When someone tells you Danielle Smith is a shrewd politician remind them of how she botched the APP consultation process.
Last week, the Dinning panel wrapped up the last of its five telephone townhalls. When pressed by the NDP to explain why the UCP refused to hold in-person townhalls to get Albertans’ views about leaving the CPP Smith replied that her government has had its “conversation” with Albertans and it was now “looking forward” to the federal government’s opinion on what the asset withdrawal number should be.
This from a premier who categorically rejects the federal government’s opinion (even before it is made into law) on everything from climate change targets to covid policy and is so incensed by the federal government’s intrusion (real or imagined) into Alberta’s jurisdiction that it’s passed sovereignty legislation that purports to allow Alberta to ignore any federal laws it doesn’t like.
Never mind, when it comes to the APP Smith is prepared to wait meekly for the feds to chime in.
Why the change in demeanor?
Perhaps the Finance Minister’s comments* in the House provide a clue.
The cold hard facts
So far the government has done three things in support of its APP plan.
It created a survey that did not allow Albertans to choose to stay with CPP. It’s spending $7.5 million in advertising to convince Albertans the APP is a good idea and it’s engaged in (limited) public consultation.
The Finance Minister described this consultation as follows:
- Five telephone townhall meetings that were attended by 76,825 Albertans, of which about 150 had a chance to discuss their opinions live or hear their comments read out live, and
- 3,745 individual comments, including questions, suggestions, and feedback, both online and on the phone
That’s nice, but what did these people say?
The NDP consultation process
The NDP on the other hand sent out a pension survey which gave Albertans the choice of staying with the CPP or moving to the APP and an overwhelming majority of the 37,000 individual responses said they wanted to stay with CPP.
Furthermore, the NDP is prepared to accommodate Albertans’ desire for in-person townhalls. They’ve scheduled six in-person townhalls—the one in Edmonton was attended by almost 500 people—and they’re planning to schedule more.
So this is where the “shrewd politician” characterization comes in.
If Smith was truly a shrewd politician, she would have listened to the polls which have consistently shown that the majority of Albertans do not want to leave the CPP.
Furthermore, if she felt she had to go ahead to appease members of her base, she would not have engaged in a sham consultation which opened the door to the NDP embarking on a real face-to-face consultation that allows them to demonstrate that they, unlike Smith and the UCP, are truly interested in Albertans’ feedback.
We value your feedback
But wait, Albertans still have an opportunity to provide feedback to the government.
The government has created a “workbook” which sets out background information and a series of questions Albertans can consider in providing their input into the “potential creation” of an APP. The deadline for sending the completed “workbook” back to the government is Feb 28, 2024.
Gosh, I don’t know.
We can fill out a “workbook” or we can attend an NDP hosted face-to-face townhall to discuss leaving the CPP.
Which do you think is a sincere effort to gather our feedback?
And which do you think will reflect more favourably on the political parties when the next election rolls around?
Well done, NDP. Well done.
*Hansard Nov 23, 2023, p. 234
Susan on the Soapbox 
Now a WORKBOOK??? Did the survey not have enough irrelevant questions??? I only need ONE QUESTION! Do I want an APP? The answer is NO! But here’s a relevant question to ask. Do I want Danielle Smith to resign? YES!
Barbara Downes: Does this wurkbuk, by the UCP come with krayons? Whad if there is kofe stanes on it? Wil the UCP regect it? The UCP have a mind of a six year old.
Barbara and Dwayne, You two made me smile. Which is a good thing given how depressing this entire “consultation” process has been.
Sham process, filled with doo doo data, by a government afraid to invite for public input, enriching the lives of only a former minister and his minions… the ups way.
Don: I couldn’t agree with you more. And this so-called process comes on the heels of her election promise that nobody is going to touch anyone’s pension. In a true bizarro moment, Smith accused the NDP in the Legislature of scaremongering during the election when they warned that Smith was coming after our pensions, Smith made this accusation this fall, after she started the consultation under which she hopes to call a referendum to come after our pensions. It’s nuts.
Don: I 100% agree. And I’d add not only “enriching the lives” of former ministers and minions, but feeding their egos as well. Pathetic but deeply worrisome. .
