United Conservative Party Projected to Win Majority Government in Alberta

[Anonymous]

I don't follow Canadian politics like I do Israel's. One observation that puzzles me is the way Canadian provinces relationship with each other is like Israel with some of it's neighbors.

I've lived here since I was a little girl and I don't get it..



How can one province block another province from exporting their resources.

[Anonymous]

I don't follow Canadian politics like I do Israel's. One observation that puzzles me is the way Canadian provinces relationship with each other is like Israel with some of it's neighbors.

What BC and Quebec are doing to Alberta amd Saskatchewam is an act of war.

[Anonymous]

I don't follow Canadian politics like I do Israel's. One observation that puzzles me is the way Canadian provinces relationship with each other is like Israel with some of it's neighbors.

What BC and Quebec are doing to Alberta amd Saskatchewam is an act of war.

Apparently foreign billionaires are behind it.

[Anonymous]

After watching soon-to-be former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley 'concede' (really, deny) that her party's defeat in the Alberta election represented a damning judgment on her party and her government, I came to understand just why she lost. The reasons are simple. The NDP lost because they would not accept that their victory in 2015 was a bad fluke — the vomit after a 44-year drinking binge that Albertans could not take any more! They also lost because Albertans soundly rejected their policies, their social-engineering agenda and the warped notion that climate change can be cured by raising taxes. In short, Notley and her crew lost because they were out of touch with reality and the desires of Albertans. But what was really shocking is that instead of admitting she made mistakes and that her party needs to refocus after being electorally decimated (unlike any previous majority government in Alberta history), she basically gave Albertans the finger; spinning her defeat into some kind of victory and rejection into signs of support! In some places this kind of wilful delusion would be enough to get you committed. In Canada, particularly among those on the left, it's par for the course. It's also why, I believe and hope, that Albertans, like Ontarians now, can enjoy many years of sanity in their government again.

[Anonymous]

The days of appointing anti oilsands activists to key advisory positions is over. Real science and sanity have returned to that Western province.



By Lorne Gunter of Sun News Media



UNDOING THE NDP'S BLUNDERS

Don't expect the UCP to follow through with the previous government's high-minded theories



One big change Albertans will notice almost immediately under a United Conservative government is that their economic experts really will be experts at what makes oil flow and businesses grow. They will not be the NDP'S airy-fairy, pie-in-the-sky theorists who call themselves experts but have never drilled a well, transported a barrel of oil, run an electrical grid or made a payroll.



If we could say with scientific certainty what creates jobs and economic prosperity – what is the right level of taxation, regulation and government intervention – then there would be no more recessions or unemployment.



What doesn't work



But while it is impossible to say for sure what exactly works economically, it is very easy to point to what doesn't.



High-minded theories such as "sustainable development" and "social licence" don't work. Neither does a combination of high taxes and even higher deficit spending that let's government "stimulate" growth by growing larger.



When the NDP came to power in 2015, they brought with them boatloads of "experts" who turned out instead to be textbook theoreticians whose good-onpaper plans ran Alberta's real-world economy into the ground.



Change No. 1 that Albertans will witness from Premier Jason Kenney and the UCP will not be some fancy new plan based on untried concepts. Rather, the most immediate transformation will be a change in tone and attitude that encourages a return of investors.



For instance, people who understand the energy business will once again design energy policy. What a novel concept!



The UCP won't let people from lefty think-tanks with grad degrees in environmental studies devise the shutdown of the coalpower industry on the theory it will be easy to replace the lost power and jobs with solar, wind and bug burps.



Kenney and his transition team have been working since before Christmas on a speedy repeal of the carbon tax, a lowering of the NDP'S sky-high minimum wage for teenage workers who aren't supporting families, a gradual reduction of corporate taxes, an elimination of one-third of growth-choking red tape and, of course, winning approval to build pipelines.



But you know all that. Those were all well-publicized planks in the UCP campaign platform.



Less well-known is all the work the UCP has already done to get ready from Day One to implement its platform practically and rapidly; to figure out the what's and how's of getting their policies in place.



If anything was worse than NDP policies, it was their lack of understanding of how to get things done.



