When Danielle Smith and her team met with federal ministers Jonathan Wilkinson and Dominic LeBlanc to discuss energy and climate change measures, there was some talk that Smith may be open to a “reset” of the Alberta-Ottawa relationship.
Unfortunately, some of her cabinet ministers missed the memo.
Take a look at the Alberta government’s statement on the ministers’ meeting to discuss the federal infrastructure spending plan.
The Feds’ Plan
The objective of the Feds’ plan is to invest $180 Billion in infrastructure across Canada over 12 years.
How?
By working with the provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous partners and stakeholders to direct funds into 5 investment streams: public transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure (like affordable housing) trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities.
What’s not to love?
Especially if you’re the Alberta government interested in resetting your relationship with Ottawa.
The Whistler meeting
The meeting was held on June 21, 2023 in Whistler BC. It was co-chaired by the Federal Infrastructure Minister, Dominic LeBlanc and the BC Minster of Transportation and Infrastructure, Rob Fleming.
LeBlanc described the meeting as “a very positive step in making sure that those programs are the right ones for the whole country, that we have long-term, predictable funding and the flexibility to respond to different priorities.”
Fleming said “meetings like this remind us that, while our challenges may differ between provinces, we are united in our desires to build a better future.”
The infrastructure ministers of Ontario and New Brunswick said the meeting had been productive.
What did Alberta’s ministers say?
Alberta’s response
Infrastructure Minister, Peter Guthrie, and Transportation & Economic Corridors Minister, Devin Dreeshen issued a joint statement.
Guthrie said Alberta would continue to advocate for a flexible federal funding plan “to ensure it respects provincial jurisdiction. I suppose if it doesn’t Alberta could invoke the Sovereignty Act to reject the billions on offer.
Guthrie also urged the Feds to reconsider their one-size-fits-all model because it won’t address Alberta’s unique needs; then in the next breath Guthrie acknowledged that the Feds had given assurances to incorporate flexibility into the funding plan. So this is what, a strawman objection?
Dreeshen wanted greater representation on the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Board.
How he expected the Feds to achieve this is a mystery given that the Authority’s 7 to 11 board members are appointed pursuant to the Canada Marine Act which requires:
- 16 municipalities to jointly appoint one director
- the BC government to appoint one director
- Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to jointly appoint one director
- the Feds to appoint one director, and
- the rest are appointed by the Feds on the advice of the port users advisory committee (ie. they’re effectively appointed by the Authority).
The principle that the Feds should respect provincial jurisdiction applies to all provinces, not just Alberta. As such Dreeshen should start negotiating with Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and BC (and BC’s 16 municipalities, as well as the port users advisory committee) to ensure they’re onside before he presses the Feds to interfere with the Authority’s nomination process.
Dreeshen also wants the Feds “to step up and ensure proactive action to stop any labour disruptions that would block gateways that Alberta relies on to get our products to market.”
This one is a puzzler.
The only “labour disruptions” affecting Alberta’s “gateways” that Alberta has the jurisdiction to ask the Feds to interfere with are those within Alberta’s borders—disruptions like the 18 day illegal blockade of the US border at Coutts which resulted in a loss of $220 million in economic activity, for example.
Is Dreeshen actually inviting the Feds to take “proactive action” to prevent a Coutts trucker blockade or anything like it from happening in the future? If so, what specifically would Dreeshen like the Feds do?
And how would the Feds’ actions sit with the UCP MLAs who actively supported the trucker convoy’s blockade at Coutts?
Seriously, did Dreeshen read his quote before he signed off on the joint statement?
Bottom Line
The Guthrie/Dreeshen joint statement misrepresents the federal infrastructure spending plan, it calls upon the Feds to violate the jurisdiction of other provinces and suggests the Alberta government would be okay with the Feds interfering with Alberta’s jurisdiction over its own “gateways” to access markets.
