| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| What will be the result of the Alberta Provincial election? (83 seats up for grabs) |
| Increased PC majority. (61 or more PC seats+) |
|
10% |
[ 3 ] |
| Moderately reduced PC majority (52-60 PC seats) |
|
50% |
[ 15 ] |
| Drastically reduced PC majority (42-51 PC seats) |
|
33% |
[ 10 ] |
| Minority government (And wouldn't the Dippers love that one!) |
|
6% |
[ 2 ] |
| Liberal majority (What?!?!) |
|
0% |
[ 0 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 30 |
|
| Author |
Message |
Sibjyn
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1120
Location: Vancouver
|
 Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 5:08 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| voice of the damned wrote: |
Is this article referring to the same practice?
| Quote: | Virtually all bear hunts in Saskatchewan are baited hunts. Baiting begins as early in the spring as the law allows; by the time the clients show up, the bears will be there, too. These hunts are excellent choices for archery and muzzleloader.
|
|
That's Saskatchewon fer ya! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
al-Qa'bong
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 6039
Location: A monistic vulgarity in which nobility and wisdom have been exchanged for a pale belief in progress
|
| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, well we voted for Grant Devine and Brad Wall, so sometimes things make sense.
| Quote: | | But someone's tender macho pride gets shored up, and that's all that really matters in the end, isn't it? |
That reminds me; while she worked as a camp cook up by Beauval, my Grandma shot a bear who was rooting through the garbage cans.
_________________
"The purpose of government is to protect the weak from the powerful" Hammurabi
"We can't all be Sam the Sham; some of us have to be Pharoahs" Larry, brother of Darrel, and his other brother Daryl |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 11:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Assuming that this 2006 hunting forum is still accurate, bear baiting is allowed in Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Maine, and Michigan(among other places, I'm sure). So it doesn't really seem to follow any particular political pattern.
Then again, I'm wondering if the terminology is consistent throughout these articles. In AQB's original link, the guy seems to have lured the bear to a specific spot in the woods, and then shot the bear right then and there. Whereas from the sounds of it, the term also covers luring large numbers of bears to a general geographical area, to be killed by hunters who show up later on.
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 12:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
Back to the election aftermath...
Climenhaga speculates on Redford's attitude toward helping out the Conservatives next election. Seeing as how Harper and Company pretty much openly backed a nasty campaign against the Alberta Tories.
| Quote: | So now that the dust from the provincial election has settled, whatever the Alberta Progressive Conservatives do officially, you can be sure of one thing: There will be no enthusiasm among the leaders of this obviously still powerful provincial party for helping the Harperites.
No one from either Conservative party is going to say this aloud, of course, but you’ve got to know it will be a factor in the federal election that will likely happen in 2015.
This doesn’t mean the federal Conservatives won’t take the majority of Alberta seats. Enough Albertans just aren’t paying attention that it’s unlikely to change deeply entrenched voting habits out here this go-round, or maybe ever.
But a little mindful Redford Tory neglect could just be enough to push the NDP over the top in a couple of additional urban ridings, sending a sotto voce message to Mr. Harper’s boys in Ottawa that their perfidy was noted, and is remembered.
|
I agree that the Redford Tories will not be gushing at the idea of helping out the Harperites next election. Quite the opposite. But what they would actually do in practice, if it looked like a few seats could be the difference between an oil-friendly Harper regime and a not-so-oil-friendly Mulcair one, is another matter.
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cco
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 716
Location: love of one's country is a terrible thing
|
| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 2:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Personally, I agree with the speculation (forget whose) that Redford has a good chance at succeeding Rae as federal Liberal leader. As a female Albertan who's successfully won an election from the "left" (relatively), they'd be fools to pass her up. Then again, they have been demonstrated to be fools many, many times... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 2:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Personally, I agree with the speculation (forget whose) that Redford has a good chance at succeeding Rae as federal Liberal leader. As a female Albertan who's successfully won an election from the "left" (relatively), they'd be fools to pass her up. |
Yes, if you wanna run for leader of the federal Liberals, there are few things that would look better on your resume than "Single-handedly and against all odds defeated the most ferocious manifestation of right-wing extremism this country has ever seen"(or at least, that's how you sell it to Liberals).
