tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215157282024-03-07T12:53:30.121-06:00Hatrock's CavePurely political blog from a hideout in AlbertaHatrockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11908255610547850292noreply@blogger.comBlogger689125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-25737938901895517342022-06-17T01:26:00.000-05:002022-06-17T01:26:08.192-05:00UCP leadership race gets crowded<p>Anyone else? Following a slight majority leadership vote and the subsequent Alberta Premier Jason Kenney "stepping down", initially, we thought there'd be maybe a few contenders.</p><p><br></p><p>Former Wildrose leaders Danielle Smith and Brian Jean and probably an existing cabinet minister seemed to be the front-runners. </p><p><br></p><p>Travis Toews is that cabinet minister who will likely have the backing of a good chunk of the existing executive. But so might...</p><p><br></p><p>Rebecca Schulz - MLA and now former children's minister who seems to toe the party line.</p><p><br></p><p>Then there is… who?</p><p><br></p><p>Rajan Sawhney - MLA and now former transportation minister and previously the social services minster who saw claw backs on AISH but now says they should be restored with provinces finances in better shape. Nice try.</p><p><br></p><p>Leela Aheer -- I've heard of her name but not sure... looking up... oh yes, she's a backbench MLA and has openly criticized Kenney. She seems to be more on the progressive side.</p><p><br></p><p>Todd Loewen -- I think he was booted out of the UCP caucus for, you guessed it, criticizing Kenney. He seems to be on the right flank.</p><p><br></p><p>Bill Rock -- Haven't heard of his name before but now see that he's mayor of Amisk.</p><p><br></p><p>But now we have Michelle Rempel Garner who is seriously contemplating a switch. This is an odd move considering she’s been backing Jean Charest in the CPC leadership race. Does she not see if he wins she’d be elevated or does she see he won’t win over Pierre Polievre? </p><p><br></p><p>The UCP has a $150,000 fee to enter. Federally, it’s twice that I think. </p><p><br></p><p>Of the MLAs, Toews has the most name recognition but campaigns matter. As this is a ranked ballot, having similar candidates is beneficial to then rally subsequent round counts.</p><p><br></p><p>That's how Erin O'Toole won. There were more votes to be found in subsequent rounds from the other candidates like Leslyn Lewis on the social conservative side. But it eventually bit him in the ass as he tried to move the party to the middle. Peter MacKay didn't have as many. Where Jean Charest has an advantage here though is there are a couple other progressive-minded candidates where he can get other ranked choices from.</p><p><br></p><p>I personally don’t like these ranked ballots. Let’s go back to delegates and conventions! </p><p><br></p><p>So converting the history to now, the ideological streams appear to line up on the choices. While smaller campaigns aren’t obligated to be loyal to the bigger fish, and there’s no time for a run off vote, candidates need to widen their message a bit to envelope the other campaigns while creating a wedge between the other bigger fish. </p><p><br></p><p>It’s a fine balance that’s a different style of campaigning than a usual election where you simply need a plurality of votes. Here you need 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th round voted all in the same process! </p><p><br></p><p>How would I rank in a vote? </p><p>I honestly have no idea. I’m not a member anymore. </p><p><br></p>Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-133008671725546992020-08-27T13:30:00.001-05:002020-08-27T13:30:03.747-05:00O'Toole learned, MacKay didn't<p> #cdnpoli #cpcldr</p><p><b>Erin O'Toole</b>, the newly elected Conservative Party leader, learned from his last run that he needed to play more hardball. In that previous race not long ago, O'Toole came across as a more progressive conservative and didn't get the support or attention compared initially to <b>Kevin O'Leary</b>, <b>Maxime Bernier</b>, or <b>Andrew Scheer</b>. </p><p>What's perplexing is <b>Peter MacKay</b> used to play hardball. But that was when he won the Progressive Conservative leadership in 2003 when he signed a promise on a napkin to candidate <b>David Orchard</b> that he wouldn't merge the PCs with the newly-led <b>Stephen Harper</b>'s Canadian Alliance.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">PC leadership 2003</h3><p>You'll recall that race 17 years ago, was one of the last convention-style leadership elections with delegates. The results:<br /></p><p>1st ballot: <b>MacKay 41.1%</b>, Orchard 24.3%, Jim Prentice 18.2%, Scott Brison 16.4%, Craig Chandler 0% (endorsed Prentice)</p><p>2nd ballot: <b>MacKay 39.7%</b>, Orchard 24.1%, Jim Prentice 18.2%, Scott Brison 18.0%</p><p>3rd ballot: <b> MacKay 45.0%</b>, Orchard 24.6%, Jim Prentice 30.4%, Scott Brison (endorsed Prentice)</p><p>4th ballot: <b>MacKay 64.8%</b>, Orchard (endorsed MacKay), Jim Prentice 35.2%</p><p>The result was later that year, the two conservative parties merged with the Canadian Alliance members voting by mail with 96% in favour, and for the PCs, a quick riding by riding phone-in blitz. A leadership race ensued, MacKay sat it out, and Harper won over MacKay's future girlfriend and then Liberal floor-crosser, <b>Belinda Stronach</b>. Harper would go on to lose to Paul Martin's Liberals, albeit a minority government. But then because of Adscam prominent in voters minds and a poor Liberal campaign run by strategists David Herle and Scott Reid, Harper won a couple minority governments, one against Stephane Dion. He'd eventually win his "strong stable majority Conservative government" against Michael Ignatieff with a strong NDP showing as its first time as official opposition by the late great Jack Layton. About a decade of Harper as Prime Minister, until Justin Trudeau came along.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">CPC 2020</h3><p>For MacKay in 2020, there appeared to be an overconfidence in his campaign, almost passive in thinking it was an anointment, and shows that having the majority of caucus support doesn't always guarantee a win. Stephen Harper never campaigned like that.</p><p>From the start this leadership race, pandemic aside, nearly out of the gate, when asked whether he'd march in pride parades, Erin O'Toole's answer was basically "if first-responders are allowed, then yes" where MacKay simply said yes. That set the tone early-on and drew lines in the sand and sent a signal to the other candidate supporters that he's listening.</p><p>Did the pandemic affect Peter MacKay's chance of winning? I don't think so. The candidates were already in full-swing and members had an idea who they're first choice was. It was the second and third choices that were really in play after that. Or were they?</p><p>On that, leadership candidate <b>Dr. Leslyn Lewis</b> made a strong impact on 2nd and 3rd ballot choices as there was more time for the membership to get to know her and what she stood for. She ran a very reputable campaign that garnered much respect and attention. She actually had the most votes on the 2nd ballot but not points--meaning she didn't have enough broad national support (more on that). She plans to run for MP again. As a way to draw attention to a local candidacy, running for leadership certainly helps.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Social Conservatism</h4><p>With O'Toole winning, people I know who are more liberal in their views said they were disappointed in the results as they would have voted for Peter MacKay's Conservatives. They're tired of Trudeau's public and private ethics violations. They see O'Toole's win as a unification, albeit a party take-over by social conservatives. </p><p>Perhaps. If you look at O'Toole's voting record in the House of Commons and what he's said, he's really not a true social conservative and the <a href="https://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/voting+records/view/mp/province//id/11259/name/erin-o-toole" target="_blank">Campaign Life Coalition certainly does not support him</a>. But his campaign made it seem to the Sloan and Lewis social conservatives that there was no room for them in a Peter MacKay-led Conservative Party, but there was in his. And that's all it really seemed to take.</p><p>Canadian conservatives are an enigma in politics. I've been following it intensely for 30 years and have been at some of its historical moments. Some conservatives can't stand it when Liberals win, but some accept it. But when they do win, it's only when they are united, despite the vast divisions socially, and that takes having an ear to both sides.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>Wexit</b></h4><p>Beyond the social ideology, there is an eminent threat from the Wexit Western Canada and Alberta separatists led by former Harper cabinet minister and government house leader, <b>Jay Hill</b>. Will O'Toole be able to appease them or will they remain a small faction, as is usual with blurts of western separatism? </p><p>I think if he doesn't fan the flames and ensures Wexit doesn't grow, they won't split votes with the Conservatives, there's nothing to worry about. Peter MacKay's first ballot third place showing in Alberta may indicate that if he won, Wexit would have more teeth. With Erin O'Toole winning, we haven't heard anything in the past few days from Wexit.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Quebec</h4><p>Then there's Quebec--which, like Andrew Scheer did in pandering to the dairy industry, those ridings put O'Toole over the top. Conservative membership continues to wane in Quebec and membership numbers have dropped--likely because there wasn't a candidate from there and the four candidates in the race did not have their French-speaking up to snuff. Further, with many ridings having fewer than 100 members, giving a single vote far more sway there than in every populated Alberta riding. MacKay had the backing of most of the Quebec caucus, yet they just didn't deliver for him.</p><p>Uniting conservatives of different shades under a big blue tent is never an easy task. You can't shun or not listen to Western alienation. You can't shun or not listen to social conservatives. You can't shun or not listen to progressives.</p><p>Stephen Harper knew how to do just that and why he was so successful at the party-level, and nationally as well. But he had unifying conservative policies that all stripes could get behind. </p><p>It seems Erin O'Toole learned. We'll see if this translates nationally.</p><p><br /></p>Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-81517067413082602352019-11-06T12:10:00.000-06:002019-11-06T12:10:27.770-06:00Scheer: "Re-double our efforts" #cdnpoli<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.4px;">“More Canadians wanted us to win this election than any other party,” Scheer said. The next day he framed the loss as the “first step” towards ousting Trudeau. “We’re going to re-double our efforts for next time,” he said. (<a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/scheer-meets-with-conservative-caucus-leadership-review-could-be-triggered-1.4672597">Source.</a>)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.4px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.4px;">This brings to mind a very similar quote spoken in a very popular movie.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.4px;"><br /></span></span>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s-W9qUg2PgU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-W9qUg2PgU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.4px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.4px;">And we all know what happened to the Death Star Version 2 anyway, don't we?</span></span>Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-30480658506664339992019-10-21T13:58:00.002-05:002019-10-21T13:58:52.259-05:00Canadian 2020 election prediction and other predictions<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Election Predictions! Get your Election Predictions here! My Tory majority prediction from last week is out the window. I’m seeing it’s almost like 1972 when another Trudeau led a minority coalition. History repeats itself.</div>
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142 Conservatives<br />125 Liberals<br />35 NDP<br />33 Bloc<br />2 Green<br />1 Independent<br />0 People’s Party</div>
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As pollster Nik Nanos said, “Now it’s about the ground game and delivering votes.” This is where I believe the Conservatives have an advantage. With the advance polls showing a 25% increase, the Conservative base being larger, more motivated, and unwavering, the campaign has been relentless in getting out the vote in the advance polls and will be on Oct 21. But it won’t be enough in Ontario to flip the 905.</div>
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The aftermath will see many wanting Trudeau, Singh, and May try to form a coalition government of Liberals, NDP, and Greens.</div>
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Trudeau being the self-serving guy he is will try and make it work. So they give it a shot and ask the GG to form government.</div>
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After many recent provincial elections, and this one being very divisive, Canadians will reject the idea of having another election. The coalition government lives on.</div>
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Tories are careful not to be seen “in bed” with the Bloc separatists to defeat the government. But oh man, they are angrier than ever.</div>
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The country couldn’t be more divided. Alberta separation sentiment becomes more of the talk and while a federal Alberta Block Party becomes a thing, Premier Kenney gets even louder about provincial rights. For the Bloc, same thing.</div>
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After about two years, the national debate on provincial autonomy becomes the reason why the Tories and Bloc decide to defeat the coalition government.</div>
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All the parties have the same leaders. Liberals call the Tories bluff and Canadians tired of the stunt, plus an unstable recession economy, vote for stability with Trudeau in a majority government again.</div>
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Just like his father did in 1974. Like I said, history repeats itself.</div>
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Andrew Scheer steps down as Tory leader. Tories have a leadership race in 2022 and Peter MacKay wins it. Over whom, I’m not sure.</div>
