Big surprise, Nothead's plan to tackle Alberta's spending problem with more spending will not work.
BTW, the new energy minister is a political rookie with zero experience in the resource sector. She was a former K-12 teacher. We are in good hands. ac_rollseyes ac_toofunny
Quote
Left out of the analysis here is the spending side of the NDP's fiscal proposals. In short,
http://www.macleans.ca/economy/economicanalysis/there-are-two-big-problems-with-the-alberta-ndp-tax-plan/
I agree with Gunter, at this time in 2017, this will be a very unpopular government.
Student and social worker are the most common occupations of this unqualified group of new MLA's. ac_rollseyes
Quote
After 43 years, eight months the Tory dynasty was out, replaced by Albertans with Premier Rachel Notley and her collection of college students and part-time pizza delivery drivers who lent their name to the cause during the recent election, then woke up on the morning of May 6 as surprised as anyone that they were now members of the Legislative Assembly.
I suspect I will like very little the new Notley government does. Still, on that glorious, sunny Sunday afternoon, their supporters rightly got to revel in their historic victory.
And they got to celebrate without being reminded that far more Albertans' voted right-of-centre than left-of-centre earlier this month, or that the new government's election platform is very likely at odds with the views of most Albertans.
In democracies, we hold elections precisely for the kind of moment witnessed on the Leg grounds on Sunday.
No doubt many in the crowd of thousands have complained over the years, as Tory majority followed Tory majority, that Alberta politics are corrupt or rigged.
Well, here was undeniable proof that it is not. Eventually Albertans get fed up with a long-in-the-tooth government and vote the bums out.
The swearing-in ceremony for the new cabinet should not be heartening just for true NDP supporters, but for all Albertans.
Within two years, expect the NDP government to be unpopular. Its push for a nearly 50% rise in the minimum wage will hammer small businesses. Even those small businesses with no minimum-wage workers will be forced to raise their employees' wages to keep ahead of the new provincial base pay.
Either small business owners will have to lay off workers to stay afloat or raise the price of consumer goods. How good an idea are Albertans going to think the mandatory raise is when the price of their drive-thru coffee or burger jumps by 25% or more?
But such thoughts were, rightly, a million miles away on Sunday in the capital.
It's a good thing that Notley's cabinet is the smallest since Social Credit ran Alberta half a century ago. Sure, it's that tiny mostly because they have a tiny talent pool to draw from.
Eight of 12 ministers sworn in on Sunday have no experience in the legislature, much less any experience in the cabinet. The two most-common job classifications among NDP caucus members are student and social worker.
The new finance minister (a social worker) had been on Calgary city council. The new health minister had been on the Edmonton Public School Board.
Before that, she had been an NDP researcher at the Legislature. The new energy minister has been a "business consultant" and used to be the vice-president of a small satellite campus of Grande Prairie Regional College. The new environment minister is a passionate feminist and advocate for the poor.
At least the new justice minister has a law degree, although it will likely do some good that there are fewer lawyers in charge than their used to be.
This new cabinet — many of whom have double- and triple-headed portfolios — are going to have trouble living up to their commitment to rollback many Tory tax hikes while at the same time jacking up spending by $1.3 billion or more.
And there is probably not a single person in the government caucus who understands that having a review of resource taxes (with a clear eye to raising them) will freeze investment in oil and gas until it is completed, even as resource prices recover.
But Sunday was no place for such real-world considerations.
Nor should it have been.
NDP Cabinet:
Rachel Notley
Premier
Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations
Brian Mason
Minister of Transportation
Minister of Infrastructure
Government House Leader
David Eggen
Minister of Education
Minister of Culture and Tourism
Deron Bilous
Minister of Municipal Affairs
Minister of Service Alberta
Deputy Government House Leader
Joe Ceci
Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board
Marg McCuaig-Boyd
Minister of Energy
Sarah Hoffman
Minister of Health
Minister of Seniors
Kathleen Ganley
Minister of Justice and Solicitor General
Minister of Aboriginal Relations
Lori Sigurdson
Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education
Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour
Oneil Carlier
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development
Shannon Phillips
Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Minister of Parks and Recreation
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women
Deputy Government House Leader
Irfan Sabir
Minister of Human Services
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/05/25/gunter-ndp-honeymoon-wont-last-long
^You sure are right Shen Li. An Alberta NDP will not only be bad for Alberta it will be bad for all of Canada.
