blueblood Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Bingo!I think it would be tv-news-worthy to see how the Harper "Liberal Light" Tories would deal with an actual conservative government in Alberta if the WRA ever got into power. Now that would be funny (and expose Harper for what he really is...a liberal). It will take a very, very, very long time to happen...but I can wait. Took the Sask party around 10 years or so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 So, should Eddie then change his name to Pierre Elliot "Yellow Dog" Stelmach? It probably fits.<kneels to pray> "Please God, let the PC's get a minority!" "And make Brian Mason go back to driving a bus. And tell Kevin Taft that there are voters in Red Deer that want to talk to a Liberal." The problem with the WRAPer's is that they have policies, and they have beliefs. The two don't jive. Their VP for policy is 100% against their health care policy. He equates that to a personal choice on his part, he just disagrees with the "majority". The leadership contenders in the Alberta Alliance Party were all anti abortion and wanted to see provincial funding removed for the procedure. But that isn't what their policy says. It is this kind of thing that makes them more than questionable in terms of believability. Even so they are laying claim to being the one "true" conservative party in the province and are gaining support. Not enough to make a difference in my opinion. What they are really accomplishing is splitting the right wing vote. Alberta is a political wilderness because of the lack of visionary leadership. There will be another Progressive Conservative government in the Alberta Legislature after March 3 2008. Their majority will be reduced by some small number, but their place is reserved. It will take time for the citizens of Alberta to find an alternative, Mason isn't it, and neither is Taft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fellowtraveller Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 The Wildrose Alliance will go nowhere, because fringe parties on either side of the spectrum ultimately go nowhere. Their numbers will grow though, if only because the loons from the Christian fundamentalists who were crushed when they supported Ted Morton, need a home. Good place for them, out there on the perimeter. As always, the center of the mix in Alberta is the Tories, and the middle ground almost always wins in Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydraboss Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Don't think for a moment that I don't believe the PC's will retain power this election. I would just love to see the right wing vote split with the WRAP and (in a perfect world) the Tories get a strong minority. It's obvious that they'll get a majority, but the message that would be sent to the party if they 'barely' eeked out a 4-5 seat majority would see Pierre Elliot Stelmach bounced on his ass come the annual leadership review. It would be fantastic to see Morton get the leadership after that (cause the Liberal Dinning has gone home crying to mommy). It's all dreams, but hey, what else do we have to do politically in this province? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Alberta needs a political party of a different sort. What we need is a group of individuals who would dare to dream. Forget the politics and economics, look at society and see what actually needs to get done. If we are the richest province how is it that we don't have the best of everything? Its time to make a public agenda of infrastructure and development of secondary industry. We need to move forward despite the past and in spite of the present. As it stands we are merely digging a hole in the sand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydraboss Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Jerry, I don't disagree about the type of people we need running this province. However, if you want to dream of using our wealth to let Alberta go forward the first step is to get someone with balls running the show that will tell the ROC to shove their transfer payments up their collective asses. We already make more than enough cash to fix everything in the province from schools to roads, but we keep sending it to Kwebek et al. You may or may not agree with me on seperation; that is of no consequence. That being said, whether you want to term it quasi-seperation, firewall, or just keeping what is ours, as long as we mail our kids' future away to the feds we will have the same complaints in 100 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbacon Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I think we have to wait and see. Over 200,000 PC party members stayed home for Klien's last election. The wheels have been coming off the PC machine for a while now. Traditionally every so often, Albertan's roll the dice and surprise the hell out of everybody. The morning after they roll the dice, everyone wakes up with egg all over their faces, especially the experts. And Albertan's look out the window and see a devestated field of politicians and their bagmen broken up. And they head out the door to make some money and a good life. It is time to throw out the PC's on their asses. They don't listen. Albertan's are thoroughbred's but right now we are being led by a DONKEY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbacon Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 from www.wildrosealliance.ca some notable and long over due Democratic Reform......Accountability A Wildrose Alliance Government will implement a computerized voting system in the Legislature to instantly tabulate and record votes into the Hansard. The media would be able to