[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

Listening to the House on CBC focusing on the Alberta election, it is pretty clear that people in Alberta have their heads in the sand regarding the long term viability of the oil sands. 

[PRC]

Jobs!  Economy!  Pipelines!

[Barrister]

Election day today.

Kind of a frustrating campaign.  Very little discussion of any issues, besides pipelines, which everyone is in favour of.

Notley has based her entire campaign on smearing Kenney and the UCP as being racists and bigots.  Which really is in no way fair.  I really haven't heard her say anything to defend her last 4 years, or make promises for the future.

But Kenney hasn't been all that much better.  Most of his campaign has been running against "the Trudeau-Notley Alliance", which of course isn't a thing.  Notley is a different party (and even then she's pretty out-of-step with her federal party).  And the one thing Kenney is promising is the one thing I think the NDP did which was defensible (carbon tax).

Campaign numbers have narrowed from the start of the campaign, but Kenney is still 9 points up.

[crazy canuck]

In no way fair?  Two candidates had to step down because they had made comments that sure sounded like they were racist bigots.  A third didn't step down and is still in the party.  So how is it "in now way fair?

All that aside, the main weakness in Alberta politics is no one wants to really come to grips with the fact that the oil patch is a sunset industry and if Alberta continues to equal jobs with oil, it is going the way of Newfoundland.  The NDP at least talk about diversifying the economy.  That seems the most sane option available for the long term economic well being of the province.

Another interesting thing to watch is how wrong the pollsters are going to be (one way or the other) this time. 

I really haven't heard her say anything to defend her last 4 years, or make promises for the future.

Must be the crowd you run with.

[Barrister]

In no way fair?  Two candidates had to step down because they had made comments that sure sounded like they were racist bigots.  I third didn't step down and is still in the party.  So how is it "in now way fair?

All that aside, the main weakness in Alberta politics is no one wants to really come to grips with the fact that the oil patch is a sunset industry and if Alberta continues to equal jobs with oil, it is going the way of Newfoundland.  The NDP at least talk about diversifying the economy.  That seems the most sane option available for the long term economic well being of the province.

Another interesting thing to watch is how wrong the pollsters are going to be (one way or the other) this time. 

I really haven't heard her say anything to defend her last 4 years, or make promises for the future.

Must be the crowd you run with.

Good to see you're eager to take up a neutral dispassionate discussion!   And with an ad hom thrown in to boot!

The candidates you are referring to either made years old comments on social media that they apologized for, or one was a preacher who defended traditional christian sexual morality in a sermon 9i.e. not in favour of homosexuality).  None of which had anything to do with them as candidates.

Oil and gas may be a "sunset industry", but that's a very long way off.  And even then we'll still need hydocarbons even if we stop using them for fuel.  And in the meantime oil and gas gives an awful lot of people an awful lot of good paying jobs.

And politicians have talked about "diversifying" the Alberta economy for at least 30 years.  Probably even longer.  Easy to say incredibly hard to do.

Pollsters may not get the numbers wrong, but hard to see the NDP winning.  Apparently even though they're down 9 points in the polls, the election results may be even worse because NDP support is so heavily concentrated in Edmonton.

[crazy canuck]

In no way fair?  Two candidates had to step down because they had made comments that sure sounded like they were racist bigots.  I third didn't step down and is still in the party.  So how is it "in now way fair?

All that aside, the main weakness in Alberta politics is no one wants to really come to grips with the fact that the oil patch is a sunset industry and if Alberta continues to equal jobs with oil, it is going the way of Newfoundland.  The NDP at least talk about diversifying the economy.  That seems the most sane option available for the long term economic well being of the province.

Another interesting thing to watch is how wrong the pollsters are going to be (one way or the other) this time. 

I really haven't heard her say anything to defend her last 4 years, or make promises for the future.

Must be the crowd you run with.

Good to see you're eager to take up a neutral dispassionate discussion!   And with an ad hom thrown in to boot!

Suggesting that Notley didn't talk about the future is simply ridiculous.  Even in BC I heard the promises she was making to diversify the economy.  Rather that make an ad hom attack, I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you really didn't hear those things.  The alternative is not as good for you.

[viper37]

UCP has majority, at least 44 seats to 20 NDP.

[PRC]

Notley has based her entire campaign on smearing Kenney and the UCP as being racists and bigots.  Which really is in no way fair.  I really haven't heard her say anything to defend her last 4 years, or make promises for the future.

That's total nonsense.  It's not a smear campaign to direct quote Kenney and his fellow UCP candidates own comments and their own actions.  That's their character in their own words.

Anyways, the sun will rise tomorrow and I fully expect the price of oil to be up by $20 a barrel. /s.

I have school age children so I'm not looking forward to the cuts in education.

Also expect to see major cuts in Edmonton, that's the NDP base and all that bureaucratic fat to be trimmed. 

[Barrister]

Also expect to see major cuts in Edmonton, that's the NDP base and all that bureaucratic fat to be trimmed.

I live in Edmonton.  I'm a GOA employee.  And I voted UCP.

One of my colleagues was running as a UCP candidate - sorry to see she was defeated.

[Grey Fox]

Expect a reduction in compensation then.

These are sad times for Canada.

[crazy canuck]

Also expect to see major cuts in Edmonton, that's the NDP base and all that bureaucratic fat to be trimmed.

I live in Edmonton.  I'm a GOA employee.  And I voted UCP.

One of my colleagues was running as a UCP candidate - sorry to see she was defeated.

Yes, you are a true believer. When oil prices don't magically increase what will your party do?

[Monoriu]

One of my colleagues was running as a UCP candidate - sorry to see she was defeated.

Huh?  A civil servant being a candidate in an election?  Am I missing something here?

[Oexmelin]

  Am I missing something here?

So, so much.

[Barrister]

One of my colleagues was running as a UCP candidate - sorry to see she was defeated.

Huh?  A civil servant being a candidate in an election?  Am I missing something here?

She (or any civil servant) can run, but is required to take a leave of absence during the writ period.

[Barrister]

Also expect to see major cuts in Edmonton, that's the NDP base and all that bureaucratic fat to be trimmed.

I live in Edmonton.  I'm a GOA employee.  And I voted UCP.

One of my colleagues was running as a UCP candidate - sorry to see she was defeated.

Yes, you are a true believer. When oil prices don't magically increase what will your party do?

No one thinks oil prices are going to magically increase.

But if we can get better access to world markets so that our oil can actually get world prices, and not sell at a substantial discount, plus improve the business climate, we should see improvements in the oil and gas sector.