Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Harry Lime]

I'm poor right now, but would help if I could. I think that Alberta is pretty ripe to start a crime empire, so maybe I'll look into that, and build a series of diagnostic facilities to get the local population on board with my shenanigans.

[kn]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Please let us know here if paying for her to get the MRI privately is an issue for you. I would be willing to kick in for that and I suspect others would as well.

That is extremely generous, thank you. But no, I will be able to cover it.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I believe that the most sincere and honourable politicians are at the municipal level (although some of them are also nuts) and the higher up the worse it gets.

lol, says the municipal politician.

[Muta]

Innisfail council denies provincial request for federal agreement info

https://www.mountainviewtoday.ca/inn...t-info-8011518

The Town of Innisfail has said no to a request from one of the Alberta government’s highest profile ministers that it forward its 2022 agreements with the federal government.

There's just something not quite understood about what the government is requiring to understand between municipalities and the federal government,” Becker told council. “And the last five, six years through the AM (Alberta Municipalities) has been to strengthen the relationship with the federal government for funding opportunities.

“So, this one makes me a little bit nervous, and from an administrative perspective I think the motion to not provide the information is appropriate.”

Council members followed Becker’s briefing with a short discussion, and a motion was passed to not send the province any information about its agreements with the federal government at this time.

Following the Dec. 18 meeting Town of Innisfail Mayor Jean Barclay said the key question the town has with the provincial request is, “why?”, as McIver’s request came “out of the blue” with no warning or previous discussion.

“It concerns me that this is something that's going to be news for more fighting with Ottawa, and I'm not really sure what the purpose is behind it, like what it would solve,” said Barclay. “They say they're advocating for equitable funding? What does that mean, exactly?

Good for the Town of Innisfail, well done. At the end of the day, this request is just a thing because $mith and the UCP resent the fact that the feds and municipalities are bypassing them. It's just virtue signaling, and the admin costs behind such virtual signaling are most likely at the expense of the Alberta taxpayer of course.

Just another money-wasting day at the carnival for everyone's favourite conservative clown party.

[Fuzz]

The Smith government is like the kid in the playground that sees other kids getting along and sharing, and their reaction is to throw tantrums and try to stop others from being happy, rather than trying to find a way to fit in. We are literally governed by toddlers.

[Faust]

Braid: Health care just kept getting worse after Smith's big promises last year

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/co...h-big-promises

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Faust

Braid: Health care just kept getting worse after Smith's big promises last year

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/co...h-big-promises

[Fuzz]

The memo outlines four strategies Lam wants senior managers to implement immediately, including approval by a vice-president or executive leadership team member to recruit for any vacant position except for existing non-management positions in clinical areas; an end to discretionary spending on travel, non-clinical equipment, office supplies and the like; no more spending by areas that have not spent their full budget for the year; and to 10-per-cent cut to overtime and agency staffing.”

That section reads in full: “We’re reviewing all organizational initiatives to determine if they should be slowed or paused, as well as management strategies around the use of overtime and agency staffing. All non-clinical overtime requires Vice President or ELT leader approval, and all areas are asked to monitor and implement strategies to reduce the use of overtime and agency staffing in their areas by at least 10 per cent, while minimizing impacts to front-line service delivery.”

Said UNA President Heather Smith: “It’s all very well to talk about minimizing impacts to front-line services, but this simply cannot be done while cutting emergency staffing and overtime by 10 per cent.”

“This is a prescription for driving nurses and other health care workers out of the province and out of the profession,” she said. “This is absolutely contrary to what the government says it intends to do to encourage front-line health care services in Alberta.”

https://www.una.ca/1485/una-extremel...staffing-by-10


That should reduce wait times. Good thinking.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

approval by a vice-president or executive leadership team member to recruit for any vacant position except for existing non-management positions in clinical areas;

So they split up the health regions, creating the need for hiring people for new management positions, then put a freeze on hiring for those positions?
I mean, that assumes the whole process of breaking up the health regions isn't complete, which I would bet is a pretty safe assumption.

Sure would be nice if our government would keep at least 1 hand on the wheel sometimes.

[Canadianman]

Everything they are doing is with their end goal in mind.


Spoiler alert: Their end goal isn't providing efficient and effective universal health care.

[Torture]

1) immediately, including approval by a vice-president or executive leadership team member to recruit for any vacant position except for existing non-management positions in clinical areas;
I mean, sure, okay, as a temporary measure this can sometimes make sense, but at some point (particularly if you're restructuring) you're going to have to lift this because it's not sustainable for the long term.

2) an end to discretionary spending on travel, non-clinical equipment, office supplies and the like;
No more office supplies, that'll make things more efficient! No more boots on the ground to travel to a hospital and see what really happens, you can manage by spreadsheet can't you?

