Alberta Politics Thread v2

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Somewhat fair point (I guess there was no need to quote you directly), but unless you're going to go through this thread and point out the mischaracterizations of Kenney, UCP, Notley, and NDP (which is damn near every point), I don't get why you're singling this one out?

I guess because I happened to notice it when in a mood where I was annoyed by such things, but you're probably totally right about the relative volume of such BS throughout the thread given the amount of crap heaped on the NDP (much of it deserved, but just through sheer volume, some of it no doubt silly and undeserved).

Was Kenney's position not that money should go to direct patient care, instead of indirect patient care? We're just pointing out that it's a stupid oversimplification.

Cool, I just don't want to give the impression that I think it's not. I don't really know. I'd just like, in the lead-up to this election where it's going to be "hold your nose or vote Alberta Party", that there be a relatively honest discussion about policy and about whatever shenanigans occur (smear campaigning, impossible promises, whatever). Same goes for the federal election. It's the only way that politics threads can be remotely tolerable during an election cycle.

[powderjunkie]

Platforms are all well and good, but you also have to assess how much you trust them to actually stick to it. Look no further than the Trudeau Liberals - not very much to hate in their platform, but plenty to hate in how they have actually governed.

IMO, Kenney seems more invested in things he thinks sound good to his base, as opposed to things he actually thinks will make the province better. Of course, all politicians are guilty of this to some extent, and you can see as much of it as you want to see. I don't see nearly as much pandering from Notley, and when she does pander, it seems a little less dumbed-down, and meant to appeal to any Albertans willing to listen (ie. not just her base).

FWIW, I don't consider myself a member of the NDP base, but I am certainly a UCP skeptic.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

No, I simply had to read the context and give them an honest and charitable interpretation. In other words, precisely what the Edmonton Journal did:



https://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...-to-save-money

The fact that you don't understand what's wrong with trying to "gotcha" people by taking their words out of context and attaching a meaning they didn't intend to them says nothing good about you.

Again, this really wasn’t about a “gotcha” moment, and characterising it as such isn’t helpful. Neither are the constant “What don’t you understand” “asinine dishonesty” “says nothing good about you” etc etc. You don’t always have to make these things so personal.

However you boil it down and interpret the statement, from what he said “a building that won’t actually heal people,” to an interpretation of “labs don’t save lives” or “we should spend money on things that directly help patients,” it doesn’t matter, because the point still remains pretty much the exact same:

Labs are a crucial and directly beneficial part of the healing process. Are they better private or public? That’s a policy question. But Kenney characterising them as less essential/directly helpful/whatever, to justify his position that the money should not be spent, is either unnecessary or flat out wrong. And it’s A-OKAY to mention that.

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Platforms are all well and good, but you also have to assess how much you trust them to actually stick to it. Look no further than the Trudeau Liberals - not very much to hate in their platform, but plenty to hate in how they have actually governed.

I would think front of mind to most Albertan's would be the fact that the NDP didn't campaign on the biggest single tax increase in Alberta's history, preferring to just release it after winning the election. It's likely a major reason why the carbon tax is despised by majority of Albertans.

Further for the NDP it could explain why they are avoiding any policy discussions at all, and instead simply running attacks. A terrible record last election, terrible record governing. Attacking Kenney and his policies is really all they have.

[Wiggum_PI]

Apparently Brian Jean is returning to politics as leader of the Freedom Conservative Party. Interesting...

https://calgarysun.com/opinion/colum...-back-big-time

[Envitro]

F'in brutal. We don't need to split the vote on the centre-right so the NDP can squeeze in again.

[Ozy_Flame]

This is hilarious. No lessons learned from 2015.

And on the same day when Harper tweets this:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1106199675659444224

[Ozy_Flame]

Jean responds (sort of):

https://twitter.com/user/status/1106217099813253120

[PepsiFree]

Oh man I hope this is true. For the sake of anyone but Kenney. Jean is a far better leader than Kenney, and anything that reduces Kenney’s chance of taking power (whether that shifts to the FC or NDP) is more than fine with me. I do not trust him.

[Flamenspiel]

^^I am sure its not true, great troll though.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

What's that smell from the left? I mean obviously they're ######## their pants in fear, but now I'm getting a big whiff of desperation too.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Oh man I hope this is true. For the sake of anyone but Kenney. Jean is a far better leader than Kenney, and anything that reduces Kenney’s chance of taking power (whether that shifts to the FC or NDP) is more than fine with me. I do not trust him.

Kenney beat out Jean fair and square.

I was completely undecided between the 2 as I liked bits and pieces from both people.

Jean trying any sort of political stunt at this point in the game would have me despise him as he knows he would simply be splitting votes and hurting both parties. A sore loser IMO. He might as well campaign for the NDP.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Travis Munroe

Kenney beat out Jean fair and square.

Did he? I thought there was lots of dirty pool alleged?

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Travis Munroe

Kenney beat out Jean fair and square.

I think this is still up for debate, no?

[Weitz]

Why would a Calgary counselor go to the news in regards to Jean calling him about this news? Seems very odd to me.

