Alberta Politics II

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by milomilo

It's a good strategy on their part. The people in Medicine Hat and Brooks will vote UCP regardless, but it is statistically likely that every time a UCP candidate opens their mouth something objectional will come out of it, harming the party province wide. So the best option is for them to not even campaign and win without risk.

But they've not shown up across the board, and that it itself is becoming a story. They didn't show up for Calgary NE, Calgary N, Calgary NW, Calgary Falconridge, they didn't show up in Lethbridge, they are not showing up for the big UCalgary one at the central library that will have a focus on health, and they didn't show up at the University of Alberta one.

Many of these are battleground ridings, and it begs the question, if they are not showing up now to speak to voters, what is the electorate to garner other than these UCP candidates will not show up for the communities after the election either?

I'm seriously concerned because I'm well aware that the UCP likely still have over a 75% chance of getting into power, and if they are in, at least we need political representatives that show up. It is as if the inner UCP circle has identified these pawn candidates of colour and what have you to just get the votes, and then be happen to sit with their bums on their hands in the back benches. It is really very, very sad.

[suburbia]

ONE-IN-FIVE names contacted on an official list of eligible voters from the 2017 UCP leadership vote insist they never registered as members


LINK - https://twitter.com/robinst/status/1116723206860070913

“I am not a conservative,” insisted a woman who works for Alberta’s public service and whose first initial is “S.”

“I’m not a member and I don’t know how my name got on that list” she said, insisting “I didn’t even sign that membership.”

Sewa Singh Brar and his wife are both listed as UCP members even though he says he isn’t a UCP member and wasn’t quite sure what a political party is.

Asked: “do you know who Jason Kenney is?” Brar paused and responded “no.”

Another individual, whose first initial is “J.,” said he is not a UCP member, he did not sign up as a UCP member, he did not vote in the UCP leadership vote — in fact, he even said he’s “not a citizen of Canada” either.

“I’m not member of any party,” J. said. “I’m not a voter.”

Likewise, a man whose first initial is “R.” told PressProgress he “never joined a political party and I’m not a member.”

“I’m not a citizen,” R. added.

Another individual, whose name is attached to a similar e-mail address as R. but with a different spelling, told PressProgress he isn’t a Canadian citizen either, and he has no recollection of ever signing up.

“I think maybe our Dad signed us up”

In a number of examples, individuals were surprised to learn they were members of Jason Kenney’s party even though several members of their household are listed as UCP members.

Sukhman Singh Grewal appears along with four other family members under a single e-mail address. “We didn’t vote. I think maybe our Dad signed us up,” Grewal told PressProgress. “We are not members.”

Tanraj Dhillon appears on the list, but says he is not a member of the party. “It’s just confusion because my dads a part of it. I’m not,” Dhillon told PressProgress.

Balbir Sidhu also appears on the list under the same e-mail as Dhillon, and both are listed under the same phone number. Dhillon confirmed that the e-mail listed belongs to his father.

Under UCP rules, each individual must personally authorize their application to become party members.

LINK - https://pressprogress.ca/people-name...kenneys-party/

[ciudad_del_norte]

Originally Posted by milomilo

It's a good strategy on their part. The people in Medicine Hat and Brooks will vote UCP regardless, but it is statistically likely that every time a UCP candidate opens their mouth something objectional will come out of it, harming the party province wide. So the best option is for them to not even campaign and win without risk.

Yeah, it does make sense, but that's a pretty sad. I genuinely hope that I never become entrenched to the point that I expect as little from political leaders as many people are. I would likely put of up with a few silly things from a candidate that I still aligned with. Perfection isn't realistic, but it doesn't feel totally unreasonable to expect that my candidate isn't a racist, homophobe, and will actually show up.

It also shows the degree to which party alignment totally steamrolls the theory of representative democracy.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

Yeah, it does make sense, but that's a pretty sad. I genuinely hope that I never become entrenched to the point that I expect as little from political leaders as many people are. I would likely put of up with a few silly things from a candidate that I still aligned with. Perfection isn't realistic, but it doesn't feel totally unreasonable to expect that my candidate isn't a racist, homophobe, and will actually show up.

It also shows the degree to which party alignment totally steamrolls the theory of representative democracy.

A lot of these debates are very poorly run and tend to be biased against parties that lean right. What we need are truly independent organizations that are nonpartisan to hold these debates. The League of Women Voters in the U.S. is a good example of what I'm talking about. We also need much better streaming of these local debates and more debates between the leaders running to be premier. I would like to see debates focus on one topic at a time so we get more than a few soundbites that really tell us nothing about where the candidate and his/her party stand on an issue.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

A lot of these debates are very poorly run and tend to be biased against parties that lean right.

