Alberta Politics II

[suburbia]

So hypothetically speaking, if indeed the UCP pull this one out in the face of catastrophic failure, who will Jason Kenney's ministers be?

Education - Mark Smith
Justice and Solicitor General - Peter Singh

Who else?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by suburbia

So hypothetically speaking, if indeed the UCP pull this one out in the face of catastrophic failure, who will Jason Kenney's ministers be?

Education - Mark Smith
Justice and Solicitor General - Peter Singh

Who else?

Yawn. The important positions will be the economic advisors, hopefully Jack Mintz and Mark Milke.

[Doug]

A very long but informative article about US NGO’s interfering in the Alberta election and Canadian pipeline regulatory processes, and the NDP standing on the sidelines as these groups aim to defeat Kenney. Allegedly Progress Alberta accepted money from both the Tar Sands Campaign and Leadnow. Krause obtained much of the information from tax returns filed by US NGO’s so anyone who questions her research is more or less questioning the integrity of the IRS.

https://business.financialpost.com/o...#comments-area

[Doug]

Originally Posted by mintzilla

Economics trumps social issues always especially in hillbilly Alberta.

Wouldn’t social (i.e. emotional) issues trumping economic (ie. rational) issues indicate more of a “hillbilly” attitude? I suspect few UCP voters rate the party’s social platform near the top of important decision criteria.

[milomilo]

Seeing as the UCP's policies are fiscally irresponsible as well as many of their members having barbaric social views, I reject the notion that we have to hold our nose and vote UCP for the sake of the economy.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Seeing as the UCP's policies are fiscally irresponsible as well as many of their members having barbaric social views, I reject the notion that we have to hold our nose and vote UCP for the sake of the economy.

I was talking to some people tonight who going into the election were certain they were going to vote UCP. Now they're having major concerns what a UCP government might bring. But they also don't trust the NDP to do what's best for the province. I wonder how many people feel the same way? I felt this way in 2017 during the municipal election and my fears have come true. Calgary city council is a disaster as far as I'm concerned and the next Alberta legislature will probably be even worse given that we're dealing with much larger stakes. We need to do something to attract much better candidates than what we're getting.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Seeing as the UCP's policies are fiscally irresponsible as well as many of their members having barbaric social views, I reject the notion that we have to hold our nose and vote UCP for the sake of the economy.

The NDP is defiantly fiscally irresponsible as it it too beholden to public sector unions to implement hiring restraint. The UCP can only be better.

I still content that government follows and not leads in terms of social policy. Society passed the point of becoming too individualistic for government to determine social norms somewhere around the 1970’s.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

I was talking to some people tonight who going into the election were certain they were going to vote UCP. Now they're having major concerns what a UCP government might bring. But they also don't trust the NDP to do what's best for the province. I wonder how many people feel the same way? I felt this way in 2017 during the municipal election and my fears have come true. Calgary city council is a disaster as far as I'm concerned and the next Alberta legislature will probably be even worse given that we're dealing with much larger stakes. We need to do something to attract much better candidates than what we're getting.

The quality of candidates will continue to decline as social media gains influence.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Doug

The NDP is defiantly fiscally irresponsible as it it too beholden to public sector unions to implement hiring restraint. The UCP can only be better.

I still content that government follows and not leads in terms of social policy. Society passed the point of becoming too individualistic for government to determine social norms somewhere around the 1970’s.

But yet the UCP have not laid out a route to fiscal sustainability. In fact, their plan is little different than the NDP's, only with reduced revenue from a pointlessly reduced corporate tax rate, and a pointlessly eliminated carbon tax. They have given scant detail on how they will supposedly reduce spending. If they do have a plan to slash public sector spending, they are not saying it. because they know it would not be popular.

It's true that neither party has a truly fiscally responsible plan - because that would not go down well with either party. The correct plan would be to moderate spending for a while while either implementing a sales tax or (preferably) increasing the carbon tax and using that money to fill the hole.

