Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[edslunch]

It's interesting to contrast Farkas and Jean. Farkas was pretty widely disliked for his caricature-like hard positions on things, suffered adversity, came out a better person. I'm not sure where Jean started, but he suffered through multiple adversities, earned a lot of sympathy/respect, but now he's a caricature of a RWNJ.

[Fuzz]

Brian Jean is a useful idiot, that's it. And how he has settled in to that role...

[PepsiFree]

Farkas is a shining example of the fact that if people think your politics are one way (far right, far left, whatever) but, in your mind, you’re close to the center, the actual answer is just to reflect on why people think that and consider changing your approach or how you view the “best” way to achieve what you believe is. He didn’t do the easy thing and just blame society for being crazy leftists like others in his shoes, he just used his brain and practiced normal human empathy and decided maybe his approach was wrong.

His politics aren’t wildly different from where there were. He’s just less of an ####### and appears to have realised that your politics can be ####, regardless of where they are in the spectrum, if pursuing them involves hurting people along the way.

You look at so many Conservatives in powerful positions, like Smith and PP, and it’s not just about making life better for people, it’s about sticking it to some others. Liberals (the party and the self proclaimed ones) do the same. It’s not just about fixing what’s broken, it’s about breaking something because they don’t like it, regardless of who it hurts. Farkas is a breath of fresh air in comparison, even if his approach to fixing what’s broken would still align with Conservative ideals. And he seems smart enough to tell the difference between what’s broken in an actual sense, and what’s broken in the “I just don’t like it so it’s broken to me” sense.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by GGG

It’s targeting trades people which are needed to alleviate these issues.

I’m pretty skeptical on how much of a benefit this will be to housing prices. If they were all earmarked to work in housing construction I’d be inclined to agree with you but my gut tells me this government is more concerned with trying to address the labour shortage up north.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I’m pretty skeptical on how much of a benefit this will be to housing prices. If they were all earmarked to work in housing construction I’d be inclined to agree with you but my gut tells me this government is more concerned with trying to address the labour shortage up north.

Then you should be equally skeptical that these people will be coming in significant enough quantity to affect the affordability crisis. (And by affordability crisis we mean increases in housing cost at roughly the rate of inflation since the last peak)

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

https://twitter.com/user/status/1788418702314258654

Did anyone screenshot Jean's tweet before it got deleted?

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Did anyone screenshot Jean's tweet before it got deleted?

baahah Jean deleted it?

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by GGG

Then you should be equally skeptical that these people will be coming in significant enough quantity to affect the affordability crisis. (And by affordability crisis we mean increases in housing cost at roughly the rate of inflation since the last peak)

Um…what?

Bringing in more people without increasing or expediting the increase in housing supply will negatively impact affordability.

And no, by affordability crisis I mean housing people can barely or flat out can’t currently afford.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Um…what?

Bringing in more people without increasing or expediting the increase in housing supply will negatively impact affordability.

And no, by affordability crisis I mean housing people can barely or flat out can’t currently afford.

You’ve essentially made an argument with no evidence that increasing trades people won’t meaningfully increase housing being built while it will meaningfully increase housing cost. I don’t find that to be logical. Even if the jobs that are filled are “up north” those jobs would have been filled anyways given their ability to pay more than residential construction. Making the argument that adding qualified trades people to the province wil increase the housing crisis makes no sense.

Most likely is the program has no affect and people who were going to move move here anyways.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by GGG

You’ve essentially made an argument with no evidence that increasing trades people won’t meaningfully increase housing being built while it will meaningfully increase housing cost. I don’t find that to be logical. Even if the jobs that are filled are “up north” those jobs would have been filled anyways given their ability to pay more than residential construction. Making the argument that adding qualified trades people to the province wil increase the housing crisis makes no sense.

Most likely is the program has no affect and people who were going to move move here anyways.

I think you’re making a pretty big assumption on the bolded. Most of the people I know who work up there tell me it’s been difficult for a lot of companies to get people up there compared to years past.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I think you’re making a pretty big assumption on the bolded. Most of the people I know who work up there tell me it’s been difficult for a lot of companies to get people up there compared to years past.