Take for instance the impact of the Notley government's climate leadership plan on PPAS, the power purchase agreements the provincial electrical marketing agency had had with huge companies since 2000.



The NDP'S "experts" designed this really swell theoretical scheme to reduce emissions by increasing taxes and costs for large-scale industrial users, such as utilities. However, the NDP and its consultants failed to understand this raised price would give larges-cale industrial power consumers the legal authority to cancel purchase agreements rather than keeping them with the new, high-priced electricity.



This stuck the marketing agency (known as the Balancing Pool) with billions of dollars worth of power, the cost of which was required by Alberta law to pass on to consumers. So rather than make consumers (who are also voters) pay nearly $3 billion in higher power bills, the NDP "loaned" that amount of taxpayers' money to the Balancing Pool so the colossal error made by NDP experts wouldn't become a huge political issue.



Welcome to the real world



There just won't be that kind of we-know-better, ideological bumbling under the UCP. The NDP'S "experts" suffered from a delusional mixture of arrogance (a belief they could see things every previous government had been too dumb to grasp) coupled with a lack of understanding of how the real world works.



The UCP will listen again to real experts.

[Anonymous]

I hope the Alberta government sticks to prudent, pro growth, small government solutions.



By FRANCO TERRAZZANO Guest Columnist Franco Terrazzano is the Alberta Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.



Time to right past fiscal wrongs



Congratulations premier-elect Jason Kenney, but there's no rest for the elected. A tough campaign is only the precursor to the hard work of governing.



Yet, despite daunting challenges, this is a unique opportunity to strengthen accountability and save taxpayers money.



As the United Conservative Party promised, the first step to right past government wrongs is to scrap the carbon tax, which hammered Albertans struggling through a downturn with higher heating and fuel bills.



Albertans have been waiting for years to vote on the carbon tax and we came out in droves against it.



Now we need our provincial politicians to stand-up to the federal government as it tries to impose its tax against our wishes.



We also need to learn an important lesson from how Alberta's carbon tax was imposed.



The previous government bypassed the pesky process of earning public buy-in by failing to mention the carbon tax in its 2015 election platform. Alberta taxpayers need greater protection from politicians who want to increase taxes without consent from the people.



Fortunately, the UCP has committed to expanding the Alberta Taxpayer Protection Act, to ensure no future government can introduce a provincial sales tax or a new carbon tax without first holding a referendum.



"It's the old idea of no taxation without representation," stated Kenney.



On this Kenney is right. But why stop the idea of "no taxation without representation" at the carbon tax and sales tax?



The new government can prove it respects taxpayers by requiring a referendum before the government can impose any tax increase or new tax.



Let's not forget that the previous Alberta government also increased taxes on incomes and businesses.



With the economy still failing to fire on all cylinders, now is the perfect time to reverse course on the previous government's economic strategy, which increased taxes on all Albertans and gave subsidies to hand-picked businesses.



Scrapping the carbon tax and reducing the business tax to 8 per cent are good steps to make Alberta's economy competitive for all and not just for certain businesses who are lucky enough to win government favours.



Kenney's government can grow the economy without risking taxpayers' money by listening to former premier Ralph Klein and getting government "out of the business of being in business."



Alberta governments have a long history of burning taxpayers with their economic development projects.



Between 1973 and 1993, economic diversification projects cost taxpayers over $2 billion in losses.



Referring to the Lloydminster Bi-provincial upgrader debacle, which cost Alberta taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, Klein famously remarked, "I guess the one saving grace is that we were probably all stupid together."



Ending corporate welfare will also help the United Conservative government tackle the province's fiscal woes.



Taxpayers are ready for a government who will balance the budget, begin repaying the debt and cut back more than a decade of overspending by both New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives.



The new government has a lot of work to do to get the province back on the right track.



But in four years from now, Kenney needs to show taxpayers a government that increased accountability, cut taxes and addressed its spending problem.

[Thiel]

Congratulations to the people of Alberta for getting rid of the inept and ideological Notley government.



