Alberta Viewpoints

03/10/2024

As expected, the federal government of Canada was not doing adequate fire prevention in Jasper Park. They did this due to their own political objections to controlled burning of deadwood. Thebareas of a forest that have significant deadwood become matchbooks in a fire scenario.

The restrictions and federal control of the national park also prevented Alberta from responding immediately and completely once the fire was in the park as well.

Albertans should demand that all National Parks in Alberta be put under the Alberta Government and become a Provincial Park. The federal government is negligent of our parks, but we love them.

We will take better care of them then the federal government ever will.

23/09/2024

Anytime the federal government or an MP says they give Canadian Oil companies handouts, I think we would do well to remind them we would rather keep the money of Albertans in Alberta, and not have a penny from them.

We would certainly be better off.

13/09/2024

"Smith says Alberta opposes feds’ asylum claimants relocation plan, ‘cannot afford it’"

"Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta is opposed to the idea of taking thousands of asylum claimants, “especially without any financial assistance to support the province in doing so.”"

Well, get used to it.

The federal government makes the decisions. The only thing we can do is complain and write angry letters - which will have no effect. And we have to pay for it.

That's the deal for Alberta in Canada in a nutshell.

25/07/2024

As per Premier Danielle Smith's statement, Alberta was unable to respond more rapidly due to the restrictions in place in Jasper due to it being a federal park and under the purview of Parks Canada in coordination with the Municipality of Jasper.

We were not able to monitor the area due to it being federal airspace. We were not able to immediately send in water bombers or bulldozers to create a fire blockade.

However, Premier Smith isn't going nearly far enough with the concept of a coordinated command with Alberta.

This is affecting Albertans.

This has destroyed Albertan homes, livelihoods, and our beloved Jasper Park.

Alberta should start working to take over the National Parks in Alberta to be provincial parks so that we can have the complete ability to always respond.

This wouldn't be to deny other Canadians use of the parks. Or non-Canadians either for that matter. Why would we want that? We could even set up a system that allows use of our provincial parks with the National Park pass so this would be a seamless change. We can continue the use of bi-lingual staff, and even expand that further to have staff with multiple languages to ensure a great experience for all guests that come to our parks.

But Albertans shouldn't have to sit by helplessly when they could take action instead.

Do we want this to happen to Banff or Waterton next year? Or in twenty years? Or ever?

But let's be very honest. The federal system just lost us Jasper Park.

Albertans should start demanding that all National Parks in Alberta become provincial parks that we will manage. Then we can be responsible for their well being ourselves.

16/01/2024

Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley has announced that she will resign as the party leader after two straight losses in provincial elections.

Notley's NDP was the first and only political party in Alberta's history to be removed as government after serving only a single term in office.

This might be explained by the fact that her party was able to get a majority government in Alberta despite having a mere 38% of the popular vote.

It isn't uncommon in a first past the post voting system, like Alberta has, to have a political party gain 100% political power while not getting 50% of the popular vote. But having such low popular support and gaining 100% political power was unprecedented in Alberta and sheds light on a risk that exists in our voting system.

04/11/2023

Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland says Alberta will have to negotiate international agreements for a new Alberta Pension Plan.

That is exactly what we want!

02/11/2023

21/09/2023

Here is a link to a report on Alberta creating an Alberta Pension Plan. Very interesting.

Summary Detailed Information Description Alberta Treasury Board and Finance engaged LifeWorks to prepare a detailed analysis of the costs, benefits and structure of a potential Alberta Pension Plan (APP). The analysis includes actuarial, economic, legal, and technical information regarding the estab...

21/09/2023

Alberta has overpaid into the Canada Pension Plan by $334-billion.

Just imagine what we could have done if we had our own pension plan back when Stephen Harper recommended we do so back in 2001.

We wouldn't have the $80 billion debt we have. We wouldn't have shortages for public services. And we would have all that without having to spend a dime more than we paid while under the CPP.