In my opinion we have a general shortage of trades people everywhere. Camp work and mod shop work seem equally difficult to staff.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by D as in David

Usually, the face turn is in the opposite direction. From progressive, liberal thinker to right-wing, nut-bar, conspiracy-leaning grifter. Musk and Russell Brand, to name a couple.

I guess it depends on your own political standing, but normally I would call that a heel turn. Especially with someone like Musk, bull in a China Shop Smashes through artificial barriers to get stuff done gains god complex and starts to think the only way to get things done is to ignore everyone else. He went from well intentioned warrior to megalomaniacal crazy man.

I really wasn't bashing Farkas, every time I hear someone complain about politicians flip flopping, I wonder to myself, isn't that what we want? people who will adapt and represent their constituents as needs evolve.

My read on him is that he was full of good intentions when he started, but had been convinced over time that government spending, was the single biggest problem. After losing he had a chance to reflect some of the stuff he worked on in council he came to understand that money is not the primary function of government, it is a means to the end of maintaining and stable and improving society, and if you ignore those things in service monolithic ideology you will lose, or worse do real harm. Then he started talking publicly about about things he would have liked to have accomplished, and shockingly it's pretty popular.

[BeltlineFan]

Time for another WTF update from the UCP mailing list, this one from Rob Smith's Board of Director's Party Update in the Upcoming Events section:

An Injection of Truth Town Hall
Calgary, AB: Location confirmed with ticket Purchase

Why are an excessive number of Alberta’s children dying? Since 2021, excessive deaths for children are up 350%. But why? What’s scientifically different today than 2020?

Was your child killed or injured by a COVID shot? Do you have a story to tell? You should be heard.

Are you one of the remarkable doctors, scientists or researchers who know the answers? Now is the time to say the quiet part out loud; let’s target the elephant in the room.

Ask yourself, “How can we help Albertans put a stop to COVID shots that kill children?” Help us, help Albertans connect the dots?

An Injection of Truth Town Hall will try to answer the following questions:
1. Why are unexplained deaths up 350% in children since 2021?
2. Who makes the decisions to inject 6-month-old babies and recommend so many COVID booster shots?
3. Which places in the world have banned COVID mRNA shots?
4. What is the actual science supporting the ban on COVID mRNA jabs?
5. What can Albertans do to stop COVID mRNA shots for children?

Our objective is to remove COVID mRNA shots from the AHS childhood vaccination list.

Tickets are the low price of $29 or $49 for On-Line Viewing Party Group Access. Or join the "Politics and Popcorn After Party" for $159 where you can "Meet the live speakers, rub shoulders with UCP MLAs and learn about next steps."

[Ozy_Flame]

The answer to all those questions are the Lib/NDP alliance with Trudeau and the WEF personally injuring your children. There, I just saved you $29 bucks.

[GGG]

Anyone know the basdardization of data used for the 350% increase?

Increase in RSV / Flu deaths after historic Covid lows? Increase in accidental deaths after historic lows? 2021 is definitely doing a lot of work.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by GGG

You’ve essentially made an argument with no evidence that increasing trades people won’t meaningfully increase housing being built while it will meaningfully increase housing cost. I don’t find that to be logical. Even if the jobs that are filled are “up north” those jobs would have been filled anyways given their ability to pay more than residential construction. Making the argument that adding qualified trades people to the province wil increase the housing crisis makes no sense.

Most likely is the program has no affect and people who were going to move move here anyways.

We are now into phase three of Alberta is Calling, and the goal was always to populate the areas that need it, and fill positions that need to be filled. The problem is that the government can't force people to live where they don't want to, and they can't force them to fill the needed positions. This will be just more of the same.

[getbak]

Which places in the world have banned COVID mRNA shots?

I bet that's a real who's who of places you don't want to be associated with.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by getbak

I bet that's a real who's who of places you don't want to be associated with.

Let's see, you've got Theo's head, Danielle Smith's arm...

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Let's see, you've got Theo's head, Danielle Smith's arm...

I wouldn’t be surprised if Smith got vaccinated.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by GGG

I wouldn’t be surprised if Smith got vaccinated.

She did, but she went to the States to get the J&J one...for...reasons. So not mRNA.