However, if my calculations are correct, her first term won't be done when the next federal election rolls around. And at this point, she seems likely to win again, so I'm not sure if she'd want to give up the premiership for the dicier prospects of leading the current third party in Ottawa.
Ideally(and I admit we're getting a bit ahead of the narrative here, but what the hey), there would still be an opening for Red Tories in the federal party, and she could run as the latest incarnation of her old mentor Joe Clark. But there might not be that kind of ideological space available in the federal Cons anymore.
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cco
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 716
Location: love of one's country is a terrible thing
|
| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 9:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Oh, sorry for being unclear: I'm operating under the assumption Rae takes the leadership this go-round with no or token opposition, loses the next election, and steps down. That'll put the next Liberal leadership convention a few months after the next Alberta election, giving her a good opportunity -- win or lose -- to move on up. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 12:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
Gotcha. Canadian federal politics is kinda blurry to me, and I wasn't thinking about Rae running for the leadership permanently.
But still, I think Liberal fortunes would have to be pretty rosy for Redford to give up what could be(if current trends in Alberta hold) a Lougheed-range tenure in the premier's chair. And the degree of rosiness would depend on how badly Rae was defeated in the hypothetical Liberal rout(ie. the more drastic the defeat, the paler the hue). If the Liberals do a repeat performance of 2011, any politician with serious alternative prospects would probably not want the leadership.
I also doubt that Redford would be able to deliver her home province en masse to the Libs. The Bible Belt doesn't even want her as a Tory, let alone as a federal Liberal. She could probably win some seats in Edmonton(erstwhile home of Landslide Anne), not so much in other regions.
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
The Evil Twin
Stoned Immaculate
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 3746
Location: Toronto
|
| Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 3:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
Personally I think the Liberals are in for a long term decline (as with the British Liberals after the 1920s), so I don't think Redford would make the jump even if they get a slight bump in seats next election. With the NDP under Mulcair effectively becoming a small "l" liberal party (and in fairness to Mulcair, this rightward trend has been apparent for at least two decades) and CPC taking both the centre right and far right, the Liberals have nowhere to go.
The only way I see the the Liberals attracting big name candidates in the future is if either the NDP or CPC implode (not impossible since the Canadian right did it in the 90s). If either of these parties destroys itself, I can see the Liberals moving into the vacated slot and then they can tempt someone like Redford to make the jump. Unless this happens, I expect the Canadian Liberals will meet the fate of the British Liberal party. IOW they will have seats in parliament and be the second choice of both the left and the right, but will slowly become a permanent minority party.
ETA: Boy will I look like an idiot if the Libs win a massive majority in 2015. 
_________________
I can't support bike lanes. Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day. - Assclown Rob Ford |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 6:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Personally I think the Liberals are in for a long term decline (as with the British Liberals after the 1920s), |
Good reference. I've often wondered who, if anyone, would be the Canadian Liberals' David Lloyd George. Chretien had the crusty, "ethnic" persona down, but without the progressive policies or the electoral misfortune.
| Quote: | | ETA: Boy will I look like an idiot if the Libs win a massive majority in 2015. |
I think you'd be forgiven. With the NDP the official opposition, bulwarked in Quebec no less, and the Liberals reduced to third-party status for the first time ever, we're definitely into uncharted territory. Hard to predict what the lay of the land will be next time around.
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 2:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
Alberta Party RIP?
| Quote: | EDMONTON - The only politician to sit in the legislature as a member of the Alberta Party is suggesting the party might need to fold the tent after getting shut out in the recent provincial election.
Former Liberal MLA Dave Taylor, who crossed to the Alberta Party last year but did not run in the April 23 election, posted a blog Friday in which he suggested his party’s mantra had been largely usurped by Premier Alison Redford.
|
| Quote: | “Don’t get me wrong. I like the positive attitude reflected in the Alberta Party’s forward-looking values. It’s just that the Alberta Party’s values are now the Redford PC government’s values. They stand for everything we stand for — and they’re in power. Who needs us?”
|
Umm, yeah. It's taken these guys HOW long to figure out that they were just a duplicate of already existing political factions?
