Redford: Buyers Remorse?

[killer_carlson]

For those who voted for Redford, in light of the NES and the conflict with BC, as well as the 3 billion taken from provincial savings to "balance" the budget, do you have buyers remorse right now?


I'm hearing a lot of it myself, but that may very well be because I am tuned into hearing it because I am a critic of the absence of fiscal conservatism and the NES.

[TurnedTheCorner]

The NES was a groundbreaking home gaming system. I am unopposed to it.

[Bunk]

Can't be worse than Danielle Smith and the Wildrose.

[Makarov]

No buyer's remorse for me. As Bunk suggested, at the very least, I remain certain that she was the lesser of two evils.

[jonesy]

She gambled on national energy thingy and lost big time. I heard someone wonder if we should do a national forestry agreement and charge tolls for BC wood products to cross our borders. Seems she opened a can of worms. I don't think it was a good idea at all. I never voted for her and she is doing things in a way that makes me glad i didn't.

[MoneyGuy]

Doug Horner would have been the best premier.

[Thunderball]

Ideally, Canada would have a unified approach to international energy and commodity trade so we don't look like a bunch of idiots on the global stage like at Copenhagen where two greedy provinces went out of their way to screw over Alberta and by effect, Canada in front of the world. Alison is right on that, but the concept is a little naive. Reality is, Alberta can't afford to look weak in confederation, and Alison is getting a really good lesson on that. Inviting the rest of Canada into this discussion is a sign of weakness to them, like chum in the water, and they're all scrapping away. Canada is a nation of self serving interests, and that's never going to change. BC was supposedly Alberta's best friend, and look how fast that tune changed.

Honestly, she's not doing a good job. But, she doesn't have a bunch of hicks and inexperienced politicians to babysit like Smith would. Frankly, Smith has said some pretty stupid things to the press on energy policy that leads me to believe she wouldn't be a lot better.

BC is really shooting themselves in the foot... even if they get their "royalty toll", Alberta is gonna turn around very viciously and slap a devastating tariff on power lines, pipelines, rail traffic and truck traffic coming into Alberta with foresty, oil, gas or power coming from "environmentally sensitive industries" to get our "fair share" of money for the risk these things present to our province. BC may not be landlocked... but they are isolated, and in a very weak position to dictate terms to anyone.

[SebC]

I kind of think the cons are gonna shut this BC BS down anyways. Canada should not be a bunch of protectionist fiefdoms.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by SebC

I kind of think the cons are gonna shut this BC BS down anyways. Canada should not be a bunch of protectionist fiefdoms.

I think they may have to intervene at some point... but its politically tricky now... if the Feds jump in and slap BC on the wrist for screwing around with precarious confederation, they're gonna get creamed in BC by the NDP. I think Harper is hoping things will simmer down through the back channels.

[c.t.ner]

Buyers remorse? Over what Smith and the Wildrose offered up for their vision of where the province should go? Not a chance.

3 months is still pretty early in the whole process and I'll make a full judgement on Redford's tenure in another 6 or 9 months as the whole NES concept progresses. A week of having Clark stomping her feet and pouting to try and save face with a province that's turned sour on her party isn't something that I think torpedoes the entire concept. If anything it makes Clark foolish and B.C. as petty in the face of most of the nation.

So yeah at this time in the middle of summer, I don't have any remorse for voting the PCs back in. Heck, I'd shutter to think the direction we'd be heading if Smith and Wildrose had won their "landside" victory.

[Fire]

Watch Redford try to introduce a PST in a couple of years.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Fire

Watch Redford try to introduce a PST in a couple of years.

PST? Oh, the humanity! When will the tyranny end!?!

[Dion]

The Redford govt has already flip flopped on the food issue in LTC facilities. I wonder what's next.

[Barnission]

Originally Posted by SebC

I kind of think the cons are gonna shut this BC BS down anyways. Canada should not be a bunch of protectionist fiefdoms.

If they were going to, they would have already done it before the situation blew up and was overblown. Pearson didn't intervene with Newfoundland and Quebec, and if Harper's history is any indication of what his actions will be, he'll do the same with British Columbia and Alberta.

Besides, there is no actual legitimate reason the federal government could come up with to intervene and force a province to go along with a massive industrial project like this pipeline, other than that they legally could if they wanted to. If they did that, which they won't, British Columbia will turn in to a Conservative wasteland, much like Alberta is for the Liberal Party.

If the federal government came to the conclusion that they will force the pipeline through British Columbia, it would only further cause unnecessary conflict with the provincial governments and the federal government — who knows how Quebec would handle this, let alone British Columbia. God knows how Newfoundland would react, especially if Danny Williams were still premier.

I am not entirely impressed with how Clark has handled this situation, however, both Clark and Redford are grown women, and they all can benefit from this, in more ways than one, too. Clark is simply over reaching, she is not sending an ultimatum. She says she is, but she actually is not.

[Slava]

The only thing close to buyers remorse is wishing I had worked to get the PC elected where I live; I ended up with a Wildrose MLA and he's done absolutely nothing. Frankly he doesn't even complain about things, and as an opposition MLA thats a core duty!

I'm curious about the NES though. Doesn't the issue with BC basically show exactly why we need one? What failure was there anyway? To me it looks like Redford brought her vision to the provinces and most supported her aside from BC. That is more of a work in progress as opposed to a failure. Then we get to the penultimate question. What would the Wildrose do? IIRC they wanted to build a pipeline to the East or something?

Originally Posted by Dion

The Redford govt has already flip flopped on the food issue in LTC facilities. I wonder what's next.

What flip-flop? The AUPE brought forward a problem and its been addressed. I'd have expected the Wildrose to support that course of action actually? They're not suddenly against this now that the PCs addressed it are they?

You want to see flip-flops though, have a look at the Wildrose. Three months ago it was ready to form government (their words, certainly not mine) and what policies remain? They're in favour of paying for gender reassignment surgery, have no problems with eliminating conscience rights, and have nothing of consequence to say on education. They've been relegated to complaining about sending people to the olympics and other miniscule complaints. The only hope for the Wildrose now is the "we can do it cheaper" argument and let me be the first to tell you that is not a policy.

[Regulator75]

fyp

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Don Homer would have been the best premier.

[MarchHare]

Mmmmmm...organized crime.

[EddyBeers]

I thought Redford was going for a National Energy Program (NEP). When and why did the NEP become the NES?

[Flames in 07]

More glad than ever. The BC premier is just pandering for votes, in the slimy unsophisticated way that works in BC ... and Quebec. National papers that make money on emphasizing regional wedges play up the issue much bigger than it is. The pipeline issue would likely be mediated/arbitrated by Ottawa and Redford is playing it well by telling BC to take a hike but at the same time ensuring the issue doesn't spiral down the toilet.

In related news kindermorgan is about to triple its capacity via expansion, and nobody talks about that!

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Makarov

PST? Oh, the humanity! When will the tyranny end!?!

I will never understand people that want to pay more taxes when we are already grossly overtaxed. It's like they trust the government do a better job with their money then they can.