One Alberta Voice

I did the quiz at Vote Compass . It was very interesting, although at the same time frustrating. They ask you for your postal code so that things can be tailored to your riding, but the FCP doesn't exist in my riding! (I did later do the calibration In any case, here are my results. You can not get much more centre than I. lol. This explains a lot about why I'm finding it hard to pick a party and candidate. It's also a reminder that I really won't find the ideal party to vote for and I have to be okay with that.   At the same time, this has actually made things harder. Initially, seeing the Liberals be so close to NDP, I though they'd be a natural no. But, there are some important issues to me that I'm more in alignment with them than I am with the Alberta Party. If I go with the Alberta Party, the chances are they aren't going to win, so some of the things that concern me, I probably don't have to worry about. Like mandatory vaccinations: Li...

Instead of doing what I ought to be doing today, I'm getting caught up in learning more about the party platforms. I don't want to throw out the Liberals entirely, so I started with them. But I think I have to throw them out. David Kahn likes to "demand" things--or at least whoever does the write-ups likes to say that he demands things. I really, really dislike that. Then there's the total rejection of increasing the private health care options in the province. And yes, I do mean increasing private health care options. The Liberals seem to be painting it as though it doesn't already exist, but those who have money can get certain health care things (like MRIs) done faster at private locations than those who are on waiting lists. If those who have money can get some more things done elsewhere, I say, let's do it! By removing those people from the waiting lists, those who don't have the money or don't want to spend the money then get their free ...

The NDP called the election. 27 days left until the big day. I find myself unsure of where I will personally put my voting power. There's no such thing as a perfect party, a perfect leader, a perfect MLA. I've only got 4 options in my riding: NDP UCP Liberal Party Alberta Party I know I'm not voting NDP. They have often placed ideology above thinking of the consequences of imposing their ideology. First, Bill 6. That was the big first move on the NDP part. They received a HUGE backlash from the farming community for not actually communicating and talking with them extensively first. The NDP acted like authoritarian parents who "know what's best" and made changes. Except that's not the government's role. The government is supposed to represent the people, not make rules for the people without properly consulting them. It apparently took 2 years of consultation to really get things fleshed out after they announced the Bill, and most on both...

I just received a text message from Ryan of the NDP Caucus. There isn't a Ryan on the NDP Caucus, so you do with that what you will. It was a message that I regretfully deleted. I should have kept it as part of proof of the NDP's sneaky ways in this election pre-season. In any case, it was asking about if I supported the NDP's efforts on the pipeline. My first reaction was: Have they finally called an election? I did a quick search online. No. But they're behaving as though they have. I've seen the one commercial on YouTube and came across this article that I thought I'd share here: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/colby-cosh-notley-hospital-stop-gives-alberta-bitter-preview-of-ndp-government-on-defence Notley was essentially campaigning at a Lethbridge hospital. Even if one might argue it wasn't campaigning, she was there as an NDP member as shown by signs with her and NOT as a representative of the Alberta government and she was there to ad...

This is a blog I never should have dropped. Even if I'd just kept it for my own purposes so I could have an easy reference of the ridiculous decisions and actions the Alberta NDP have made since coming into power. But I didn't. So I need to start with what I have. What caught my eye today was the amazingly, caring, charitable thing they're doing by opening a youth mental health facility. That will cost something like $200 million. Even though the province's deficit this fiscal year is estimated at being over $7 BILLION, with a debt over $50 billion. Yes, that's billions of dollars in both situations. Every time there has been less of an anticipated deficit, more "money available", the NDP have turned around and spent more. While I can give them kudos for doing hiring freezes (although, really, let's be real: there should have been staffing reductions, but, hey, it's the NDP and they feel responsible for everybody having a job) ...

I got The Prentice Plan in the mail today. Talk about propaganda. If you haven't see it, it looks like this: On the inside, the talk about investing in education and healthcare. This from the party that just created a budget where they're capping and cutting in health care and education. I'm at a loss for words.

Here's just one reason the PCs are in the financial state they're in--well, no, let's be fully honest here and say that this is one reason the PCs have gotten Alberta in the financial state its in: After they had promised to freeze salaries, they went and raised salaries for senior government officials , who, let's face it, are already making more than the average Albertan. Deput minister salaries went up by about $20 000. Yes, you read that correctly. Given they already make over $200 000, maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to them, but to the average Albertan, $20 000 is not only huge but could really change things around for people. But this pay freeze seems to have only been targeted at MLAs. Senior government managers were given a lump sum payment, followed by a 2.25% raise for 2014 and a 2.5% increase for this year. Because they're not already making enough? Gary Mar's combined salary and non-cash benefits totalled over half a million dollars....