Even though this is how much we overpaid. We will never get that much from the CPP. The most we will get is our per capita share of around $55 Billion. But there is a very real possibility that Ottawa won't give us a dime. Ottawa never misses a chance to not give Alberta our fair share.

Even if Ottawa doesn't give us a dime, it is still in our best interests to leave the CPP and set up a new Alberta Pension Plan. We overpay by $5 Billion a year.

This means we can increase the pension our struggling seniors receive, reduce the price paid each year by Albertan workers, and still contribute to a positive asset each year where we can make up that $55 billion in a little more than a decade.

No matter how you divy up the payment to seniors, the price to workers, or how much we put into an investment fund, it adds up to $5 billion more staying in the hands of Albertans and contributing to the Alberta economy.

This is a win-win-win situation.

There is no Albertan who looks at those numbers who would honestly think this isn't a huge benefit to Albertans.

19/07/2023

This is something Albertans should pay attention to.

Surrey BC is considering canceling its contract with the RCMP. The federal government responds with duplicitous tactics of paying a bonus for Surrey Police officers to leave their local police force and join the RCMP instead.

Surrey rightly objects to the political interference from Ottawa.

So long as Alberta continues to use the RCMP, we are also subject to the same political interference from a federal government that does not treat Alberta in good faith.

There is not a significant difference in costs to have an Alberta Police Service. And it will create jobs here in Alberta as we would have the administration and executive positions based here in Alberta.

Albertans should seriously consider abandoning the RCMP, just as Surrey is, and create our own Alberta Police Service.

11/10/2022

Many Canadians have sought treatment in the US after years of our healthcare failing them.

We need options in Alberta so people can choose to go outside of the public health are system without the extra burden and cost of flying to another country.

Kylee Carnegie-Middlebrook says that despite being told by Canadian doctors her appendix cancer is inoperable, the 30-year-old plans to undergo surgery at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, Penn., and pay the $100,000 Cdn cost herself.

01/09/2022

Canada likes our resources, but dislikes its people.

Albertans have been saying that for years.

A new national poll suggests Canadians love Alberta’s natural beauty including its majestic Rocky Mountains, beautiful landscapes and wildlife, but opinion on the province’s people and political views score much lower.

01/09/2022

Happy Alberta Day!

There are events planned throughout Alberta.

https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-day.aspx

21/08/2022

According to this poll by Mainstreet Research, Danielle Smith would have the most support as UCP candidate among general Albertans and so would be the most likely candidate to halt another NDP government in Alberta.

10/08/2022

RCMP has been violating the privacy of Canadians by hacking into their phones and computers.

They say they did this without a warrant in 70% of the cases.

Alberta needs to end its contract with the RCMP and replace it with an Alberta Police Service.

The RCMP says it is not using the controversial Pegasus spyware to circumvent encryption and monitor cellphone activity, but it has been using similar surveillance technology for 10 years.

02/08/2022

MLA and UCP leadership candidate Leela Aheer jumping in to help get a bull away.

Real strength of character showing here.

For Alberta MLA Leela Aheer, jumping in to save a trampled rodeo-goer from a rampaging bull on Saturday came down to maternal instincts.

08/07/2022

This all sounds good. But there are a few problems.

Even if all Albertans support Charest(which they won't), he will never become leader. The eastern votes of the CPC will determine the next CPC leader, not Alberta's.

Also, the CPC will almost certainly not form government any time soon. Probably not for a decade at best. Maybe not ever.

He's also promising to so generously give us rights that are already in our power.

What we need to do is elect a government that is going to instill those powers for Alberta - powers Quebec already enjoys - without a care of what Ottawa thinks about it.

“I want the province to have the ability to have its own police force if it chooses to do so.”

28/06/2022

Brian Jean is using dishonest double speak.

Firstly, he claims that Danielle Smith is a separatist. She is not.

Her Sovereignty Act plan as she has presented is limited to not complying with Federal Acts that breach into areas that are already under provincial sovereignty as per the Canadian Constitution. And Federal Acts that limit the rights and freedoms of Albertans under the Charter.

