Vancouver King

Coalitions formed immediately after an election are common - witness Britain's recent vote. An NDP/Liberal coalition is possible if the electorate votes a Conservative minority.

By using their influence to cut the prevailing price in half plus increasing production by 8-10%, they effectively control world supply - all at $18 per brl cost of production. Not only did this make oil sand investments unprofitable, it also served to regain an edge over alternate energy pricing which relentlessly falls with technology improvements. All the talk of the NDP's influence on production in Alberta and the oil patch moving to Saskatchewan is nonsensical in the context of permanent $60 oil.

The issue is the reality that $60 oil is likely here to stay. When the Saudis cut the $110 price in half and jacked production it was to accomplish more than making oil sands production or American fracking unprofitable. At $110 alternative energy sources, sun and wind, had all but caught up to oil's price. They can't move the damn stuff since increasingly clean alternatives will soon be available. Now Germany and China share a trillion dollar market in an alternative energy technology - a market Canada can't sell into due to Harper's obsession with fossil fuels.

In fact it was such a right wing utopia, Albertans kicked their asses out of office leaving a pathetic rump of 9 MLAs

Canada's job creators are small & medium size companies - not big corporations.

Don't forget hiring ex Bank of Canada governor David Dodge for spending advice. Oh, does "rolled back planned revenue increases" mean cancelling Conservative tax increases?

Family considerations, pension considerations or the 10 year itch, they are all acceptable excuses for what is becoming the looming specter - defeat in the October election.

Yet another high profile Conservative cabinet minister announces he's not running - Industry Minister James Moore has had enough. Another nail in the coffin?

What nonsense. If, if, if. If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle.

In Alberta, there was only one(1) Liberal member elected, hard to imagine more severe "hurt".

If Notley was several seats shy of a majority I would expect her to reach out to other elected opponents of the sitting gov't, thus forming a representative gov't reflecting the voters intentions.

So selling off taxpayers GM stake at fire sale prices was prudent financial management? This GM selloff also removed any possible leverage the gov't had over GM's Canadian plant closures - days after the selloff GM announced closure of it's Ontario Camaro assembly plant (goodbye to another 1,500 high paying jobs). How financially responsible was that? How about draining the nations contingency/emergency fund to satisfy a political promise - how responsible was that? The myth of sound Tory financial management is just that, a myth.

Corporate taxes have always been a significant part of revenues and the push by Conservatives to reduce/eliminate them reflects their governing priorities - corporate interests, not taxpayers interests.

A system that allows Conservatives to rule with the endorsement of only 4 of 10 voters is one to be defended at all costs by Stephen Harper. The latest Forum poll, released yesterday, asked respondents their position on forming a coalition to defeat Conservatives in the increasingly likely situation of a Tory minority. 75% of Liberal and NDP supporters approved (only 12% of Conservatives agreed). The message in this? A Conservative minority outcome is tantamount to an outright defeat for Harper's gov't.

You can wager Conservatives will open the money spigots wide, bribing us with our own tax money in a desperate effort to avoid defeat.

When did you decree there shall no longer be a contingency fund?

Did you hear the news from today's latest poll? Harper's Conservatives are now in third place. Is it too early to refer to Tories as the third party?

It's funny how it takes just a whiff of defeat for conservatives to show just what a bitter, hate-filled group they are. Don't be so tough on Pope Francis.

As Pope Francis said today: "Time to take out the trash".

The NDP within 4% of Conservatives in Alberta! There goes half of Harper's cabinet...

Only an unrepentant Conservative would object to large corporations paying their fair share of taxes. Conservatives made corporate tax cuts on the basis companies would "... hir(e) lots of people who will pay lots of taxes...". The problem was and still is, they did not engage in new hiring, choosing instead to sit on the hundreds of millions - or upping share dividends or paying more obscene bonuses to management. Stephen Harper's economic overview involved making Canada an energy "super power" by promoting fossil fuel extraction for export at the expense of manufacturing. At the stroke of a pen the Saudis shattered his dream and his legacy can now be seen every week: businesses closing and manufacturing plants closing and/or headed south, thus destroying countless jobs that pay taxes. The NDP needs no economic lessons from Harper the ideologue.

What a day for Harper's Conservatives. First the Pope shakes his rosary beads at climate change deniers and fossil fuel cheerleaders and then yet another Harper appointment is tossed from the Conservative Senate caucus, this time for alleged sexual involvement with a teenage girl. What does this say about Harper's judgement in appointing a long list of people now convicted, under investigation or otherwise disgraced?

Still think the Senate will not play an important part of election campaign? Harper appointee Don Meredith tossed from caucus spells more bad news for Conservatives. The Senate is now synonymous with corruption thanks to Harper's appointments and actions.