Even if a right-winger like Ted Morton or Danielle Smith had become premier, the AP would still have to deal with being a clone of the Liberals.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Jason Kenney sends out public e-mail calling Thomas Lukaszuk an asshole.
| Quote: | Kenney wrote the invective last Wednesday at 5:02 p.m. in response to an email sent from the office of MP Blaine Calkins, chairman of the federal Conservatives Alberta caucus, who wanted to know if Kenney and other MPs from Alberta would meet with Lukaszuk.
“Honourable Thomas Lukaszuk, deputy premier of Alberta will be in Ottawa on Thursday, June 21st, 2012 and is requesting a lunch or dinner with caucus,” says the email written by Calkins’ legislative assistant at 4:57 p.m. “Mr. Calkins will not be able to host this event as he has prior commitments, but would like to see if there is any caucus member who would be willing to host this event for the deputy premier.”
Kenney shot back a response just five minutes later, but instead of sending it only to Calkins’ office, he inadvertently sent it to everyone in the 26-member federal Alberta caucus, plus assistants: “I say a definite ‘no’ to Lukaszyk. I don’t think it makes sense to create a precedent to do a special caucus meeting for every visiting minister from the provincial government. Plus he is a complete and utter asshole.”
Adding insult to injury, Kenney also managed to misspell Lukaszuk’s name.
|
I'm speculating that the blowback from this might be somewhat muted, since Lukaszuk already seems to be one of the more polarizing figures in Alberta politics. So people might not find it too shocking that he's on the receiving end of an A-bomb.
Still, it's hard not to read the e-mail outside the context of Tory factionalism.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sibjyn
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1120
Location: Vancouver
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
So an asshole calls another asshole an asshole. Must be a slow news day  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cco
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 716
Location: love of one's country is a terrible thing
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Sibjyn wrote: | | So an asshole calls another asshole an asshole. Must be a slow news day |
Well, it is Canada. A year or two ago the headline on CBC Montreal's 6:00 broadcast was "TOO MANY CATS?" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Sibjyn wrote: | | So an asshole calls another asshole an asshole. Must be a slow news day |
A recurring refrain on the comments sections of various newspapers has been "Yeah, well Lukaszuk IS an asshole". Though I guess he did win his seat in the last election, so he must be doing something right(even if it was just being from a different party than Reverend Hunsperger; I don't know how popular he is in his own right.)
Paula Simons on the weird political aftermath...
| Quote: | Meantime, Kenney’s refusal to apologize all afternoon allowed people like Thomas Mulcair, Linda Duncan, Bob Rae and Justin Trudeau to paint themselves as Alberta’s allies in Ottawa. Oh, yes, the ironies have been most delicious.
|
Good entertainment, but all this cross-partisan rallying around the tender feelings of the Castle Downs Brawler likely won't amount to much. I expect the federal Conservatives to sweep Alberta yet again in the next election.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sibjyn
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1120
Location: Vancouver
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| voice of the damned wrote: | A recurring refrain on the comments sections of various newspapers has been "Yeah, well Lukaszuk IS an asshole". Though I guess he did win his seat in the last election, so he must be doing something right(even if it was just being from a different party than Reverend Hunsperger; I don't know how popular he is in his own right.)
|
Lots of assholes are very popular. Donald Trump is one of the biggest assholes going and he's got a top rated tv show! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
The Evil Twin
Stoned Immaculate
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 3746
Location: Toronto
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Sibjyn wrote: |
Lots of assholes are very popular. Donald Trump is one of the biggest assholes going and he's got a top rated tv show! |
True for pretty much any reality "TV star". They're pretty much all vulgar assholes. I never thought I'd admit this, but I actually miss the sitcom era (yeah they were often cheesy, but it was a hell of a lot better than Trump, the Kardashians, the Hiltons and Jersey Shore.
Mind you, I think it would have been hilarious had Trump won the GOP nomination. He could have picked Newt Gingrich as his running mate and they could have ran against Obama on a "Family Values" platform.