It makes absolutely no sense and serves no purpose other than create the impression that Smith’s government is “standing up” to Ottawa, even when Ottawa is trying to help the provinces, not harm them.
So much for resetting the Alberta-Ottawa relationship.
Susan on the Soapbox 
Thank you Susan!!!
What an embarrassment to be Albertan. You are the consummate investigative columnist and genuinely fair visionary. This is a marvelous blog post!!
We need a constant reference to the list of other opportunities that have been funded by the Feds and at least implied list of the benefits we did not receive in the days of the Harper regime .. our own Alberta elected Conservative representative!
Just my opinion ..
Suffice to say .. thank you and thank heaven for your posting!
Aw Jane, thank you. I had to take a break when I was writing this post to complain to my daughter about how utterly stupid that joint statement was. I mean really, with all the people working for Guthrie and Dreeshen is this the best they could come up with? It made absolutely NO sense.
The ‘burta gov’t once again with “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Slow clap, boys.
Riley, I was talking to a friend from Toronto today. She mention the difficulty of living under DoFo but then acknowledged that Danielle Smith’s government is as bad if not worse.
Susan: Thanks for sharing another great blog. I think Danielle Smith and the UCP want to pick fights, make enemies, and put up walls. The UCP are intent on causing chaos and division, which benefits nobody, and they are also ignoring the major problems they are creating here in Alberta, while using a distraction tactic – look at the federal Liberals. Danielle Smith and the UCP do not know what they are doing. It also has to be noted that the UCP have a slim majority government. They don’t have the trust of all Albertans, and I’m included. Can Danielle Smith and the UCP endure for another four years? We can’t afford the UCP for another four years. I’ll play some more fitting music. This is a very country music influenced song from The Marshall Tucker Band. It was written by band member, Toy Caldwell. The song is Can’t You See. This was released in 1973. I have this in my music collection.
Thanks Dwayne for this wonderful piece. Was that a flute I heard in amongst the twangy guitars?
If only we could get on a freight train and leave that woman behind!
I was just thinking about your music collect, it must be huge!
Susan: That is a flute. Jerry Eubanks played flute, saxophone, and keyboards in the Marshall Tucker Band.
when I was in my teenage years Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull was my favorite. Still enjoy listening to them.
Susan: Here is my second song pick. This is Peter Frampton covering the George Harrison composition, that he did when he was in The Beatles, called While My Guitar Gently Weeps. This was released in 2003. I saw Peter Frampton live, and he is in my music collection. An amazing song, and very fitting.
The late Canadian guitar virtuoso Jeff Healey also did an excellent cover of that song that still gets a lot of airplay on commercial radio …
It’s an amazingly simple song but so well done. Now I have to find the cover jerrymacgp suggested to compare.
Thanks Dwayne.
Here you go …
Maybe the Smith gov’t is so focussed on oil and gas that they just haven’t given much thought to other issues that they need to talk with the feds about. I doubt that some of them think much anyway and I hope they listen to the public servants who have a grasp on the issues.
Valerie, I’m with you on that. I really hope the UCP government listens to its public servants. Although given the Hinshaw/Tailfeathers debacle there appears to be nothing too small for government interference.
Susan: Here is my final music selection. This is a Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and Al Jackson Jr. composition, from Booker T & The MGs, called Time Is Tight. It was released in 1969. I did see Booker T. Jones live and met him. This is also in my music collection.
Dwayne, this was delightful. I looked up Donald “Duck” Dunn (I was intrigued by his nickname. I couldn’t find out where he got it, b ut I did learn that Dunn was a self taught bassist and he started by playing along with records, filling in what he thought should be there. I thought that was cool.
PS I’m not surprised you’ve seen Booker T live. As far as I can tell you’ve seen 90% of all the greats!
Susan: The nickname was given by his father, because when he was a kid, they were watching a Mickey Mouse cartoon, and Donald Duck came on. In 2012, I attended the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede, and I saw a clown walking around on the fairgrounds playing a cowbell. I right away knew what he was playing. I asked him if he was paying tribute to Donald “Duck” Dunn, with the Booker T & The MG’s composition, Soul Limbo? He replied, “You got it!”