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Canadians tired of ten years of Trudeau at the helm, vote for change in 2025 and lean to MacKay’s more moderate Conservative party with a majority. This is where it differs from history because Tory Joe Clark won the election with a minority in 1979. This is because comparatively, Peter is well known compared to Joe at the time. MacKay wins two terms.</div>
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There you have it folks.</div>
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Oh, and Kenney wins Alberta again in 2023 and 2027. Ford does not win Ontario in 2022 and for the federal Tories, this is a good thing.</div>
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Meanwhile in the USA, Trump wins in 2020. With the Democrats not finding a new candidate, Barack Obama is begged to return in 2024.</div>
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In Russia in 2024, after two terms of Putin, Medvedev wins the presidency again with Putin as his Prime Minister again. In 2030, Putin wins again and rules until 2042 at the age of 89.</div>
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To keep Putin in check until then, German Chancellor Angela Merkel continues until the age of 88.</div>
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The UK has four more prime ministers and still hasn’t Brexited the EU.</div>
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Pope Francis remains in perfect health until he steps down in 2029 at 92 years.</div>
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Some of these predictions might very well come true (see: Putin).</div>
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Now remember to always vote when you can. Do it early and do it often!</div>
Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-4076759905123059332019-10-04T12:30:00.000-05:002019-10-04T12:30:12.312-05:00Trudeau mentioning Doug Ford as much as Scheer is working #cdnpoli #cdnelxn<br /><br />Like I said in my last post, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5973921/justin-trudeau-andrew-scheer-federal-election/" target="_blank">Ontario is the real battleground and why Trudeau mentions Ford just as much as Scheer</a>, and is still even mentioning Harper.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://338canada.com/districts/ontario.htm" target="_blank">current aggregation of polls in Ontario</a> shows that although the Liberals are up by about 7 points, seat-wise it translates as:<br />
<br />
75 (+/- 31) Liberals<br />
30 (+/- 28) Conservatives<br />
<br />
So the absolute worst the Liberals can do in Ontario is 44 seats and Conservatives best is 58 which makes other parts of the country in play. Half of that is 60 for Liberals and 44 for Conservatives.<br />
<br />
Note that before the campaign the seat projections were:<br />
63 Liberals<br />
49 Conservatives<br />
<br />
This is a change of:<br />
+12 seats Liberals<br />
-19 seats Conservatives<br />
<br />
That's a +27 seat swing in Ontario in favour of Trudeau. SEATS. This means that the Conservative campaign in Ontario has massively failed and why Trudeau will win. Full stop. Nothing else really matters, does it?<br />
<br />
When the federal party doesn't want to mention the provincial leader, the provincial party infrastructure support collapses. I mean, the Ontario PCs aren't exactly united after that last leadership debacle either and are probably not too motivated to support boring Saskatchewan Scheer.<br />
<br />
It's also why the Liberals are targeting Scheer's credibility now as well and why he's hit a ceiling. <br />
<br />
From our cheap seats, it appears the best the Conservatives can really do is make Scheer seem bland and not scary and equally attack Trudeau on his proven lack of credibility and hope that those who were leaning toward him just don't vote. <br />
<br />
But that's a stretch against decades of history.<br />
<br />
Has there really been a polarizing issue dividing Canadians other than leader credibility? Is it the environment? Liberals are banking on that one in order to gain a couple points with those leaning toward Green or NDP, but the Greens in Ontario are insignificant where the NDP play in Northern Ontario quite well and there are several swing ridings there.<br />
<br />
With Thanksgiving weekend approaching and family talks at the dinner tables, policy won't be the discussion, but how fake Trudeau is and how unscary Scheer is which boils down to the cliche "The devil we know versus the one we don't" or "The blackface devil we know versus the whiteface quiet scary one."<br />
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And in Ontario, it appears Ford has also become a known devil and history shows the federal Conservatives will get the fallout from that.<br />
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<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-52569412987186809332019-09-26T22:54:00.000-05:002019-09-26T22:54:29.817-05:00Why an Ontario political party should not help federally and vice versaThe article below shows how Ontarians provincial election results continue to massively affect the next federal election.<br>
<br>
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/election-2019/exclusive-poll-reveals-doug-ford-factor-a-big-problem-for-scheers-conservatives-in-ontario<br>
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Look at the history, particularly post-WWII.<br>
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Provincially, the majority of Ontarians will vote in the next election for the other party that is not in power federally about 86% of the time.<br>
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Federally, the majority of Ontarians will vote for the other party that is not in power provincially about 65% of the time, which is what appears will happen on October 21, 2019 federally as the article above certainly indicates that the majority of Ontarians will vote for the federal Liberals over the provincial PCs.<br>
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So I continue to wonder why a federal party would help their provincial cousins in Ontario knowing they are going against history a large majority of the time and vice versa.<br>
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If anything, they should remain quiet, stay far away, and hope they lose.<div><br></div><div>Here’s the list..</div><div><br></div><div>
<table width="422" style="width: 317pt;">
<!--StartFragment-->
<colgroup><col width="64" style="width:48pt">
<col width="68" style="width:51pt">
<col width="93" style="width:70pt">
<col width="107" style="width:80pt">
<col width="90" style="width:68pt">
</colgroup><tbody><tr height="56" style="height:42.0pt">
<td width="64" height="56" style="width:48pt;height:42.0pt"></td>
<td width="68" class="xl23" style="width:51pt">Ontario</td>
<td width="93" class="xl23" style="width:70pt">Canada</td>
<td width="107" class="xl24" style="width:80pt">Ontarians balance provincially?</td>
<td width="90" class="xl24" style="width:68pt">Ontarians balance federally?</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1940</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1941</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1942</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1943</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1944</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1945</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1946</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1947</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1948</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1949</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1950</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1951</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1952</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1953</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1954</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1955</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1956</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1957</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1958</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1959</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1960</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1961</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1962</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1963</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1964</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1965</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1966</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1967</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1968</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1969</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1970</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1971</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1972</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1973</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1974</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1975</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1976</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1977</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1978</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1979</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1980</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1981</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1982</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1983</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1984</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1985</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1986</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1987</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1988</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1989</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1990</td>
<td class="xl22">NDP</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1991</td>
<td class="xl19">NDP</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1992</td>
<td class="xl19">NDP</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1993</td>
<td class="xl19">NDP</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1994</td>
<td class="xl19">NDP</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1995</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1996</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1997</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1998</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">1999</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2000</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2001</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2002</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2003</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2004</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2005</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2006</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl21">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2007</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2008</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl21">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2009</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2010</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2011</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl21">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2012</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2013</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2014</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl18">Conservative</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2015</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl20">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">N</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2016</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2017</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2018</td>
<td class="xl21">PC</td>
<td class="xl17">Liberal</td>
<td class="xl16">Y</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" align="right" style="height:15.0pt">2019</td>
<td class="xl18">PC</td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">?</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" style="height:15.0pt"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" style="height:15.0pt"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">19</td>
<td class="xl16">15</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" style="height:15.0pt"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">22</td>
<td class="xl16">23</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height:15.0pt">
<td height="20" style="height:15.0pt"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16"></td>
<td class="xl16">0.863636364</td>
<td class="xl16">0.652173913</td>
</tr>
<!--EndFragment-->
</tbody></table>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br></div>Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-84278810543874721562018-05-07T13:48:00.001-05:002018-05-07T13:58:43.759-05:00Rah Rah Ras Putin continues his gripA quick timeline of Vladimir Putin's reign over Russia:<br />
<br />
1999 - On the surprise resignation of Boris Yeltsin, Putin became acting Russian President<br />
<br />
2000 - Elected as President for a 4 year term<br />
<br />
2004 - Elected as President for a 4 year term<br />
<br />
2008 - Putin's puppet Dimitry Medvedev elected as President for 4 year term. Medvedev appoints Putin as Prime Minister. Soon, the 4 year term limit is increased to 6 years.<br />
<br />
2012 - Putin elected as President for 6 year term.<br />
<br />
2014 - Russia hosts the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Russia invades and annexes Crimea from Ukraine and to this day, continues a microwar in Eastern Ukraine.<br />
<br />
2018 - At 65 years of age, Putin is elected as President for 6 year term. He'll be 71 in 2024.<br />
<br />
Let me guess. In 2024, Medvedev will be President and Putin will be appointed Prime Minister for 6 years.<br />
<br />