Some of the ones the UCP has chosen not to attend are thematic, for example on education or on health. Others they have skipped are at post secondary institutions. Are you suggesting these are all biased inherently because they are generally absent from the UCP platform?

The ones at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, for example, did not even require a specific candidate or the leader - just a candidate that can speak on a particular theme. The UCP doesn't show. How do you see this as a request for perfection? Heck, if they wanted, they could have just sent a spokesperson like Brett Wilson or Jay Westman.

Corndogger you've engaged yourself vigorously in defense of the UCP, but you've always squirmed away from real issues when what you perceive as reality is directly challenged. I'd like you to answer on this one. Why are the UCP way more likely on any given day in any given place to be more likely to be absent? What kind of leadership is this?

[suburbia]

From the Twitter conversation against the #ABvotePublicHealth Hashtag, the candidate forum on the theme of health, hosted by the University of Calgary, was extremely thoughtful, engaging, and policy focused. It was hosted at the central library, and the University's request was not for a specific candidate, but any candidate that could speak on the theme of public health. Once again, the UCP did not show up.

Below are a collection of Tweets raising questions about the empty fourth seat.


You can search the Hashtag for a broader view of the discussion on the theme. Very interesting conversations - highly recommend doing the search.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/abvotepu...fault&src=hash

Apparently this was trending in a big way, as it should be.

[ciudad_del_norte]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

A lot of these debates are very poorly run and tend to be biased against parties that lean right. What we need are truly independent organizations that are nonpartisan to hold these debates. The League of Women Voters in the U.S. is a good example of what I'm talking about. We also need much better streaming of these local debates and more debates between the leaders running to be premier. I would like to see debates focus on one topic at a time so we get more than a few soundbites that really tell us nothing about where the candidate and his/her party stand on an issue.

Do you think that's the reason that the UPC aren't attending? I don't recall the conservative candidates avoiding forums in the past because they thought the debate was against them. Although its quite possible - I don't remember it being as much as an issue before. Most of the elections have been fairly predetermined, meaning it also hasn't been that much of an issue.

I think its a cost of entry. If you want to a politician then I think its fair to expect that you should be able to defend your position even at "poorly run" events. If they can't make it to all of them, sure. But I think the number of UCP candidates that have been totally MIA is unfortunate.

I also question if local forums are often that biased towards right leaning politicians, or that conservative politics are just simply harder to sell at a micro level. It's easy to pump out abstract macro-economic policies, but corporate tax cuts are harder make sexy for a bunch of people that want to know how you will fight for their neighbourhood. Its much easier to advocate for cutting social programs generally province wide because people will tend to assume that it wont actually impact them. It's much harder when the people want to know what the cuts look like in their riding. I do think somebody that is skillfull and clever could pull it off, but I also think that candidates should be able to be present and say something in those situations.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Some of the ones the UCP has chosen not to attend are thematic, for example on education or on health. Others they have skipped are at post secondary institutions. Are you suggesting these are all biased inherently because they are generally absent from the UCP platform?

The ones at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, for example, did not even require a specific candidate or the leader - just a candidate that can speak on a particular theme. The UCP doesn't show. How do you see this as a request for perfection? Heck, if they wanted, they could have just sent a spokesperson like Brett Wilson or Jay Westman.

Corndogger you've engaged yourself vigorously in defense of the UCP, but you've always squirmed away from real issues when what you perceive as reality is directly challenged. I'd like you to answer on this one. Why are the UCP way more likely on any given day in any given place to be more likely to be absent? What kind of leadership is this?

Oh my. Dude, put down the attack points. I have not vigorously defended the UCP. I've stated numerous times that I'm not even sure I'm going to vote for them. Pay attention.

I said I want one-topic debates for the leaders. There's no time or interest in doing that at a localized level. Debates held at universities are very often not fair to one side because the people hosting the debates are incapable of remaining neutral. I've been to enough of them to know that this is true. Milo nailed it when he said some (many?) UCP candidates don't show up because they're trying to avoid saying something stupid. I'll add that they're also probably trying to avoid being setup. If the debates were better organized and better run then there would be no excuse for any candidate not to show up. I would prefer to hear what all candidates have to say. I'd also like to know when these debates are happening. The organizers are horrible at getting the word out. High school elections are probably better run than what happens at the district level in "real" elections in Canada.

[suburbia]

Not only did a UCP candidate show up for this candidate's forum, in a departure from party policy, they were fighting climate change!

LINK - https://twitter.com/SadieHogen/statu...45365135908865

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

There's no time or interest in doing that at a localized level. Debates held at universities are very often not fair to one side because the people hosting the debates are incapable of remaining neutral.

We're not talking about student union led debates. This theme based one just this afternoon was hosted by the O'Brien Institute of Public Health. It was navigated by Professor William Ghali, the Institute's Scientific Director. He is also a principal in the University of Calgary World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Disease Classifications and Health Information and for two terms was Canada Research Chair in Health Services Research.