Fuck, are you ever smart Shen Li.
The staff runs the show anyway.
^It will be funny watching these unqualified morons answer the hard questions. The official opposition actually has people that have worked in industry.
So you need to be in oil to be a decent politician?
Quote from: "RW"
ac_toofunny yeah, that's what I said. ac_rollseyes
I was wondering.
It's weird because politics seems to be the only high paying job in this country that doesn't have some kind of educational requirement.
That's fucked up eh?
Quote from: "RW"
It's weird because politics seems to be the only high paying job in this country that doesn't have some kind of educational requirement.
That's fucked up eh?
I tend to agree. It's not like the NDP has the first Alberta cabinet ministers who were clearly not ready for the position they held. It's just that they nominated so many people who were as surprised as anyone they actually won.
Albertans don't want or deserve any more $5 billion deficits. The Tories blew it.
Quote
Since when aren't taxes ever supposed to be reviewed? Every single thing in every single budget is reviewed. I bet the author wouldn't have a problem with reviewing the lowering of resource taxes!
Investment was already slowing. The Tories blew that too. They were found to be miscalculating the royalties and throwing away $2.5 billion a year, which explains the $5 billion deficit.
Alberta is for Albertans, not a handful of wealthy corporations.
The Progressive Conservatives were failing the oil companies as well anyway:
Quote
The Calgary-based company late on Wednesday said it lost $341-million, or 24 cents a share, in the first three months of the year. That compares with a profit of $1.45-billion, or $1.01 a share, in the same period a year ago.
//http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/suncors-quarterly-profit-falls-as-oil-sands-production-fails-to-offset-weak-prices/article24179767/
Why would Albertans have voted for more fail? We'll see how budgets and corporate earnings do under the NDP.
Quote
The NDP solution to too much spending is more spending?
Quote
You don't raise cost in a slow times. That's madness. We rake in more resource revenue than any other province in Canada yet the NDP says we need more revenue and spending??
Alberta is not just for overpriced civil servants who the PC's bought off to stay in power. We demand value for all the taxes and resource wealth our government brings in. It should not be used to buy public service labour peace and elections.
Quote
The Calgary-based company late on Wednesday said it lost $341-million, or 24 cents a share, in the first three months of the year. That compares with a profit of $1.45-billion, or $1.01 a share, in the same period a year ago.
//http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/suncors-quarterly-profit-falls-as-oil-sands-production-fails-to-offset-weak-prices/article24179767/
Why would Albertans have voted for more fail? We'll see how the budget and corporate earnings do under the NDP.[/quote]
The PC's aren't responsible for low oil prices, OPEC is. Why the fuck would the PC's want low oil prices? That's like saying Brad Wall's Saskatchewan Party wants low potash prices.
Post Klein PC's used high resource revenues to buy labour peace. Your TYEE and OPEC friendsare to blame.
Quote from: "Phagdish Hardy"
This is an inherent weakness of the first-past-the-post/winner-take-all electoral system.
It doesn't really reflect the will of the Majority.
NDP getting a clear majority of the seats with only 40% of the vote.
The Conservatives in Ottawa the same with only 40% of the vote.
In the event that a party doesn't get 50% of the vote, they should be forced to appoint opposition MPs to the cabinet.
Either that, or non MPs from the industry to be appointed to cabinet to help them out.
If I'm not mistaken, the parlaimentary system enables non MPs to be appointed to cabinet.
So if available the NDP should use that option. If not PCs or Wild Rose, then someone closer to their political spectrum such as Liberals.
Albertans would've been better of with a minority guv no matter who got in.
Come to think of it, BC is long overdue for one.
The only time we get a semblance of democracy in our system is with minority guvs.
Otherwise, it's false majorities shoving their agendas down our throats.