I do agree with your point that government follows rather than leads on social policy, but that only works when the government is not run by religious zealots who believe their interpretation of a old book should be followed by all. Most conservatives know they cannot fight the rising tide, and that once something is 'done'. it's done. But Kenney can't help himself, his idea of leadership is a few centuries old.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

I was talking to some people tonight who going into the election were certain they were going to vote UCP. Now they're having major concerns what a UCP government might bring. But they also don't trust the NDP to do what's best for the province. I wonder how many people feel the same way? I felt this way in 2017 during the municipal election and my fears have come true. Calgary city council is a disaster as far as I'm concerned and the next Alberta legislature will probably be even worse given that we're dealing with much larger stakes. We need to do something to attract much better candidates than what we're getting.

Again I find this notion that the UCP will be better for the economy disingenuous. Most of the problems we have faced, and will continue to face, are out of our hands. And yes, while, the strategy of Notley of trying to cooperate with the Federal government has ultimately failed to get any pipelines in the ground, the antagonistic strategy espoused by conservative politicians would likely have been even less effective. And that will continue to be the case.

If Kenney gets in, shuts the taps to BC and runs his equalisation referendum, he will further isolate Alberta. Although, TBH I would love to see him do both of those - the first especially would be hilarious even if it would probably mean we never get a pipeline to the coast and piss off all our producers.

[jawagord]

Probably the worst ND policy is the carbon tax applied to power generation. Good opinion article in the herald on the financial consequences of not understanding Alberta’s electricity market. Most of the tax revenue is going to power producers and not the government. Plus the ND’s buried the $2 billion dollar payment to the balancing pool in the provincial deficit so consumers wouldn’t see it on our bills. Now they are being sued for libel for their CYA smear job on Robert Hemstock.

A rough accounting of the total impact on consumers is that in 2018 they paid about $850 million in higher electricity prices because of the carbon tax, while the Alberta government collected only $325 million in carbon tax revenues from electricity generators. In effect, the government has combined a cap and trade scheme with a carbon tax inside a very complex power market, leading to unintended consequences: high costs to consumers and leakage of revenue.

The situation is deeply ironic. The carbon tax was imposed to reduce CO2 emissions. But the actual solutions for reducing carbon emissions are shutting down coal-fired generating stations or converting them to natural gas, a fuel with much lower CO2 emissions. The $850 million in extra costs paid by consumers in 2018 would have been enough to convert almost the entire coal-fired fleet to gas. In effect, we could have already transitioned to our low-carbon future. Instead, consumers are stuck paying high prices, while coal-fired electricity plants continue to emit CO2.

It is well known that the carbon tax resulted in the return of unprofitable power purchase agreements to the Balancing Pool, costing Albertan ratepayers as much as $2 billion. The costs I have discussed above are on top of this loss.

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/co...tricity-sector

https://business.financialpost.com/n...ith-government

[Doug]

Originally Posted by milomilo

But yet the UCP have not laid out a route to fiscal sustainability. In fact, their plan is little different than the NDP's, only with reduced revenue from a pointlessly reduced corporate tax rate, and a pointlessly eliminated carbon tax. They have given scant detail on how they will supposedly reduce spending. If they do have a plan to slash public sector spending, they are not saying it. because they know it would not be popular.

It's true that neither party has a truly fiscally responsible plan - because that would not go down well with either party. The correct plan would be to moderate spending for a while while either implementing a sales tax or (preferably) increasing the carbon tax and using that money to fill the hole.

I do agree with your point that government follows rather than leads on social policy, but that only works when the government is not run by religious zealots who believe their interpretation of a old book should be followed by all. Most conservatives know they cannot fight the rising tide, and that once something is 'done'. it's done. But Kenney can't help himself, his idea of leadership is a few centuries old.

