[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Josephus]

Holy ...just saw pics of Edmonton today....it is snowing heavily....they had to cancel the highly anticipated Vancouver Edmonton game. (soccer).

Must suck to live there

Ps It's 21 C here today

[Neil]

Are we really so sure that the PCs won't reabsorb the Wildrose?  I can't speak for everyone, but I'd certainly consider voting for a suitably chastised PC party.  The Wildrose?  Never.

What's your beef with Wildrose?

I just don't think that tax cuts and flat taxes and the answer to Alberta's revenue problem.  I also live in a big city and am not a Christian, which doesn't help.

[Barrister]

Are we really so sure that the PCs won't reabsorb the Wildrose?  I can't speak for everyone, but I'd certainly consider voting for a suitably chastised PC party.  The Wildrose?  Never.

What's your beef with Wildrose?

I just don't think that tax cuts and flat taxes and the answer to Alberta's revenue problem.  I also live in a big city and am not a Christian, which doesn't help.

You're right, it doesn't help.

Well not much you can do about living in a big city, but you can always welcome Christ into your life.

Wildrose wasn't promising any tax cuts though.  Just that they wouldn't raise taxes.  And theu got rid of any anti-gay stuff in their platform.

[Barrister]

Holy ...just saw pics of Edmonton today....it is snowing heavily....they had to cancel the highly anticipated Vancouver Edmonton game. (soccer).

Must suck to live there

Ps It's 21 C here today

Did you think I was kidding when I said it was snowing here?

It's an omen!

It's in Revelations people!

[Valmy]

I just don't think that tax cuts and flat taxes and the answer to Alberta's revenue problem.  I also live in a big city and am not a Christian, which doesn't help.

I thought you were pretending to be one for your wife.

[PRC]

Holy ...just saw pics of Edmonton today....it is snowing heavily....they had to cancel the highly anticipated Vancouver Edmonton game. (soccer).

Must suck to live there

Ps It's 21 C here today

You see... the NDP in Alberta is already fixing global warming in this province.

[Neil]

Are we really so sure that the PCs won't reabsorb the Wildrose?  I can't speak for everyone, but I'd certainly consider voting for a suitably chastised PC party.  The Wildrose?  Never.

What's your beef with Wildrose?

I just don't think that tax cuts and flat taxes and the answer to Alberta's revenue problem.  I also live in a big city and am not a Christian, which doesn't help.

You're right, it doesn't help.

Well not much you can do about living in a big city, but you can always welcome Christ into your life.

Wildrose wasn't promising any tax cuts though.  Just that they wouldn't raise taxes.  And theu got rid of any anti-gay stuff in their platform.

But the taxes were already cut to low.  Thus, I support parties that support tax increases.  I'm willing to pay a little more to close the revenue gap.

Besides, wouldn't the anti-gay stuff have been a draw for me?  I'm always willing to oppose Martinusism.

[Neil]

I just don't think that tax cuts and flat taxes and the answer to Alberta's revenue problem.  I also live in a big city and am not a Christian, which doesn't help.

I thought you were pretending to be one for your wife.

Well, her family.  But they live far away, so the pretending doesn't really take anything from me.

[Josephus]

Holy ...just saw pics of Edmonton today....it is snowing heavily....they had to cancel the highly anticipated Vancouver Edmonton game. (soccer).

Must suck to live there

Ps It's 21 C here today

You see... the NDP in Alberta is already fixing global warming in this province.

[crazy canuck]

So the NDP actually has a shot.

Who knows, but I would think not.

Now Alberta has always been a small-c conservative place, but that doesn't mean it's 100% right wing.  We certainly have our left-wing elements (particularly in Edmonton aka Redmonton back in my Reform Party days).  Whomever is on the left will get some votes, be it the Liberals (currently down) or the NDP (currently up).  But they've never, ever seen significant support outside of Edmonton.

It seems to me there are two types of voter who are disillusioned with the PCs.  The hard right types who cling to the belief that things like a flat tax are good public policy.  Those types will support Wild Rose.  But viewing this from afar it also looks like the core support of the PCs is more moderate.  If not there would have been no need to create a right wing alternative party.  If enough of those moderates can be convinced that the NDP offer better policies than the PCs then this could become a very interesting election. 

The election has some resemblance to the election we had over 20 years ago when the long ruling Social Credit party was destroyed and the NPD took power.



With those percentages if it looks like Wild Rose might win that might convince enough moderate voters who are  might otherwise have voted PC to vote NDP.

I dunno - you guys had a history of electing NDP governments.  Alberta does not.  As I said, the NDP has very little support outside of Edmonton itself.  And the PCs have definitely tacked left under Prentice (what with their platform of major tax hikes and no cuts in spending).  Not sure that gives the NDP a lot of policy space.

Our "history" with the NDP before Social Credit collapsed was that an NDP government was elected for one term in very similar circumstances to what I now see in Alberta.  The coalition of moderate and right wing voters had broken down and the NDP were able to win.  The same thing happened when the Social Credit was finally destroyed. 

You might be right about the PCs occupying NDP policy ground.  But it may be that if given the choice between a PC party they have come to despise and a change to an NDP government they just might give the NDP a chance.  That is what happened here.

Remember BB, its a dark ale.

[Barrister]

You won, fair and square.  I bow to your superior prognosticating abilities. 

[Josephus]

Today's cover of the National Post, made me think of BB

Pic of NDP person riding an orange wave saying "RELAX" to oil patch biz types.

[Barrister]

Mrs B pointed out one possible very negative consequence of an NDP victory.  NDP promised a $15/hr minimum wage.

We just hired a nanny, due to start June 1.  We're paying $11/hr.  I don't think we could afford $15/hr.  Might cause Mrs B to quit her job in order to look after the boys.

[Josephus]

Oh no, you can't afford a nanny. 

sarcasm implied.

[Barrister]

Oh no, you can't afford a nanny. 

sarcasm implied.

Hey man, it would be one less job for Alberta.