And since these majorities aren't really accountable like minority guvs are which can be turfed out at any time, the former sit on their hands, don't do anything for the people.
The voting populus are quite dumb. They are addicted to the idea of majority guvs being necessary and then wonder why they never get what they want and these kind of guvs rarely deliver for them.
Albertans deserve a government for the people:
Quote
It was more like a music festival than a government swearing-in ceremony.
The cabinet ministers of Alberta's first New Democrat government swore their oaths of office on the red-carpeted front steps of the provincial legislature Sunday as crowds gathered in the May sunshine. Many visitors were dressed in shorts and sandals, while kids played in the Legislature's reflective pool.
It was a far cry from previous swearing-in ceremonies, which have occurred far from public view, in boardrooms and government offices.
"Welcome to your Legislative Assembly," Notley emphasized in her first official speech as premier. After the ceremony, she led Alberta's new cabinet into the crowd to meet people.
To many in the crowd, the outdoor, public ceremony was a powerful gesture, which may signal permanent changes to the way the government interacts with Alberta citizens.
//http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/05/26/How-Will-Rachel-Notley-Lead/
After 44 years of one party rule, what is the PC legacy:
-Low unemployment
-Highest wages in the country
-Debt free
-The highest level of investment per capita in Canada
-Lowest taxes of any province
-Net internal migration destination
If the Nothead's inexperienced crew can improve on all these things then she deserves our vote in four years.
-$5 billion deficit
Why don't you care that they're responsible for the largest deficit in Alberta history? Billion dollar deficits during the boom times too. If the NDP produced just a $100 million deficit, you'd probably blame them for incompetence. Yet you couldn't care less about $5 billion.
Quote from: "Shen Li"
???
//http://www.debtclock.ca/provincial-debtclocks/alberta/alberta-s-debt/
Quote from: "Romero"
Why don't you care that they're responsible for the largest deficit in Alberta history? Billion dollar deficits during the boom times too. If the NDP produced just a $100 million deficit, you'd probably blame them for incompetence. Yet you couldn't care less about $5 billion.
Quote from: "Shen Li"
???
//http://www.debtclock.ca/provincial-debtclocks/alberta/alberta-s-debt/
Isn't that rich, Romero quoting taxpayer.com. ac_toofunny
You know we do have a Heritage and sustainability fund eh? I do like orgs like CTF/ATF because they keep profligate spending politicians feet to the fire.
Even if people do believe we have a small debt and take away contingency funds and we definitely do. However, I have not heard a plan from Nothead to eliminate it. No talk of returning the Alberta advantage of low taxes, number one destination for investment and debt free that Klein worked so hard to achieve.
If she can return the Alberta advantage, then she deserves to be re-elected in 4 years.
Quote
Alberta's Heritage Savings Trust Fund stands as an excellent example of how governments waste opportunity, fritter away money and undermine the long-term interests of taxpayers, even as they claim to be working in the public interest.
On Tuesday the Fund revealed it earned $2.1 billion last year, a record 16% return on investment, and now has $17.5 billion in the kitty. This was treated as a triumph by provincial leaders. Unfortunately, much of the gain will once again be quickly spent.
Almost 40 years after it was created, then, the Fund contains a small fraction of the sum it might have if Lougheed's original vision been adhered to. Even setting aside the 20 years it was left to languish, adding in the $36 billion devoted to recent spending would mean a pot worth more than $52 billion, expanding at a healthy rate for the benefit of future Albertans.
Norway's sovereign wealth fund, set up in 1990 with energy revenues, is now worth US$884 billion. Alaska's Permanent Fund, established in 1976, is worth US$47 billion despite distributing a portion of its income every year in "dividends" to individual Alaskans.
//http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-how-alberta-turned-its-heritage-fund-into-a-cash-machine-for-big-spending-politicians
The party of divershity
"Albertans can see themselves reflected in their new government," Rachel Notley said, as her NDP caucus gathered behind her after its first post-election meeting.
She expressed pride in the nearly 50-50 gender balance of her elected members — nearly half, unprecedented in Alberta government. She said the 20-somethings and 30-somethings on her team better reflects Albertans' average age.