Dwayne do you work with music for a living or this is just a passion?
Maybe the Smith gov’t is so focussed on oil and gas that they just haven’t given much thought to other issues that they need to talk with the feds about. I doubt that some of them think much anyway and I hope they listen to the public servants who have a grasp on the issues.
Ha I emailed my comment then realised I had meant to post this comment on the blog. Oops.
Valerie, you made me smile. In any event your comment appeared twice so you can see it got through!
Kakistocracy, idiocracy…
Getting elected because you wave a F*ck Turdo flag and grunt “fReEdUm” from inside a blue wrapper was all the qualifications demanded by the Cherokee Dan crew.
The intellectual vacancy and lack of expertise in the blue ripple virtually guarantees grief, austerity and failure.
Expect shameless blaming of everyone from the homeless to the WEF and every Q-anon fantasy inbetween to be the reason that the UCP absolute failures as thinking human beings fail to deliver over and over and over again.
Let us learn to survive on UCP word salad as it is all they can deliver.
‘Let us learn to survive on UCP word salad as it is all they can deliver.’
We have famous phrases created by the readers of this blog – I think this one should be one of them 🙂 🙂
Love it
lungta mtn: like Carlos I enjoyed your post.
While it’s exhausting for us to try to keep up with the UCP’s affronts to democracy and the rule of law, can you imagine what it’s like for the NDP MLAs who are subjected to this level of incompetence in the House and on committees day in and day out. .
Hi Ms Wright:
If only, it were possible that the great premier E. C. Manning were
alive today.
Not his junk son Stephen, but, him.
“E.C.” may have made a few mistakes, not saying he was pluperfect, but,
at least he made Alberta great at the same time keeping the canoe stable
with Ottawa.
Ms Smith should be called “Lurch”, she lurches from one stupidity to the
next.
AND.
There are so many, many brilliant women, as I have said before that make
her such a perceived sad example of women-n-to women in Alberta.
Gord-Petrboro
Gord, “lurch” is a good moniker for Danielle Smith.
The other one that’s often used is flip-flop like the footwear. A comment on how Smith changes her position on a topic from one day to the next. In the old days, being labelled a flip-flopper would be the death of a politician, but the conservatives’ standards are so low that rather than oust her, they let her get away with it.
‘but the conservatives’ standards are so low that rather than oust her, they let her get away with it.’
This is the real problem. Suddenly we have people looking after our assets and the whole province that cannot see the difference between real and absurd. This Hinshaw case is just the best example of what is going on. The freedom fighters do not even understand democratic freedom. In fact they do not seem to understand much.
Hi:
Just talked to a friend earlier today.
She began English 1st for the new immigrants at our local community
college………she likes, but, got off to a bad start in Sept. she told.
She noticed that the students had no clue as to hold a pencil, or, what
the eraser on the end did, nor were they able to copy a sentence from a
basics Grade One
textbook.
In any event, she was explaining the course and that included “cursive
writing”.
At the end of the first day, two of the B I G H E A D H O N C H OS
came in said that one of the immigrants complained that he was going to
be taught swear words by her.
All was cool with the explanation.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
He was transferred out her class, thankfully.
Yah’d think these folks would not cause trouble……when they do send
them home…….ASAP……..even a cargo plane would do.
We just need people who wish to do something for this country and not
cause trouble.
Gord, it sounds to me like a simple misunderstanding. The word “cursive” probably sounded like the word “curse” to the student who was unfamiliar with the English language.
Also I’m not sure what you mean by causing trouble. Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and our criminal justice system applies to everyone, including non-Canadians, within our borders.
I think we need to find balance and tolerance as we move ahead into an uncertain future.
Hi “Susan /Ms Wright::
Yes, a misunderstanding and in any other case, funny.