Without a doubt, Vladimir Putin is and will be the most successful politician of my generation having served as a leader over a country that "elects" for 30 years.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/nearly-1-600-reported-arrested-in-russian-anti-putin-protests-1.3916578" target="_blank">Meanwhile over 1600 protesters have been arrested.</a>Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-29803426371738362792017-11-14T16:39:00.003-06:002017-11-14T16:39:43.663-06:00Alberta Party taken over by PCs #abpoli<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Dca3IylubSlS2O2Ly0SAdDAk68jPBxKuhSzrqvpIdVHzYbchL4cc2rlB5K1EdZavUVD4DEjhRwmz_sihwmRxZpS3ivWbxNWf9GDEb-FI3A7WuthrKvUWoi2I3HUW6ImA2iWKoQ/s1600/story-315809-392617-image-rendered.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="545" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Dca3IylubSlS2O2Ly0SAdDAk68jPBxKuhSzrqvpIdVHzYbchL4cc2rlB5K1EdZavUVD4DEjhRwmz_sihwmRxZpS3ivWbxNWf9GDEb-FI3A7WuthrKvUWoi2I3HUW6ImA2iWKoQ/s400/story-315809-392617-image-rendered.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Clark<br />METRO CALGARY FILE PHOTO</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Alberta Party leader and nice guy Greg Clark stepped down on November 10, a Friday before a long-weekend, which is a subtle method to subvert any media traction.<br />
<br />
The announcement then fell only to the fanfare of politicos and former PCers (emphasis on the "P") from the Redford days, who have obviously been pining for room at the table since Kenney won the leadership of the UCP. <br />
<br />
I know folks who didn't even know there was an Alberta Party. "So there's an Alberta Party. Who knew?"<br />
<br />
And that right there is why Mr. Clark was shown the door. If you're going up against the KenneyMachine, playing nice won't get you as far as you need to go. It is why the Alberta Party could not get momentum or build--certainly in comparison it took for the Wildrose.<br />
<br />
Politics, in case you haven't noticed, and as I've mentioned in my previous post, has become the game of divide and conquer. There is no nice-guy mushy middle where ideas are debated, compromises made, and an agreeable solution is churned out and popped to the surface. It's become two sides. So for the Alberta Party which like the Alberta Liberal Party prided itself on middleware, balance, and "working together", found itself like a turtle on its back waiting to be picked up, kissed, and transformed into a komodo dragon (or whatever) as a reasonable home for more aggressive progressives (I'm totally coining that term).<br />
<br />
And so now we have a slew of potential leadership candidate names that remind me of a cast of characters from a certain cabinet.<br />
<br />
Thomas Lukaszuk<br />
Stephen Mandel<br />
Dr. Gerry Preddy<br />
<br />
The Twittertone of the Alberta Party has upped its game too. As I said, it's how politics has changed into 140 character sound bites (280 for the lucky few). Twitter is the level playing field and if you can gain attention with loud sounding bites and attacks, there's bound to be folks who'll support you.<br />
<br />
So how can the Alberta Party gain attention and you know, support?<br />
<br />
Well, they have to have a three pronged approach and their policies need to line up carefully in order to be able to attract and divide and conquer.<br />
<br />
Firstly, their whole schtick is they're the P in the now gone PC party. So they'll attract disenfranchised PCers who don't like Kenney's social stances. But they'll need to balance that with strong fiscal policies. I'd suggest being more aggressive than Kenney on tax cuts. But the Alberta Party doesn't mind carbon taxes.<br />
<br />
Secondly, they need to attract old Liberals that supported Redford and put her over the finish line. If the Alberta Party is ahead of the Liberals and can get their message out better, that might be enough. <br />
<br />
Thirdly, they need to attract really soft NDP supporters who traditionally voted PC but only voted for Notley because she seemed nice and smart, didn't think math was hard, and was all populist, and they could put the PCers back in their place after 44 years of power. (Well, it worked, didn't it?) This is harder to do and the votes that are really up for grabs next election. <br />
<br />
On one hand, you have those former PC voters who feel now they got duped because Notley didn't campaign on a carbon tax, yet here we are paying for it. Yet despite the carbon tax, the government is spending way more than ever before and growing the government with the deficits and debt higher than ever. So if you're fiscally conservative, the NDP is not your home.<br />
<br />
Fourthly, attract fertility folks... and there are thousands of them (us). They (we) are not happy one bit about Alberta Health Services' decision to end the fertility clinic at the Royal Alex. So much so, even the AUPE is suing them and Friends of Medicare is on minister Sarah Hoffman's back about it. Hoffman's been deflecting saying all five doctors wanted to go to the new private clinic when only two did. The primary doctor is livid about the decision and doesn't believe AHS or the NDP government "cares about Alberta families." Ouch. I'd suggest the Alberta Party go all in on this one, bring back the clinic, and then offer one free IVF treatment like they do in many other countries. They'd gain thousands of votes on that one policy alone. And it's also the right decision and policy. I'm going to save a separate post for this, so stay tuned.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the Alberta Party has an opportunity to carve itself in the middle but truly divide and conquer it from the bad policies of the left and right. How far they'll go to do just that in the short period of time they have until the next election will be telling.<br />
<br />
When Ed Stelmach won the PC leadership on the second ballot he said, "Nice guys do finish first." <br />
<br />
Well, how long did that last?<br />
<br />
Playing nice doesn't work.<br />
<br />
Ask Greg Clark.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-18696293250474319212017-11-01T15:29:00.004-05:002017-11-01T15:29:59.514-05:00The Jason Kenney Machine vs. Rachel Notley is not so clear-cut #abpoli #ucp #abndp<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UCP MLA David Rodney grimaces in feeling the Kenney steamroll-effect in having to step down to make way for new UCP leader Jason Kenney to run in a by-election. Image courtesy of CBC.ca</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now that longtime Reform/Canadian Alliance/Conservative MP and cabinet minister Jason Kenney is leader of the Alberta UCP and the leadership hangover has subsided, within a few days later we have already seen:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Leadership candidate Brian Jean is left out of UCP caucus roles and unsure of his future</li>
<li>Jason Dixon named Official Opposition Leader</li>
<li>On day uno of the new legislature session, not even an hour into the session and Premier Rachel Notley was tweeting from her seat passively up to the gallery where Kenney was seated: "We'll stand against UCP’s job-killing, gay-outing, school-cutting, health privatizing, backward-looking, hope-destroying, divisive agenda."</li>
<li>Kenney and his supporters were then aggressively counter-tweeting</li>
<li>Dave Rodney, MLA for Calgary-Lougheed steps down to make way for Kenney</li>
</ul>
<br />
When Kenney ran for the PC Alberta leadership, "The KennyMachine" used forceful political tactics to steamroll through onto easy wins. Detractors simply leave the party and get the hell out of the way, leaving no internal dissension and in the end only the true opponent remains in the cross-hairs. To do that, Kenney did not require much of a platform, touting that the members will decide what that platform will be. So supposedly, no matter what Kenney's views and statements in the past are on gay marriage, Kenney supporters will back him, because varying opinions are welcome. <br />
<br />
Not including Brian Jean in the caucus, certainly doesn't make the party seem "United" as its namesake, but it sends one of those steamroll messages that its Kenney's party now, and Brian can't do anything to undermine him.<br />
<br />
And with Brian aside, that "debate", that political war, will now ramp up like we have never seen before in Alberta and its relatively low-key debate between similar parties opposed to the now polarizing differences in ideology.<br />
<br />
Politics and campaigns are about feeling. Everyone knows that. How does a candidate make you feel? We've all seen very capable, intelligent people run with the better and proven policies only to lose to an opponent that made the electorate "feel" better. (See Harper vs. Trudeau).<br />
<br />
That feeling approach is how the federal style of using issues in certain regions to divide and conquer voters on boutique policies like targeted tax policies or social stances is a science unto its own. Will that same approach work for Kenney and Notley? I don't believe it will work as well in Alberta, and may backfire. There just isn't that East vs. West feel between Calgary vs. Edmonton, or urban vs. rural. After the floods, wildfires, and economic strife, Albertans seem to have pulled together on their own, tearing down the small walls of differences there may have been before.<br />
<br />
So Geography aside, there are still lines that can be drawn. Notley's and Eggan's stance against Catholic schools wanting to form their own policy has the Catholic community reeling. Perhaps she realized they didn't have their support anyway, so no loss, or it was a mistake and she has alienated them, we will see.<br />
<br />
Against Kenney, Notley quickly began the first salvo, not just on Kenney, but on the whole UCP regarding stances on social policies like outing kids in student gay-straight alliances, being anti or pro gay marriage, and supposed health-care privatizing.<br />
<br />
If Schweitzer had one, that type of attack would likely not have happened, leaving Notley to go after his clear-cut lower tax policies for businesses and individuals, turning the line into a class war.<br />
<br />
However, that would defy her populist campaign that got her in the Premier's chair in the first place, as thousands of longtime PC support folks tired of the 44 years and PC lavish expenses and revolving premier door, bought in to her charisma and "hey we're not socialists" because we don't think "math is hard". <br />
<br />
But now, with a carbon tax she didn't campaign on, and pipelines not happening despite her guarantee of a "social license", Kenney will use his machine to communicate that Notley is out of touch with middle class families, the economy's lagging, carbon tax hurts the poor, she kills jobs and investment, and will likely ignore getting into the social policy debate--defaulting it to the party members to decide because "I listen to the members". This, despite the UCP's first policy was to support LGBTQ folks--but for that community, there needs to be actions and not words. He will need to be really careful not to also getting dragged into being anti-government for a government he wants to lead--despite how bloatedly large the government has become in the last two years in "creating jobs".<br />
<br />
For the libertarian voter, which is a plurality of the province, the decision will come down to whether how important it is they believe Kenney will make his past social policy stances into law and if they are more damaging to our society than NDP economic policies already in place.<br />
<br />
With that, social policy tends to bring out stronger feelings in voters than boring economic ones, and so, whichever party and leader is able to fire up those feelings against the other the most will win. Trump won because he simply stirred up people's anger against "the elite"--so much so, that it didn't matter what he said, they were angry, and no matter how illogical or hypocritical he was, "this is how I feel" trumped anything else (pun totally intended).<br />
<br />
And so for the KenneyMachine to actually beat Notley in 2019, despite the terribly inaccurate polls, with Kenney as leader and his long list of baggage, that outcome is not so clear-cut.<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-11362687653734492342017-06-07T15:33:00.003-05:002017-06-07T15:40:53.822-05:00What Scheer needs to do. #cdnpoli<br />
<br />
Newly minted CPC leader, Andrew Scheer, needs to do the following to get a leg up on Trudeau. The Liberals have done a marvellous job framing Trudeau with staged "impromptu" moments, yet when you hear him speak, it's difficult to listen to his "ah uh"s all the time. <br />
<br />
It's going to take the presentation of a mountain of direct gaffed quotes he's made so folks can break through this mysticism the Liberals have crafted around him.<br />
<br />
To counter that, Andrew Scheer should consider doing the following five things over the next year to win people over, and not just complain about Trudeau. Let the Party take care of that. The traditional methods of politics are lost on Millennials.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiH41yEsB1tEHGtvt00p0cfAUyfE3d1mgo3WlXVltZRU3QnOfiTAkXuCar_xtk64QPXgHJtnbe6u2j6bKACjn_nGknGITm8Y5ieHyApJjxtDz6RMEfxnUNUGr5wUIO5U9KpYsdg/s1600/o-ANDREW-SCHEER-570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="570" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiH41yEsB1tEHGtvt00p0cfAUyfE3d1mgo3WlXVltZRU3QnOfiTAkXuCar_xtk64QPXgHJtnbe6u2j6bKACjn_nGknGITm8Y5ieHyApJjxtDz6RMEfxnUNUGr5wUIO5U9KpYsdg/s640/o-ANDREW-SCHEER-570.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then Speaker of the House, Hon. Andrew Scheer and his family<br />Image courtesy of the Huffington Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
1. Be funny in interviews, self-deprecating and humble, but lose the smirk when discussing serious issues.<br />
<br />
2. The Party should put out an online 1-2 minute video of him and his young family, meeting people, and clips of him hammering Trudeau in Question Period.<br />
<br />
3. Policies need to identify with Millennials, who are now becoming parents. Target tax policy toward them, like writing off your mortgage payments, but make it personal. <br />
<br />
4. Change your social stance. <br />
<br />
5. Infiltrate social media with smart and funny memes. Get the people to do the posting and sharing and work for you.<br />
<br />
This isn't everything, but it's a start.<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-26196093640420877682017-05-30T13:30:00.001-05:002017-06-07T14:57:32.944-05:00Hey, Liberals! Your leader is young? Take that. Ours is even younger!And so goes the decision by Conservative members on the last and 13th ranked ballot.<br />
<br />
A risky decision if you ask me, but one that will require even more work by the party.<br />
<br />