_________________
I can't support bike lanes. Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day. - Assclown Rob Ford |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Lots of assholes are very popular. |
Yeah, but usually not with the people who actually refer to them as assholes. If you like a particular blunt-spoken brawler, you say that he's a "straight-talker who's not hung up on the nicetities of genteel decorum"(and substitute "political correctness" for "genteel decorum" if it's a right-winger you're praising). If you don't like him, he's "an asshole who's degrading the civic coversation" or some such.
I generally don't take those kind of complaints too seriously since, as I say, it usually depends on whose ox is being gored.
This latest round of fisticuffs is mostly interesting for what it reveals about the schisms within Con-dom. Climehaga on recent comments by Rob Anderson...
| Quote: | Indeed, he accurately stated, “the provincial wing of the federal Conservative Party is the Wildrose, there is no doubt.”
Maybe it wasn’t wise of him to admit that the Wildrose Party is nothing more than a branch office of the federal Conservatives – increasingly dominated, as the federal branch is, by Mike Harris loyalists and other dead-enders from Ontario. After all, aren’t Albertans supposed to have a maverick streak of Western independent-mindedness?
|
re the federal Cons being Ontario-dominated: that may very well be accurate, though I doubt it plays much role in how your typical Alberta voter perceives the Harper government, much less in how they would interpret Wildrose. Though it is kind of interesting how the Harper party, despite holding almost every seat in Alberta, is now being painted, somewhat successfully, as this alien force, trying to impose its will on Alberta via its Wildrose proxy.
What's even weirder is how the federal/provincial divide lines up with the ideological one. Typically, it's your Ottawa Conservatives who are viewed as being more cosmopolitian, and the provincials who are seen as the reactionaries, eg. Joe Clark was this urbane gentleman-diplomat; Ralph Klein the leader of the pitchfork brigade. That seems to be reversed this time around.
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cartman
Beyond cuddly
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 8635
Location: OMG! They killed Jason Kenney!
|
| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Anyone else find it amusing that the Alberta Election thread contains a typology of assholes? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Slumberjack
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Posts: 918
Location: squelch~~big waves and high smiles from the stomach and intestine of capital.
|
| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Cartman wrote: | | Anyone else find it amusing that the Alberta Election thread contains a typology of assholes? |
I just find their main characteristic is that they stink.
_________________
There is this old notion, Bolshevik, a little frigid for sure; the building of the Party. I think that our present war is about giving new content to this depopulated fiction. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cartman
Beyond cuddly
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 8635
Location: OMG! They killed Jason Kenney!
|
| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
They do stink and Albertans are to blame because they have not done their research. The PCs have been caught taking illegal donations from pretty much every university and several hospital boards. This includes ("I'm going to do things differently") Alison Redford's (aka Mary Poppins) constituency office. All of these institutions know that this is how you do business in Alberta. It really sucks. I would be very surprised if this was not the tip of the corruption iceberg.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2012/03/20/edmonton-co...
| Quote: | Several Alberta post-secondary institutions gave tens of thousands of dollars in illegal donations to the provincial Progressive Conservative party, in one case with the party’s direct knowledge, reveals a CBC News investigation.
Athabasca University, Portage College and Grande Prairie Regional College variously used taxpayers’ money to attend numerous Conservative fundraisers between 2004 and 2011, including dinners and golf tournaments, show documents obtained through Freedom of Information.
“It is pork-barrel politics,” said Athabasca political science professor Jay Smith. “It's a means of buying influence and it is clearly unacceptable.”
It is against the law in Alberta for publicly-funded institutions to make political donations. |
There are many more examples of corruption. The University of Lethbridge was caught doing this as was the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. Then, our new hypocritical premier says she is dedicated to transparency?! Fuck you Redford you lying sack of shit. Oh, and thanks so much for that so-called review of our health care program you promised with a mandate which, at this point, is restricted to staple and paper clip expenditures.
Worst Alberta Premier ever. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Speaking of Tories and donations...
| Quote: | Premier Alison Redford is no slouch in her home riding.
According to individual candidates’ financial documents filed with Elections Alberta and posted online Thursday, Ms. Redford raked in $191,964.87 in her bid for re-election during fundraising events as well as from donations made by individuals and businesses.
