Women of ABpoli Hot Flashes: Walking the line
This Week in AB
Leela Aheer fourth UCP MLA to check out
Leela Aheer is a lovely person. She is engaging, kind, and genuinely interested in the well-being of others.
She was also facing a nomination challenge by a woman who managed to get 450 people to attend a constituency association AGM on a beautiful Saturday summer morning in August -- a majority of whom helped to successfully take over a board and who could conceivably be convinced to come out to vote in the nomination race.
There's been some conjecture about her phrasing; Aheer did not say she would not seek re-election, only that she "will not run for the United Conservative Party". Could be wishful thinking on behalf of people who would like to see her remain in provincial politics, or it could be purposeful to keep her options open.
We'll find out soon enough.
What Alberta needs is more party politics, says Premier
I was on a campaign in Calgary during the 2017 municipal election and some may recall there was a slate put forward for school board trustees, called Students Count.
Calgary voters did elect a majority of people who were party to it (pun unintended but accepted) because while it is not what we're used to at the municipal level, we have plenty experience with it at the provincial and federal level; parties typically take out all of the personal responsibility of getting to know the candidates.
The slate was controversial at the time as it was viewed by some as a quest for power but also that it potentially suggested less of a connection with local issues -- a well-seasoned complaint about the priorities of provincial and federal political parties who tend to cater to areas and issues where they can get the most votes.
"Danielle Smith wants political parties in city halls because she knows the NDP’s policies are popular, it’s just their name that’s toxic. To win, she needs partisanship and division," wrote one twitter user.
I just finished working on a municipal campaign in B.C. where they have "parties" at the municipal level; sure, there are ways to tie-in with a provincial party but it didn't appear to be a necessity.
Slates/parties could be beneficial at the municipal level -- including one platform and pooled money for the campaign -- but there is a downside for the voter that exists similarly in provincial and federal parties; control.
Suddenly, you're no longer voting for a person, you're voting for a group with ideas you like and someone else is decides who gets to be part of that group -- not the voter.
It's rare in provincial politics that people vote for the candidate; they're voting for a team and they'll hold their nose and vote for the candidate carrying the sign they like, even if they think (or worse, know) said candidate is a useless twit.
Do we want this here? There are benefits and liabilities. As noted above, a liability for anyone aligning with the NDP is their name and old (?) sign colour.
Like it or not, the fear-mongering works; it's Alberta -- we're all conservative cowboys, doncha know?
New Premier, new direction, same old covid
Two days ago: AMA calls for return to masks
One day ago: Judge rules school mask mandate removal was unreasonable
Today: Premier states she want to ban mask mandates in schools #ableg #covid19ab #abed #abhealth”
The Alberta Medical Association is a group of doctors advocating on behalf of doctors. They tend to get involved in situations where doctors may be at risk politically in advocating on their own.
As hospitalizations continue to increase, doctors would love it if people had enough concern for their personal and community health to try not to spread a virus that can have serious consequences for themselves or others.
This isn't really out of line with general good will, I don't think, but we're now living in Danielle Smith's Alberta where personal inconvenience far outweighs concerns for the general health of either people or services.
Canada
Oil companies breaking record profits want more government cash so they can make more profits
“Good to know because I'm right behind cutting off the oil and gas subsidies right now.”
Oil companies still breaking record profits are looking for additional government funding to invest in emissions reduction.
Max Fawcett asked the question the other day; "If a windfall profit tax on oil and gas companies is good enough for a Conservative government in Great Britain, why isn’t it good enough for a Liberal/NDP one in Canada?"
The U.S. increased its emissions reductions incentives through the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, redistributing wealth from Americans who aren't seeing multi-billion dollar profits this year (because if they were, they'd pay less tax than a nurse).
I'm a pretty decent capitalist -- find a need and fill it, and all that --but it drives me that certain capital ventures can't seem to survive without government money.
And it's constant.
Giving consumers money makes companies increase prices but giving companies money doesn't incentivize them to decrease prices.
Oil and gas used to provide tens of thousands of jobs in Alberta and those well-paying jobs were held by Albertans who paid taxes instead. Drilling sites used to pay their property tax.
Now the former is no longer providing jobs and the latter owes almost $100 million in property tax to smaller municipalities across rural Alberta.
And while all of this is going on, the provinces are also asking for more money for health transfers and Poilievre is running around like a Brian Jean reboot from the 2015 leadership debate saying "we will not raise your taxes"!
If the companies aren't paying and the people aren't paying either, then where is the money going to come from to meet the contractual obligations governments made with its citizens?
End rant.