I will be writing more over the coming weeks and regret to not have kept up with things on this blog--or even paid more attention to what was going on politically. I will say this right now: It's time for the PCs to go. If I'm going to be honest with myself, I have to admit that perhaps another party won't be able to win. Other than the PCs, we Albertans tend to be quite a mixed bag. Ironically, the party that is closest to the PCs in terms of social and economical positions is the Wildrose Party, which people seem to be very afraid to go with. They'll turn to the increasingly socialist Liberal and NDP (okay, they've always been socialist, but their socialism is getting strong hints of communism) parties who are vastly different from the PCs, so should be way out of their comfort zone, but they are names that they know, so in a way, it is their comfort zone. I firmly believe this election was called so soon so that people would have little chance of getting to...

My lack of posting the past couple of years was not for want of some opinions; there has been plenty going on with Redford alone to warrant posting. Which is why, as I come back to this blog (having finally found the email account tied to it *rolleyesatself*), my first thought after the Wildrose-crossing-the-floor mess was: Where is Redford now? To be honest, my online searching has resulted in me having to say: I don't know. Where she could be sometime in the future is dealing with court and repercussions for illegal activities. The most recent news article I could find was this http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alison-redford-could-face-criminal-charges-review-finds-1.2821834 I suspect there will be enough found to press charges, but not knowing enough about the criminal system and what constitutes worthy evidence, I can't do more than suspect. Well, I can hope, too. While her political career is over and her acts have probably closed many doors to her, it ju...

I just watched this video http://on.aol.ca/video/former-alberta-wildrose-leader-urges-other-members-to-join-tories-518565518  . While I understand this decision was not something done on the spur of the moment, I'm still left scratching my head at why the two parties couldn't work together without the Wildrose having to cross the floor? Danielle Smith is asking Wildrose to switch, which really means that she's asking for the party to become defunct. Is that what Alberta needs? (I'm really asking this for myself.) She does make, I feel, a valid point in having conservatives stick together, but do they all need to be in the same party? Is it really that hard for them to work together if Wildrose is the official opposition? Perhaps I'm naïve or just politically too ignorant; I'm willing to consider those possibilities. This still just sits wrong with me.

Well, well, well. I woke up this morning to the radio hosts talking about Danielle Smith having crossed the floor to the PCs, as well as other Wildrose MLAs. They are not the first to do so. Before I get into my specific thoughts about Wildrose's leader and these other MLAs crossing the floor, let me say that within the past few weeks, I actually said to my husband that I like Prentice as our Premier, that he has brought back "conservative" to the PCs and if he keeps going as he is, I would probably vote PC in the next election (assuming he will still be at the reins). Why? Because I really do feel he has brought back the conservative side of the PCs. Redford was not a conservative. Not in the least. I am not the only one to say it and I thought it before I read others' comments to the same effect. Conservatives tend to "conserve", to keep things the same, to stick to old-fashioned principles, making changes when the population in general is wanting ...

Remember the $83 800 trip that Redford and 5 others were taking to the Olympics to promote tourism and industry? Ah... Well... First, it actually cost just those 6 over $87 000. The full cost of the trip was over $500 000 (yes, you read that correctly, over 1/2 million $) because they for some reason paid the way for artists and performers and chef (why a chef? no clue)--all told, 29 people. Not only that, but because they decided to not send another 18 people who were originally slated to go--the 29 alone is questionable given it's all taxpayer money, isn't it?--they saved some money, but could not "get rid" of some of the hotel rooms, supposedly, which means they ended up paying $113 000 for rooms they did not use. Can we do the math for a second here? $113 000 divided by 18 (let's pretend they all get individual rooms, which would be ridiculous imho, but anyhow) is $6277.78. For 5 days. So let's do more math, let's say it's 6 nights: $6...

Another article has passed by me today: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Redford+dismisses+concerns+about+Alberta+budget+woes/7181495/story.html I'm so sick of Redford and the PC government. I recall well before the elections that the budget was criticized by non PCs for being too generous with estimated revenues. And here we go--those criticizing were correct! And then you have this: Redford also defended her government’s controversial decision to report the first-quarter fiscal update in a new format that makes virtually no financial projections, omits capital planning and financial assets, and dramatically reduces the number of raw figures available for public scrutiny. Critics, particularly the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, blasted the move as undemocratic, non-transparent and a violation of the Government Accountability Act. It is so infuriating! To brush things aside like they don't mean anything and then be blatantly non-transparent. I do hop...