That compares to Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, now Official Opposition leader, who raised $57,070 from contributors and at fundraising events
|
| Quote: | Ms. Redford’s reported donors, meanwhile, are a who’s-who of the province’s business community. Those that donated more than $375 include utility giant Atco Ltd. (and its CEO Nancy Southern), Cenovus Energy Inc. (and its CEO Brian Ferguson), Encana Corp., Marathon Oil Canada Corp., Northwest Upgrading Inc., Precision Drilling Corp. (and its CEO Kevin Neveu), Talisman Energy Inc. and Telus Corp.
|
| Quote: | Ms. Smith’s supporters, meanwhile, were mostly developers and real estate companies, rather than big oil. While Encana gave each leader $1,000, Mr. Ferguson of Cenovus gave $1,000 to Ms. Smith and $2,000 to Ms. Redford.
|
Overall party donations to be revealed on Oct. 23.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
You couldn't make this stuff up.
| Quote: | EDMONTON - Alberta's Wildrose Opposition Leader Danielle Smith says it was a mistake for her to tweet that properly cooked tainted meat could feed the homeless.
|
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Raos
volatilis vir
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 5472
Location: Petropolis
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
| ...because she really meant to say that properly cooked homeless could replace the tainted beef? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Vundo Draxon
Leftist-rightie and rightist-leftie
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 1712
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Raos wrote: | | ...because she really meant to say that properly cooked homeless could replace the tainted beef? |
That I think would be a modest proposal.
In all seriousness, I do agree that if waste can be avoided it should be, but she totally fumbled the response and failed to consider all the relevant factors (like, even if the meat was salvageable in the first few days, letting it sit around in unsuitable conditions makes the point moot now). She could have made the same point without taking a mouthful of foot, but she didn't. If anyone has a reason to be angry with her it's the members and supported of the Wildrose. There have been a few times now where I have had to admit that I agree with one of their critics, but haven't had any of those regarding something their leader has said. If she wants to be seen as someone electable as premier she has to do better at gaffeless communication. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | There have been a few times now where I have had to admit that I agree with one of their critics, but haven't had any of those regarding something their leader has said. If she wants to be seen as someone electable as premier she has to do better at gaffeless communication.
|
I could forgive some Joe Blow making the comment, especially if, like Smith, he was just tweeting agreement with someone else's statement, and he wasn't really thinking about the logic of the idea(eg. how are you going to ensure that all the meat is cooked enough to kill off the E. Coli; why is it okay for the poor but not restaurants etc).
But when you're the leader of a party that's already got a rap for being heartless toward the poor, and you can't see that "feed it to the hungry" is going to send off pretty strong Marie Antoinette vibes, well...
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 11:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I'm pretty lukewarm about Malcolm Mayes' cartoon on this.
Mayes is quite good at realistic renderings of peoples' appearance, but at times like this I wish he was better caricaturist. It would be funny to see Smith portrayed as a fast-food mascot(McDani's?), unsuccessfully trying to hawk bucketloads of tainted beef to the poor.
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cartman
Beyond cuddly
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 8635
Location: OMG! They killed Jason Kenney!
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
I think that members of the federal and provincial governments should be forced to eat tainted food products. That would be taking responsibility. Then we will see how much they really desire deregulation and trust these stellar corporations. :ice-cream:
ETA: Make sure to demand that the government deduct the cost of the tainted meat from people's welfare cheques Danielle, otherwise you just look like a left-wing, commie, pinko! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
anne cameron
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 3078
Location: tahsis, british columbia
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
So there's a rumour flying around out here that many of the workers in the plant were "guest workers" from China.
Izzat true?
Seems as if there are a lot of "guest workers" in Canada now; at a time when unemployment seems to be a huge problem.
I find it hard to believe it's impossible for these companies to find Canadians who would be willing to work these jobs. I suspect the companies want the guest workers mainly because they can pay them much cheaper wages.
Or am I becoming overly cynical in my dotage?  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Slumberjack
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Posts: 918
Location: squelch~~big waves and high smiles from the stomach and intestine of capital.