report each MLAís voting record. A Wildrose Alliance Government will hold open Cabinet meetings, at least once a month, which will be broadcast live over the Internet and could be televised. A Wildrose Alliance Government will give all government MLAs a meaningful new role in policy development and service planning through a new system of decision-making. A Wildrose Alliance Government will give all MLAs and citizens a better voice in government through active Legislative committees. A Wildrose Alliance Government will support representative democracy. All MLAs will be free to express their constituentís views even when those views are contrary to the Alberta Alliance views. Cabinet A Wildrose Alliance Government will reduce the size of the Provincial Cabinet to twelve members. Specifically; Premier, Agriculture, Attorney General, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Finance, Health, Inter-governmental Affairs, Municipal Affairs, Solicitor General and Transportation. Commissions / Boards A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute elections for all provincial boards and commissions every four years to be held in conjunction with the provincial general elections. Conflict of Interest A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute strict conflict of interest guidelines facilitated through the Provincial Ethics Commissionerís office. A Wildrose Alliance Government will select an independent Ethics Commissioner via a multi-party committee. The commissioner will report directly to the Legislative Assembly. Constitutional Reform A Wildrose Alliance Government will support the popular ratification of all Constitutional Amendments by a simple majority vote in at least two-thirds of the provinces (including the Territories) representing at least 50% of the countryís population in a national referendum. A Wildrose Alliance Government will agree with the terms of the Federal Clarity Act. That is any province seeking separation from Canada must first hold a referendum of the people of the province. The referendum question must be free of ambiguity and clear in the support it achieves for the result to be taken as the democratic will and expression of the will of the people to enter into negotiations that lead to secession. Equality A Wildrose Alliance Government will recognize that all Canadians have equal rights, privileges and responsibilities. A Wildrose Alliance Government will oppose the entrenchment by law of any recognizable group, as a ìDistinct or Unique Societyî with special privileges and exceptional rights not available to other Canadians. Equality of all citizens is the very essence of democracy and should not be compromised. Federalism A Wildrose Alliance Government will support respect and cooperation between the federal and provincial governments. A Wildrose Alliance Government will defend Alberta against intrusions by the federal government by protecting the property, legal, constitutional and democratic rights of Albertans. A Wildrose Alliance Government will work to thwart proposed or implemented federal legislation that contradicts Alberta Alliance principles. Electoral Reform A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute fixed election dates for all elected officials in Alberta. MLAís will be elected to a four (4) year term. The Legislative Assembly will be able to call a vote of non-confidence at any time. A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute a Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform to assess all possible models for electing MLAs, including preferential ballots, proportional representation and our current electoral system. If the assembly recommends changes to the current electoral system the proposed changes will be put to a province-wide referendum. A Wildrose Alliance Government will set the maximum number of terms that a Premier can serve to two consecutive four-year terms. Free Votes in Caucus and Legislature A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute free votes in the Legislative Assembly. MLAs will be encouraged to vote according to the dictates of their conscience or the expressed indications of their constituents. The Alberta Alliance Caucus has only free votes. The caucus position is determined by a simple majority vote of the caucus. Freedom of Information A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute an open and comprehensive Freedom of Information Act. Government Reform A Wildrose Alliance Government will establish an independent agency to determine the salaries and benefits of elected governmental officials and senior civil servants and to ensure that appointments to government tribunals, boards and senior civil service are conducted through an open, qualification-based process. The independent agency will also be able to dismiss appointees when just cause to do so exists. A Wildrose Alliance Government will invite all Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and Members of Parliament from Alberta to an annual conference to publicly identify and explore solutions to Albertaís concerns. A Wildrose Alliance Government will ensure that MLA pension plans, transition allowances and severance packages are consistent with those in private industry. Legislative Dates A Wildrose Alliance Government will establish set dates for Throne Speeches, Budget Announcements, Legislative Sessions and other important legislative occurrences. Municipal Government A Wildrose Alliance Government will support greater dialogue and cooperation between the province and municipalities. A Wildrose Alliance Government will support the assignment of government functions to that level of government most appropriate to the situation. A