But, the chap who complained wanted the teacher fired.. I was going only
with the funny misunderstanding.
That I didn’t mention.
“Causing trouble” goes back to the days of the Civil Rights movement and
we Canadian church kids were slightly involved in it.
A speaker for Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King, was the speaker in
Buffalo….we wnt to the summer of 1966.
[It eventually, blew up the next year into a race riot in
Buffalo………some folks were N O T listening obviously.]
_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_Buffalo_riot
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/1967riots.html__
_He warned A L L of us not to cause trouble, or, it C O U L D give
the rednecks just cause to “I tolt you so”.
So.
I have carried that with me all 60-whatever years.
I welcome A N Y immigrant, even if he is 4-foot tall and has purple skin.
So long as he and his family makes a decent life here, doesn’t complain
but, just continues with a decent life of some sort, I W I L L N O
T complain.
They ARE most welcome.
Then there are the “Island Gangs”, kids perpetuating the hatred from
their Islands in Toronto, or wherever, and, other groups carrying on
their hatreds.
This does N O T H I N G to help defuse racism.
It only keeps it going.
Send these kids back to wherever and let them go at each other back
wherever.
The rest of us, do not understand the complexities of their hatred, and,
DO we R E A L L Y need to know ?
AND.
Yes, there are a half-billion other reasons for racism, I get that too,
and, let’s not get into a fifty hour conversation over the causes.
B U T.
Kids today who are screaming “RACISM” over some slight like this chap
did, D O N O T K N O W what “racism” is…only a vague concept.
The kids today have N O T been beaten with bicycle chains, or 40-inch
black walnut nightsticks, had wolf-dogs chewing their arm or leg, just
because they are black or brown or…… purple maybe ?
The kids today have N O T been kicked out of a restaurant or a theater
or wherever, just because they are black or brown or…… purple maybe ?
The kids today have N O T been forced to use separate toilet
facilities or wherever, just because they are black or brown or……
purple maybe ?
The kids today have N O T been forced to N O T walk or talk to “white
folks” or wherever, just because they are black or brown or…… purple
maybe ?
N O W T H A T I S R A C I S M, Ms Wright.
Only a very short list of what “RACISM” is.
I will still hold to what I heard and was warned about 60-whatever years
ago.
I just want A N Y O N E causing trouble out, and, let the decent
honest people coming in, or, already here be our B E S T C A N A D I A
N S.
We have a splendid lot here in Peterborough, who have really, really,
done a lot for Peterborough in large and small ways.
Those I cheer !!!
Have a grrrrrrrrrrreat week, and, stay safe.
Kindly.
Gord
BTW: The “anti-Chinese attitude” in the west can be partly blamed on the
Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885.
Andrew Onderdonk brought in Chinese laborers to help build
the railway’s right of way from what is now Vancouver east towards Calgary.
He had been told that there were excellent bilingual Chinese
gents in the USA whose families had been part of the American
transcontinental rail line.
These he hired as foremen A N D civil engineers to help
build the line.
Then through the British Embassy in Hong Kong was in touch
with several hiring agency companies, and, he hired men…through these
agents on the
recommendations of the British Embassy, and, some of the
American Chinese civil engineers.
The Chinese men brought over, were decently paid, fed,
clothed, medical and dental care, and, given provisions to build their
own dormitories……Onderdonk was fairly progressive and
liberalfor his time.
[A bungling, incompetent, company, copied Onderdonk insofar
as hiring Chinese, but, mistreated them, and they are the ones who got
blown up….SAD.]
In any event.
Once the line was built, Onderdonk went to Seattle and began
sending these Chinese men home to China.
But, in his absence A N D over T HE M O S T S T R E N U
O U S objections by his brother John Remsen Onderdonk, the C.P.R. showed
up one
day with a length of boxcars.
A couple of NWMP officers came out of the second caboose
along with a bunch of really ugly toughs who were supposedly “C.P.R.
police”.