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| anne cameron wrote: | | I find it hard to believe it's impossible for these companies to find Canadians who would be willing to work these jobs. I suspect the companies want the guest workers mainly because they can pay them much cheaper wages. Or am I becoming overly cynical in my dotage? |
Guest workers are employed by the tens of thousands across the country, mostly in the big corporate industries that treat employees like shit, with no benefits and few breaks, such as the meat industry, agriculture, telemarketing, fast food, etc. No problem getting work visas rubber stamped in bulk for those sort of exigencies, but trying to get sponsored family class landed immigrant paperwork sorted out is a two to four year expensive process for the average Canadian, contingent upon all papers being in order to avoid further delays. So not overly, no.
_________________
There is this old notion, Bolshevik, a little frigid for sure; the building of the Party. I think that our present war is about giving new content to this depopulated fiction. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 3:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Coming to the Katz donation story somewhat in media res, I'll start off with the latest statement from his corner...
| Quote: | | EDMONTON - Oilers owner Daryl Katz felt compelled to make thousands of dollars in political donations to the Progressive Conservatives’ election campaign because he worried about the direction of the Wildrose party, a person close to the businessman said Friday. |
| Quote: | “People who think Daryl supported the premier in order to influence the arena deal aren’t giving much credit to either his intelligence or the premier’s considerable integrity,” said the person close to Katz, who asked not to be identified.
“The truth is much simpler: he was very concerned about the direction Wildrose was threatening to take the province and felt compelled to try to do something about it,” he said.
|
Two possible scenarios here...
1. Katz made the donation in hopes of getting the arena, even though the provincial government had already announced in 2011 that there would be no funding for it. And Katz didn't foresee that the eventual revelation of his donation would in any way swing public opinion against him or his arena.
2. Katz really was worried about Wildrose, wasn't thinking about the arena, but didn't foresee that the revelation would look like an attempt to garner government funding.
From where I sit, neither explantion really does much credit to Katz's "intelligence". Now that the donation has gone public, Redford's hands are pretty much tied in regards to any reversal of the funding, even if that was what she wanted to do.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Vundo Draxon
Leftist-rightie and rightist-leftie
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 1712
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 11:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| voice of the damned wrote: |
From where I sit, neither explantion really does much credit to Katz's "intelligence". Now that the donation has gone public, Redford's hands are pretty much tied in regards to any reversal of the funding, even if that was what she wanted to do. |
I suppose it depends on how badly he thinks the Wildrose was going to screw Edmonton. Perhaps he doesn't think he needs any provincial dollars as long as the provincial government isn't actively hampering the ability of the city to engage in major projects. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 11:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Good point. The issue of "backdoor funding" has been raised...
| Quote: | “How can this premier assure Albertans that her government hasn’t been bought and paid for by the highest bidder?” asked Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson.
Premier Alison Redford offered a three-prong response: the PCs followed the campaign contribution rules; there is “no reason to suggest a connection between” Katz’s contribution with talk of funding for the arena; and, finally, “we have clearly said that there will be no direct provincial government funding to any professional sports arena, and that position has not changed in the past 18 months, not will it.”
That had Anderson pouncing on Redford’s use of the words “direct funding.” He raised the possibility the province would provide backdoor financing for the arena through the province’s municipal sustainability initiative. |
I'm not sure of all the details here, but the theory I've heard floated is that Katz was hoping that the Tories, while not earmarking funds for the arena, would nevertheless refrain from putting no-arena conditions on the sustainability funds.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | EDMONTON - Alberta’s chief electoral officer has decided to launch an investigation into the legality of donations made to the Progressive Conservatives by Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz, his family and business associates during the spring election |
| Quote: | NDP Leader Brian Mason was among the most vigorous accusers in question period, linking Katz’s influence and money to a recent decision to increase pharmacists’ fees for giving an injection to $20 from $10.93.
The change was made July 1, about two months after the April 23 election when Katz, his family and executives made their donations.
|
I think possible undue influence over the pharmacy decision will be the only dog that might hunt here. It's the arena that's captured the public imagination, but I don't think much will come from that line of inquiry.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cartman
Beyond cuddly
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 8635
Location: OMG! They killed Jason Kenney!