What shocks me, in spite of record-breaking international and local fires, floods, droughts and hurricanes, the UCPs absolutely block any effort at mitigation of these disasters that threaten life on earth; and furthermore, promote mining and drilling that increases the threats to humanity. Do we passively accept these designs? So worrisome!
David I too am baffled, although quite a while ago I read a piece (which unfortunately I can’t find now) that said Harper believed that God would never allow this planet to be destroyed, so there is nothing to worry about. It reminds me of something I saw on a reality TV show where a truly odious contestant said it was OK for him to cheat because “God made me this way.” What???
Some people march to different drummers, others are guided by different gods; metaphors and myths can alleviate personal responsibility.
David, this is true. I just wish they’d march somewhere else.
David, you asked whether we should passively accept these designs, like you I think the answer is no. We will continue to fight them across the board. It’s exhausting but it must be done.
Susan: Thanks for sharing another great blog. WordPress is giving me issues, so I’ll try again. After the UCP had their very costly, and one sided Fair Deal Panel created, one of its mandates was to look into the viability of an Alberta Provincial Pension Plan. The UCP commissioned people to do a study on the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan, and the results had concluded that it was a very bad idea. I recall hearing from somewhere that the UCP wouldn’t release the findings of this study to the public, out of embarrassment for them, and it not fitting their narrative. It was only through FOIP, or by another process, that people were able to access the findings of the study. The UCP in an undemocratic fashion, had taken control of teacher’s pensions, and put them into AIMCo, without their consent. Also, the UCP lost $4 billion on a pension fund debacle, which further reinforces that an Alberta Provincial Pension Plan is a very bad thing to do. Prior to the last provincial election in Alberta, Danielle Smith and the UCP had said that the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan wouldn’t be included in the provincial election agenda. This was done, because the UCP would have faced defeat, if they included it. Furthermore, at provincial election forums, people in attendance asked the UCP MLAs if their CPP would be touched. The UCP MLAs had said to them that the UCP weren’t going to touch the CPP of Albertans. They said this when the media was present. A very cunning and deceptive move. The UCP created a questionnaire on the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan. If people read it, they would see that it is flawed, because there is no yes or no component on it, and one person is allowed to fill it out indefinitely. In addition, the UCP refuses to have public forums on the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan, because they are afraid of the public backlash. The UCP’s phone in sessions on the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan are a sham, because the callers are screened, and if people ask sensitive questions, they are instantly cut off. Danielle Smith has a phone in radio talk show. People had called in and they asked her about losing their CPP. She wouldn’t answer their questions, and all she did was deflect. More telling signs that the UCP doesn’t care about democracy. The UCP are having a referendum on the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan. Aside from it being very costly, it is likely to be skewed, and will favor the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan, given their track record on this. Danielle Smith is also contradicting herself, once again. She wants the federal government to give a number on what Alberta is entitled to, should it exit the CPP. This is right after Danielle Smith had said that Alberta is entitled to 53% of the CPP, based on what the people she consulted with said. Experts in economics have said that the UCP’s figures on the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan and the CPP withdrawal are misleading. The UCP have blown money on ads that make it look like the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan is a good thing, and that people want it. Another undemocratic move. I’ll play some more fitting music. This is a live performance from the Canadian rock band, Chilliwack, and it was recorded at the Winterland Ballroom, in San Francisco, California, in November of 1977. The song is Crazy Talk, and it was written by band member, Bill Henderson. I have seen Chilliwack live, and I met the band members.
Dwayne, you nailed it. And the Chilliwack song was the icing on the cake, particularly this bit:.
“And if you fall for her lies
In a while, you will find
You can dance, you can sing
Like a puppet on a string
But you ain’t in control of a single thing”
I’ll bet these guys were great to see and to meet. Lucky you!!!
Susan: This is what Danielle Smith is up to now. What do you think of this?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/danielle-smith-sovereignty-act-judge-power-company-executive-1.7041743
Dwayne, I think it’s a well written article.
When Smith passes a motion decreeing that the government or any provincial agency can “to the extent legally permissible” not obey a federal initiative, all she’s doing is creating confusion. If she doesn’t think the Fed’s regs are constitutional the government can challenge it in court. She doesn’t need to pass motions telling her own government/agencies to disobey a federal reg is they’re legally obligated to obey it. (Even saying that in a sentence shows you how stupid it is).