Remember that each riding is awarded 100 points no matter how many members that riding has (provided there is a minimum). I was always in favour of this voting system over one member one vote (OMOV) as our own House of Commons works this way for the most part. This worked to Bernier's advantage as Quebec ridings don't have a lot of members, so he was able to snag a lot of them, EXCEPT HIS OWN RIDING! D'oh!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I didn't even watch the results as I was busy that afternoon, probably like most Canadians who didn't care to watch or pay attention, as boring as this race was, save Kevin O'Leary's entrance and exit, just prior to the last ballot, that must have been like watching your favourite hockey team in double overtime, only to lose (see the irony with the Ottawa Senators and senators aren't elected? ha! no? ok.)<br />
<br />
I began supporting Maxime Bernier around Christmas time and donated to his campaign--even met him in Edmonton when the debate was here. I think few realized at that time that he would be the front-runner to catch.<br />
<br />
(On a separate note, yesterday, Libertarian Party leader Tim Moen has offered to step down if Bernier will take up the leadership of that fledging party. I highly doubt he does as he's currently a Conservative MP.)<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, there was Andrew Scheer's campaign--full of support from existing and former MPs. This proved the winning strategy as it had those MPs hit the pavement to ensure they locked up the members of their riding. Erin O'Toole had two more MPs and was on the ballot until the 2nd last one, and a lot of his supporters had Scheer over Bernier to put Scheer over 50%.<br />
<br />
Here's how MP and Senator support played out. Source <a href="https://www.hilltimes.com/2017/04/10/riding-riding-leadership-election-results-conservative-leadership-convention-will-reveal-whether-mp-centre-influence-riding-not-conservative-m/102448" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<blockquote>
Mr. Scheer is leading the pack in receiving the caucus endorsements. He has the support of 24 MPs and eight Senators, followed by Conservative MP Erin O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) who has the support of 26 MPs and two Senators.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Conservative MP Maxime Bernier (Beauce, Que.) has the support of six MPs and six Senators; Conservative MP Lisa Raitt (Milton, Ont.) has the support of three MPs and two Senators; Conservative MP Kellie Leitch (Simcoe-Grey, Ont.) has the support of three MPs; Conservative MP Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills, Ont.) has the support of two MPs and one Senator; businessman Kevin O’Leary has the support of two MPs and two Senators, and Conservative MP Steven Blaney (Bellechasse-Les Etchemins-Lévis, Que.) has the support of two Senators.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Former Conservative MP Andrew Saxton, businessman Rick Peterson, former Conservative MP Pierre Lemieux, Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai (Calgary Forest Lawn, Alta.), Conservative MP Brad Trost (Saskatoon-University, Sask.) and former Conservative MP Chris Alexander have no endorsements from any of the incumbent Conservative MPs or current Senators. </blockquote>
So, there's no doubt that Scheer was seemingly handpicked by a group of MPs who looked among their caucus for young and charming person, and then convinced him to run.<br />
<br />
"Hey Liberals! You call that young and charming? Well, here's what we've got!"<br />
<br />
The problem is the media and Liberals are already out in full force plastering what Scheer has voted on and what he's said that appears to go against every liberal/progressive social conservative policy ever. "Yeah, he might be younger than our guy, but his beliefs are not! Ha!"<br />
<br />
The young Millennial generation that voted big time for Trudeau will grow their voting block as they age. Turning them into disaffected Liberal voters will prove difficult, especially how the Liberals have been successfully staging Trudeau "run ins" with grads and weddings--just as they did with his father in the late 60's with "fake Beatlesque fans" chasing him around. Well, it works.<br />
<br />
The Liberals have gaffed a lot, but voters have bad memories and many continue to opt for fuzzy feelings. You'll usually hear "I don't like him/her" or "I like him". "Like" not "support" is the operative word here. How do these leaders make you FEEL?<br />
<br />
So now the work for these MPs and Senators that went to bat for Scheer for the leadership will need to work even harder to spin him in a positive light on top of what he'll try and do for himself in the next two years--that is, to paint him as a warm fuzzy pragmatist above all else, damn his personal views.<br />
<br />
As I've always predicted, if the Conservatives don't choose an even more socially progressive and more fiscally conservative person than Trudeau, they won't win. For me, that guy was Max Bernier. Even then, he would have had a mountain to climb to beat Trudeau, but only if Trudeau was falling down said mountain. Conservative picked a more fiscal guy, but not socially progressive, and those issues beat out fiscal.<br />
<br />
With that notion, Trudeau's Liberals will win in 2019 with an even larger government caucus. The NDP will rebound with many of their usual soft-supporters disenfranchised with Trudeau going back on many of their key issues, and not seeing a risk of a Conservative gov't will feel comfortable voting NDP again.<br />
<br />
Further, history shows no new one term majority government loses if they weren't a minority gov't before.<br />
<br />
And so the Conservatives under Scheer will lose badly. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there were quiet saboteurs within to ensure this. A leadership vote will ensue, and a new leader will be chosen quickly in 2020 to give them 3 years to become acquainted with the electorate as opposition leader. That is, of course, unless that person is already familiar.<br />
<br />
Enter Peter MacKay.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-86836262175873275422017-05-18T13:31:00.000-05:002017-05-18T13:31:08.281-05:00Merge you say? Well, here we go again...<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/albertas-wildrose-conservatives-have-agreed-to-merger-source-says/article35043137/" target="_blank">Like no one saw this coming, the PC Party of Alberta and the Wildrose Party have agreed to merge.</a><br />
<br />
It seems every time a conservative party strays from its principles and essentially becomes a liberal party, conservatives of the social and fiscal stripe backlash and create their own party, only to see the original party burn down to then return to pick it up again with fresh policies.<br />
<br />
Some history... which I was involved in a lot of it.<br />
<br />
<b>CANADA</b><br />
<br />
<b>Refooooorrrrm!</b><br />
The creation of the Reform Party of Canada led by Preston Manning in the mid-1980's soon had 1 MP in a by-election (Deb Grey) and 1 Senator (Ray Speaker) in the first ever senate election. In 1993, the party would in jump to 52 MPs across Western Canada and a couple in Ontario, although just falling short of official opposition, which went to the new Bloc Quebecois.<br />
<br />
<b>1993 Election</b><br />
This triple-split decimated the PC Party of Canada led by Canada's first woman prime minister, the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, to see it reduced to only 2 seats, one held by Jean Charest who would go on to the lead the party tthrough the 90's to 20 seats in 1997, until leaving the federal scene to becoming Quebec Liberal leader and premier.<br />
<br />
<b>1997 Election</b><br />
For Reform, after that momentum, in 1997, it only gained 8 more seats, but saw popular support drop. It was at that time some soul searching needed to be done. It was also at this time that Stephen Harper, seeing that Manning's preferred populism failed as he predicted, left politics to lead the Citizens Coalition.<br />
<br />
Few remember, but the Reform party had embedded a "sunset clause" that it would dissolve after 10 years. A proposal was voted in favour to remove that clause. <br />
<br />
<b>CRAP!</b><br />
It didn't really matter because, soon, Manning would hold more meetings to bring together the Mike Harris Ontario PCs, which he called "THINK BIG", to then create the "United Alternative" movement. Then there was a party vote to dissolve Reform and create yet another party, the Canadian Conservative Reform Alliance Party, or Canadian Alliance. And for you acronym-saavy folks, that meant CCRAP. Oh what a hey-day it was for the other parties and media. Seriously, who was at the table when this was agreed upon? HE-LL-O?<br />
<br />
<b>2000 Election</b><br />
<br />
After 10 years, Manning had to step down from the leadership because it was a new party, but he ran for the leadership of the now re-acronymized CRCAP or CA for short. Former Alberta PC finance minister Stockwell Day also ran and won. That was a very fun leadership race and convention in Calgary, let me tell you. Stock was an excellent public speaker, used no notes or teleprompters and was totally fluent in French. However...<br />
<br />
"Stock" then tried to gather the long-standing troops in the party, but began doing things his way. His first "splash" on the federal scene was when he rode-in on a Seadoo on to the beach in the Okanagan, in his wet suit, where he gave a short speech and answered media questions. <br />
<br />
It was then, Prime Minister Jean Chretien, seeing a prime opportunity to "kick him when they're down", and seeing the Paul Martin camp circling, got permission from his trusted wife Alaine, and called an election only 3 years into his second term. Gutsy move to say the least. The scrapper from Shawinigan was at it again.<br />
<br />
Many thought the federal PCs would support the Canadian Alliance, but the PCs, still around, now led again by former short-lived prime minister Joe Clark, held on only to 12 seats in 2000. <br />
<br />
The Canadian Alliance though, only gained 6 seats from the previous election and this was deemed as a big huge failure--a poorly run campaign by Day and an excellent one by the Liberals saw them hold on to a majority.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile... the drama was just getting started... hoo boy...<br />
<br />
<b>The DRC</b><br />
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
Over a period of several weeks, a group of pro-Manning MPs led by Deb Grey and Chuck Strahl began publically questioning Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian Alliance.<br />
<br />
They would leave the Canadian Alliance caucus and form their own awkwardly named "Democratic Representative Caucus" or DRC for short. Or Rebel Alliance (which then-Stockwell Day question period speechwriter, former Sun News Network political pundit, Ezra Levant would use in his web-based show The Rebel.)<br />
<br />
The DRC then began talks with the Joe Clark PCs to form a unified caucus and begin agreeing on policies, including senate reform to a double-E senate (no equal rep per province, redistributed by region).<br />
<br />
With the mounting pressure, Stockwell Day stepped down to have a leadership race. Stephen Harper returned and won on the first ballot and said "The Canadian Alliance is strong and the Canadian Alliance is here to stay." Which really meant "As long as Clark is leader of the PCs, the Canadian Alliance isn't going anywhere."<br />
<br />
<b>The PCs</b><br />
<br />
Clark, seeing his party in financial shambles, and pressured to get out of the way of uniting the parties, stepped down a leader and the PCs held their classic convention-style leadership race. This race saw long-time PC guys Jim Prentice go up against Peter Mackay, pro-merger candidates, and oh, and David Orchard, an outsider environmental conservative. Mackay, not being able to fully secure the win, approached David Orchard, who agreed in spirit to support Mackay as long as Mackay didn't try to merge the PCs with the Canadian Alliance. This agreement, literally written on a napkin, then saw Mackay win the PC leadership. It would also mean, soon, Mackay would never campaign in an election as a party leader.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Paul Martin</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
Meanwhile, the Liberals saw long-time finance minister Paul Martin wanting to take the reigns from Jean Chretien. Martin essentially took over riding associations coast to coast. Chretien stepped down and Martin easily won the leadership and became prime minister. <br />
<br />
<b>The Merger</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
With Harper leading the CA and Mackay leading the PCs, getting grassroots support from each riding association proved easy and the PCs agreed in a "phone convention" to merge with the CA. <br />
<br />
Negotiations ensued with Belinda Stronach of Magna Corp. at the table as a mediator. A foundation of policies was agreed upon and a new name, simply, "The Conservative Party of Canada" was created and the caucuses merged with Joe Clark leaving politics and Scott Brison joining the Liberals.<br />
<br />
<b>The Conservative Leadership</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The leadership race saw Stronach go up against Harper with Harper winning, who would go on to lose the 2004 election to Paul Martin's Liberals, but putting parliament in a minority government situation it hadn't seen since none other than Joe Clark was prime minister.<br />
<br />
<b>2006 Election</b><br />
The Sponsorship scandal demoralized the Liberals and in late 2005, the three opposition parties smelling blood, called a vote of non-confidence. With the government defeated, Paul Martin stepped down and the Liberals held a leadership race which saw Harvard professor and author Michael Ignatieff (a.k.a. Iggy) win.<br />
<br />
The 2006 election saw Harper's Conservatives win another minority government and in 2008, seeing that the opposition parties might yet again call a vote of non-confidence, Harper asked the Governor General to dissolve parliament anyway and call and election. <br />
<br />
<b>2008 Election</b><br />
This time, Canadians tired of minorities and not knowing Ignatieff well, Harper disseminated the Liberals, bringing them to below 40 seats for their biggest defeat in history and the first conservative party majority win in 20 years.<br />
<br />
This victory essentially closed the loop on losing and regaining conservative federal power.<br />
<br />
Ok, now take a breath.... because it happening again...<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>ALBERTA</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>PCs: Steady Eddie</b><br />
Now, let's look at the Alberta conservative history--seemingly going through a similar phase. With Ralph Klein stepping down after receiving an unexpected leadership grade at a convention, a new race ensued and Ed Stelmach shot up the middle to take the leadership on the second run-off ballot.<br />