There has been so much this summer... Here's some of it, including about the $3 billion deficit : http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/premier+redford+weighs+in+on+summer+of+controversies/6442707420/story.html

I just saw this article: One in Four Canadians Ready to Kick Quebec Out Frankly, it doesn't surprise me. With the on-going protests by students, I've noticed more and more people looking at Quebec as a province that really doesn't know what it's doing, has "spoiled" people and really doesn't have a part in Canada. It's completely unCanadian behaviour. Back when I was in school, we were learning about the then-impending referendum: do we allow Quebec to separate? I was completely against them separating. Even after learning more at the post-secondary level about the deep-seated issues that have led to that desire in their province, I still felt like they should stay. But times change: Consider me now one of those people ready to kick Quebec out. I'm done with them. I could be accused of being one of the English-speaking majority who is done with them, but, guess what? I'm also one of the French-speaking western Canadians, married to a Fr...

I flipped through this week's edition of The Edmonton Examiner and stopped on the editorial. What a surprise (sic) to see another unflattering mention of Deputy Premier Lukaszuk. And the editorial is, in my opinion, absolutely right with what it says. I can't find a link online to it, so here is a rough summary of the part about Lukaszuk: After the landslide that stranded 600 people in the area of Fairmont Hot Springs and I'm not sure what other effects the disaster caused, not long after 4 people died in another landslide, Lukaszuk, in his ever thoughtless way, put on his Facebook page a photo of the landslide with the caption: "Fairmont in Hot Springs has a good deal on rooms today. If a little bit of mud doesn't bother you, book now!!!" When people complained, he removed the post and tweeted: Sorry for my FB post. I’m out of Canada and was not aware of the scope of the situation in B.C. I removed the post. Frankly, it doesn't matter if people d...

It was on the front page of the Edmonton Sun as I walked by it and I decided to have a look online to find out more about it: Redford heading to London at a cost of $83 800. That's a lot of money. I was relieved to find out that it's not just for her: 2 ministers and 3 staff members. Except... 5 days and nearly $84 000? That's $14 000 per person for a 5-day trip! Let's say it's $3000 return (with all the taxes and whatnot) for the flights (and that was one of the more expensive flights), and London's expensive and it's the Olympics and they are government, so let's be generous: the Savoy is about $400 per night, so let's say $500 per night per person with the hotel taxes--if they are staying 6 nights, which can happen with 5-day trips, that's $3000. So, $6000 for flight and accommodation together for one person, leaving $8000 for transportation and food??? Are you kidding me? That's $48 000 for 6 people to eat and get around London for 5...

From an article here http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/LocalNews/Story.aspx?ID=1736498. Lukaszuk has gotten himself another role:  Ministerial Liaison to the Canadian Forces I find myself very puzzled by Redford's decisions with Lukaszuk. Here is a man who has shown clear narcissistic traits, has had problems in various departments (yes, I know people in the know) and yet, she's placing him in positions where he has to deal constantly with others in a reasonable way. Is she clueless? Or is she keeping him too busy in certain types of roles to minimize the problems? I guess time will tell.

I find it very interesting: so many people I know were unhappy with the Conservatives before the election, were reading the news and seeing the nonsense and decided to vote against them. And yet, the PCs still managed to pull off a majority government. I like to believe things happen for a reason or that, at the very least, good things can come out of bad situations. I have hope that, while it may take some time, the good to come out of the current bad will be clear. There has been so much in the news this past week against our latest installment of the PC government that if I had the time to write, there would be at least daily posts. It has not been good news. And we have another 4 years with them. If this is how things are starting off... The thing to get my attention today was the following article by Don Braid from the Calgary Herald: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Braid+Scapegoat+turn+tables+former+Alberta+employers/6719269/story.html The former chief elections officer, Lo...

If only I had more time, I would be writing so much more in this blog right now! What I do want to share is an article about another Alberta PC flip flop. (Makes me think of a fish out of water flipping back and forth--isn't that kind of what's going on here? The PC's are no longer in the safe zone and are trying to save their political lives?) http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Alberta+reverses+stance+publicizing+illegal+donations+political+parties/6704371/story.html Btw, seeing Lukaszuk's picture reminds me of a tweet I saw this morning: It sucks that I have to hear what my MLA tweets through   @ JoeAlbertan   because @ LukaszukMLA   is blocking me.   ‪ # ableg ‬ ‪ # pcaa ‬   ‪ # wrp ‬   ‪ # transparency ‬ https://twitter.com/Sirthinks/status/208048614365339649