Smith’s suggestion that she’ll create a Crown corporation is ludicrous. If she goes ahead, she’ll be interfering with the free market by making the Crown compete with the private sector. But hey Saskatchewan has one so she wants one too.
What was really telling was the exchange at the end of the article where Smith admitted she didn’t need the Sovereignty Act to do any of the things she’s doing.
Bottom line: it’s an expensive stunt that panders to her base and accomplishes nothing that couldn’t have been done before.
Classic Smith government.
Susan: Here is my second song pick. This is from the group War. It is their composition, (Yes, It’s) Christmas. This is from the post Eric Burdon era of the band. They are also in my music collection.
Dwayne: a Christmas song by War.
That wasn’t what I expected. But it was cool. I’ll be humming it for days 🙂
Thank you.
What’s more, everyone attending one of those NDP townhalls, please ask if there’s any interest in a class action lawsuit, where we old geezers can sign up to sue the Alberta government, on the slim chance that they do make off with our pensions.
I’m totally on board for a class action lawsuit, as is my partner…..I enjoy government by legal finagling…..if that’s a word………..and am a bit bored with politics at the moment, so looking for something sticky to mess around in……..and for da…..ed sure, I worked too hard for my CPP payments to let a talk show mouth piece put them at risk.
I’m confident there’s more than one ‘activist judge’ to hear our case.
This is a very interesting idea Ingamarie. I’m going to ask some of my litigation lawyer friends whether (1) there are any rumblings about a class action and (2) what the odds of success might be.
Thanks for the suggestion.
PS As a lawyer I’m positive that “legal finagling” is a word, it might even be a cause of action 🙂
Susan: Here is my final song pick. It is from 1997. This is Jeff Beck covering the well known hymn, Amazing Grace. Sadly we lost Jeff Beck on January 10, of this year, at age 78. I’ve seen him twice live, and have met him. He is also in my music collection. Jeff Beck was one of the 3 world famous guitarists who were in the British blues/rock band, The Yardbirds, in the 1960s, and the other 2 were Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.
Dwayne: Amazing Grace almost always makes me cry. Jeff Beck did a beautiful job here. Sad that he’s no longer with us.
He was quite the legend, wasn’t he.
It’s nice that you had a chance to see him live and meet him too. What a memory that must be. Especially at this time of year.
I am really at a loss to see how the UCP can break a personal agreement between any person and the pension fund they contributed to.
If the UCP want an APP then I would think they would have to get individuals to contribute in the same way that the CPP received contributions and build a fund in that manner.
The best joke is the math wizardry that sees 12% of the population of Canada who contributed about 14% of the fund claiming Alberta contributed over 50% of the CPP assets. Or 1 person in a room of ten claims 1/2 the pile? Those could be fighting words.
A lot of the “Alberta money” contributions were made by nonresidents too…So how does that work?
The Alberta government employees who contributed would have had a matching contribution by the Alberta government but that is all.
All other matching contributions were made by employers / business / multinationals.
So in my opinion Alberta has absolutely no claim to the CPP or any other pension plan and could only get claim if an individual wished to withdraw from the CPP and then give it to the APP. I haven’t read of that option anywhere.
Also I think any changes to CPP require 60% approval of the stakeholders in the CPP.
Good luck with that Danny.
lungta mtn: I think the reason why the UCP can claim a part of the CPP asset fund is because the CPP was set up by legislation which expressly allows a province to opt out under certain conditions. Having said that all the points you raise with respect to our share of the assets are very well taken. We’re really going to see the fur fly when the feds come back with their number which will be significantly lower than Alberta’s number. Smith will start whining about the feds shafting Alberta again. The feds will say, if you don’t like our number take us to court, and the whole thing will end up in front of the Supreme Courts of Canada. Meanwhile investment in Alberta will grind to a halt because employers and potential employers won’t have a clue what’s going on.
The woman leave a trail of destruction everywhere she goes.