That isn't really a big step. It's just following the Constitution.

She does not make the claim that Alberta will not enforce laws made by the federal government that the majority of Albertans disapprove of.

But she should.

Brian Jean then says we should try to fix Canada.

How? Albertan Federal votes aren't even counted until after the election has already been determined by Eastern Canada. Our votes have zero impact on who forms government in Canada. It has zero impact on the laws and policies Otrawa puts in place. Our federal vote is meaningless.

Brian Jean is essentially saying we ought to write more stern letters and keep on appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada. That is exactly what Jason Kenney said and did. It got us precisely nowhere.

Brian Jean's dishonest statements about Danielle Smith and his do the same thing we've done for decades to get nowhere plan are why Albeetans should completely reject Brian Jean.

"We know Canada is broken. We need to go to the table and talk about it before we get a divorce," Jean says.

24/06/2022

All the work that has been done for decades advocating for Alberta Sovereignty and especially the last seven years where it has intensified, has been working.

It's hitting the mainstream now with the largest party in Alberta now willing to discuss it.

Well done, Albertans!

Rock said he wouldn’t immediately hold the separation referendum if elected, because the population must first be educated for the majority of the population to vote ‘yes.’

11/06/2022

July 16 event with a good lineup of speakers.

The future of 4.5 Million Albertans hangs in the balance.We are gathering in Calgary on Saturday, July 16th for what may very well prove to be the most important event in Alberta history. Join fellow right-minded Albertans as we rally and raise our voices together in one common cause:

09/06/2022

Brian Jean specifies Autonomy in his campaign run. That might put him well in the lead.

Thank you Fort McMurray Lac La Biche!"This byelection was about stopping the NDP next year, by starting the process of renewing the UCP now! I think that the NDP winning next year's general election would be very bad for Alberta.That's why I will be actively involved in getting UCP members to show u...

04/04/2022

The Alberta economy has a very similar diversity to other provinces. It also has far more diversity than most nations on Earth.

It's a common criticism of Alberta that it is not diversified but that statement doesn't hold true with investigation.

That isn't to say we shouldn't welcome new industries or companies. We should welcome any and all positive productivity.

But we should be very cautious of governments using your tax money to pick and choose industries or companies to be in Alberta.

There are many reasons.

Firstly, it makes the risk of business failure on the public and not on the companies themselves. But it keeps the profit for the companies.

Secondly, and probably more importantly, governments have a long history of corruption where they will spend tax money on the businesses of their friends and political supporters. So they use your money to make their social and political circles wealthier.

Those political circles then use their money to advocate for the political party that is giving them money.

It isn't hard to see how that circle leads to a diminishing democratic system.

TORONTO, March 10, 2022 (Globe Newswire) -- Despite persistent calls for deliberate diversification, Alberta's economy is nearly as diversified as the rest of

26/03/2022

Here's my prediction.

Jason Kenney wins the confidence motion. A significant number of UCP members and other Albertans do not trust the results and think foul play was seriously likely.

Brian Jean has discussions with all the MLA's that are unhappy with the government and its Premier and the leave the UCP to form a new party.

They invite some other UCP MLA's to join.

They don't get a majority of the MLA's from the UCP, but enough that the UCP must negotiate with the new party to form a coalition or else they will no longer be the government.

That new party insists that Kenney must no longer be Premier as a condition of the coalition.

We get a new Premier. And the coalition must decide who will join into one party so they don't split the vote in 2023. Most UCP MLA's that are not wanted in the new party or choose not to join will lose their seat in 2023.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he won't apologize for comments he is heard making in recordings in which he compares political opponents in his party to insects and calls them lunatics.

23/03/2022

Despite claims to the contrary, witnesses say Jason Kenney was, at a minimum, present for money discussions about funding Jeff Callaway's campaign for the UCP leadership, set specific conditions of his own and even gave Callaway a gift at a thank you party after he dropped out of the race.