Socialists elected in Canada's oil patch? Alberta election gets noticed in U.S.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I don't seem to have seen this mentioned here and am posting it as informational rather than requesting, or expecting any comment.

Socialists elected in Canada's oil patch? Alberta election gets noticed in U.S.

http://www.nationalobserver.com/201...as-oil-patch-alberta-election-gets-noticed-us

The left-leaning MSNBC host Ed Schultz expressed hope it might stiffen the resolve of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to fight big oil: "It's a political revolution that's unfolding in Alberta, Canada. This is absolutely horrible news for TransCanada, as it could put the Keystone XL pipeline totally at risk."

Salon's website ran the headline, "Alberta just elected a bunch of Keystone XL-hating socialists into office." The New York Times compared it to Texas electing leftists.

Some considerable degree of hyperbole in the above. And the impact in Canada is probably more interesting.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ottawa-incumbents-be-careful/article24328232/

Voters have a special ear for arrogance. It’s the mortal sin of Canadian politics. Few things can derail the campaign plan of an incumbent as horribly as an outbreak of arrogance and the reactions it inspires, among a people known around the world for self-effacing politeness.

And the new premier is neither a doctrinaire socialist nor a killer of golden geese.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Albe...hel+Notley+reach+oilpatch/11034052/story.html

EDMONTON - Premier-designate Rachel Notley said Wednesday she will reach out to leaders of the province’s oil industry as Canadian energy stocks tumbled after the New Democrats secured a historic majority government in Alberta.

Fresh off a resounding victory that saw her party snap up 53 of the province’s 87 legislature seats, Notley said one of her first priorities will be to assure leaders in the oil and gas sector there’s nothing to fear.

“They can count on us to work collaboratively with them and I’m hopeful that over the course of the next two weeks they will come to realize that things are going to be just A-OK over here in Alberta,” Notley said during her first post-election news conference at the legislature.

 

[Madalch]

Her first priority had better be to reach out to business, because the first priority of the big-business-owned media will be to smear her and her party into as much muck as they can invent. I'm familiar with how the Edmonton/Calgary Sun works.

 

[Corsair 115]

Her first priority had better be to reach out to business, because the first priority of the big-business-owned media will be to smear her and her party into as much muck as they can invent. I'm familiar with how the Edmonton/Calgary Sun works.

I'm not sure how much that really matters. They've got a majority and at least four years to do what they want. Unless they do something that's monumentally unpopular with the public, they should at least be in the running come next election time. The Alberta NDP is being given its chance to run things, not unlike how the NDP was given that chance in Ontario back in 1990.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I'm not sure how much that really matters. They've got a majority and at least four years to do what they want. Unless they do something that's monumentally unpopular with the public, they should at least be in the running come next election time. The Alberta NDP is being given its chance to run things, not unlike how the NDP was given that chance in Ontario back in 1990.

And as Madalch says, watch out for the right wing press.

 

[Beerina]

I'm not sure how much that really matters. They've got a majority and at least four years to do what they want. Unless they do something that's monumentally unpopular with the public, they should at least be in the running come next election time. The Alberta NDP is being given its chance to run things, not unlike how the NDP was given that chance in Ontario back in 1990.

Socialism works best in a newly-seized capitalist land, when they have years to coast on the economic might they nationalized before their policies slowly grind things down.

It's good to see some fear in the leaders as their hyperbole, so gosh darned pleasingly righteous to the ear, drives down stocks in the portfolios of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of retirees.

 

[Corsair 115]

Socialism works best in a newly-seized capitalist land, when they have years to coast on the economic might they nationalized before their policies slowly grind things down.

Canada is already socialist. Even Alberta. (Though, of course, not to the same degree as other parts of the country.)

It's good to see some fear in the leaders as their hyperbole, so gosh darned pleasingly righteous to the ear, drives down stocks in the portfolios of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of retirees.

That's some mighty fine rhetoric. Do you have a newsletter folks can subscribe to?

 

[rustypouch]

It was a pretty big change.

I think the vote was more about getting the PCs out than the NDP in.

Prentice had been saying some rather foolish things lately, and alienating people.

Of those who didn't vote PC, Wild Rose got a bunch of the 'real' conservatives and the bigots. NDP cleaned up the rest.

 

[Corsair 115]

I think the vote was more about getting the PCs out than the NDP in.

That'd be my take on it as well.

Prentice had been saying some rather foolish things lately, and alienating people.

Well, first there was all the stuff revolving around former leader Alison Redford. Then there was the sight of a Conservative government—in Alberta of all places—apparently running the government in a financially irresponsible manner.

Of those who didn't vote PC, Wild Rose got a bunch of the 'real' conservatives and the bigots. NDP cleaned up the rest.

It didn't help when a number of Wild Rose members—including the leader of the party—crossed the aisle to join the Conservatives. That didn't do any favours for either party.

 

[Caper]

We elected an NDP government for the 1st time the election before last. They lasted the one term and got booted. Their legacy lives on however as somehow they managed to sign a deal with public employee unions that contains a no layoff clause. That is they cannot layoff a worker until the worker has found a job that pays at least 90% of their current salary.