It’s tough to campaign on cut backs so the UCP if elected will likely follow the tried and true path of claiming that previous administration covered up dire provincial finances, necessitating restraint.

The corporate tax cut if it happens will likely increase revenue. The economy is so poor right now that corporate taxes aren’t bringing in much revenue. The NDP’s tax increase from 10% to 12% was accompanied by significantly less revenue. How much of that was released to the economic downturn is impossible to quantify. The corporate tax cut could also be partially funded by reducing the NDP’s corporate welfare giveaways. No government has a good track record in picking corporate winners.

An MLA can keep personal views personal without tainting their actions as a legislator. Kenney’s legislative record has not been socially conservative. If an MP were to be up to their eyeballs in personal debt, should that preclude them from legislating economic issues? NDP candidate Anne McGrath ran for the Communist Party in the 1980’s. Does that mean that Notley supports sending gays to the gulag?

The debate over GSA’s is a red herring. Kenney says he wants to change parental notification rules back to how they were pre-NDP, which would align with other provinces. Was Kathleen Wynne anti-LBGQ in supporting the same policy as Kenney? Regardless, Kenney won’t act. This is nothing more than a get out the vote measure to SoCons. Notley is the one who politicized GSA’s in the first place.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Doug

The corporate tax cut if it happens will likely increase revenue.

This is such a foundationly flawed assumption if true at all. There is no reason to believe that increasing profit margins for people making over $500,000 per year will increase any economic activity what-so-ever. For the most part, the rich will just keep the extra dollars. Generally, economic activity is based on demand, and increasing profit margins for the rich will not increase demand for their products some how. This tax break for big businesses is a transfer of billions of dollars from the poor and average Albertan to the rich, to the tune of many, many billions of dollars.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Seeing as the UCP's policies are fiscally irresponsible as well as many of their members having barbaric social views

As Conservative commentators have stated:


JESPERSEN: It does represent Jason Kenney’s values and that’s why Jason Kenney’s not doing a damn thing about it, Charles. Jason Kenney is beholden to the Wilberforce Project, he’s beholden to Right Now, he’s beholden to Parents for Choice in Education, he’s beholden to the Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms, he’s beholden to Ezra Levant and Rebel Media.

[suburbia]

Controversies surrounding candidates:

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/pol...sdays-election

Todd Beasley, independent candidate for Brooks-Medicine Hat

Beasley was cut from the UCP roster days before the party’s nomination vote after social media posts surfaced in which he referred to Islam as having “no legitimate basis” and called Muslims “fools who are really worshipping Satan.” But Kenney said recently the ousted candidate told constituents he’d be welcomed back into the UCP. Kenney rejected that idea, saying Beasley’s remarks were “hateful” and he would sit as an independent if elected.

Craig Coolahan, NDP candidate for Calgary-Klein

He once contributed as an editor to a book designed to teach men how to sleep with women. It dates back to the early 2000s and was called, Make Every Girl Want You. In a statement, Coolahan said he edited the book 15 years ago when he was working as a freelance editor. He said he regretted it and apologized unequivocally.

David Dorward, UCP candidate for Edmonton-Gold Bar

A UCP-affiliated website shared a statement from Dorward following up on comments he made suggesting that gender-inclusive bathroom policies allow adult men to wander into women’s locker rooms. The former PC cabinet minister said he had shared a news story on Facebook just over three years ago about a man entering a women’s locker room to test new Washington state rules allowing people to choose a bathroom based on the gender they identify with. “I worried at the time that new gender identity guidelines for Alberta schools could put students in our province at risk,” Dorward said in his statement. “While I was not alone in sharing this belief at the time, I am relieved that such fears have not been validated in the following three years.”

Karri Flatla, UCP candidate for Lethbridge-West

The NDP slammed Flatla for a 2016 Facebook post where she called human-caused global warming “mythology.” Her post appeared to criticize the creation of the Alberta climate change office. Kenney said that there is a spectrum of views on the issue.