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
My understanding is that they are supposed to look for illegal donations, but also the appearance of improper behaviour. These donations make the law look like a joke. Also, take a look at the number of illegal donations made to the Alberta PCs from hospital boards and almost every university in the province. This government is corrupt starting from the top. The opposition parties have made these claims loudly and clearly, so Albertans have only themselves to blame for the situation.
Again, I say the opposition parties should change their colours to blue to mess with voters. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
Funny Mayes cartoon
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Also, take a look at the number of illegal donations made to the Alberta PCs from hospital boards and almost every university in the province. |
My guess would be that those illegal donations were actually more serious infractions than whatever Katz did. But, of course, Katz gets more of the public attention, because he's regarded as something aking to a stock-melodrama robber baron.
(Full disclosure: Back when I was in junior-high, Katz's old man kicked me out of his drug store for looking at Penthouse.)
Anyway, this may or may not be significant...
| Quote: | The Alberta Progressive Conservatives may end the tradition of allowing federal Conservative MPs to vote at the provincial party's annual general meeting.
PC party members will vote on the resolution Saturday at this year's AGM in Calgary. If passed, it would remove the voting privileges on provincial party matters automatically enjoyed by federal Conservative MPs.
The resolution reflects a schism that became apparent during last spring's provincial election when some Alberta Conservative MPs supported provincial Wildrose candidates.
|
Possibly just formalizing an estrangement that's already well underway. Still, I don't think the relationship between the federal Conservatives and their Alberta counterparts has ever been this openly antagonistic.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
voice of the damned
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 6139
Location: slandered, libeled
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Coming to this story at the(possible) end of things, Redford has been cleared by the speaker of misleading the house over her alleged conflict-of-interest in awarding the tobacco lawsuit to her ex-husband's firm.
| Quote: | EDMONTON — Alberta’s premier did not mislead the legislature when she answered questions from opposition MLAs about her role in the government’s selection of a legal team to handle a potentially lucrative tobacco litigation contract, Speaker Gene Zwozdesky said Monday.
|
I think the charge of misleading the house was the only part of the controversy that had horsepower, since ex-spouses were not uncluded under the relevant COI legislation(for reasons I can sorta understand).
And Wildrose staged a walkout.
link
_________________
I hear words I never heard in the Bible. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
F.
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 2578
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Guest workers are employed by the tens of thousands across the country, mostly in the big corporate industries that treat employees like shit, with no benefits and few breaks, such as the meat industry, agriculture, telemarketing, fast food, etc |
I don't dispute that the workers are treated like shit, but it has to be said that most seasonal workers in Ontario and Quebec are eligible for OHIP/RAMQ. Not sure how that works in other provinces. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cartman
Beyond cuddly
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 8635
Location: OMG! They killed Jason Kenney!
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Coming to this story at the(possible) end of things, Redford has been cleared by the speaker of misleading the house over her alleged conflict-of-interest in awarding the tobacco lawsuit to her ex-husband's firm. |
Wow, what a shocker. A person she personally appoints said she acted within the law. What's next? Will her sister say the same? Oh yeah, she and the Premier are also involved in another financial scandal. I hope Redford comes from a small family. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
anne cameron
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 3078
Location: tahsis, british columbia
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Yay Doggie, this is almost slimy enough to be unwinding here in the land of Crispy Clarke. Can anybody say "BC Rail scandal"? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cartman
Beyond cuddly
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 8635
Location: OMG! They killed Jason Kenney!
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 3:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
How many corruption scandals must be uncovered before you have a culture of corruption? Alberta, home of third world politics. Same government for over 4 decades and all of the cronies to boot. James Woods should star in a new movie by Oliver Stone about this place. When they do get booted, a lot more is going to be uncovered. I mean, how can we be in such debt with the shitloads of cash rolling through here and adequate services compared to other provinces? And don't tell me it is the transfer payments because that it just not enough.
We might have had a new government if it were not for the Alberta Alliance which scared the hell out of so many people. Anyways, check out the linky for more on the Alberta trough.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/31/elections-alberta-illegal-d... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Voting Centre
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
Front Page
Links
Acceptable Use Policy
Donate
Today's Active Topics