Yip, that's our NDP.

 

[Segnosaur]

And to add to that... federally the federal NDP have pulled ahead of the conservatives and Liberals. (Well, with the margin of error they're pretty much tied.) May partly be due to the recent Alberta success.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/c...as-changed-drastically-after-alberta-election

 

[Horatius]

And to add to that... federally the federal NDP have pulled ahead of the conservatives and Liberals. (Well, with the margin of error they're pretty much tied.) May partly be due to the recent Alberta success.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/c...as-changed-drastically-after-alberta-election

You know, I was never all that fond of the New Trudeau, and really only considered voting Liberal to get the Conservatives out. But after the whole bill C-51 thing, I'm seriously thinking about voting NDP or Green, depending on how the local race shapes up. I have to wonder if there's a lot of other people thinking along similar lines this month.

 

[Border Reiver]

You know, I was never all that fond of the New Trudeau, and really only considered voting Liberal to get the Conservatives out. But after the whole bill C-51 thing, I'm seriously thinking about voting NDP or Green, depending on how the local race shapes up. I have to wonder if there's a lot of other people thinking along similar lines this month.

Yup - with the gap between the rhetoric of "We support the troops" and the reality of "Nothing is too good for the troops, and that is what they shall get." Coupled with my reservations over the "anti-terror" bill and my absolute disgust over the way the government is "negotiating" a new sick leave policy for the public service (including the projected savings in the budget, putting clauses in the budget bill that say we can impose our plan whenever we want, and then saying "we're commited to negotiations on the issue") I'm debating between the NDP or the Rhinos.

 

[Segnosaur]

You know, I was never all that fond of the New Trudeau, and really only considered voting Liberal to get the Conservatives out. But after the whole bill C-51 thing, I'm seriously thinking about voting NDP or Green, depending on how the local race shapes up. I have to wonder if there's a lot of other people thinking along similar lines this month.

Sad fact is, there's no party out there I really like.

Want to vote green? You're talking about a party that until recently wanted to push homeopathy and other alternative medicines.

http://www.skepticnorth.com/2011/04/voting-green-read-this/

And the NDP? Well, there was an earlier bill C51 that they opposed... one that would curtail some of the abuses of the "natural healthcare products" industry.

The conservatives (admittedly the party I voted for before) are bringing in C51, which is not only questionable in its ability to spy on people, but also may not make us any safer.

But at least trudeau has nice hair.

 

[Belz...]

You know, I was never all that fond of the New Trudeau

Yeah, the old one had much more character.

 

[rustypouch]

You know, I was never all that fond of the New Trudeau, and really only considered voting Liberal to get the Conservatives out. But after the whole bill C-51 thing, I'm seriously thinking about voting NDP or Green, depending on how the local race shapes up. I have to wonder if there's a lot of other people thinking along similar lines this month.

I'm the same way.

I just cannot accept that the Conservatives in general, and Harper in particular, care about the country and most Canadians, and act with their best interests in mind. In fact, some of Harper's actions seem to be detrimental to the country as a whole, if not activity sabotaging it. C-51, selling the Wheat Board, removing environmental protections from the vast majority of our lakes and rivers, his muzzling of scientists, the whole book burning thing...

With NDP and Greens, I can at least hope they're acting to benefit Canadians. With Harper, there's no way.

 

[ectoplasm]

But at least trudeau has nice hair.

Sadly, that's what it boils down to. Nobody I'd want to vote for, but at least one leader has nice hair.

 

[Corsair 115]

Harper has been Prime Minister for just over nine years now. That's longer than Mulroney was PM (8¾ years) and only a year less than Chrétien was (just over ten years).

 

[Wirelight]

Her first priority had better be to reach out to business, because the first priority of the big-business-owned media will be to smear her and her party into as much muck as they can invent. I'm familiar with how the Edmonton/Calgary Sun works.

Actually, Postmedia owns the Suns, Edmonton Journal & Calgary Herald. Yup, it's become that time of one company owning much of the "large" printed press here in Alberta.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmedia_Network

 

[LashL]

You know, I was never all that fond of the New Trudeau, and really only considered voting Liberal to get the Conservatives out. But after the whole bill C-51 thing, I'm seriously thinking about voting NDP or Green, depending on how the local race shapes up. I have to wonder if there's a lot of other people thinking along similar lines this month.

Yes, this is a real problem for a lot of us, I think. I cannot possibly vote in good conscience for the New Trudeau, so I am going to have to find another option that is at least palatable. Or at least the least worst. Ugh.

 

[Segnosaur]

Harper has been Prime Minister for just over nine years now. That's longer than Mulroney was PM (8¾ years) and only a year less than Chrétien was (just over ten years).

Keep in mind though that the conservatives only held a Majority for a fraction of that time.

I know many people claim they prefer minorities, but still, it may not be fair to compare a party with absolute power (Chretien, Mulroney) with one where they have to navigate the problems of dealing with a minority government.