, if they are fortunate enough to be where a price war breaks out that is good for them.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

Have incomes gone up by 30% over the last eight years?

Tough to tell as we don’t have data for 2021 and 2022 yet but from 2013 - 2020 we have 11.89% inflation and 12% family income growth for economic families.

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1...101%2C20200101

https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/re...on-calculator/

Using stats can for wage growth and BOC for inflation. Also I should have used BOC inflation for the gas price comparison which is 24% rather than 30. So 1.40 gas is equal to $1.13 in 2013.

So given the latest data we have available family incomes kept up with inflation through the first year of Covid. We have to wait a year or to to get data for today.

So Yes?

[GordonBlue]

Alberta defence lawyers to refuse all legal aid cases starting Monday

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...nday-1.6593755

As lawyers escalate job action to demand reform of Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) funding, the organization itself is now joining in on calls for more provincial funding.

Members of four defence lawyer organizations along with family lawyers that take on cases for Albertans eligible for legal aid support staged a walkout at courthouses in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary on Friday.

On Wednesday, the associations' members voted to ramp up action and will stop accepting any new legal aid cases starting Monday.

That means individuals charged with criminal offences that range from theft to homicide who can't afford a lawyer may find themselves unable to get one.

Some family lawyers who do legal aid work also plan to refuse new cases.

[Fuzz]

That's fine, wasting money on a provincial police force is far more important...these alleged criminals can just go free when the time runs out on their cases. The UCP knows best.

[The Fisher Account]

Never thought I'd do this, but I put my money where my mouth is and volunteered for an NDP campaign this week.

Going to do everything I can to ensure this province doesn't continue to be dismantled by another Conservative gov't.