Workbook? Wow – does this dork UCP ever mine the awful crap the PCs have pulled off in this sad-assed province. The PCs pulled that workbook horseshit stunt as part of Kleins run at teachers in the early 90s – the PCs mailed out and apparently received 30000 completed submissions from teachers, profs, principals, and education management – which in a Herculean “effort” , Party apparatchiks managed to read, analyze and summarize in a single weekend no less (Friday closure of submission to Mondays announcement of results).
That stage-managed to a foregone conclusion “synthetic consultation” saw that all the submissions were in fact shredded as they were received – add insult to injury, the PCs, with a straight face, asserted the “People” were indeed consulted …..and that shitty Klein administration proceeded with gutting Education in Alberta anyway.
I will not complete a UCP workbook on an APP. I might be arsed to clean up cat puke with it, or use it as lining a tray for dirty winter boots – but I’ll be doubled-dipped in dogshit before I deign to complete and return it to the contemptible UCP.
Lee, I didn’t realize that Klein had pulled this “workbook” stunt before and that his faithful government staff managed to read, analyze, and summarize all the submissions in a single weekend and still find time to shred them all. It’s astounding that the public continues to fall for these ridiculous stunts.
You mentioned in a later comment that you actually checked out the workbook and found it lacking (I agree). I also note that the deadline to return the completed workbooks is Feb 28, 2024. I take comfort in the fact that Jim Dinning and his co-panelists will spend the holidays, reading, analyzing and summarizing the feedback they received from the 5 telephone townhalls so they will have plenty of time to read, analyze and summarize the submissions which will pour in the doors on Feb 28.
What a wonderful team! (that was sarcasm).
PS like Kathleen I chuckled at these comments. Thank you!
PPS – on sober reflection, I will clean up cat puke with it and then hand deliver it back to the UCP via one of their constituency orifices south of Edmonton – it’s the least I can do, And I won’t traumatized a Postie!
Just parsed the workbook – its as flawed an instrument as I remember the Education POS all those years ago. From the Bizzarro World inclusion of the discredited LifeWorks 334 Billion dollar valuation for a APP, to its recursive structure supporting the inevitable desirability of an APP.
No where in the document are you asked the direct question – Do you support an APP – Y or N?
This bias fatally undermines any premise of this “workbook” having any value at all as fair, balanced information gathering tool.
I don’t believe for a New York second these docs will be read, much less used for any consultative value – they are a PR tool to re-direct and diffuse criticism or disagreement.
These UCP snakes are so crooked, they screw their socks on in the morning.
OK, Lee. Your comments had me laughing tears! I’m really liking your sense of humour especially on this less than funny issue! Keep them flowing.
Hi Kathleen, welcome to the group!
You’ll note we can get pretty irate about what Smith and her supporters are up to but we never attack others in our community. If we don’t understand or agree with what someone else has said, we respectfully disagree, we don’t call them names.
I block comments from people who come here to lecture me/others on how wonderful Smith and the UCP are and how stupid I/others are in not recognizing that. These guys can go onto someone else’s blog if that’s what they want to say.
Susan: It’s ironic that the UCP has a slogan – Your Pension, Your choice. It is anything but that. Did the teachers in Alberta have any say when the UCP took control of their pensions and put them into AIMCo, without their consent? The UCP’s questionnaire on the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan doesn’t have a yes or no choice to it. Danielle Smith won’t answer questions from callers on her phone in radio talk show, when they express concern about losing their CPP. Pierre Poilievre is saying that Alberta shouldn’t ditch the CPP. He’s only saying this because Danielle Smith and the UCP will make the CPC get defeated in the next federal election, if the UCP goes through with the Alberta Provincial Pension Plan.
Dwayne, I think the slogan should read “Your pension, our loot.”
Mike J Danysh: Good one!
Mike J Danysh: What are your thoughts on this? How will it play out?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/danielle-smith-sovereignty-act-judge-power-company-executive-1.7041743
maybe we should make that into tshirts for the Unhinged Clown Party for Christmas presents along with their lumps of coal…
I like Sharon’s suggestion A LOT! 🙂
Dwayne, I think we need a new description of Danielle Smith: “the tinfoil-crown drama queen.” Once again, Smith proves no idea is too crazy for her to try.