<br />
<b>Alberta/Wildrose Alliance?: Danielle Smith</b><br />
With Stelmach's centrist liberal-like policies, the Alberta Alliance was born. Oh, man, here we go again. Then I think the Wildrose. Then they merged as the Wildrose Alliance, but then shortened to just Wildrose. I can't really remember, because no one really cares. They have a leadership race and TV news anchor Danielle Smith wins on a libertarian-conservative platform. She tries to hold the party together. An election sees them become official opposition but the PCs have a massive majority.<br />
<br />
They become a small, but effective group and Smith's Wildrose are confident they'll win a majority. Polls don't look good and internal PC party folks force Steady Eddie to step down. <br />
<br />
<b>PCs: Redford Files</b><br />
The PCs hold another leadership race that sees Alberta's first woman premier with Alison Redford winning, again, in the run-off vote. An election is called and she surprisingly wins a majority with big support from the teacher unions.<br />
<br />
But her term is a disaster with PC expense scandals and favours finally being brought to light. It was at this time, many saw the PCs really become a true Liberal party. But again, seeing possible defeat, the PCs force her to step down to have yet another race.<br />
<br />
<b>PCs: The Prentice</b><br />
Enter again Jim Prentice, former federal Progressive Conservative party leader candidate, now a minted former Harper cabinet minister, deemed as a dauphin to unite the parties, but his political time runs short.<br />
<br />
So, now looking back only a few years to late 2014, after the Wildrose members stupidly voting against a motion on supporting equal rights, saw a mass floor crossing by 9 Wildrose MLAs, including leader Danielle Smith to the Jim Prentice-led PCs. While this appeared to be some sure-fire method to merge the parties, it failed and the Wildrose wasn't going anywhere. Rumblings are that it was planned by Preston Manning, so much so that he admitted they should have got the grassroots word on it.<br />
<br />
<b>Wildrose: Brian Jean</b><br />
With Smith out, the Wildrose held a quick leadership race and saw another former Harper MP, Brian Jean, become leader.<br />
<br />
<b>NDP win? Wait, what just happened?</b><br />
With the massive instability, a poorly run PC and unknown leader Wildrose campaigns, and Albertans tired of the drama, they elect, for the first time, the Rachel Notley NDP into power with a majority after an absolutely perfectly executed campaign that appealed to the Alberta populism. In one debate, Notley responds to Prentice saying "I know, math is hard", and that buzz alone may have sealed the deal. Prentice steps down, not only as leader of the PCs but as an MLA as well.<br />
<br />
<b>PCs: Kenney's Unite Alberta</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Shocking to us all, the former, yet brief Premier of Alberta suddenly died in a plane crash in BC.<br />
<br />
The PCs finally hold a leadership race and with the federal conservatives essentially taking over the party at the riding level, see long time Reform/Canadian Alliance/Conservative Calgary MP and another former Harper cabinet minister, Jason Kenney bulldoze his way into winning the leadership, campaign rules be damned.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">So here we are, again, about 10 years later after seeing your own conservative party turn liberal, that creating a breakaway conservative party doesn't lead to power--it only leads to opposition, which everyone realizes was stupid, so they all come back again to a new old party, only with a slightly different name,</span></b><br />
<br />
I bet you hand grenades and horseshoes that it'll be called "The Conservative Party of Alberta" with permission from the federal party who, I believe, owns rights the name in order to have had candidates in the senate elections.<br />
<br />
<b>What will happen before the 2018/19 Alberta election?</b><br />
Both Kenney and Jean will run for the leadership. So will others, but I'm not hearing anything. Jean will win. Kenney will run as an MLA to be a cabinet minister of intergovernmental affairs.<br />
<br />
Even with this merger, I'm guessing all the liberals and former progressive PCs will join Notley's NDP, like Sandra Jansen, into a party whose policies line up with Trudeau's federal Liberals, for the most part, to form a "progressive union" party to go up against the Conservative party.<br />
<br />
So there you have it... the progressives vs. the conservatives, which as we know, was the name of the former party that held power for 42 years.<br />
<br />
Who wins, I actually couldn't tell you right now. Seriously. But it wouldn't surprise me if it was a minority conservative government.<br />
<br />
Just like Harper's in 2004.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading this modern history of the western Canadian conservative movement, which, it has appeared, as expected, to repeat itself. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-63800349900748866302016-11-24T15:47:00.002-06:002016-11-24T15:47:48.621-06:00Referendum on electoral reform? #cdnpoli<br />
<br />
Oh, how arrogant the Liberals can be. <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/committee-to-call-for-electoral-reform-referendum-1.3175262" target="_blank">Maryam Monsef, the Minister for Democratic Institutions, the person who is actually supposed to ensure democracy, doesn't believe in it. She doesn't believe the very people who voted for her and her Trudeau government can be trusted with having a vote on a system they wanted unconstitutionally to ram through.</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.4px; line-height: 1.3; margin-top: 19px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.4px;">"I've been quite clear from the very beginning that I don’t believe that a referendum is the best way to go about having a really complex conversation about an important public policy issue like electoral reform," Monsef told reporters in Ottawa Thursday morning.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.4px; line-height: 1.3; margin-top: 19px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Monsef says referendums have low voter turnout and are expensive, and said her personal opinion is that they’re divisive. But she said the special committee has the ability to suggest ways to gauge whether there’s broad support for a change to how Canadians elect their governments.</blockquote>
So, apparently, electoral reform is too 'complex' an issue for us minions. And if it's such an "important public policy issue" (which it is), then is it not important enough to This has "insenaty" written all over it. The double-plus ungood double-speak from Liberals on any progress with electoral or senate reform goes back to the beginning of Confederation.<br />
<br />
What are they afraid of? Are they afraid that if it did go to a referendum the people will see through their rhetoric and nanny-state ways and reject their proposal?<br />
<br />
I don't ever buy it when a politician says "I've crisscrossed our great land from one end to the other, speaking with average citizens and they tell me that actually [they agree with what I say]". Yet, they really don't offer any proof they did just that nor is there any documentation of what people actually said.<br />
<br />
So, if it's such a complex and important issue to say you spoke with average citizens (read: party rallies) to get their input, and you must have spent a lot of our taxpayer money to fly and drive around, why is a referendum now so expensive and not good enough to hear from said citizens.<br />
<br />
And if it's "too divisive", is not ramming through a policy that the people have not had a say on literally being divisive? <br />
<br />
When it comes to Canadians having a say on their own democratic institutions, the blatant, divisive, and arrogant hypocrisy of these Trudeau Liberals knows no bounds.<br />
<br />
If there's one referendum I'd like to have right now, it's to say "Yes" to having this supposed minister of democracy step down.<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-267442216431867272016-11-17T12:02:00.002-06:002016-11-17T12:02:55.915-06:00Alberta PCs cry wolf #abpoli #pcaa #wrp #abndp<br />
At a PC Edmonton-Millwoods delegate selection meeting on Nov 16 at the Millwoods Golf Course, Jason Kenney violated PC party rules regarding being present at these meetings. Mayhem broke loose on his arrival and knowing there was a hospitality suite down the hall, but all 15 delegates still went to Kenney. To say he is a bull looking to win, sails short of the <br />
<br />
Now, let's have a quick history review. Remember that the PCs haven't used a delegate system for a very long time and used a one-member one-vote preferential ballot system which saw Ralph Klein become leader and premier for a long time. Then after Klein stepped down, that same system saw Ed Stelmach, Alison Redford, and the late Jim Prentice become leader and premier. All three premierships had their positive moments, but ultimately were failures as they all stepped down, as party was mired in inaction, a struggling economy, environmental policy pressures, a war on fun, and ultimately a growing misuse of taxpayer dollars for extravagances peaking with the Premier's Palace. Also, having public groups pay for attendees to hob knob at PC Party dinners is a big no-no, yet it went on.<br />
<br />
That system allowed initially not-as-popular candidates to win. Ed Stelmach defied the odds, shooting up the middle on the second round runoff vote, beating heavyweight candidates Jim Dinning, a former provincial preasurer, and Ted Morton. Alison Redford accomplished the same, beating Gary Mar, super minister, on the third round. <br />
<br />
So, enter Jim Prentice, former federal PC leadership candidate and Harper Conservative cabinet minister. The PC party insiders, seeing that they didn't wish to repeat the debacles of previous votes, as well as trying to bridge Wildrosers (who are assuming all federal Conservatives) back into the fold, essentially guaranteed his win as leader and premier through many interesting campaign tactics. The main one being the campaign buying memberships for voters. With 76% of the vote it wasn't even close, and Ric McIver and Thomas Lukaszuk never had a chance.<br />
<br />
Then Rachel Notley's NDP won with a slick campaign riding a huge wave of voter discontent, Prentice stepped down immediately.<br />
<br />
My point here is although Kenney showed up at a riding delegate selection meeting when it violates the rules and is bulldozing his way through this race, their ongoing tactics throughout the last ten years in their previous leadership races hasn't been ethical itself. I don't approve of Kenney's actions here and he should face some punishment for it from the PCs, but we should really call the kettle black on the PCs crying wolf.<br />
<br />
And they wonder why the Wildrose exists and why they lost to the NDP.Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-71169298001944737072016-11-08T10:40:00.000-06:002016-11-08T10:40:05.381-06:00Hatrock's Unscientific U.S. Presidential Election Prediction 2016Hillary Clinton: 308<br />
Donald Trump: 230<br />
<br />
Hillary will win the popular vote by +4.2% over Trump.<br />
<br />
Why 308? Because that's the number of seats there used to be in the Canadian House of Commons. And 4.2 is like 42 and I like that number because it's the answer to life, the universe, and everything.<br />
<br />
See, I told ya it was unscientific.<br />
<br />
But also because 10 years ago, I predicted Hillary Clinton would be the next president after a two-term Barack Obama presidency. I didn't think she'd beat Obama for the nomination then, so that made me believe she most certainly make another run at it, no matter what. The Republicans have not had any candidate even close to the campaign machine capability, charisma, charm, and coolness that Obama has brought to the White House.<br />
<br />
I have also not wasted much of my time and effort talking about Donald Trump. But I will say this, one year ago, my grandma passed away. Months before that I asked her what she thought of the U.S. presidential race. She said:<br />
<br />
"It's a zoo. A total zoo."<br />
<br />
And she was right.<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-83997961840261851412016-11-03T13:25:00.003-05:002016-11-03T13:26:14.505-05:00Countering Senator Peter Harder on Trudeau appointing 21 "independent" senators #cdnpoli #abpoli<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/appointing-independent-senators-leave-the-skepticism-behind/article32658198/" target="_blank">Senator Peter Harder, who represents the government in the Senate, gives praise for Prime Minister Trudeau's new approach to senate reform by creating an "independent" "non-partisan" committee to recommend individuals for the prime minister to recommend to the governor general for appointment to the upper chamber.</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFgC1CVLNupwkGAlx7SL87w_IPA5XZwnsGQwTeEOg4DG2umOu5WvfF0_e5n5XYuOz0S5mVpjnXvzwQ-V4CjrAi2uatPTc9ZzPzL8u7VEUV5Pp7RumgkV0_MZ4JRIIfKMOjYYcvA/s1600/senate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFgC1CVLNupwkGAlx7SL87w_IPA5XZwnsGQwTeEOg4DG2umOu5WvfF0_e5n5XYuOz0S5mVpjnXvzwQ-V4CjrAi2uatPTc9ZzPzL8u7VEUV5Pp7RumgkV0_MZ4JRIIfKMOjYYcvA/s320/senate.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senate chamber image courtesy Library of Parliament</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
He says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "garuda" , "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"But Canadians ought not to be misled by those who argue that appointing independent senators is somehow an affront to the foundational principles of Canada’s parliamentary system. In removing partisanship from the appointment process, the Prime Minister has actually gone back to the basics of Confederation."</span></blockquote>
"Misled"? Oh, we are not misleading Canadians. You are. You somehow claim that this is better than everyday Canadians electing those who are supposed to represent them in their parliament. You also completely fail to mention the gross imbalance of provincial representation--continuing the long-standing "tradition" of senate dominance of the East over West.<br />
<br />
As you know, I've been blogging about the Canadian Senate for about 10 years and the machinations and proposals thereof, where I've been following and commenting on this issue since the late 1990's. What I particularly point out is the lack of action and doubletalk by mostly Liberals. I call this "insenaty", because doing and saying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result regarding the senate is just that--insane.<br />