Oil prices are good, and the return to good times with a pro growth government should be a no brainer. But, Trudeau will fight Albertans tooth and nail. Premier Kenney has said he will remove the cap on oilsands extraction emissions, which is a provincial jurisdiction, but Trudeau and McKenna have said they will override Alberta on that if Albertans repeal their carbon tax. Trudeau's war with Alberta industry to win votes in Quebec.

[Anonymous]

The new UCP government out in Alberta is a very pragmatic and pro growth. Things are already looking up and they haven't even started yet.



TIME TO 'GET 'ER DONE'

But incoming premier Jason Kenney says he never meant to go ballistic out of the gate



CALGARY — Putting his government together and Jason Kenney sounds like he's ready to rock.



"I couldn't be more serious. We are prepared to go to the wall," says the man who will be premier Tuesday.



Kenney has talked a very good game on pipelines and getting a fair deal for Alberta, scrapping the carbon tax, bringing in investment, creating jobs, rattling the cages of foreign-funded interests intent on shutting down the oilsands.



Most of Alberta loved the songsheet. It was music to their ears and Kenney won a whopping majority, colouring a huge part of the Alberta map United Conservative blue.



But he knows how much action means more than words.



"People will ultimately judge us based on our actions. So I will just say: Stay tuned."



Kenney says he never wanted to go nuclear on Day One. He never wanted "a fight for the sake of a fight." He doesn't want to blow Alberta's leverage in the first week.



He wants to start by speaking softly and carrying a big stick, quoting the well-respected U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt.



Kenney is fully aware some folks want battle stations, like, yesterday.



Some want to separate from Canada right now, want a vote on equalization tomorrow, want to turn off the taps to B.C. Tuesday. Kenney doesn't think going from 0 to 100 with every government on every issue is the right way to go.



He speaks the language of a field marshal surveying the battlefield. "We've got to map this out, step by step and tactic by tactic."



The man who will be premier wants to sit down with Trudeau and B.C. Premier John Horgan and Quebec boss Francois Legault.



His opening move will be a respectful discussion about getting Alberta's economy moving and how getting our resources to market is good for everybody. There's a but.



When they sit down they will all know one fact.



To put it in Kenney's words: "There's a new sheriff in Alberta, a new sheriff in town prepared to use all of the legal and political tools we have to stand up for Alberta."



"If other governments stand in the way we will use every tool we've got, unlike the NDP."



Kenney says next week he'll show real proof Alberta is fighting back. He doesn't elaborate.



In the background, huddled behind computers in logic-free safe spaces, those in a perpetual temper tantrum now claim Kenney backs Trudeau's carbon tax.



They add two and two and come up with ... Well, they can't add two and two.



To be clear, and let's connect the dots girls and boys, Kenney OPPOSES the Trudeau carbon tax. Kenney thinks it is BAD.



That's why Kenney is joining other provinces fighting the Trudeau carbon tax in court.



All that Kenney is pointing out is obvious to graduates of Grade 3 arithmetic.



The Trudeau carbon tax is bad but it's less bad than the Notley NDP carbon tax.



A kick in the head is less bad than a sledgehammer to the face. It doesn't mean you think a kick in the head is a good thing.



The Trudeau tax is less bad because everybody gets a rebate and the rebate is bigger. Right now, the Trudeau tax is also lower.



"We're going to fight the Trudeau carbon tax in court and we're going to fight it at the polls in October. Heaven forbid we lose both of these fights, at least we end up with a carbon tax that's less bad than the NDP one," says Kenney.



Kenney figures things already feel different with the NDP government now a memory.



His pollster, one superb crystal ball gazer, started to crunch numbers right after the election.



Those who think the province is on the right track has jumped from 30% to 50% — and the new government hasn't even taken over.



Kenney says all week he has been on the phone with corporate heads who say they want to invest in Alberta.



Several energy companies tell Kenney they've been able to raise dough and score financing in the last week where they've been out of luck the last two years.



It's a beginning but not good enough for the soon-to-be premier.



"Now it's up to us to put real substance behind all of our good intentions," says Kenney.



Yes, there is a message he will deliver to United Conservative MLAS Friday and to his cabinet this coming Tuesday.



Kenney is already working on the agenda for that meeting.



"We'll be moving at light speed. Now we've got to get 'er done."