At least, she accidentally told the truth about the Sovereignty Act. Barry Cooper said it first, of course. It’s designed to be illegal and unconstitutional, and therefore to START A FIGHT with the Feds. It’s a fight Smith and the Free Alberta Fantasists will lose, because Smith doesn’t decide what laws are constitutional; the Supreme Court of Canada does.
Smith, Anderson and Cooper don’t care. They want to keep the rubes riled up against Ottawa. It’s totally unnecessary, as Aaron Wherry points out here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/climate-electricity-danielle-smith-sovereignty-1.7041515
I want to hear Pierre Poilievre’s opinion of his most strident “supporter” now.
Sharon, I like that idea! Print them on orange T-shirts with a question mark: “Your pension, our loot”? NO! Hands Off My CPP! The NDP could hand them out at rallies!
Now a workbook. I’ll have to look, simply to satisfy my curiosity as to how the workbook is structured to ensure the ‘answers’ support the UCP ideology. I did take the UCP survey & used every possible (limited word count) comment to say NO, NYET, NEVER to leaving the CPP.
Linda, my response to the UCP survey was very similar.
Great Blog Susan! Thanks for doing this. I’m a new subscriber and appreciate this avenue for citizen dialogue.
“Oh, you want my feedback, Danielle? Same as last time. ‘KEEP YOUR GRUBBY PAWS OFF MY PENSION!’ How’s that?”
By now it’s obvious that the “consultation” was never more than a poor excuse for a PR campaign. In fact, it’s worse than PR, it’s propaganda. Smith decided to steal our CPP money years ago, following her mentor Barry Cooper and his “free Alberta” fantasy.
This whole mess–the “Sovereignty Act,” the Alberta Pension Scam, and soon they’ll revive the Alberta Cop plan and an Alberta bank, too–is exactly what Cooper, Anderson and Derek From wrote up in their so-called strategy. These idiots WANT to start a fight with Ottawa. They figure they can rile up enough fellow-idiots in Oilberduh to force a break from Canada.
They may even be right. Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. We’re gonna have to lean on the NDP to fight against this bone-headed Republican BS. There’ve been rumours that Rachel Notley may decide to quit the Alberta NDP for the federal party. If so, we’ll have to push for a stronger, much tougher leader who’s willing to fight. We need to push hard against Smith’s utter disregard for truth. PS: our fearless leader, Danielle of the Tinfoil Crown, has now invoked the magical properties of the Sovereignty Act. She will protect us from the evils of net-zero electricity. That’ll show Justin Trudeau and Steven Guilbeault. They must be shaking in their sustainably-sourced, recycled-rubber boots.
Mike J Danysh: you nailed it. the UCP’s strategy is nothing more than “fight with Ottawa”. Which makes me wonder what Smith and the UCP are going to do with their ridiculously expensive and divisive plans to create the APP, the Alberta Provincial Police Force, the Alberta Independent Bank, the Alberta Revenue Collection Agency, the Alberta Employment Insurance plan and their intention to declare “the provincial government with replace the federal government as the acting authority” in international negotiations IF Pierre Poilievre becomes the next prime minister.
I suspect all of Alberta’s grievances about living in a federation will magically disappear. Which goes to show you that the Free Alberta Strategy is an ideological position, not a rational one.
Here’s the Free Alberta Strategy document for anyone who wants to take a look at the output of this sad little brain trust. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/albertainstitute/pages/337/attachments/original/1637104983/Free_Alberta_Strategy_-_Web_Version.pdf?1637104983
Remember when the unhinged clown party wore earplugs in the Legislature? It seems they never took them out and the plugs are permanently embedded. The Tinfoil Premier only wants to hear herself speak. It seems she thinks that if she talks loudly and quickly people will believe her. As for Jim Dinning, he should be embarrassed by his actions. He has sunk to an all time low. He never had much integrity but now there is not a shred left. He said that he was there to listen to Albertans, but…I wonder how his place in Alberta history will now be “shill to the Tinfoil Premier”
Hi Sharon. I’m convinced that Danielle, she of the Tinfoil Crown, is one of a small group of separatists who are certain they know all the answers. They don’t care much about the questions, but hey…. They listen to each other so much there’s no NEED to talk to anyone else.