Caylan Ford, former UCP candidate for Calgary-Mountain View

She wrote Facebook messages containing white nationalist rhetoric that suggested white supremacist terrorists are treated unfairly. Several high-profile politicians called on the star UCP candidate to resign after the remarks surfaced. She quit the race, saying she didn’t want to be a distraction for voters. Ford also said she strongly denounces extremism and violence. She was replaced by candidate Jeremy Wong.

Shane Getson, UCP candidate for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland

He shared a “Yellow Vest Canada” Facebook post that had the headline “message to Trudeau.” It was related to the group’s stance against the UN’s Global Compact On Migration. The deal aims to improve co-operation on international migration and prevent suffering and chaos. It’s not legally binding, allowing its 193 signatory countries, including Canada, to control their own immigration rules. Getson said he read the compact and it scared him. Kenney said Getson had a legitimate perspective.

Grant Hunter, UCP candidate for Taber-Warner

Postmedia obtained a document tied to Hunter and fellow UCP candidate Mark Smith, who argued while MLAs in September 2016 that the government has no business banning conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is the harmful and unfounded practice of attempting to change someone’s sexual orientation. Hunter and Smith (Drayton Valley-Devon) helped pen the document while part of the Wildrose Party’s internal family and social values committee. It argued that conversion therapy is a “psycho-social and religious practice” which the government has no business banning. Both Smith and Hunter wouldn’t comment on the issue.

UCP candidate Leela Aheer (Chestermere-Strathmore) was named as the editor of a second version of the document, dated February 2017, when she was a Wildrose MLA. In a statement sent to Postmedia Aheer said, “I was not in any way the author or editor of this document in question.” Aheer’s statement is the only response provided by the UCP after multiple requests for comment on the two documents.

Jason Kenney, UCP leader and candidate for Calgary-Lougheed

Kenney has been fielding questions throughout his campaign related to allegations that his team ran a co-ordinated campaign with fellow competitor Jeff Callaway to sink rival Brian Jean during the 2017 UCP leadership race. Callaway’s campaign has also been linked to an RCMP investigation, and police have confirmed they are investigating issues beyond the election commissioner’s purview. That news followed allegations about financial irregularities. Kenney has denied his team did anything unethical or illegal. The election commissioner has handed out more than $35,000 in fines related to Callaway’s campaign.

Eva Kiryakos, former UCP candidate for Calgary-South East

She resigned from the race after anti-Muslim comments she made on social media came to light. She had also criticized gay-straight alliances, saying they convert children instead of protecting them. Kiryakos stepped aside after claiming that she received threats, posting a video about the issue to her Facebook page. In it, she shared her posts in which she discussed topics including “Germany’s migrant rape crisis” and the Alberta Teachers’ Association guidelines around transgender people using school washrooms. She was replaced by candidate Matt Jones.

Martin Long, UCP candidate for West Yellowhead

Long took heat for a Facebook comment he wrote in 2016 where he argued that a Christian shouldn’t vote for or defend a government that supports gay marriage, the minimum wage and abortion. He told Postmedia that he believes in equality before the law, and stands behind his party’s stance on the minimum wage and abortion.

Rod Loyola, NDP candidate for Edmonton-Ellerslie

A conservative third-party advertiser (Shaping Alberta’s Future) took issue with some of Loyola’s lyrics in a song referencing Che Guevara when he performed as a rapper under the stage name Rosouljah.

Jason Nixon, UCP candidate for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre

An Alberta woman claimed that she had an alleged altercation with Nixon in 2009 while he was out hunting and she was patrolling her property. The altercation led to Nixon being charged with assault. The charge was later dropped, but a peace bond was entered. The woman, Allison Gentry, claimed Nixon was physically and verbally threatening. Nixon disputed her version of events, saying that he hadn’t been on her property. The peace bond mandated that Nixon stay off Gentry’s property and remain on good behaviour. He said signing the peace bond wasn’t an admission of guilt.