Behind the incoming premier's left shoulder stood Thomas Dang, of Chinese descent. On the other side, Nicaragua-born Ricardo Miranda.
Broaden out that tightly framed photograph, however, and the vast majority of what you see is white faces reflecting back at Albertans.
There are seven visible minorities among the New Democrats' 53 MLAs, and no aboriginal representation. That is down from 13 minorities elected in the last Tory government, and the lowest number since Ralph Klein first won as premier in 1993, along with seven non-Caucasian members...
Quote from: "Romero"
Quote
Alberta's Heritage Savings Trust Fund stands as an excellent example of how governments waste opportunity, fritter away money and undermine the long-term interests of taxpayers, even as they claim to be working in the public interest.
On Tuesday the Fund revealed it earned $2.1 billion last year, a record 16% return on investment, and now has $17.5 billion in the kitty. This was treated as a triumph by provincial leaders. Unfortunately, much of the gain will once again be quickly spent.
Almost 40 years after it was created, then, the Fund contains a small fraction of the sum it might have if Lougheed's original vision been adhered to. Even setting aside the 20 years it was left to languish, adding in the $36 billion devoted to recent spending would mean a pot worth more than $52 billion, expanding at a healthy rate for the benefit of future Albertans.
Norway's sovereign wealth fund, set up in 1990 with energy revenues, is now worth US$884 billion. Alaska's Permanent Fund, established in 1976, is worth US$47 billion despite distributing a portion of its income every year in "dividends" to individual Alaskans.
//http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-how-alberta-turned-its-heritage-fund-into-a-cash-machine-for-big-spending-politicians
National Debt of Norway
895,015,501,063 kr
I haven't checked what the exchange rate is. Alberta doesn't have debt and I doubt the Albertans here want the crushing level of taxation Norwegians tolerate.
Why doesn't Ontario have a heritage fund? Korea has foreign exchange reserves, but resource based economies like BC and Saskatchewan do not?
I would like a national version of what Alberta has and provinces to follow suit. The revenue would be used for infrastructure projects that would create good paying jobs and stimulate the economy.
Quote from: "seoulbro"
That is a great idea, seoulbro!
Quote from: "cc la femme"
"Albertans can see themselves reflected in their new government," Rachel Notley said, as her NDP caucus gathered behind her after its first post-election meeting.
She expressed pride in the nearly 50-50 gender balance of her elected members — nearly half, unprecedented in Alberta government. She said the 20-somethings and 30-somethings on her team better reflects Albertans' average age.
Behind the incoming premier's left shoulder stood Thomas Dang, of Chinese descent. On the other side, Nicaragua-born Ricardo Miranda.
Broaden out that tightly framed photograph, however, and the vast majority of what you see is white faces reflecting back at Albertans.
There are seven visible minorities among the New Democrats' 53 MLAs, and no aboriginal representation. That is down from 13 minorities elected in the last Tory government, and the lowest number since Ralph Klein first won as premier in 1993, along with seven non-Caucasian members...
Well, well, well... look at cc being all politically correct, affirmative action and multiculturalist all of a sudden! Next thing you know she'll be complaining there aren't enough Muslims.
Quote
"We don't invoke hard quotas on having a set number of candidates from different groups because our nomination process, of course, is open," he said. "But we also want to recognize there are barriers to folks from equity-seeking groups."
Miranda, who helped with Calgary candidate recruitment, said there was focus on talking with people from various communities, but ousted premier Jim Prentice's election call one year early made it hard for people to commit time.
The timing factor, however, affected would-be candidates of any age, race, or gender.
"There was never a concerted effort to look for one (group)," said Miranda. "We were looking for all of those. And it just so happened that this is how the mix has ended up."
Sounds alright to me.
Quote from: "cc la femme"
"Albertans can see themselves reflected in their new government," Rachel Notley said, as her NDP caucus gathered behind her after its first post-election meeting.
She expressed pride in the nearly 50-50 gender balance of her elected members — nearly half, unprecedented in Alberta government. She said the 20-somethings and 30-somethings on her team better reflects Albertans' average age.