Sadly, Smith does indeed speak for a large minority of Albertans. She’s become “leader” (actually, useful-idiot talking head) of a group of Republican-wannabes who get their talking points from Donald Trump and Fox News. (Pierre Poilievre is also a member in good standing.)
The Old Tories, Dinning, Stelmach and (by honorary membership) Preston Manning and the like, have apparently decided to hold their noses, wash their hands and shoes regularly, and pray for a return to their glory days of power. Or anyway, to some shadowy vestige of power in the brightly glowing halo of Danielle, our Queen and Saviour under God.* How are the mighty fallen….
*Sarcasm, in case any of Danielle’s fanboys missed it.
I agree with Markham that this stuff is all a sideshow to Smith’s main goal of serving the fossil fuel industry and helping it avoid cutting emissions and cleaning up its messes.
https://nitter.net/politicalham/status/1729553825718005891#m
https://energi.media/energi-notes/smiths-sovereignty-act-resolution-on-clean-electricity-regs-enshittifies-energy-politics-even-more/
“The principal role of Danielle Smith energy strategy is to protect the industry status quo as long as possible. Political enshittification helps keep the federal government at bay. It also keeps Albertans, and increasingly many Canadians, distracted while she pursues her bigger goal of growing Alberta’s oil and gas markets, both domestically and internationally.”
There is a rumour that she is taking many friends to COP28, wasting more of our money. Maybe she hopes to make lots of deals with the fossil fuel people there, though I think she is too stupid to get any good deals.
https://nitter.net/LukaszukAB/status/1729646405520609704#m
Valerie Jobson: thanks for this. Thomas Lukaszuk is doing a terrific job publicizing this story. I wish the main stream media would dig into it more deeply. Who is in Smith’s entourage? Are they traveling on the taxpayer’s dime? Why are they attending COP28 and who are they seeing while they’re there.
I have not yet seen one public announcement from any of the major fossil fuel company CEOs that they’re in Smith’s entourage and she’s going to open doors for them that they could not have otherwise opened. The heads of the global oil and gas companies operating in Alberta don’t need Smith to introduce them to Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, or any of his cronies. In fact she may be a liability.
Andrew Leach tweeted a lot about the lists, noting that it’s possible some on the lists did not actually go:
https://nitter.net/andrew_leach/status/1730741449346662892#m
He thinks there are 5 delegates from Pathways
https://nitter.net/andrew_leach/status/1731151360312361275#m
Sultan Al Jaber came up with a bad old argument and is cranky about the pushback he is receiving:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/back-into-caves-cop28-president-dismisses-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
I have to wonder if he is getting tips from Smith when he accuses opponents of being divisive and pointing fingers.
Catherine McKenna was great talking to Rosie Barton this morning, telling the bald truth about the oil industry:
https://nitter.net/cathmckenna/status/1731375030607450220#m
I’d like to see that interview spread all over when it’s available.
Thank your for all you do! I appreciate your clear and informatory approach. Please continue with such great blogs.
Betty Baker: thank you! I intend to keep going as long as I can. I especially enjoy the comments I receive. Such a creative and informed bunch of readers!
Thanks for your work Susan. All we can do is fill the trough with clean water and lead the horses to it; can’t make ’em drink.
Hat off for Shane McGowan, of The Pogues, who died today at 65 years old.
To the tune of their song, Young Ned of The Hill:
“Young Ted of Eckville”
“Have you ever walked the Hinton Hills and heard the magpie cry?
Or seen the turbines spinning strong before a windswept sky?
To walk the purple loosestrife and hear the west wind cry,
To know that accountability has died…
While Bobby punches downward living his unholy lie,
Some of us have deemed to fight from grassroot towns to mountains high
Northern folk with wills of iron, and justice on their side,
Who fight with Alberta’s honour held on high.
A curse upon you David Parker who hang with the house of saud
I hope you rot down in your hell for the horrors that you’ve sent,
To our unfortunate needing healthcare, whom you robbed of their birthright!
To hell with Parker, may you burn in hell tonight.
Of such a man I’d like to speak about.