Wildrose Alliance Government will follow any downloading of services from the province to municipalities with the appropriate amount of funding. A Wildrose Alliance Government will increase the power of municipalities to make decisions affecting their jurisdictions and promote a greater delegation of municipal decision making to local communities. A Wildrose Alliance Government will end the offloading of costs onto municipal governments. A Wildrose Alliance Government will extend greater autonomy and better planning tools to local governments to reduce pressure on property taxes. Patronage A Wildrose Alliance Government will restore professional, non-partisan public service by instituting Merit Employment Legislation that is based on merit and not political patronage. A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute an impartial confirmation process for the appointment of senior bureaucrats, crown corporation heads and high level government appointees to ensure that the appointments are based upon qualifications and/or relevant experience. Property Rights A Wildrose Alliance Government will entrench individual property rights within an Alberta Bill of Rights and a provincial constitution. Provincial Constitution A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute a Provincial Constitution under which all people would be equal. The province would be bound by the provisions of the Provincial Constitution during any future Federal Constitutional negotiations. A Wildrose Alliance Government will determine the content of the Provincial Constitution through a democratic process including a constituent assembly of elected participants. The proposed content would be brought to the people of Alberta in a referendum for ratification. Referenda A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute legislation allowing the citizens of Alberta to call for a referendum or initiative on a matter of significant public concern upon the presentation of a petition signed by at least 5% of the total voting population of Alberta. A Wildrose Alliance Government will call a referendum on any matter which it deems is of significant public concern. A Wildrose Alliance Government will be bound by the outcome of a referendum that is called regarding a piece of pending legislation. A Wildrose Alliance Government will only use Section 33 (the Notwithstanding Clause) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with the consent of the Alberta people in a referendum. Representative Democracy A Wildrose Alliance Government will be accountable to the people of Alberta by recognizing that Members of the Legislative Assembly are first and foremost responsible to their constituents. A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute the right of recall of elected officials. Senate Reform A Wildrose Alliance Government will advocate for a reformed Canadian Senate that has equal representation elected from each province and effective parliamentary powers. Through ìTriple-Eî Senate reform, the equality of all Canadians will be enhanced by ensuring that representation by population is balanced with the need for equal provincial representation. A Wildrose Alliance Government will create serious consideration to the ìTriple Eî Senate reform proposal on a national level by holding a provincial referendum on Senate reform. A Wildrose Alliance Government will recognize Alberta elected Senators to the Federal Senate. It need not recognize any federally appointed Senators. A Wildrose Alliance Government will balance the representation between urban and rural centers in Alberta by instituting a Provincial Triple E Senate. Provincial Senators will be elected by the people from five equal electoral regions and have real effective powers. Vote of Non Confidence A Wildrose Alliance Government will require the passing of a proclaimed vote of non-confidence to cause the defeat of the government. The defeat of any other bill will only cause the defeat of the bill; not the defeat of the government. _________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fellowtraveller Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Don't think for a moment that I don't believe the PC's will retain power this election. I would just love to see the right wing vote split with the WRAP and (in a perfect world) the Tories get a strong minority. It's obvious that they'll get a majority, but the message that would be sent to the party if they 'barely' eeked out a 4-5 seat majority would see Pierre Elliot Stelmach bounced on his ass come the annual leadership review. It would be fantastic to see Morton get the leadership after that (cause the Liberal Dinning has gone home crying to mommy).It's all dreams, but hey, what else do we have to do politically in this province? Morton will never be premier of this province as long as he has the Christian fundamentalist loons as supporters. You can take that to the bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Jerry, I don't disagree about the type of people we need running this province. However, if you want to dream of using our wealth to let Alberta go forward the first step is to get someone with balls running the show that will tell the ROC to shove their transfer payments up their collective asses. We already make more than enough cash to fix everything in the province from schools to roads, but we keep sending it to Kwebek et al.You may or may not agree with me on seperation; that is of no consequence. That being said, whether you want to term it quasi-seperation, firewall, or just keeping what is ours, as long as we mail our kids' future away to the feds we will have the same complaints in 100 years. Fear not because I am an avid Alberta