Behind the incoming premier's left shoulder stood Thomas Dang, of Chinese descent. On the other side, Nicaragua-born Ricardo Miranda.
Broaden out that tightly framed photograph, however, and the vast majority of what you see is white faces reflecting back at Albertans.
There are seven visible minorities among the New Democrats' 53 MLAs, and no aboriginal representation. That is down from 13 minorities elected in the last Tory government, and the lowest number since Ralph Klein first won as premier in 1993, along with seven non-Caucasian members...
Thomas Dang represents the riding right beside me. He is one of those unqualified nominees who was not supposed to win. I spoke with him and yes is a total airhead. He will now get to decide how Albertan's money will be spent. Gawd help us all.
Quote from: "Shen Li"
Student and social worker are the most common occupations of this unqualified group of new MLA's. ac_rollseyes
What may possibly boost the NDP's fortunes over the next four years are a rise in oil prices.
Price could rise as fast as its fallen. And this could turn the Alberta economy around real quick. A higher dollar, a stronger Canadian economy too.
Unforeseen events in the Middle East (such as another War), a radically different administration in the White House may make the price of oil rise again.
ie- there's no guarantee that Hillary Clinton will become president. She's a volatile candidate hated as much as she's is loved, and if things go awry, it could well be a President Jeb Bush.
Given his family's hawkish stance on Iraq, USA could be headed in for a war much bigger than the one they're in now.
So of course, the price of oil could hit the roof.
Since oil is the game of the US Neo-Repubs, this could well work in Alberta's favor, no matter who is in power.
Plus, they may go ahead with the Keystone pipeline, another potential boost for the Alberta Economy.
Perhaps the Tories were just unlucky, that the end of this boom coincided with the end of their term.
But had it come when prices had peaked, they might still be in power.
I don't wish for the above outcome of world events, but the future isn't fixed and we live in a very uncertain world so anythin' could happen over the next four years.
and Alberta's perhaps more than any other province, is tied toworld events.
The math really doesn't work Ms. Nothead. Albertans need to brace themselves as this newly elected government cannot possibly keep their promise to keep government charges low to 90% of Albertans. She pulled the wool over our eyes.
Quote
Despite what new premier Rachel Notley says, the province's finances aren't really that much worse than the Tory government said. For all the Tories' faults (and there were many), they didn't sugar-coat the state of Alberta's revenue problems.
But by claiming, as Notley did following the first NDP cabinet meeting on Wednesday in Calgary, that "we are starting to find the challenges are a bit bigger than what may have been featured in the Prentice government's campaign,"
If you promised not to raise taxes on 90 per cent of Albertans, but now that you're safely elected you admit that was never realistic,
It's an old, old political trick. Expect Premier Notley to point the finger at the Tories for years to come every time her government blunders.
A promise to spend massively on social programs was never going to work with just a two percentage-point rise in corporate taxes and higher taxes on just the top 10 per cent of personal earners. The math never worked on that NDP campaign promise.
Promising to tax everyone more would never have gotten Agent Orange elected. Nor would talk of vastly higher corporate levies. Most Albertans may have resented the lack of corporate tax increases in the Prentice government's March budget, but they aren't anti-corporations to the extent the NDP are. So Notley soft-pedalled just how ravenous an NDP government's need would be for more and more tax money.
Now she's trying to get Albertans ready for higher-than-promised tax increases by claiming it's those dang Tories' and their misleading bookkeeping.
The NDP are also setting up the oil and gas sector for higher resource taxes by carrying through with their pledge of a review of the government's royalty system.
Even the name of the review, the Resource Owners' Rights Commission, carries a big hint of what the NDP expects the panel to recommend – much higher royalties. It has long been the NDP's claim that the Tories were letting Big Oil rip off Albertans.
But that belief is rubbish. Much of the benefit from the energy sector may not go to government. Instead, it goes directly to Albertans.
But if you can convince Albertans they're being hosed, you can justify higher taxes on energy companies – and on everyone else.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/05/28/ndp-will-shift-fiscal-blame-to-outgoing-tories
I don't know why politicians keep making financial promises before they even see the books.