Tunde Obasan, UCP candidate for Edmonton-South West

He said a meme he shared in 2017 was “clearly a joke” after he was criticized by NDP staff on social media. The meme he shared on Faceook says, “Dear Wife, If you want to bring out the best in your husband, give him these 2 things: Respect and Sex (in that order) (sic).” Obasan said it was a joke, “albeit one in poor taste,” and called it a foolish move. He also said it wasn’t reflective of his views and he treats his wife as his equal.

Joe Pimlott, NDP candidate for Calgary-Peigan

He apologized for a meme he posted on Facebook in 2011 that showed an image of a knight with the caption, “I’ll see your Jihad. And I’ll raise you one Crusade.” He said he spoke with the Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council about it and was unaware of the meme’s Islamophobic and anti-Semitic connotations at the time when he posted it. He apologized in a series of tweets.

Roger Reid, UCP candidate for Livingstone-Macleod

He made waves after the NDP accused him of promoting an anti-Muslim book in a sermon and publishing anti-gay content in a church newsletter. The 2003 First Alliance Church newsletter was published when Reid was director of communications. It contained a book review of The Homosexual Agenda, which argues LGBTQ activists are trying to trump the rights of others, especially religious people. “The authors provide well-documented proof that America is not only becoming more tolerant of homosexual behaviour, it is becoming less tolerant of those who disagree with the lifestyle,” said the review. Reid said his views have since evolved.

On the accusation of promoting an anti-Muslim book, Reid said in his 2012 sermon he had been referencing an earlier version of a book, dubbed The Body, by evangelical Christian Charles Colson. The later edition published in 2003 under the title Being the Body, which was referenced in the criticisms against him, had included revisions, he said.

Marie Renaud, NDP St. Albert candidate

She was criticized by a third-party advertiser (Shaping Alberta’s Future) for an offensive joke she posted on Facebook in 2014. “In 2014, I posted a joke on social media about sexual assault in prison that I later deleted,” she said in a statement. “I learned a lesson that laughing at and sharing jokes that insinuate harm to anyone is offensive and tasteless. I unreservedly apologize.”

Mark Smith, UCP candidate for Drayton Valley-Devon

The candidate previously elected as a Wildrose MLA, who also served as UCP education critic, gave a homophobic sermon at a Drayton Valley church in 2013 saying media portrayals of LGBTQ love as “good love” are problematic. A clip of his sermon that surfaced ignited a debate about the UCP’s stance on LGBTQ issues and spurred a swift online response from people who were offended and hurt by the comments.

Postmedia also obtained a document, dated Sept. 30, 2015, authored by Smith, entitled, “Should Christian public schools be able to fire a homosexual teacher that claims to be homosexual?” A second document came to light that argued the government has no business banning conversion therapy. The document from Smith and fellow UCP candidate Grant Hunter was dated September 2016 (when they were both Wildrose MLAs).

Jeremy Wong, UCP candidate for Calgary-Mountain View

The NDP criticized Wong for past comments praising an alleged conversion therapy program — an accusation he denied. Wong said he wasn’t affiliated with the group formerly called Living Waters Canada, now known as Journey Canada, and that he does not support conversion therapy in any form. He said he had attended some events with the organization, including spiritual support groups. He also took heat online after the NDP posted a clip of a sermon where he talks about women submitting to their husbands (quoting from the Bible).
Pre-campaign controversies

There were numerous nomination controversies plaguing Alberta politicians before the writ dropped March 19.

Michaela Glasgo, UCP candidate for Brooks-Medicine Hat

She retracted a claim that her local church was facing a $50,000 carbon tax bill. It turned out it was actually around $5,400, and the church pastor said he was happy to pay.