separatist and I do agree we need to tell Ottawa to "Bite me". But that was not my point, I was suggesting that the lack of visionary leadership has delivered us to this point in the road. Don't misunderstand your taxes. Transfer payments come out of your personal tax load. The province itself pays nothing unless you look at educational and health care transfers. It is the citizen that pays, there is only one real tax payer. Since it doesn't cost the province the bastards will not lift a finger to help us. Great leadership has a high price, and it is a price our politicians can't or won't make. The reality is that we can claw back much of those transfers from the feds. We can opt out of lots of fed programs and we can change a lot of legislation to read that we get paid first and then transfer the left overs to Ottawa. We can collect all taxes in Alberta and remit what is left after deductions to Ottawa. Our province can do these things legally within the current framework of the law. It is our leaders in politics that haven't the balls or the brains to do it. That is why I suggest we need a different sort of political party in Alberta. One neither left nor right. One that has a single agenda of improving the human condition of Alberta citizens. That means getting the government off or backs and out of our pockets. When was the last time a law was repealed? They pass laws all the time but never take the old ones off the books! The government representatives see through a one way mirror, they stare at themselves and talk to hear themselves speak. They are little more than trough hogs, fed at public expense. Alberta needs a party of citizens that are willing to preform public service, not fill their pockets at public expense. What we need is different than what we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbacon Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 This is a Revolutionary move. And a great vision. For the first time in Canadian history a party is offering Freedom and Liberty to it's voters. The Canadian Constitution is nothing more than an adopted Statute of a foreign country, ie BNA is Statute Law of Imperial England. And the Charter was cobbled up by Chretien. One man. And it was forced on all Canadians without our imput of ratification. Under International not even a legal Constitution. The Wildrose Alliance Party is offering a Provincial Constitution written by and of and for the people of Alberta with entrenched Property Rights. Finally after over 141 years a chance at Liberty and Freedom..............Property Rights A Wildrose Alliance Government will entrench individual property rights within an Alberta Bill of Rights and a provincial constitution. Provincial Constitution A Wildrose Alliance Government will institute a Provincial Constitution under which all people would be equal. The province would be bound by the provisions of the Provincial Constitution during any future Federal Constitutional negotiations. A Wildrose Alliance Government will determine the content of the Provincial Constitution through a democratic process including a constituent assembly of elected participants. The proposed content would be brought to the people of Alberta in a referendum for ratification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BubberMiley Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 What marketing Einstein decided that the first step to avoid being perceived as a fringe party would be to include the word "wild" in its name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbacon Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 It is actually a Provincial thing. Our Province is called The Wildrose Province. It is on our license plates and is our National Flower. And besides that all Albertan's love it. Very smart marketing by the Wildrose Alliance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 It is a fringe party, that is all it will ever be. Very far to the right, far enough to make the PC party look like liberal socialists. They seem to be well funded, at least that is their claim. I would be willing to bet that it is corporate funding or gifts in kind that fuel the party. There is interest in the party from small and large business but they ca't even beat the NDP in the support of us lower class worker types. They seem to be elitist in much of their thinking. I don't see much hope for them actually. They will split the right wing vote, that isn't a bad thing because it may serve to hurt the PC's and that can't be a bad thing. There will be little more than single digit support for these folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydraboss Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 And I would be quite happy if all they ever accomplish is to weaken the PC's. Just not too much or the Liberals may actually have a chance. NDP never did. Of course, the Reform started out much the same and look what happened there (other than the fact that they eventually became liberals in Ottawa). The most true statement I have heard in a long time came from Dave Rutherford on the Chorus radio network last week. He said that Alberta is in a complete leadership vacuum right now. Early Ralph Klein (not fat, boring Later Ralph Klein - sounds like I'm talking about Elvis) had vision and took the province places. Now we have the choice between Left, More Left and Waaayyy Left. I haven't been embarrassed to be an Albertan ever, until I listen to Pierre Elliot Stelmach start babbling to the press. To the rest of the world we must look like the Navy Seals being led by Gomer Pyle. I don't think I could see myself promoting the WRAP just yet. They're still pretty new and their only MLA is the leader Paul