Read below - like in detail. Click the Hashtag search to see the level of thoughtful discussion. Another UCP fail.

Originally Posted by suburbia

From the Twitter conversation against the #ABvotePublicHealth Hashtag, the candidate forum on the theme of health, hosted by the University of Calgary, was extremely thoughtful, engaging, and policy focused. It was hosted at the central library, and the University's request was not for a specific candidate, but any candidate that could speak on the theme of public health. Once again, the UCP did not show up.

Below are a collection of Tweets raising questions about the empty fourth seat.


You can search the Hashtag for a broader view of the discussion on the theme. Very interesting conversations - highly recommend doing the search.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/abvotepu...fault&src=hash

Apparently this was trending in a big way, as it should be.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Not only did a UCP candidate show up for this candidate's forum, in a departure from party policy, they were fighting climate change!

LINK - https://twitter.com/SadieHogen/statu...45365135908865

Ha, gives new meaning to the idiom that Albertans will vote for a potted plant if you put a blue rosette on it. And they will!

[suburbia]

Location of UCP candidate unknown after RCMP execute search warrant on his business and are seen leaving with a computer and briefcase


LINK - https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/rcmp-exec...date-1.4378146

"A representative at Singh’s campaign office says the Calgary-East candidate’s whereabouts were unknown as of Friday afternoon."

[suburbia]

Jason Kenney issues YouTube statement regarding Peter Singh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krRTajHaWCs&t=168

[suburbia]

I'm taking a step back now on this election and am thinking there is a real possibility the NDP can squeak this out. The UCP has some heavy hitters on top, but they seem to not be getting it done at the ground level because most of their candidates are bobble heads. They are not missing the candidate forums because forums are not worth it - they are whole-sale missing in action.

Here's another community level candidate forum that they are MIA on:
https://twitter.com/jessicalaura__/s...73162535215104

These forums over the last few days of a campaign are where the undecided voters make their decisions. To stop the effort at this point makes no sense, unless they are actually now preparing to lose.

Let me be clear here - I'm calling the election for the NDP.

Even if the RCMP had not broken through on the UCP investigation over the last 24 hours, and know that a judge doesn't just hand out a search warrant without strong evidence, they were already preparing for failure.

The fact that UCP candidate Peter Singh is now on the run and the story is blowing up in Calgary wasn't even required, but you it does now seal Jason Kenney's fate. On the plus side, the Federal CPC now may have an opportunity to gain a leader that knows all the tricks and can replace Andrew Scheer.

[suburbia]

Report from UCA based Eurasia Group warns that Kenney win would bring uncertainty for energy sector

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/eur...deau-1.5096737

[suburbia]

Workers voice support for Notley's plan for energy sector

https://calgaryherald.com/news/polit...-energy-sector

“We believe that (UCP Leader Jason) Kenney’s plan … will have a negative impact in the industry and in the long-term and will not have the emission reductions that are necessary to expand in this industry,” Doherty said.

[mintzilla]

^ I would like to see the ndp (or any party other than the UCP, yes even crazy filderbrandt) win but you are out to lunch imo. UCP are taking this and best you can hope for is a minorité gov.

Economics trumps social issues always especially in hillbilly Alberta.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by mintzilla

^ I would like to see the ndp (or any party other than the UCP, yes even crazy filderbrandt) win but you are out to lunch imo. UCP are taking this and best you can hope for is a minorité gov.

Economics trumps social issues always especially in hillbilly Alberta.

They have a candidate that is MIA. Who is going to represent in the legislature - a potted plant?

Further, how are people even concluding that the UCP have a superior plan for the economy? Take from the poor and enrich further the wealthy with a tax cut only for those making over $500,000 per year? Please.

Anyway - I hope Peter Singh doesn't harm himself knowing that the RCMP now have all the evidence they need to confirm he signed up people without their knowledge to become UCP members, and thus fed potentially thousands of these new memberships without e-mail addresses to the UCP machinery to attach fake e-mail addresses to, and then use those to electronically vote for Jason Kenney. Like holy shit!

Andre Chabot will not be happy.

[Docere]

In terms of likely scenarios, the "worst" result for Rachel Notley is that she will have turned the Alberta NDP into something that the post-Romanow/Calvert Saskatchewan NDP envies. Which is pretty impressive for where she started out (4 seats and fourth place!)

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Location of UCP candidate unknown after RCMP execute search warrant on his business and are seen leaving with a computer and briefcase


LINK - https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/rcmp-exec...date-1.4378146

"A representative at Singh’s campaign office says the Calgary-East candidate’s whereabouts were unknown as of Friday afternoon."

This is a huge deal. UCP candidate Peter Singh remains missing at this point in time. Unbelievable! Why would he be running?