The Chinese men were summarily tossed into the boxcars with
their bundle of belongings, not tooooo unlike the “Holocaust trains”,
and, once the
boxcars were full, the train headed east.
Randomly, the Chinese workers were tossed out at any “tent
city” along the line from Calgary to Winnipeg and anywhere north….that
the C.P.R. had a line.
This explains the early diaspora of the Chinese across the
Prairies.
Those Chinese workers who managed to escape this
“deportation”, fled north and south from the Onderdonk Construction site.
The only Chinese men that did not get “deported” were the
bilingual supervisors and, civil engineers who peacefully returned to
wherever in the USA>
The information was given to me by my late uncle Rev. Clarence Legge who
had been a pre-WW-2 missionary in China and later in Canada and USA.
It was confirmed by an Onderdonk descendant.
Dear Ms Wright:
I have sent this letter to the editors of the Calgary Herald, and, will
send to the editors in Edmonton too.
Its the same as I wrote to you, and, will see if it gets published.
Have a great safe week.
Kindly.
Gord
Attention: Editors Calgary Herald RE: Smith’s energy complaints
Gord: I think it’s a great idea to send letters to the editor. Hearing from the public is one way for the editors to figure out what stories are hitting the mark and which ones they should investigate further. Sometimes when politicians get bad press they step back to rethink their policies. If I could I’d send as many letters as I could to the newspapers and to the politicians themselves. A former MLA told me that one way to get the attention of a politician is to send him/her a letter that starts with “I am one of your constituents and I’m very concerned about …” The first thing the politician registers is that they’ve got a disgruntled constituent on their hands and for every one who takes the time to write a letter, there are 10 more just like them in their riding. At the end of the day it’s all about getting re-elected.
Hi:
But did it get published ? Maybe they agree with Danny Girl ?Gord
Gord, I think sending letters to editors is a good thing even if it’s not published. It alerts the papers to what’s really on the public’s mind. It helps them see what really matters to the people, not just to the politicians. I’m glad you sent it.
Did it get published ???
Hope so.
Folks in AB need to read it.
Peter and Dev need to have their comprehension and literacy skills checked. Either that or they need an interpreter to explain what went on at the meeting. They seem to speak Daniellespeak. They should spend more time learning their jobs instead of learning to ramble on like their dodo boss.
Sharon I so much agree with you but they speak Daniellespeak only because they have none of their own. That is why they are there. They are like trained parrots to repeat Danielle’s amazingly smart thoughts. We all know what they are, like 60% of us are Nazis because we got vaccinated!!!
The brilliance of this government is just not describable. It is beyond words.
Carlos, just have to say that as per the Alberta governments own statistics over 90% of ALL Albertans aged 12 or older have received at least one (1) Covid vaccination. Over 80% have received 2. So I guess most of Alberta are Nazi supporters…… Naturally Against Zany Idiocy like Smith & crew:)
Sharon and Carlos: given how scrambled this joint statement was, I’m not surprised the Ethics Commissioner told the Smith government that they all had to receive training on how government in Canada worked. This is like telling an airline pilot he needs a crash course on aviation when he’s 30,000 feet in the air. Utterly appalling.
LOL we laugh but this is not good for us and we will fall back even more than where we are.
Another 4 years of this madness is a scary thought. What is it that these people want to stand to Ottawa about? They cannot even say it out loud because it is so absurd only them comprehend it. I am not even sure they know themselves. Every time one of these MLAs talks on Radio it sounds embarrassing.
This is going to be a sad and frustrating time for at least 50% of Albertans who thanks to our pseudo democracy have no voice at all. So is this the so called majorities that so many of us seem to like?
I personally would prefer to see the Progressive side have 40% influence by taking 40% of the ministries. This winner takes all approach to politics is outdated and is causing the political crisis we are going through.
Carlos, earlier today I was talking to a Toronto friend about their municipal election. She mentioned that one of the candidates ran on the “rescue Toronto” platform. Her question was: rescue Toronto from what?