Hindman, and I can't seem to find out if they're running a candidate in my area. If they are, he/she will get two votes out of this household, even though it won't make that much difference. The moron PC candidate used to be our mayor, and although he is as useful as a bladeless knife without a handle, he'll get elected anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I cannot vote WRAP for reasons I have already mentioned, even if there was a candidate in my riding. I simple don't trust them, they have not earned my trust. I will not vote PC, and both the NDP and Liberals out here don't impress me much. I am hoping for an independent candidate to appear, and if none show up I will vote Green just to piss everybody else off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreodontist Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 (edited) Morton will never be premier of this province as long as he has the Christian fundamentalist loons as supporters.You can take that to the bank. Agreed. I've voted Con 'forever' but wouldn't vote for Morton. I don't have a problem with him as much as his groupies. I probably won't vote Con this election. Probably Green to help raise the environmnetal issue. Stelmach is 'ok' so far but too big a majority leads to more arrogance. I'm in Calgary and am surprised how well the Cons seem to be doing. I thought there might have been more call for a house cleaning this time around even by traditional Con voters (like me) Edited February 13, 2008 by oreodontist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Wait and see what happens. There is speculation that the Liberals will gain a large number of seats, many in Calgary. I think the Wildrose Alliance group will double their seats to gain a mind boggling number of two. The NDP will likely even see a rise in their seat count. This is all due to the changing demographics, brought to us with our latest boom. Times are changing in Alberta and I am willing to bet this will be the last PC government and could well spell the end of the party in provincial politics for years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreodontist Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 In 35 years of voting this is the lowest profile fed or provincial election I've experienced. We spent two days helping with the calving out at the homestead and there was zero talk of politics. No one is paying attention. I'm more inclined to see it as the nature of the media beast. None of our nephews, their friends, etc. under 25 or so could give a hoot. They all watch CNN, are on the Internet and follow the primaries in the USA. Everyone knows Clinton/Obana but few could recognize a photo of Stelmach and none could name another party leader. There's no issue that is catching on. No Klein to love or hate. No charisma from any leader. No anything other than the usual fringe groups chattering to themselves. The Libs were caught flat foot. the NDP are what? I don't know how any one can make a prediction of substance when there might as well not be a campaign of any sort. If I have to 'guess', I say the results will be more or less the same as today. Perhaps the Cons will take a couple more seas in the Edmonton area...the Libs perhaps another 1 in Calgary. No change in the rural areas. NDP the same or lose a seat. The Greens will pick up only 4%...they have no visible profile this election. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 The NDP are calling for small interest free loans for citizens to combat the housing crisis. Want to be their percentage rises? I will venture to say that many of the folks that have come here for the boom and are living in expensive rental property will support the NDP. The Liberals are now calling for an elimination of the school tax portion of property taxes for seniors. There will doubtless be more proposals the further we go in the election process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreodontist Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 (edited) The NDP are calling for small interest free loans for citizens to combat the housing crisis. Want to be their percentage rises? I will venture to say that many of the folks that have come here for the boom and are living in expensive rental property will support the NDP. The Liberals are now calling for an elimination of the school tax portion of property taxes for seniors. There will doubtless be more proposals the further we go in the election process. I doubt the NDP % will rise and if it rises certainly not because of anything they propose. They can promise anything but aren't taken as a serious contender for government. NDP fortunes outside of a niche in Edmonton are doomed by the rise of the Green Party. The Greens have done better in my riding than the dippers the last provincial and fed election. Any actual dividing issues in the province (none so far) will benefit the Liberals. Klein was that issue in the last election and he's gone. The debate about Stelmach is largely on the right and Morton whackos aren't going to vote Liberal or NDP. Wild Rosers are disenchanted Cons and may get a seat or two but that's dependent on the individual and not the party. Albertan are more intelligent than the Libs and NDP strategies. They don't bite at 'give me' promises. In fact I say it dooms the Libs to an image of big government that won't ever get them elected. Albertans will bite at lower taxes but not at more government offering a bigger free lunch. the Cons can get away wasting billions in revenues because there has not been a viable alternative wanting to close the vault. The Libs can't scream spend more on health, education, seniors and so on without the eyes rolling. The next