<br />
Let's be real. Those who vote federally for a Member of Parliament, although we are voting for a candidate in our riding, tend to vote for the party, leader, and attached policies. Doing so also gives accountability by the people and the party to that MP. Any newly appointed senator now who claims they are non-partisan may be true for some, but not true for all as I'm sure they all vote.<br />
<br />
Appointing senators, especially by a committee comprised of people Canadians don't have a clue about, is nowhere near a democracy. In fact, it is further away than before because the accountability to elected members and the party in power has been removed.<br />
<br />
At least with the process where the prime minister recommends the appointments, when a senator acts in a way that we don't like, whether committing crimes, overspending on expenses, or is absent, they are still tied at the hip to their party and the buck stops with the leader, the de facto official who is held to account when public or media outcry demand it. <br />
<br />
Harper at least tried to limit their term and appointed senators elected by the people of Alberta. There was also a point there where he had not made any appointments for so long, I thought he was going to let it die off naturally and then only appoint those who were elected provincially. That only lasted so long in trying to pass bills.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUtoaf6oVS__S8YSqLpAKkhcj7bUdUSXzE-cKqSNhlkCW6Asff6vofJYEegPpFoiZ9bAqoTwWehva-xMBYOsO_f7jr-_mjyvevJEL_6Xwxl0suIPXLeztAnSOXZYAbTRjmwtJ_A/s1600/justin-trudeau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUtoaf6oVS__S8YSqLpAKkhcj7bUdUSXzE-cKqSNhlkCW6Asff6vofJYEegPpFoiZ9bAqoTwWehva-xMBYOsO_f7jr-_mjyvevJEL_6Xwxl0suIPXLeztAnSOXZYAbTRjmwtJ_A/s320/justin-trudeau.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
I'm not saying this wasn't an astute political chess move by Trudeau; it was a masterstroke. After seeing how former and popular TV news personalities Mike Duffy/Pamela, as appointed to the senate by then PM Stephen Harper, all of their expense-scandal drama became directly associated with the prime minister. It was so because he got involved to control the politics for his party. It didn't work out well. If they were independent, the Conservatives would have spilled no blood.<br />
<br />
So after also seeing all the Liberal senators also abusing expenses, why in the hell <i>would</i> Trudeau want to have them associated with his party when shit like this happens and would likely happen in the future--damned the idea the Senate can manage itself. The Senate is no longer his baby--from a hands-off view.<br />
<br />
What is also hilarious about that article by Peter Harder, is while he claims to be so independent and non-partisan, blathers on how great this new process is, and says we who argue against this process have "misled", here he is giving <i>partisan</i> praise to Liberal Trudeau without looking at any of the merits of what has been proposed and somewhat implemented by other parties. None. Zero. Nada.<br />
<br />
Further, in his praise, he also claims Trudeau is going back to the basics of Confederation where appointments were to be non-partisan and independent.<br />
<br />
Sure. Non-partisan and independent, fine, but we're not buying it. You'd think of all people, however, the government representative in the senate would know the actual history that an elected senate was proposed, but turned down by bigger provinces for reasons of the time regarding expenses of elections. But this isn't that time. <br />
<br />
As Justin Trudeau said after the last federal election regarding gender equality in his cabinet, "Because it's 2015."<br />
<br />
He was right. But it isn't 1867 either.<br />
<br />
Equal? Where is the provincial equality?<br />
<br />
Accountable? Now the senators are accountable to no one, no party, no leader, nor representative of the people.<br />
<br />
Elected? Looks like never.<br />
<br />
The "insenaty" continues.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-55758665573848722052016-10-24T14:11:00.004-05:002016-10-24T14:11:49.828-05:00Conservative leadership race gets crowded #cpc #cpcldr #cdnpoli<br />
<br />
Numerous candidates have recently declared and frankly, I've never heard of many of them and don't expect them to make much waves. What they're doing is building some sort of name recognition within the party to eventually be considered for a shadow cabinet post, if they don't have one already. Lisa Raitt stepped down in her portfolio to look at making a run.<br />
<br />
Here's the stack of candidates:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioFCUlZMmHfKCMby5X525-CWdZQK_0YrPdIcTip_wtwpmp9qZU8IhuT2WzZ_Ui8nqaiygpiH55YO9Jp6Y513__TXqhv8ydlEmBLs8cyOMr0c4uzp6Ceqoy50dRTUSTUGIdfXA_Q/s1600/CPC+leadership+status.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioFCUlZMmHfKCMby5X525-CWdZQK_0YrPdIcTip_wtwpmp9qZU8IhuT2WzZ_Ui8nqaiygpiH55YO9Jp6Y513__TXqhv8ydlEmBLs8cyOMr0c4uzp6Ceqoy50dRTUSTUGIdfXA_Q/s320/CPC+leadership+status.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
What you've seen so far are candidates mostly making waves with attention-grabbing controversial policy statements (see Kellie Leitch). She made the cover of Macleans. She's fundraising well.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Michael Chong is playing the steady long-game and Maxime Bernier is nearly full out with a pure libertarian plan that is drawing some attention but hard to sell to centrists.<br />
<br />
I saw Erin O'Toole on CTV Power Play the other day and he was okay. Just okay. Don't see him as PM, but as a cabinet minister, sure why not.<br />
<br />
Look at the internet interest of the candidates for the past 90 days in Canada (in chunks of 5 as per above list):<br />
<br />
For Michael Chong, Maxime Bernier, Kellie Leith, Deepak Obrhai, Andrew Scheer:<br /><b>Kellie Leitch dominates interest overall but Maxime Bernier dominates in Quebec.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERjQ7WQP1Zq4_2P7ldGw-JifjVmv2qf1PiKAApTcUvdmYyh8EO24zPaM6qnE12vyBiguxqQFgbPJItYvSErv7VWDnkcaunp87EewNwLEnC6r2xqKskf6Pmj4yfpoWV0E3DfYoBQ/s1600/CPC+leadership+trends.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERjQ7WQP1Zq4_2P7ldGw-JifjVmv2qf1PiKAApTcUvdmYyh8EO24zPaM6qnE12vyBiguxqQFgbPJItYvSErv7VWDnkcaunp87EewNwLEnC6r2xqKskf6Pmj4yfpoWV0E3DfYoBQ/s640/CPC+leadership+trends.JPG" width="580" /></a></div>
<br />
For Brad Trost, Steven Blaney, Erin O'Toole, Dan Lindsay, Chris Alexander:<br />
<b>Brad Trost dominates overall but Steven Blaney dominates interest in Quebec.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvbG-KZfQhte_gPyto33GGcJwqMh77kOmcfCsA11aoH2j4e8fnpDAGbthH52o9rTgvxaP2UnHfhhmI66pb5ZCQpZ67yWu6qkGGzhAgpd46iJpYbkEdKvNSPPX5mqRbAIBkC3eoQ/s1600/CPC+leadership+trends+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvbG-KZfQhte_gPyto33GGcJwqMh77kOmcfCsA11aoH2j4e8fnpDAGbthH52o9rTgvxaP2UnHfhhmI66pb5ZCQpZ67yWu6qkGGzhAgpd46iJpYbkEdKvNSPPX5mqRbAIBkC3eoQ/s640/CPC+leadership+trends+2.JPG" width="556" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For Rick Peterson, Pierre Lemieux, Andrew Saxton, Adrienne Snow, and Lisa Raitt:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Lisa Raitt dominates overall with Pierre Lemieux grabbing more attention in Quebec.</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPKGVnijR_E56SeZl9Y-vubg3nw7lRC20uelFDEjQowfm1P-3byLkQOHooLGVKSwIKQQp_H4hHtNtPmz3EymEE4ms2kDw8ZHdXxPE9nTeWDXilDCUQ5k_Iqj8lAQ9Ip2sgDPBYA/s1600/CPC+leadership+trends+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPKGVnijR_E56SeZl9Y-vubg3nw7lRC20uelFDEjQowfm1P-3byLkQOHooLGVKSwIKQQp_H4hHtNtPmz3EymEE4ms2kDw8ZHdXxPE9nTeWDXilDCUQ5k_Iqj8lAQ9Ip2sgDPBYA/s640/CPC+leadership+trends+3.JPG" width="554" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b>What does this all mean for leadership candidates?</b></h3>
<br />
<ol>
<li>If you want to grab attention, it may only last a couple days, so you need to keep the momentum going. And in our now Twitter-dominated social media politics, you need to be relentless in your frequency.<br /></li>
<li>Start with your base and build from there. It's no surprise there's competition in Quebec to attract disaffected soft Bloc supporters and their harsher stances on divisive issues. Steven Blaney declared his candidacy and has come out wanting to ban the Niqab.<br /></li>
<li>Get on TV. People need to see and hear you.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
All that said, I tire of this Twitteresque/140 character attention sound bite crap and prefer discussing policies that actually affect our families, i.e. economy, taxes, jobs, health care, and education. Being that health care and education are provincial responsibility (supposed to be), economics, jobs, trade, and justice are what I think most Canadians care about federally, not the endless divisive debates on what people wear or national unity. Just look at the U.S. Presidential Election. It's sad how it has played out. I don't want Canada to have crappy campaigns like that where issues and ideas are subservient to crash statements that divide. The U.S. wasn't this divided since the Civil Rights Movement and Civil War.<br />
<br />
With that, my advice to all the candidates is to talk economy and taxes and don't waiver from breaking down and presenting what your plan would do in cost savings to average families. Should you be bold about it? Absolutely. Why not?! Let the naysayers take the debate to you. <br />
<h3>
<b>Frontrunners</b></h3>
For me, the only candidate doing that right now is Maxime Bernier. If he can maintain momentum and build beyond Quebec, he has a shot at winning.<br />
<br />
I see the eventual front-runners to be:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Michael Chong</b> -- who I think has the most growth potential and ability to syphon off disaffected liberals<br />
<br />
<b>Maxime Bernier</b> -- he'll get the base of libertarians for sure, if he hasn't already, but growth potential is limited unless he can convince liberals that libertarian and liberal are supposed to be the same thing. Unfortunately, his English speaking ability may turn off harder Western folks who'll need some selling on that his policies line-up<br />
<br />
<b>Kellie Leitch </b>-- because she's been controversial and is doing well in fundraising. Can she build her base beyond that controversy?<br />
<br />
<b>Lisa Raitt </b>-- she could win it. She's moderate, relentless, smart, but her French will need work.<br />
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<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-31453609604503565902016-07-18T10:49:00.002-05:002016-07-18T10:49:31.628-05:00Conservative leadership "a yawnfest" #cpc #cdnpoli -<br />
The Calgary Stampede is one of those mandatory events for politicians at all levels to don cowboy gear and swoon party-goers with pancakes and parties. What I find odd is the poor timing of a local Calgary candidate Deepak Obhrai to enter the race when Stampede came to a close. Or Tony Clement, who's no stranger to the circuit, announced then as well. You'd think they'd take advantage of this top silly summer event to create some excitement and momentum. <br />
<br />
As I follow all the candidates on social media, the only one who made any real posting poise was Maxime Bernier.<br />
<br />
In general, was there any real excitement about this leadership race? Because I gotta tell ya, I'm not really feeling it. I'm getting emails, mostly from Bernier. No phone calls yet (I'm pretty sure I'm on some old lists.)<br />
<br />
A big thing is that the media isn't into this race. There's no buzz. All the other new names touted, I have never heard of.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.hilltimes.com/2016/07/18/star-candidates-are-sitting-out-conservative-leadership-race-because-they-fear-losing-say-insiders/74009" target="_blank">Nik Nanos has an article similar to what I've been saying about this.</a><br />
<br />
I believe the folks who've entered this race are simply positioning themselves for a top cabinet position in the government of the next person who leads the party and wins many years from now. There's no shame in that. It's a good, but expensive, way to keep a high profile.<br />
<br />
It seems only natural that Peter Mackay should lead the party though, and him not doing so is causing a heightened build of tension. He was leader of the PCs prior to the big merger and if any can read the mood of voters, it's him. And the mood is a plurality if not majority of Canadians are still on a bit of a honeymoon with Trudeau--giving him the benefit of the doubt. <br />
<br />
But when the dust settles, he'll release that tension at the right time. <br />
<br />
And right now, that right time is still after the next election.<br />
<br />
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<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-16830761635820278892016-07-11T12:18:00.001-05:002016-07-11T12:18:27.402-05:00Does Stephen Harper's endorsement of Jason Kenney make a difference? #abpoli #cpc #pcaa<br />
<br />
The timing was impeccable. Right in the middle of the Calgary Stampede, at a Conservative event, Stephen Harper endorsed Jason Kenney in his bid to lead the Alberta PCs to merge with the Wildrose Party. <a href="http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/harper-backs-kenney-in-major-move-but-some-tories-see-possible-backlash" target="_blank">Watch here.</a><br />
<br />
There is no doubt now that the federal Conservatives are and have been actively involved in getting the two parties to merge, as was done federally 13 years ago.<br />
<br />
Let's set something straight though--and it's in plain sight. The Alberta PCs and their federal cousins in the Conservative Party are different. The Alberta PCs have changed with more emphasis on the "Progressive" moniker in the last 10 years than compared to the more "Conservative" Klein-era.<br />
<br />
Let's look at the history, otherwise, we are sure doomed to repeat it. <br />
<br />
The PCs elected two leaders that were inside cabinet ministers of a more liberal-bent. "Steady" Ed Stelmach, who then led the party to a huge victory, was internally dumped for Alison Redford, who also won a comeback victory, but was also internally dumped, but this time for former federal PC leadership candidate and federal cabinet minister Jim Prentice<br />
<br />
Prentice, who insiders were hoping would successfully pull Wildrose supporters over, concocted a sneaky backroom deal involving Wildrose MLAs and even the leader Danielle Smith over to the PCs. But Albertan conservatives didn't like it one bit.<br />
<br />