It’s the same garbage that all these conservatives come up with. When they run out of good policies they fall back on the breathless “OMG it’s broken, only I can fix it!!!” line. For some reason people fall for it, over and over again.
PS I agree with you that the first past the post system has not served any of us well.
“It makes absolutely no sense and serves no purpose other than create the impression that Smith’s government is “standing up” to Ottawa, even when Ottawa is trying to help the provinces, not harm them.”
Susan, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a continuation of the dog whistling to their base (because f**k Trudeau and freedumb). None of it has to make sense or be true. It doesn’t have to problem solve or find common ground or be appreciative. It just has to repeat the spin and keep the base riled. That’s what populist governments/politicians do – and this is who the UCP are. I find them so unprofessional and crass.
You’re right, Comment. A good chunk of this is for show, but it also impedes our efforts to make progress.
Take for example the fact that the UCP continues to frame the debate over green policies as the Feds trying to control Alberta’s natural resources. The UCP argues that the province has jurisdiction over natural resources, which is correct, however if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Supreme Court’s decision on the carbon “tax” it’s that the Feds have jurisdiction over the mitigation of climate change.
It’s difficult to have a serious conversation about how the provincial and federal governments can work together to achieve the limits Canada agreed to in the Paris Accord when the UCP is trying to convince Albertans that the Feds are operating outside their jurisdiction.
And passing that stupid Sovereignty Act (Ottawa is hurting you, I will save you) exacerbated the polarization.
Exactly. They don’t have to try very hard to convince their base. Actually, not at all. I’m not sure if the UCP believes their own rhetoric or if they know they’re posturing, but I know that it works. Many people in my riding hate Trudeau, don’t really believe in climate change, and think the Feds are anti oil/anti Alberta. So when Smith or other MLAs say these things, it is the same narrative as the people who elect them. They are speaking directly to their base and validating them. There is little negotiating progress to be made unless it’s being done behind closed doors and out of the public eye (they have to save face). Rural Alberta is a bizarre place. This is why it is vital that the media (especially mainstream) and bloggers such as yourself keep reporting the facts and counteract the lies and spins and bs. Maybe by the next election, the facts will have opened the eyes of enough rural voters to make a difference in the polls.
Fighting with Ottawa about everything is not a good strategy and is just a sign of rigid belligerence.
First, if Ottawa is offering money, it is probably best to take it. Second, some things are not easy to change particularly if they involve or impinge on the powers of other jurisdictions. So, I suppose Alberta can ask for more representatives on the Vancouver Port Authority, but it might be a bit delusional to seriously expect to get this.
Third, the provincial election is over so hopefully some of the overwraught grandstanding of the last several months can end. Obviously there will be disagreements, but there will also be areas where we can work together with Ottawa on. The more we try to be constructive, the more there will be. Perhaps some ministers just did not get the memo yet.
Dave, I liked your points, particularly the last one that the election is over and it’s time to stop grandstanding and get on with governing. That means doing your best to serve all Albertans well.
I think back on my time working in the private sector. I had to work with people within the company and people outside of the company to get the job done. I certainly didn’t like every last one of them but as we all know a professional puts aside their feelings to get the job done.
The same holds true in government. That should be put into a memo and sent out to every politician in the land.
Susan, I don’t think the newly elected UCP MLA’s actually WANT to ‘stop grandstanding and get on with governing’. Because that would be like, hard & mean they would actually have to work. Instead of just kicking back, mouthing a few words now & then to reassure their base they are still on the ‘right’ side & collecting their generous MLA salaries, benefits etc. Time to buckle down shortly before the next election comes up so they can say they will do better next time. Seems to work!
Linda, you may well be right. Those backed by TBA would quickly lose their support if they did. A recent opinion piece by Don Braid quoted the TBA CFO (who’s stepping down) who said he was concerned Danielle Smith was becoming too “centrist”. .