Stupid.
Quote from: "RW"
Stupid.
To win elections, duh.
Quote from: "RW"
Stupid.
I don't know why this thread isn't in the political subforum.
^I prolly should have posted it there.
Maybe Romero will move it for you. ac_toofunny
Quote from: "Shen Li"
Quote from: "RW"
Stupid.
To win elections, duh.
Yeah yeah, but why don't we call people out on this shit? It's a load of crap and we all know it so why isn't it said?
Quote from: "RW"
Quote from: "Shen Li"
Quote from: "RW"
Stupid.
To win elections, duh.
Yeah yeah, but why don't we call people out on this shit? It's a load of crap and we all know it so why isn't it said?
People are stupid and so is universal suffrage.
Quote from: "RW"
Smartass. ac_toofunny
Quote from: "Renee"
Quote from: "RW"
Smartass. ac_toofunny
I'm missing something here? ac_umm
Quote from: "Shen Li"
Quote from: "Renee"
Quote from: "RW"
Smartass. ac_toofunny
I'm missing something here? ac_umm
You have to go back to the thread where SPECTRE and Romero are butting heads over creating the politics forum.
Quote from: "Renee"
Quote from: "Shen Li"
Quote from: "Renee"
Quote from: "RW"
Smartass. ac_toofunny
I'm missing something here? ac_umm
You have to go back to the thread where SPECTRE and Romero are butting heads over creating the politics forum.
K, I'll take your word for it.
I never had a problem with creating a politics sub-forum. I only said threads on the main page will will not be forced to move to one.
Shen Li has never met a knee she didn't like to jerk
Quote from: "Gay Boy Bob"
I disagree Gay Boy Bob..
She's an intelligent, but feisty lady.
The new Alberta government shares remarkable similarities with the Bob Rae government of Ontario. Neither were expected to win. Both had candidates who won who were not vetted. Neither have a credible economic plan. Lastly, the new Alberta government will probably spend the next four years blaming the previous government for all their problems governing. I wouldn't wish another government like Rae's on anyone.
Perhaps what this NDP government should be secretly prayin' for is a Republican presidency.
What was bad for the USA and much of the world was actually good for Alberta.
They soared as the US economy went into the tank.
Obama and his heir apparent Hillary Clinton are decidely anti-Alberta and anti-oilsands.
The GOP are staunchly Big Oil and Pro Keystone XL while Obama and the Democrats are against it.
No matter who is in, be it PC, Wild Rose or NDP, Alberta's economy will languish until the price of oil recovers.
Like it or not, oil is still King in Alberta.
The NDP would be foolish not to acknowledge this self evident truth.
^fuck off Joe
Quote from: "Shen Li"
Why...same to you, P ans y!
.or? knows just enough to make a fool of himself.
His hot hate for the US has not abated since years ago on old DV
Do you approve of the US's elected president? Do you approve all of America's domestic and foreign policy?
No? Does that mean you hate the US?
Criticizing some aspects is not the same as hate for all, Mrs. 2 are 1.
Why do you ask if I'm lost?
Because posted material relevant to another thread and not to this one. You were in the wrong thread.
Happens. I'm not being judgmental or making inferences
Quote from: "cc la femme"
Happens. I'm not being judgmental or making inferences
I was directly responding to:
Quote from: "cc la femme"
His hot hate for the US has not abated since years ago on old DV
See how you're talking about hatred for the US and I'm talking about hatred for the US?
Do you see how my response is directly below your post? I'm responding to a post you made in this thread, not another thread. Look up, it's right there!
Quote from: "cc la femme"
ac_toofunny
Like how you're accusing me of supporting the caste system when I clearly don't, and you have no shred of evidence that I do?
Sorry. No matter how you try to wiggle out of it, Wrong thread Quote from: "This Thread"
Fuck. You will jump to defend anything .. even when something is practically moot and / or indefensible ...
bringing in any number of deliberate misquotes from anywhere
Continue. It's hilarious watching