A businessman by name and deed his wind and solar stake were slaughtered
with a margin call upon his head! His supposed market freedom, was torn by tyranny,
and the only one he has to thank is Ted’s vote for the UCP
Well they robbed the teachers’ pensions, earned over their whole lives,
They’re trying to break our spirit but they’ll never understand,
The love of moving forward and not their backsliding hater’s thrill,
As long as there are Albertans who can reason still
A curse upon you Bobby Andy, who rapes our province-land
I hope you rot down in your hell for the horrors that you’ve sent,
To our unfortunate needing healthcare, whom you robbed of their birthright!
To hell with Parker, may you burn in hell tonight.”
Many years ago I was driving down the highway with my son in the car and tunes from my iPod playing over the stereo. At some point the music player mischievously decided that we should hear the Pogues’ song ‘Bottle Of Smoke’. When it was over my son, who was in high school at the time and was big into punk music, turned to me and shook his head rather sadly. “And you talk about my music,” he said. I’ve loved that song ever since.
R.I.P. Shane MacGowan and in his spirit I offer a hearty ‘Pogue Mahone’ to the entire UCP.
Guy: What a great story. I just played “Bottle of Smoke” and I’m still smiling at the thought of your son looking at you after the song was over wondering what you did in your misspent youth.
Great song. Here’s a link for those who’d like to hear it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_giKJLdfqk
GoinFawr:
Wow, that was powerful! I’m speechless. Very well done. Thank you.
Well thanks, but David Shepard does a much better job of it than I do: https://mstdn.social/@dshepyeg@mstdn.ca/111573503193172581
“Last week, I asked Min LaGrange about the UCP’s refusal to act as hospitals face historic pressures.
She said the problem is a lack of access to family doctors. ”
what a cynical reply when absolutely everyone in Alberta knows the doctors are being legislated away by her and her sneering peers.
Where tf do the UCP voters and all their supporters’ families go for their healthcare these days anyway, do they just fly down to Montana like the premier and other UCP mla’s, or do they simply visit the Copeman Clinic?
Business must be freaking BOOMING in for-profit health’care’ for the vital partners of the UCP… all part of a larger plan to fuel the fires for their accelertaionist, anti-Canadian hate crusade.
People are taking notice.
https://albertapolitics.ca/2023/10/canadian-ditchley-foundation-tells-tbas-david-parker-hes-out-as-a-director-premier-smith-does-damage-control/
Smith and her crew really values our feedback only if it agrees with their inclinations related to the CPP. Unfortunately for her, most Albertans are far from convinced her ideas and plans related to this are any good.
So, rather than endure the embarrassment of very public in person forums where it is clear most of the speakers are very opposed to their ideas, they have set up consultations where they can control the process and it is less open. They still probably won’t get the feedback they want, but at least it will be less obvious and embarrassing.
However, I doubt all the negative feedback will deter them from pursuing their plans and ideas. They will likely just ignore it. Although, if it becomes clear that their referendum or whatever will not succeed, they may finally be persuaded to just give up trying to push something most Albertans don’t really want. If they don’t, they should remember governments that press unpopular ideas too long and too hard often find that unpopularity starts to rub off on them.
Dave, I will be interested to see how Smith walks the fine line between the Free Alberta bunch and Poilievre and the provincial conservative premiers who want nothing to do with Smith’s APP machinations. Her credibility is blown is she backs away from the APP, but her future goes up in smoke is she presses ahead. This is why I don’t think she’s politically astute. It’s as if she didn’t stop to consider the impact of her APP fever dream on the rest of Canada and her conservative allies. That’s the sign of a poor politician.
I think she’ll do what politicians sometimes do and eventually end up downplaying and forgetting about it. It seems to work for some politicians sometimes.
However, this could really risk irking the Free Alberta bunch. So it could be a dilemma.
I also can’t see her going ahead with a referendum if she doesn’t expect to win. Losing would be embarrassing.
The excellent interview with Catherie McKenna is included here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bakx-cop28-health-cma-air-pollution-secretariat-1.7047632?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
There is a list of all attendees at COP28; this piece looks at some of the oil delegates, they hope to have more next week:
https://heated.world/p/fossil-fuel-lobbyists-pour-into-cop28
Link to Excel spreadsheet
https://unfccc.int/documents/634503