Dave, I agree completely. But it reminds me of that lackluster weird handshake Smith gave Trudeau awhile back. She should be professional enough to work constructively with the Feds, but I don’t think she is capable. She also has her own agenda. And her base has no problem with that. The hatred for Trudeau/Ottawa/the Feds runs deep in many parts of rural AB. Freedumb, covid, anti vax, and TBA has compounded it.
I wonder if their bafflegab about “step[ping] up and ensure proactive action to stop any labour disruptions that would block gateways that Alberta relies on to get our products to market” is related to the possibility of strike action by cargo loaders at the Port of Vancouver? Given their deep dislike of unions and disrespect for free collective bargaining, this seems the most reasonable interpretation of this language.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-port-cargo-loaders-strike-1.6874169
jerrymacgp: Yes, I considered that scenario and decided to take the joint statement at face value. I started with Guthrie’s premise that Feds should respect provincial jurisdiction, that led to the conclusion that Dreeshen must be referring to “gateways” within Alberta because Alberta should also respect the provincial jurisdiction of other provinces. .
Now if we don’t take the joint statement at face value, then we can make the assumption that Dreeshen was asking the Feds to step into the middle of a labour negotiation between the cargo loaders who are represented b the ILWU and the 49 waterfront employers who are represented by the BC Maritime Employers Association.
Things got a little foggy here because the ILWU represents workers at federal, provincial and municipal sites and it was unclear to me which level of government was involved.
I decided this was too much detail to put into the main body of the blog, but I was hoping someone would raise it as you did. So thank you!
I have to confess I really wasn’t paying all that much attention to this issue, but one of the political podcasts I listen to ran an ad about the negotiations, & although I skipped through most of it, I heard enough to know something was up out there so I Googled it. Fortunately, Google hasn’t — yet — cut off user access to Canadian mainstream news sites over Bill C-18.
Alberta just wants to be treated the same way as Quebec is.
Big Mike, the Guthrie/Dreeshen joint statement said the opposite: Alberta made it clear it does not want to be treated the same as Quebec or anyone else for that matter. Guthrie warned the Feds not to use a cookie cutter/one-size-fits-all approach and when LeBlanc assured the provinces the federal program would be flexible, Guthrie said he was going to hold LeBlanc to that promise.
Mike – that is fine but then behave like adults instead of like conspiracy theorists.
By insulting the Prime Minister and the Federal Government will certainly take us nowhere.
The new payments to the provinces formula was actually changed when Harper and Jason Kenney were in government. So if the formula is not right it is not Justin Trudeau’s fault.
Now I understand Conservatives do not care with facts anymore but the rest of us still do.
Sigh.
More blather and smoke from the shallowest end of the UCP ministry gene pool. Brings to mind the Wouk’s description of the verse posted to the captains door of USS Caine
“When uncertain, or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.”
🙂 🙂
Lee, I love it. Very apt!
I hope this does not duplicate
While the UCP spends time and resources trying to stand up to the Federal Government and force on us their conspiracy theories and revenging on people like Hinshaw, important issues, are left to someone who cares.
Just a couple of examples that we ignore hoping that they resolve by themselves. The usual attitude. The same issues resurface a few years later twice as complex.
First is the almost full acceptance of cheap labour anywhere in the world – companies continue to lobby the immigration minister to allow as many cheap labour as possible to do two things. First they will compete with Canadian residents and lower the minimum wage which Conservatives just love to hear. Where these people will live or raise their families is none of their concern. The moto is the cheaper the better. At IT level thousands of jobs have gone to other countries and no longer exist here. They continue to price the projects at Canadian costs but use much cheaper labour, pocketing the difference. Very nice for companies of course and when anyone complains because the level of service is now basically staying on the phone waiting 1 hour to talk to a human, they ignore you, just like they did with the airline companies. It took almost fistfight at the counters to get the attention of those responsible to do anything about it. This is what happens in the third world remember?