Leila Houle, UCP candidate for Edmonton Highlands-Norwood

Three UCP nomination candidates for Edmonton-West Henday took heat after posing for photos in October with members of the Soldiers of Odin, a far-right, anti-immigrant organization. The UCP condemned the group and said they crashed a pub night to cause mischief. Nicole Williams, Leila Houle and Lance Coulter were vying for the nomination. Williams won the nomination race in that riding. Coulter was disqualified after he defended the attendance of the Soldiers of Odin.

Dale Johnson, former UCP candidate for Lac St. Anne-Parkland

The UCP disqualified him saying he had failed to disclose a past legal matter involving a former girlfriend fired from his company. The emotionally-charged nomination race in that riding also saw candidate Jerry Molnar disqualified over offensive social media comments.

Randy Kerr, former UCP candidate for Calgary-Beddington

The UCP kicked him to the curb stating that he wasn’t forthright about his financial contribution to the Jeff Callaway leadership campaign. He was replaced by Josephine Pon.

He had also been criticized for repeatedly using social media to link to web pages and blogs that, in his words, “exposes global warming for the hoax we’ve always known it to be.” UCP executive director Janice Harrington said Kerr was entitled to “his personal opinion.”

Sandra Kim, Alberta Advantage Party candidate for Camrose

The UCP candidate hopeful lost the Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin nomination in August, but not before she was slammed for past social media posts critical of same-sex marriage. She moved on to the Alberta Advantage Party where she was named the Camrose candidate.

Yash Sharma, Alberta Advantage Party candidate for Edmonton-Ellerslie

Sharma was previously an Alberta Party candidate in the same riding, but was dumped for “discriminatory views” in October. That decision came after Sharma attended and supported an event critical of an Indian Supreme Court decision that allows women to attend an ancient temple.

Nicole Williams, UCP candidate for Edmonton-West Henday

She took heat as one of the three UCP nomination candidates for Edmonton-West Henday who posed for photos in October with members of the Soldiers of Odin, a far-right, anti-immigrant organization.

[suburbia]

Former Progressive Conservative member of cabinet in the Peter Lougheed government Allan Warrack laments about the failures of the right wing, stating that the party he once ran under no longer means what it once did and that the province is more than a colour scheme. Conservative Allan Warrack endorses Rachel Notley for Premier


LINK - https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/...-like-lougheed

[suburbia]

After the Edmonton Journal published an endorsement from their editorial board in support of Jason Kenney's UCP, Canadian Senator Paula Simons has reminded all Albertans that last time around the Journal was ordered by their owner PostMedia to endorse the Right. She added that her heart breaks for her journalist friends knowing that it has likely happened again.


LINK - https://twitter.com/Paulatics/status...24294859845632

Background on the 2015 PostMedia scandal:
https://www.canadalandshow.com/postm...onton-journal/

[canucklehead2]

Did you know that during the advance poll days you can walk into ANY polling place in Alberta and vote regardless of your actual riding? Saved me a 2 hour drive as I now work out of town these days but live in Edmonton. As for me? I cast my vote for the NDP. Only credible party that exists.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by canucklehead2

Did you know that during the advance poll days you can walk into ANY polling place in Alberta and vote regardless of your actual riding? Saved me a 2 hour drive as I now work out of town these days but live in Edmonton. As for me? I cast my vote for the NDP. Only credible party that exists.

Suburbia just earned himself $0.25. He gets a quarter for every vote he garners for the NDP.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by canucklehead2

Did you know that during the advance poll days you can walk into ANY polling place in Alberta and vote regardless of your actual riding? Saved me a 2 hour drive as I now work out of town these days but live in Edmonton. As for me? I cast my vote for the NDP. Only credible party that exists.

It's awesome. I think Corndogger had mentioned it earlier also (either here or in one of the Canada threads). It is a great move by elections Alberta.

On a related note, it is quite impressive that an estimated 650,000 people will have participated in advanced polling by end of day. I wouldn't be surprised if overall vote count is in the 1.7M arena.