Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1653856956312961025

[Fuzz]

Rahim sounds like he isn't looknig at this with a balanced lens. Of any sort.

FHT systems are fantastic for patients. Well, we call it the PCN here, which operates in a similar manner. I wish all Albertans could access it, because mine is great. Just because Ontario screwed up billing, somehow it makes the whole idea dumb? Rahim might need to go back to journalism school, unless maybe, just maybe, he's filling your mouth with bull#### for a reason. Keep eating, fools. It's worked so well so far.

[belsarius]

A good plan with poor execution, is still a good plan. Will the NDP look at the 2 decades of evidence of what worked and what could be improved? I think so.

[MoneyGuy]

Can we all agree that both major parties are sh1tty and move on?

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Can we all agree that both major parties are sh1tty and move on?

Move on to what? Voting for the same party as always because you've used some reductive justification? Or move on to voting for the party that is clearly and demonstratably better than the other despite the fact that they may not be what we ideally want?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Can we all agree that both major parties are sh1tty and move on?

No. You can though, any time.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Can we all agree that both major parties are sh1tty and move on?

I think if you read a lot of the specifics in this thread, you would get the sense that one party has a history of doing OK in a bad situation and improving over time, while the other party actively tries to be sh1tty at every turn.

But maybe I'm reading the facts wrong.

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Can we all agree that both major parties are sh1tty and move on?

Weak sauce and lazy.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

For me, the thing to understand about this election is this:

Most of the time, an election is either a choice or a referendum.

Choice elections happen when voters are offered competing and different options, both of which are fundamentally reasonable, in that neither party is unacceptably tainted by scandal, and neither is doing something we should all reject because part of the Democratic bargain is that we voters have to punish (ie “fire”) politicians who break certain fundamental rules.

A referendum is an election where we really are faced with a decision about the incumbent party. Is the behaviour of this party acceptable? If it’s not, we have to vote them out—even if it’s only temporary—in order to show ALL politicians that there is some conduct that we just will not tolerate. Like, for instance… getting too cozy with seditionists might be one example.

Where an election is a choice, it makes tons of sense to do things like the CBC vote compass, assess the competing platforms of the parties, consider which party “aligns best with your values” in a policy sense and so on. When it’s a referendum, the analysis is different. The main question is the incumbent’s behaviour and whether you are fine with it or find it unacceptable.

This election is a referendum. The question to me is not whether Notley is going to enact policies that 100% align with my ideology every time. Almost certainly she won’t, but I also know from 4 years of NDP government that she will at least be governing in a way that is intended to bring about prosperity in our province, and won’t be taking calls from people who literally want to upset the social applecart.

For me, the question voters should ask themselves is not about ideology—it’s about behaviour. If you can look at Danielle Smith’s government and think, “yeah, sure—more of that makes sense to me” then I suppose you should consider voting UCP.

But I can’t. I think we need to send a message that voters will not support a government that is beholden to the “Take Back Alberta” extremists, or a premier who tries openly to interfere in prosecutorial discretion and then just openly gaslights us all by pretending it never happened, even though before that she said she would do it and afterward bragged about doing it.

We have to tell the UCP—and all parties—that there are some lines you don’t cross and when you do, the voters — your employers — will fire you. Then, maybe, the UCP will clean house, get rid of TBA, and come back with a better conservative option the next time around.

[Reggie Dunlop]

If the UCP guy comes to my door, I'm going to go down every RWNJ rabbit hole to see if he agrees with me, or says nothing.

[Muta]

I'm going to try and out-right-wing any UCPer that comes to my door. I'll say that the UCP is too left for me and then actively try and encourage them to go further right and get them excited and riled up and see how far down that rabbit hole we go.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Muta

I'm going to try and out-right-wing any UCPer that comes to my door. I'll say that the UCP is too left for me and then actively try and encourage them to go further right and get them excited and riled up and see how far down that rabbit hole we go.

Well, Artur Pawlowski is apparently running in my riding.... whether that happens or not I guess we'll see. He's still under house arrest, so he probably won't be knocking on doors... LOL

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Can we all agree that both major parties are sh1tty and move on?

Both sides. Many sides.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by timun

No, we do in fact "have the free-spending UCP". They have blown billions and billions and billions more than the NDP ever did. As I wrote before, you're running cover for a bunch of idiots who by your own criteria were worse. There is no reason to believe that the NDP would have been worse, other than your own inherent bias against them. Facts show it's demonstrably false.

Thanks for bringing up such a great point! Borrowing for operations is absolutely pathetic. No one could possibly argue otherwise, unless you’re a blind partisan. Thankfully, we got another resource boom to pull us out of that death spiral.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Slava

Thanks for bringing up such a great point! Borrowing for operations is absolutely pathetic. No one could possibly argue otherwise, unless you’re a blind partisan. Thankfully, we got another resource boom to pull us out of that death spiral.

Weird that nobody could actually give examples of governments over the past 10-15 years that hadn’t borrowed to fund operations when we discussed this two months ago, either.

No government is fit to govern Alberta. We’re just that righteous.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Weird that nobody could actually give examples of governments over the past 10-15 years that hadn’t borrowed to fund operations when we discussed this two months ago, either.

No government is fit to govern Alberta. We’re just that righteous.

I can’t be bothered to find it now, but when Alberta did that under the NDP, they were the first in years (I posted an article at some point). The retort is so predictable though…look how bad the UCP is. And yeah, they’re atrocious. So, we’re accepting that Joe Ceci 2.0 is somehow going to figure it out this time because the UCP is that bad. It’s a sorry state in Alberta, because I do actually think that’s where we’re at.

[Reggie Dunlop]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1653945014731563008

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by #-3

I think if you read a lot of the specifics in this thread, you would get the sense that one party has a history of doing OK in a bad situation and improving over time, while the other party actively tries to be sh1tty at every turn.

But maybe I'm reading the facts wrong.

I think I've made my stance clear here. Notley and her NDPs bungling of the PPAs almost cost me my job. I survived on a technicality. Unless she shows up on my doorstep with a cheque that has 7 figures on it she will never get my vote. Witch.

Danielle Smith is unhinged. An anti vaccine, Healthcare dismantling, Pawlowski sympthasizing hog. Alberta doesn't need to leave Canada to be better but that division is what she wants. Witch.

I have few alternatives to vote for, but barring any massive change, it will be for the Alberta Party.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Slava

I can’t be bothered to find it now, but when Alberta did that under the NDP, they were the first in years (I posted an article at some point). The retort is so predictable though…look how bad the UCP is. And yeah, they’re atrocious. So, we’re accepting that Joe Ceci 2.0 is somehow going to figure it out this time because the UCP is that bad. It’s a sorry state in Alberta, because I do actually think that’s where we’re at.

So every government everywhere is pathetic?

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by Slava

Thanks for bringing up such a great point! Borrowing for operations is absolutely pathetic. No one could possibly argue otherwise, unless you’re a blind partisan. Thankfully, we got another resource boom to pull us out of that death spiral.

Except economists argue this all the time.