Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Fuzz]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1705333490940776657

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://twitter.com/user/status/1705333490940776657

Isn’t this throwing rocks in glass houses? Didn’t NDP take the debt from 11B to 80B?

Maybe Kathleen should say keep CPP where it is, no one knows how to manage money here in Alberta

[Fuzz]

Sure, ya, ignore the oil price crash and disastrous government finances left behind by 40 years of Conservative rule, and you can spin it that way. I'm sure it's the UCP's fine fiscal management that has left us with a surplus this year.


And those facts could have been posted by anyone, who cares if it is an NDP MLA who points it out? Are you disputing any facts she has laid out, or is your only refuge to attack the messenger?

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

But the threat of removing these funds from the CPP and forcing the rest of Canada to require a larger investment from the rest of the provinces MAY be enough to earn political 'favor/exchange'

Sure we can argue if Quebec having their own pension plan outright was a net benefit, but Quebec can continually hold this country hostage because they have shown they will implement policies in their own self interest.

This is why Alberta and Sask are looking towards using Quebec political tactics.

Playing nice with Ontario and Quebec has not worked.

Now its a risky game to play if the bluff is called and/or it goes to a plebiscite and fails because then it is an idle threat, or worse you may have to live with the consequence.

I like the strategy. However, I do not have a lot of faith in the leaders ability to execute.

But sometimes having a crazy leader making these threats actually is a good thing for getting what you are after.

Donald Trump was able to execute a lot of good deals for the US because people were afraid of what a crazy person would do.

Ahahaha... What good deals exactly??

You definitely wear a MAGA hat unironically eh?

[Major Major]

Don't know if this has been addressed... what happens if I move out of province in retirement? Do I get the Alberta pension money or the Canadian pension money?

[timun]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Isn’t this throwing rocks in glass houses? Didn’t NDP take the debt from 11B to 80B?

No, in point of fact they didn't. The NDP took their inherited $11B debt up to about $43B, and the UCP took it up to ~$72B in two years.



In year 1 of UCP government they had more non-renewable resource revenue than any year of NDP government, and more tax revenue than 3/4 years of NDP government, but managed to spend more than any NDP government and ran the largest deficit budget we'd ever had at that point. And then Covid happened and they followed it up with another record deficit.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by timun

No, in point of fact they didn't. The NDP took their inherited $11B debt up to about $43B, and the UCP took it up to ~$72B in two years.



In year 1 of UCP government they had more non-renewable resource revenue than any year of NDP government, and more tax revenue than 3/4 years of NDP government, but managed to spend more than any NDP government and ran the largest deficit budget we'd ever had at that point. And then Covid happened and they followed it up with another record deficit.

Mic dropped at 9am... lol

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

^There it is. Yoho and his ilk don't actually care about making the lives of Canadians better. Their whole schtick is predicated on sticking it to people who disagree with them. They should start their own political party called the "Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face" Party, or COYNTSYF, or COYNTs for short.

You spelt CU Next Tuesday wrong.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

But the threat of removing these funds from the CPP and forcing the rest of Canada to require a larger investment from the rest of the provinces MAY be enough to earn political 'favor/exchange'

Sure we can argue if Quebec having their own pension plan outright was a net benefit, but Quebec can continually hold this country hostage because they have shown they will implement policies in their own self interest.

This is why Alberta and Sask are looking towards using Quebec political tactics.

Playing nice with Ontario and Quebec has not worked.

Now its a risky game to play if the bluff is called and/or it goes to a plebiscite and fails because then it is an idle threat, or worse you may have to live with the consequence.

I like the strategy. However, I do not have a lot of faith in the leaders ability to execute.

But sometimes having a crazy leader making these threats actually is a good thing for getting what you are after.

Donald Trump was able to execute a lot of good deals for the US because people were afraid of what a crazy person would do.

Is pensions the area you want to play with fire?

I object to the idea that Alberta is getting a bad deal in confederation. All of Alberta benefits are essentially based on magic rocks being underneath us. The extra money we pay to Ottawa is essentially based on having higher incomes. It’s essentially an argument against progressive taxation.

It also ignores the benefit alberta gets from not having to educate its migrants or pay for their parents CPP and health costs. Whenever we look at the subsidy Alberta pays to the rest of Canada we ignore the benefits we get.

But more importantly these types of political arguments shouldn’t be had around a pension plan. The argument of let’s put a crazy person in charge retirement savings because they might do something crazy that will help us is not how I want my pension managed.

[Stewie991]

Pension First, Then Separation. LET’S GO!!!!

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Stewie991

Pension First, Then Separation. LET’S GO!!!!

Only imbeciles want this.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by GGG

I object to the idea that Alberta is getting a bad deal in confederation. All of Alberta benefits are essentially based on magic rocks being underneath us. The extra money we pay to Ottawa is essentially based on having higher incomes. It’s essentially an argument against progressive taxation.

Exactly. Alberta sovereigntists act like New Brunswick and Manitoba are getting an enviably sweet deal out of confederation by receiving equalization payments. But the reason they get those payments in the first place is because they have a lot more poor and old people than Alberta - in no small measure because many of their young and skilled have moved here.

So would you rather live in a young and prosperous province and share your wealth, or in an old and poor one that requires transfers to pay its doctors and teachers?

[timun]

UCPers would prefer a prosperous province that shares nothing, ideally.

[Stewie991]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Only imbeciles want this.

I Cannot WAIT!

[troutman]

He who travels alone travels fastest, but in the company of friends you go farther.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Stewie991

I Cannot WAIT!

some people are so far behind in a race they think they are leading

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by timun

UCPers would prefer a prosperous province that shares nothing, ideally.

Until resources dry up. Imagine the bitching and moaning as Alberta becomes Kentucky 2.0, begging for hand outs.

[Stewie991]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

some people are so far behind in a race they think they are leading

Typically SMALL Minded Liberal Comment!!

[Wormius]

It’s small-minded to think that separation would do anything other than irreparably damage Alberta.

Just imagine for a bit that you’re somebody smarter, and think through what the ramifications of actually separating from Canada would entail. It took over 3 years and counting for a semi-competent nation like the UK to extricate itself from the EU and draft new all new trade deals. They have the benefit of not being landlocked. Who’s looking after the military? A new legal system? It’s absolute buffoonery. Border services? New departments to cover air safety; wireless services; drug approvals?

The only ones who will prosper are politicians and lawyers.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Stewie991

Pension First, Then Separation. LET’S GO!!!!

You are welcome to GTFO whenever you want.