The Wildrose under newbie Brian Jean made a surprising surge in a riding-focused campaign, and the PCs saw their first defeat in 42 years. Methinks the dumpings weren't smart moves by the old party machine. And it backfired. The NDP, of all parties, won. <br />
<br />
What's the lesson there? <br />
<br />
We then learned that former Reform leader Preston Manning was involved in brokering this deal. He then later apologized saying it should have been brought to the grassroots. Of all people, he should know this. That said, the creation of the Canadian Alliance was only to rid the tarnished Reform name to make it more palatable to Ontario PCs and then the federal PCs to successfully merge the parties.<br />
<br />
But let's not forget that the federal Conservatives were successfully led by a former Reform Party MP and many of the Western MPs were from the Reform and Canadian Alliance parties.<br />
<br />
They included one Jason Kenney.<br />
<br />
Kenney was a Reform MP from back in the mid-90's and part of the "Snack Pack"--the young fresh group of Reform MPs from Alberta including Kenney, Rob Anders, and Rahim Jaffer. One survived.<br />
<br />
As one of my friends in the Alberta PCs keeps reminding me, "provincial politics is not federal politics" and the more I think of it, the more he's spot on.<br />
<br />
The Wildrosers are the true cousins of the federal Conservatives, not the Progressive Conservatives. Wildrose leader Brian Jean is a former Conservative MP, where there are numerous Alberta PCs that voted for Trudeau's Liberals. Why the federal Conservatives believe they can change and influence the Alberta PCs, can only be done through brute-force infiltration, otherwise, again, it will backfire.<br />
<br />
It's also why the Reform Party was created in the first place. As the Mulroney PCs ignored the West and vamped up federal spending and taxes, after 12 some-odd years of Pierre Trudeau's disastrous economic policies, Mulroney offered a big change. It didn't happen. Westerners were mad.<br />
<br />
I've also read that provincial party mergers in Alberta law works much differently than federally in that the party with the most money envelopes the "smaller" one. I've also read that the use of the name Conservative Party of Alberta is a tricky one too. I'm sure someone will find a legal way around this though. These may be just stumbling blocks placed there by folks in the PCs who don't want a merger to happen. <br />
<br />
Anyway, with Harper's endorsement of Kenney, will it make any difference to the Alberta PCs?<br />
<br />
In all honestly, I don't think it changes the minds of those who already have doubt--i.e. the Progressives and Red Tories in the PCs. They see this as interference and hostile.<br />
<br />
But what it does do, is possibly strengthen the Conservatives in the PCs and Wildrose to lay down their arms and join them together if they can see that it could work.<br />
<br />
Whether Kenney can convince a majority of the 30 delegates from each riding to do so is another matter.<br />
<br />
If this seemingly hostile takeover does happen, and progressives are unable to stop it, it is the best opportunity for the liberalesque Alberta Party and its leader Greg Clark to gain traction from PC defectors.<br />
<br />
And it's likely exactly what Kenney and Co. want to happen.<br />
<br />
In the immortal words of the first PC Premier of Alberta, Peter Lougheed, "A liberal is a liberal is a liberal."<br />
<br />
And it's going to take the progressive liberals to leave the PCs to make it conservative again.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-51303485605494499492016-07-08T14:22:00.002-05:002016-07-08T14:22:25.533-05:00"The nagging nabobs of negativity" - Jason Kenney enters PC race #abpoli #cpc #pcaa<br />
With a leak a couple weeks ago, it was no surprise that federal Reform/Canadian Alliance/Conservative MP and former star cabinet minister Jason Kenney announced his leadership for the Alberta PCs.<br />
<br />
So far, he's the only person who has declared and has the advantage up until October to fundraise galore.<br />
<br />
In getting a lay of the land from friends in the PCs and Wildrose, the stalwart conservatives are happy about Kenney entering the race to "Unite Alberta", while the more liberal/progressive folks either aren't excited or are worried that he might actually win.<br />
<br />
With the Trudeau Liberals in place in Ottawa, you'd think this would be a chance for Alberta Liberals to finally come together instead of spinning off to the Alberta Party startup. But as many know, and that I calculated when Alison Redford won for the PCs, the PCs have had much support from long-time Liberals themselves. <br />
<br />
Would Jason Kenney becoming leader of the PCs mark the right time for liberals in the party to go back to their homeland?<br />
<br />
Sandra Jansen seems to think so... well, at least not be in the same caucus as Kenney.<br />
<br />
Would Jason Kenney becoming leader of the PCs mark the right time for Wildrose folks to rejoin the PCs?<br />
<br />
Yes and no. There will be numerous Wildrose folks who want the parties to merge and especially those involved in the Alberta Prosperity Fund to join Kenney's journey to re-unite conservatives.<br />
<br />
But there are still many Wildrosers who want nothing to do with the PCs and believe their leader Brian Jean has a shot at winning in 2019. With Kenney as leader of the PCs, you'd have two former federal Conservatives as leaders of Alberta conservative parties.<br />
<br />
Can you say, vote split?<br />
Can you say, hello, four more years of NDP?<br />
<br />
There isn't much time left. The PC leadership convention is next year. Whoever wins, will need to work hard to convince the membership that merging to create the Conservative Party of Alberta is the only opportunity forward to ensure the NDP do not continue as government for another four years. Conversely, the Wildrose membership will need to do the same. <br />
<br />
And Kenney has words for those who don't think uniting is the best route.<br />
<br />
"The nagging nabobs of negativity".<br />
<br />
So there's that, you know.<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-47794732979240260192016-06-24T16:04:00.002-05:002016-06-24T16:04:11.583-05:00Brexit aftermath, the future of the UK and the world I'm a proponent of allowing the people to determine their destiny, however, the irony of Brits choosing to go it alone again rather than be ruled over by an overarching governing body is hypocritically historically hysterical. If anyone is an expert at conquering, well, look no further.<br />
<br />
<b>Economically</b><br />
Right after the referendum vote results, the British Pound took a major hit now at 1.7 of the Canadian dollar putting it near par with the Euro itself. It has been reported that over £350bn has also exited the economy in one fell swoop. Thousands of bankers and financiers are reported to be moving to Frankfurt. <br />
<br />
These are often predictable effects of injecting uncertainty into the economy, but you can be sure that there are many George Soros' out there who sold short on the game and are even richer than before. Often, these very financiers are financing the outcome and betting on it.<br />
<br />
Will the UK recover from this economically? Yes, but only if it's own overarching nanny state style of government gets out of the way and let's its economy build and grow from private market forces, not controlled by central planning bureaucrats from Brussels, or providing corporate welfare to industries needing a boost to compete. <br />
<br />
The EU model, determining which countries get what industries, is nearly the same as saying where all the immigrants should work and live, is it not? Are we all trying to mimic China's model to compete with them or are we better than that?<br />
<br />
When the UK joined the EU, it was smart for them to keep the Pound and it still is now. It's the one of the strongest currencies, if not the strongest, and it's value will return to what it was if not higher as bankers buy up a pile of it in the next days and tourism picks up even more for Canucks like us who thoroughly enjoy visiting our original mother country.<br />
<br />
<b>Culturally</b><br />
Having been to England, Rome, New York, Toronto and many other cities, what is apparent is thinking that immigration has ruined the core culture is nonsense. London is quite British. Rome is quite Italian. I didn't get the sense that the culture was lost, if not enhanced. Celebrating diversity strengthens a country. Going to any Canada Day event will prove that fact. <br />
<br />
While after joining the EU, the UK saw unprecedented immigration. It's flattering, is it not, when groups of people want to be a part of your country? Although leaving the EU doesn't make the UK any less diverse, it sends a message that perhaps enough is enough for now. The same angst and xenophobia is highlighted in the Donald Trump presidential campaign and he's exploiting those very bursting intolerable generational cleavages for support. On the other side of the coin, the social-democrat Bernie Sanders campaign is filled with Millennials and Gen-Xers who protest against the corporate influence on government, while only wanting more government influence of their own lives through free health care and free tuition, among a grocery list of other entitlements, but equally demand a lowering or eliminating of military funding, corporate bail-outs, and such. <br />
<br />
I believe that people want freedom and to live and raise their families in a healthy economy that has good jobs and a nice work-life balance with a social support system that is there for those that truly need it. Few I know celebrate when costs increase or taxes go up on good, income or small business, or they don't get a deserved raise in salary--no matter what the culture is.<br />
<br />
<b>Royally</b><br />
On a 'crownly' note, even the Queen essentially gave Canada its independence in 1982 not having to sign any more bills sent to her and we adopted her as our own Queen of Canada. I'm wondering if she is preferring this Brexit arrangement to her reign in the rain. I would think so. It's hers.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>Demographically</b><br />
The graphs show that as the older the voter got, the more likely they were to vote to leave while at the same time, won't be around as long to see what happens. There's irony there too. The UK Baby Boomers who are now retired saw the 20 year or so EU experiment fail in their eyes as more immigration occurred, while economic powerhouses like the UK and Germany were found having to bail out poorer nations, at the same time as their own predatory bankers and racketeers played havoc on Greek and Italian Baby Boomer costly entitlement pension schemes.<br />
<br />
<b>Politically</b><br />
Steady UK PM David Cameron took a risk and lost this one, and now he's Primexiting in October. His party caucus will look to find a uniter to right the ship and may actually find more success as the UK insulates and puffs up its chest--more seemingly conservative than not.<br />
<br />
What's more interesting is the calls for Ireland to unify into one whole island country and for Scotland to have another Braveheart vote for freedom only to have them to want to join the EU. I'm still trying to make sense of that one, but the Scots have a socialist/labour tendency, yet methinks its more of an ongoing historical protest vote against Westminster than economic ideology.<br />
<b><br /></b>
It's hypocritical to be for free trade, free enterprise, and freedom from government regulation, freedom from government-backed corporate monopolies, freedom from predatory lending, freedom from human exploitation, but not embrace freer immigration, more cultural and sexual diversity, and the rainbow array of different goods and services that come with all of it opening new markets.<br />
<br />
The same goes the other way too.<br />
<br />
<b>Globally</b><br />
Now, what I'm about to say is likely out of the bound of normal political discourse, and some may think, "Hatrock, you're crazy." So be it, but the historical facts are there. We are not taught in school nor does the mainstream media feed much of economic history to us. But as citizens, we must be aware and know how private and central banks work. One doesn't have to look much harder than the 2008/9 financial crisis to see what happened and how it exposed the supposed stable economic system that western nations dominated by the U.S. and U.K. is not based on straight-forward nomenclatures. It's not socialist and mostly run by government, nor is it capitalistic mostly run by banks and corporations. It's the inverted perversion of that whereby governments and central banks favour the private banks and big corporations through laws and regulation, bail-outs, and those interests influence the politicians through donations and vote support. We all know this though.<br />
<br />
The "system" that the world operates has been clinched down by bankers, big corporate interests, the military industrial complex and their political puppets for over 200 years, were strengthened by world wars and smaller wars as well, and will continue to do so unless the system is overhauled by a near but unlikely global revolution (sorry Anonymous and Wikileaks). The very corporate oligarchical interests that many protesting socialists and anarchists rile against are given special treatment by the very anti-capitalistic political systems they support.<br />
<br />
Many asked 20 years ago. After the EU, then what? What is it that the world political systems are "progressing" toward? Does the EU then become part of another umbrella political body? Is that body ultimately the highly corrupt UN itself? A UN that brokers IMF deals with African warlords? An IMF that is funded by central banks like the Federal Reserve cartel that prints bank notes and floods the economy with constant monetary inflation. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile lower and middle class folk struggle to get ahead with menial wages behind inflation. While government supports supply management of farm sectors increasing prices for basic food, and housing supply costs force mass mortgages for predatory lenders, at the same time, the government increases taxes on everything, including on taxes themselves, as they grow their own bureaucracies and administrations powered by public union fat cats who only have their own private interests at heart. It's no wonder household debt is higher than ever. Who wins? Banks gaining interest payments and governments gaining higher tax revenue to solve problems they and their corporate friends create.<br />
<br />
Why would a small businesses want to be swallowed up by a big corporation?<br />
<br />