Second the obvious race to automation without any regulations. I just witnessed for the first time in Edmonton a store that took away the payment machines from the human cashiers so that people get forced to use the automated machines.
We all know that technology has a free pass in our societies and no one is even talking about it except, incredibly, by those who work and are creators of AI.
All of the predictions of the need for 3 million programmers in Canada will be down the drain soon. Next will start affecting the rich class and only then the governments will think about it. In the not too distant future we will need a third of the lawyers, programmers, accountants…..(you name it).
Our government is way more interested in destroying Ottawa. I doubt anyone in the UCP caucus can even have a decent conversation about any of these issues.
They prefer to allow these big businesses to ravage our societies without any questions and close their eyes at a cost of course.
I am not against any technological progress but as a civilized society or intending to be one, it is time to realize that is the role of governments. That is why humans have brains. But like we did for the cod fish and soon salmon we prefer to collapse it first and then react, invariably too late. Tailing Ponds anyone? Old oil wells? Well the UCP is too busy trying to figure out how to deal with feces smell coming from the transgender community.
Well said Carlos! I suspect that the real issues you’ve outlined are way about our UCp led government’s intellectual capacity. Let’s not forget that UCP MLA-elect Jason Stephan missed being sworn in because (a) he was on vacation with his son and daughter-in-law, (b) the vacation had been planned two months ago, and (c) Alberta’s fixed election date is May 29.
So did he think he wasn’t going to be elected or did he simply fail to understand the necessity of being sworn in BEFORE he could carry out any of his MLA duties?
No understanding, no respect.
This is why the entire UCP caucus (including Danielle Smith) needs a crash course on governing in Canada.
I agree but even before that I would very strongly suggest some good classes on ethical, honest and respectful behaviour.
Susan: once again a stellar analysis of the idiocy of our UCP elected representatives. As pointed out by others, the words spoken are merely gestures to assure their base that they are ‘standing up’ to Ottawa. Heaven forbid they actually do something useful, like presenting a well thought out plan of action to ensure that those promised Federal dollars are spent to benefit all Albertans.
Thanks Linda. Equally troubling is Smith’s complete lack of understanding of how this country’s institutions work.
Recently she said she would not re-litigate the carbon tax case at the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) because the SCC does not like to hear the same case twice and we’d have to wait 10 years to bring the case back. This is wrong.
The SCC never hears the same case twice. Once it’s made its decision on a particular case, that’s it.
However, the Court may, at some point down the road hear a different case that raises similar issues to the first case and come to a different decision.
In 1993 the SCC ruled that Sue Rodriguez who was suffering from ALS could not avail herself of medically assisted suicide. However in 2015 in the Carter case the SCC ruled medically assisted suicide was available to terminally ill people under certain circumstances.
Former chief justice Beverley McLachlin was on the SCC bench and heard both cases. She said the Charter arguments and the changing views of society caused her to reconsider her original position and she now believed that assisting someone to commit suicide (under certain conditions) should no longer be a criminal offence.
Contrary to what Danielle Smith may believe, the SCC didn’t hear the “same” case and it wasn’t the passage of time (22 years) that resulted in a different decision.
This level of ignorance would be shocking but for the fact we’re talking about Danielle Smith who believed she could grant amnesty to those who violated covid-related health restrictions, etc.
I live in Calgary Heritage where a Federal By-election is to be held on July 24 to replace the vacancy created when the Conservative MP resigned In December 2022.
There are candidates on the slate from the 3 main parties, Conservative, Liberal and NDP. This is democracy in action. The campaign is strong to unseat the typical voting pattern. Talk about resetting Alberta Ottawa relations! This By-election creates an opportunity to raise voices from the left of centre parties to speak to issues beyond the rhetoric for this key constituency. Policy issues with solutions rather than the blame game are needed. The Liberal candidate’s slogan is HOPE and HARD WORK.
Amen to that Susan!
Amplifies the very low talent pool ucp has.