3) no more spending by areas that have not spent their full budget for the year;
I honestly don't see what this is try to accomplish? Don't spend your budget and then you can't spend more money? So you want people to...spend their whole budget rather than find efficiencies?

4) and to 10-per-cent cut to overtime and agency staffing.
Even though our demand is way up you gotta cut staffing and overtime....not doing anything on the demand side so I guess we're going to have empty shifts instead? Awesome!

AHS non-union staff has been on a pay freeze for the better part of a decade, you'd have to be crazy or super passionate about healthcare to work there.
I interviewed there ~4 years ago got an offer 40k lower than the one I ended up signing elsewhere and it came with the promise of an indefinite salary freeze. Not very easy to get talent when all you can promise them is below market pay, being the political scapegoat, constant restructuring, and bureaucracy.

Edit: I lied, after 8 years of salary freeze, non union workers get a 3.25% increase this year.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Torture

1) immediately, including approval by a vice-president or executive leadership team member to recruit for any vacant position except for existing non-management positions in clinical areas;
I mean, sure, okay, as a temporary measure this can sometimes make sense, but at some point (particularly if you're restructuring) you're going to have to lift this because it's not sustainable for the long term.

esp because Premier and Health Minister seem to be claiming the problem is right now front liners can't get the help they need or get things done as everything requires approvals (from I suppose admittedly a complex managerial chain). converging all those asks on one or two desks as you point out - may be needed in the very short term- but exacerbates all the problems

[BowRiverBruinsRule]

Originally Posted by Torture

1) immediately, including approval by a vice-president or executive leadership team member to recruit for any vacant position except for existing non-management positions in clinical areas;
I mean, sure, okay, as a temporary measure this can sometimes make sense, but at some point (particularly if you're restructuring) you're going to have to lift this because it's not sustainable for the long term.

2) an end to discretionary spending on travel, non-clinical equipment, office supplies and the like;
No more office supplies, that'll make things more efficient! No more boots on the ground to travel to a hospital and see what really happens, you can manage by spreadsheet can't you?

3) no more spending by areas that have not spent their full budget for the year;
I honestly don't see what this is try to accomplish? Don't spend your budget and then you can't spend more money? So you want people to...spend their whole budget rather than find efficiencies?

4) and to 10-per-cent cut to overtime and agency staffing.
Even though our demand is way up you gotta cut staffing and overtime....not doing anything on the demand side so I guess we're going to have empty shifts instead? Awesome!

Don't overthink it. The UCP experiment is in it's infancy. I am sure everything will work out.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://www.una.ca/1485/una-extremel...staffing-by-10


That should reduce wait times. Good thinking.

The same article was posted on Reddit and there was discussion about how the scheduling system facilitates nurses, even part-timers, maximizing their overtime. It wasn’t a hurr durr nurses bad discussion, just people discussing how it is.

I believe the primary cause of excess overtime is insufficient staffing, compounded by COVID/flu/rsv and burnout. I’m curious though to hear from someone in the medical system whether there is also an aspect of ‘gaming the system’ (in quotes because it sounds more negative than I intend - more like exercising a feature of the scheduling system)

[Dion]

I'm waiting for the UCP and Smith to say the health care system is broken and that the only way to fix is go to a private for profit system.

[Muta]

Excess overtime because of insufficient staffing, a result of long-term mismanagement and disrespect for healthcare workers and the industry, driving qualified people away. Huh, who'd a thought.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Dion

I'm waiting for the UCP and Smith to say the health care system is broken and that the only way to fix is go to a private for profit system.

This is most definitely the plan. They know exactly what they're doing here.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by edslunch

The same article was posted on Reddit and there was discussion about how the scheduling system facilitates nurses, even part-timers, maximizing their overtime. It wasn’t a hurr durr nurses bad discussion, just people discussing how it is.

I believe the primary cause of excess overtime is insufficient staffing, compounded by COVID/flu/rsv and burnout. I’m curious though to hear from someone in the medical system whether there is also an aspect of ‘gaming the system’ (in quotes because it sounds more negative than I intend - more like exercising a feature of the scheduling system)

I know a number of nurses definitely game the system to get a lot of overtime by arranging their shifts a certain way. Even the part timers. Managers don't seem to care because they can't do anything about it. And this was before COVID, but I'm sure it hasn't changed.

[Fuzz]

Are there more than 2 ways to reduce overtime? Either cut patient care, or hire more full time employees. Cutting patient care is bad, so that leaves hiring more. Which they've resisted for decades, forcing more overtime. And now it seems HCW's are nigh impossible to find. Where does that leave us? Unless I'm missing another option.

[Ozy_Flame]

When you want to own the Libs, but you have no ####ing idea what you're doing.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1745105514944716863