Why would a family want higher costs, taxes, and interest payments or having government tell them how they should raise their kids?<br />
<br />
Why would British folks want to stay in the EU then? <br />
<br />
Why would Scottish, Irish, or Welsh folks want to stay in the UK?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
Maybe people are just sick and tired of being ruled over.</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
And choosing freedom over control.</div>
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<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-83831766619224005362016-06-22T16:11:00.001-05:002016-06-22T16:26:29.992-05:00Uniting the "right" in Alberta. #cdnpoli #abpoli #wrp #pcaa<br />
<br />
With the rumblings that former Harper gov't minister and current CPC opposition MP Jason Kenney deciding to announce whether he's making the jump to run for the Alberta PC leadership in order to forge the merger between the Wildrose and PCs, I will tell you this based on history, which is known to repeat itself.<br />
<br />
Kenney is already doomed.<br />
<br />
He likely doesn't see himself winning the CPC leadership and if he won, Trudeau would beat him anyway, so he might as well get his leadership fix in Alberta where there is a big vacuum.<br />
<br />
No candidate from any party who has advocated for merging with another party has actually won the leadership. In some cases, the opposite is true. <br />
<br />
When Stephen Harper won the Canadian Alliance leadership, he forged ahead saying, "The Canadian Alliance is strong and the Canadian Alliance is here to stay." I know, I was there at the Edmonton convention doing stage security for him when he said it. PC MP Peter MacKay was milling about that convention. Of course, Harper's declaration was true when Joe Clark was leader of the PCs. When Clark stepped down, Peter MacKay won the job at the delegated convention with a napkin promise to David Orchard that he wouldn't merge the PCs with the Alliance. Soon after, the 90% of PC delegates voted to merge and in 2003, the Conservative Party was born, Harper then ran for the leadership and won and the rest is history up until last year.<br />
<br />
In Alberta, after decades of not righting a wrong, the PCAA has also now smartly moved back to a delegated convention. With the vote in one year, Kenney needed to have already quietly integrated his minions into many riding associations. If he starts now, that's barely enough time. Then again, a day is a lifetime in politics and I don't think any of the other folks thinking of running for the leadership of the PCAA are that well organized either.<br />
<br />
That said, when federal parties get involved in provincial circles, it's an awkward situation, especially here in Alberta when the CPC has so many political cousins in both the Wildrose and PCs.<br />
<br />
It would seem natural and logical that those involved in the Alberta Prosperity Fund who want to merge the two parties would learn from their history and simply follow what the federal PCs and Canadian Alliance did 14 years ago. (Wow, has it been that long?)<br />
<br />
This takes a willingness from those at the top to have a third-party broker a deal for an agreement of an initial set of common policies besides "beat the NDP at all costs" between the leadership of both parties over a few days.<br />
<br />
I don't know what the rules are on naming a provincial party, but it would also seem logical that this merged party obviously be called "The Conservative Party of Alberta". <br />
<br />
Then, the leadership would need to go back to its membership and vote on this deal, then have a new leadership race.<br />
<br />
And that's the difference here with thinking you can have a saviour come in and bring it all together. The PCs just tried to do this with Jim Prentice and that ended up being an epic failure--even when he lured over Wildrose leader Danielle Smith and a pile of that caucus. <br />
<br />
You can't tie a merger deal with the personality of a candidate and the people don't give a rats ass which MLAs have flipped/crossed the floor. Remember the DRC?<br />
<br />
Give the members the decision to merge the parties based on a common policy set and worry about personalities in a leadership race afterward.<br />
<br />
And I just had a thought who might win that leadership.<br />
<br />
He did it federally.<br />
<br />
<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-67928771396342555532016-06-07T17:06:00.000-05:002016-06-07T17:25:47.729-05:00Alberta Wildrose Wildfire #abpoli #wrp :<br />
During the terrible Alberta/Ft. McMurray wildfires, Wildrose leader and MLA for the area, Brian Jean, stood out among the party leaders. As he faced the loss of his own home, opting to sleep he and his family in a tent rather than take up indoor space for other evacuees, his photos and video interviews were telling of a man who has faced so much sadness while remaining humble to lead.<br />
<br />
His and the party approval rating understandingly shot up.<br />
<br />
While the two conservative parties are about as far apart on merging as it can get, and with his uptick, Jean then welcomed all conservatives to the Wildrose and would even consider changing the name of the party. (I always thought party names like Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance, Alberta Alliance, Wildrose Alliance, and Wildrose were conjured up without much thought from a tiny committee and will always remain temporary names.)<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on the PC side, no one we know has yet to declare their intention to run for the leadership. It's a dark vacuum there. It's as if no one wants to touch that tainted soup. All the PCs have going for them is their feisty interim leader Ric McIver who went rightly toe-to-toe with the house speaker, and getting tossed.<br />
<br />
THEN...<br />
<br />
For the Wildrose caucus, enter attack dog MLA Derek Fildebrandt, who for his seemingly innocent Facebook reply to a supporter somehow failed to read the poster's comment about Ontario Premier Wynne, coupled with his heckle in the house to "bring [Saskatchewan Premier] Brad Wall here" during Wynne's visit to the Alberta Legislature. So Jean tosses him from caucus ... Fildebrandt apologizes... then not too long later, he welcomes him back.<br />
<br />
THEN...<br />
<br />
9 Wildrose MLAs retweet a release associating the NDP carbon tax to Holodymor, the Great Ukrainian Famine of the 1930's under Stalin suggesting that Ukrainian farmers at the time didn't have the incentive to produce under the socialist regime. Bullocks. What a terrible argument. Godwin would be proud. Being that my grandfather luckily left Ukraine in 1926, we just don't see the connection here. They of course apologized.<br />
<br />
THEN...<br />
<br />
Not a single Wildrose MLA made it out to a Pride Parade because they were too tired. I think many of us are tired of this still being an issue.<br />
<br />
SO...<br />
<br />
While all that support for Brian Jean and the Wildrose increased during and after the horrific wildfires, it was soon quashed by a lack of prudence and tact among his very own caucus members.<br />
<br />
And people wonder why party leaders need to reign in their members more and control messaging.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-74627997198964057212016-04-25T14:03:00.001-05:002016-04-25T14:03:07.282-05:00Harper still tops among Conservatives #cdnpoli #cpc<br />
<br />
An <a href="http://ipolitics.ca/2016/04/25/ekos-new-poll-shows-more-tories-support-harper-than-any-other-leadership-candidate/">EKOS poll</a> has Conservatives still picking Harper over the others. Either members haven't moved on or they are setting a bar for the other candidates to live up to.<br />
<br />
One would certainly hope that the next leader would be even better than Harper, let alone Prime Minister Trudeau.<br />
<br />
In the poll, what bothers me is the other potential candidates that are missing, particularly Michael Chong and Michelle Rempel although over 1/3 of respondents didn't want to pick any of the given names.<br />
<br />
28% Stephen Harper<br />
23% Peter MacKay<br />
17% Kevin O’Leary<br />
<b>17% Other</b><br />
5% Lisa Raitt<br />
<b>5% Don't Know/No Response</b><br />
4% Maxime Bernier<br />
2% Kellie Leitch<br />
<br />
So even if that 17% Other was split among Chong and Rempel, they'd still be above Raitt, Bernier, and Leitch. With MacKay likely not entering this race, and O'Leary having a political ceiling, whomever this "Other" is, can take it.<br />
<br />
In this sense, with one year to go, this EKOS poll is simply telling us that it's anyone's race, few see it's worth entering, it's wide open, and no one really cares right now.<br />
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I'll maintain that history dictates that whoever wins, won't be prime minister--which gives meaning to the leadership race following the next election. That's when you'll see candidates like Peter MacKay and Rona Ambrose entering, knowing they now have a legitimate chance at actually becoming prime minister. For Rona, she will be able to stand on her well-remembered time as the current interim leader, and she full-well knows she's currently gaining experience, building knowledge, and creating a national campaign network and future war chest to run for Conservative leader in 2021.<br />
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The risk, however, is if the leader elected in May 2017 becomes well-liked and runs a smooth campaign in 2019 to not only build on 99 seats, but in the four years following, becomes a palatable official opposition leader in order to be accepted as a credible prime minister, especially in a minority government. If that leader loses the 2023 election, then you have to jump up to nine years from now for the next opportunity.<br />
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But one thing we do know in Canadian politics, to become prime minister, you need to have deep roots politically. <br />
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For Ambrose and MacKay, those roots go way back, even from now.<br />
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Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21515728.post-54238607427712136162016-04-15T16:30:00.001-05:002016-04-15T16:30:13.781-05:00NDP Budget Alberta-styleWith oil revenue dropping from $9 billion to just over $1 billion, no government, no ideology, no party, especially one that hasn't even been in power for a year would be able to quell out of the dire deficit situation.<br />
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The thing<strike>s</strike> I liked in this budget are the small business tax cut from 3% to 2%. Let's admit there's at least that.<br />
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Let's also admit that the problem with this budget stems from the colossal expense of health care, which is well over half the budget and will continue to rise as the bulk of the population ages.<br />
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With that, there needs to be a fundamental change in the way health care is delivered and funded, otherwise, the big baby boomers now retiring will eat away at the future of their children and grandchildren. That said, it's already happening.<br />
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Over twenty years ago, if you read the book "Boom, Bust, and Echo", you'll know that the baby boomers made up a bulk of the population and during their time of highest income earning, they still paid much less in taxes than their children do now at that same time of earning, but they spent and built up our corporate and government social bureaucracy to a point of non-sustainability into future generations.<br />
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The plan under the Lougheed PCs in the 70's was to not depend on natural resource revenue for operations and infrastructure, but to make the Heritage Savings Trust so big, the gov't could use the interest to pay for the very things that recent PC and now NDP governments were trying to save.<br />
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We all know that the Klein government of the 90's slashed and burned to get to zero, but left the province with horrible infrastructure and a health system that appeared to be beyond the point of repair. Coupled with front-line worker wage cuts to teachers and nurses, in the long-run that policy didn't really get us anywhere. I maintain that paying teachers and nurses more salary isn't going to destroy our society or budget for that matter. <br />
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But the PCs under Stelmach and Redford didn't fair any better and continued to spend spend spend, with little real improvement.<br />
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Come on, people, look more closely. The Alberta health system bureaucracy is massive. They have spent a lot on technology yet still do not run as efficient as they could. Top bureaucrat wages and benefits are insane. The number of full time lawyers that work for Health alone eats up millions.<br />
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Don't buy into the B.S. that there aren't areas in the government where efficiencies and common sense can't be found. <br />
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Why can Germany offer free health care at 10% of the cost per capita?<br />
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Yes, terrible oil prices are certainly having an effect on Alberta, but federally as well, with tax revenues down across the board.<br />
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And so here we are. Massive budget deficits, and a carbon tax on fuel that won't do anything to quell carbon output which won't do anything to quell global warming.<br />
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The answer isn't to raise taxes on the very middle class that are trying to create jobs and raise families in good communities. Once you raise taxes on fuel, the costs of everything go up because everything depends on transportation--you know, like FOOD, SHELTER, and CLOTHING. And a few hundred in subsidies aren't going to equal this out with lower income folks. They will still pay more over a year, not just in fuel, but on everything.<br />
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In the longer term, the government will realize that their carbon tax policy will have an overall net negative effect on the economy. <br />
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But in four years, they won't be around to see it anyway.<br />
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Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06774576102839414470noreply@blogger.com4