Legislature will look more or less the same as this one...for 5 more years. Edited February 14, 2008 by oreodontist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 The legislature will not change from a majority to a minority, and the government will not fall. However I think you underestimate the political sentiment of the citizens. It is a tradition in this province to be bought with your own tax dollars, that is a PC tradition. Ralph bucks ring a bell? How about natural gas rebates? This time it is health care premiums. These were not the invention of the opposition but instead the government. The Alberta voter demographic is changing, and it is doing so very rapidly. I would not be willing to bet against the PC party losing 15-20 seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreodontist Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 (edited) The legislature will not change from a majority to a minority, and the government will not fall. However I think you underestimate the political sentiment of the citizens. It is a tradition in this province to be bought with your own tax dollars, that is a PC tradition. Ralph bucks ring a bell? How about natural gas rebates? This time it is health care premiums. These were not the invention of the opposition but instead the government.The Alberta voter demographic is changing, and it is doing so very rapidly. I would not be willing to bet against the PC party losing 15-20 seat. I'd bet against it. The demographics and 'change' has been in the air for decades. The PCs coming to power were just rejuvenated Social creditors.. Nothing has changed since long before WW2. I'd like to see a minority Con government but won't happen. Any party to challege the PCs would need to come from the right and that won't happen. Rural fundy whackos are a smaller and smaller niche of the population. 'If' Morton had wonthe con leadership the Liberals might have had a chance but never happened and won't happen. If it was a tradition to be bought with one's own tax dollars that actually determined election outcomes then the NDP would have been in power for the last 50 years provincially and federally. You might like to vote for the promises but most of my friends want less government and not more. Promises by the Libs and NDP are largely dismissed and tarnish those parties (over and over) Edited February 14, 2008 by oreodontist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry J. Fortin Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 The left has never stood a chance in Alberta, no promise from them is in any way relevant to the voters because the will NEVER form a government. Even so, the PC party has made promises and bought the support of Albertans. They were never close to the Social Credit Party of Alberta, not by a long shot. Their policies in the PC party are geared toward business, the Socreds toward the citizens, and those are two very different directions. Had Social Credit stayed in power and changed nothing about the way they governed the province the Heritage Trust Fund would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. It was the first of its kind and was bled out early in its existence and has not been funded for nearly two decades. That fund was designed to provide a dividend to citizens, it was the model for the Alaskan Permanent Fund. The PC party has brought much wealth to Alberta, but it has not had the Ronald Regean trickle down effect to most citizens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreodontist Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 (edited) The left has never stood a chance in Alberta, no promise from them is in any way relevant to the voters because the will NEVER form a government. Even so, the PC party has made promises and bought the support of Albertans. They were never close to the Social Credit Party of Alberta, not by a long shot. Their policies in the PC party are geared toward business, the Socreds toward the citizens, and those are two very different directions. Had Social Credit stayed in power and changed nothing about the way they governed the province the Heritage Trust Fund would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. It was the first of its kind and was bled out early in its existence and has not been funded for nearly two decades. That fund was designed to provide a dividend to citizens, it was the model for the Alaskan Permanent Fund.The PC party has brought much wealth to Alberta, but it has not had the Ronald Regean trickle down effect to most citizens. Never is too strong a word. The NDP is an irrelevent rump but the Liberals would have a chance if they started to listen to Joe Sixpack instead of getting themselves tied up in political correctness. Ralph klein could have been a PC or Liberal...folks liked the straight talk even if they didn't think much beyond that. Re the PCs and Social Credit. They were very much the same base in the 1960's. The Social Credit policies that made them 'social credit' had long been subdued before leaving power. They morphed into a small 'c' conservative party that was defeated because of staleness and not because of any great differences with the ideology of the conservatives. I can't recall an much difference as a kid and doubt if hardly anyone else did. Lougheed as an individual was more dynamic than Strom but Strom was always in the shadow of Manning. I don't think I ever met Premier Manning but until a couple years ago I would drive with my mother and one or two older ladies as they'd be invited to tea with the elderly Mrs Manning. Edited February 15, 2008 by oreodontist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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