[Ozy_Flame]

Why would Rick Bell publish this without verification from Jean. That just seems like a dumb move even for Rick Bell. Basically tripping over himself to be the big story breaker and looked even more like a fool doing it. What a turd.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by troutman

Did he? I thought there was lots of dirty pool alleged?

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

I think this is still up for debate, no?

Fair enough (no pun intended)
But the only way a decision like this should be happening is if he feels that the NDP is better off leading this province than the UCP under Kenney. As much as he may dislike much of what Kenney has done, I don't buy he feels Notley is the better answer.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Travis Munroe

Fair enough (no pun intended)
But the only way a decision like this should be happening is if he feels that the NDP is better off leading this province than the UCP under Kenney. As much as he may dislike much of what Kenney has done, I don't buy he feels Notley is the better answer.

I don’t know, I don’t think I entirely see it that way. Were he to run with the FC, I think there is enough upset to see them make a surprising splash. Outside of die-hard UCP or NDP supporters, I think most view this election as the devil you know vs the devil you don’t, neither option being particularly appealing but rather the better of the two evils.

It’d make it exciting, at least.

More, viable options in my mind is always a good thing for the people.

[DiracSpike]

I'm leaning UCP right now personally. There's some things I definitely don't like from them, Kenney being so against Notley's rail plan when we won't have new capacity for almost two years at the earliest being one. But what's really won me over to his side is getting aggressive on opposing forces to our economy. The initiative to go after all these bogus charities like Tides and put them on the defensive is a winner strategy wise for our economy and a winner with the people who've read the excellent research Vivian Krause has put in to documenting these assclowns and the value they've destroyed for all of us.

O&G companies are, like all publicly traded companies, about making money and profits but at least they're honest about it, and they pay taxes and employ people who pay taxes. When the government needs to wring out some money for the national debt or healthcare for an aging population the parasites at the Dogwood and Tides won't be stepping up to the plate.

[chemgear]

Cross linking with the Federal thread. Notley, like Trudeau and Butts, are clearly happy to sow sabotage within our own government.


https://business.financialpost.com/o...das-government

This story has all the elements of a fiction novel. Unfortunately it’s real. Piece by meticulously researched piece, B.C.-based independent researcher Vivian Krause spent almost 10 years exposing the story. Every detail has been corroborated, including with American and Canadian tax records, together with documents and statements from the perpetrators themselves.

Since both American and Canadian tax laws require charities to document receipt and disbursement of funds, Krause was able to gather irrefutable evidence that tens of millions of dollars were transferred from Tides U.S. to its Tides Canada affiliate. Moreover, Krause was able to obtain 70 covering letters showing the recipients and how they used the funds.

They went towards mobilizing First Nations against the fear of oil spills, including payments to help build “indigenous solidarity resistance to pipeline routes,” to maintain “opposition to oil tankers” and to “provide legal support for actions constraining tar sands development.” Funding also went to the Great Bear Initiative Society to build support for designating the so-called “Spirit Bear” habitat as a nature reserve.

Payments went to the Pembina Institute to “advance…the narrative that oil sands expansion is problematic”; to Greenpeace Canada “for events to show opposition to pipelines and tar sands expansion”; to the Living Oceans Society “to build opposition to the Kinder Morgan Pipeline”; and to Forest Ethics “to conduct education and outreach opposing the Kinder Morgan and Northern Gateway pipelines.”

But the campaigners received a bonus beyond their wildest dreams when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed one of their most dedicated eco-warriors as his principal secretary. Prior to ascending to the most powerful post in the Prime Minister’s Office, from 2008 to 2012 Gerald Butts was president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF Canada), an important Tides campaign partner. Butts would use his new powerful position to bring other former campaigners with him: Marlo Raynolds‏, chief of staff to Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, is past executive director of the Tides-backed Pembina Institute. Zoë Caron, chief of staff to Natural Resource Minister Amarjeet Sohi, is also a former WWF Canada official. Sarah Goodman, on the prime minister’s staff, is a former vice-president of Tides Canada. With these anti-oil activists at the epicentre of federal power, it’s no wonder the oil industry, and hundreds of thousands of workers, have plummeted into political and policy purgatory.

But then, in a way, Butts never did. He would prove to be as or more useful to the anti-oilsands activists at WWF Canada and other hard-core environmental groups being inside the government, rather than outside it. From one job to the next, he never stopped fighting Alberta’s oilpatch.


https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...ergy-regulator

NDP government appoints anti-oil activist to the Alberta Energy Regulator

The former executive director of the Pembina Institute from 2011 to 2017 — was appointed to a five-year, part-time, $76,500 per year directorship at Alberta’s Energy Regulator (AER), with an additional $750 for each day he participates in meetings with the organization

According to Vivian Krause, the Vancouver-based researcher who has followed the money trail and uncovered the concerted foreign Tar Sands Campaign to keep Alberta’s oil from reaching tide-water, Pembina has accepted almost $8 million of foreign funding from U.S. foundations