Stelmach’s loyal soldiers succeed in stopping the WRA from getting their share of the pork.
My, won’t it be fun when the next WRA gov’t cuts the knees off Stelmach too?
h/t Daveberta.
Stelmach’s loyal soldiers succeed in stopping the WRA from getting their share of the pork.
My, won’t it be fun when the next WRA gov’t cuts the knees off Stelmach too?
h/t Daveberta.
So, will it be official WRA policy to be vindictive?
Vindictive? Isn’t this the legal prerogative of the ruling party to vote as they see fit. Just because one votes differently than their opponent doesn’t make them vindictive. Having said that, its going to fun voting against the PCs.
Wilson, there’s actually a thread on the new network and a readers tips too. Please, try to stay OT.
set you free – lets not be forgetting that a couple of PC MLA’s crossed to the WR. Now tell me, just who is being vindictive?
Yeah, SYF, because I’m authorized to set policy for WRA.
At first glance, this ruling strikes me as petty, and partisan. It might be convincing, if the NDP with only two sitting members wasn’t receiving more. This criteria of the party leader needing to be a sitting MLA seems arbitrary, and capricious.
I’m speaking as a detached observer from the other side of the Rockies.
So does anybody know what has been ‘policy’ or ‘tradition’ in the past when the leader is not an elected MLA?
I have to agree with the all party committee on this one.
Allowing full funding would just open up a can of worms.
Be very carefull of what you want,AB. We have a red tory all ready,and Steele wants more bucks???
Ummmmm…a socialist or a commie
I suspect this will only give the WRA a boost in private donations. I think this is a better way for the party to raise cash.
Maybe ALL the parties should get their hands out of the “free” tax jar. And find their funding through their popular support.
JMHO.
WRA wants to be recognized as an equal in the legislature, pushing the Tories on this one makes for great poli-news and gives the Alliance more traction.
News, any news, good or bad, gets your name out in the public’s face and the name gets recognition. It also is testing the direction of the political winds of change. Take any ground that the opposition is willing to give, fight for the rest!
Calgary mayor Dave, aka Bronco, raised whining to a level Stalemach couldn’t ignore.
pity the WRA follow that example.
but then politics is all about the trough………..
I’d have to agree with the decision…should have a seat to get funding…or am I wrong? How would you limit funding to anyone if they wanted it?
Danielle Smith was on Rutherford this morning, explaining there has been two prior cases where parties with unelected leaders received this “leaders allowance”
I may have this wrong but I seem to recall that Grant Notley when he was the leader of the Alberta NDP and their only elected MLA got ‘official party status’ money out of the conservatives. Of course at the time the PC’s had all the other seats in the province. They must have been feeling benevolent.
The conservatives have lost momentum in AB and a lot of voters feel it’s time for a change. Stelmach should remember that ‘what goes around…’
Waaah, waaah. Gimme money.
Posted by: theredsuit at June 15, 2010 2:26 PM
Where, exactly, is the WRA private funding coming from now?
Follow the money and we well all have the answer.
So far, WRA has been pretty good about hiding its source of funding.
This has become the mantra of the PC party in Alberta, do what is good for the party, don’t worry about whether it is right. It’s why I tore up my card. The real question should be why do the taxpayers give money to any of the parties.
Where, exactly, is the WRA private funding coming from now?
~set you free
Well I know for sure they got some of it from me, but then I get my money from Big Oil and haven’t seen a penny of “My Fair Share” of Stelmach’s little brain child.
If you don’t ask, then it’s “no” for sure. I have no problem with the WRA asking, nor the PCs for denying the funding. Deal with it and move on IMO.
Syf:
it is the PC’s who are breaking precident, not the WRA asking for a favour.
As for who’s funding the WRA – my sources tell me it is largely middle-class individuals in relatively small amounts. You should ask the same of the PCs especially in light of what has gone on on transmission line permitting.
…
The PCs are running scared several mlas have lost contro. Of their riding associations and their internal polls paint a very bleak picture. Look for rumblings of a coup if these polls don’t improve by the fall.
Just another reason to rid Alberta of the Socialist Pseudo-Tories under red Eddy. As Ive said before in Alberta the Premier has to be a populist, not a party. Eddy by his actions with the HRC’s have shown he has the Democratic views of a Trotsky.
We’ve had this type before that even tried to shut up the old press. No good comes of it for the power freaks.
Albertans herd you, not the other way around.
JMO
Where, exactly, is the WRA private funding coming from now? –set you free
There’s this whispered rumour that people like you are trying to start, that the WRA is getting funding from “Big Oil”. What the heck is that about anyway? I can tell you that donations seem to be coming in $50 and $100 at a time from regular folks.
From your tone, it sounds like you’ll be around ‘til the end, helping Stelmach rearrange the deck chairs.
SYF, you’re beginning to sound like a bitter PC soldier that hasn’t figured “it” out yet. There’s going to be a paradigm shift in Alberta politics next election and all Stelmach & friends are doing is giving the WRA more traction with the general public.
BTW, after RAMP and now draw priority capping the PC’s are DEAD as far as I’m concerned.
Maybe I’ve got it all wrong but isn’t whining the basis for the Wild Rose Alliance? The Mayor Bronco type of whiny nastiness? Why? Because, IMO (as I’ve posted before) it’s about Calgary not having the premiership. It’s a power grab. Yeh, I know . . . all the true conservative small government promises WRA is . . . er, promising. Y’wanna know what I’d promise if I wanted power? No, I didn’t think so. Why should we in Northern Alberta fall for promises from desparate power-hungry Calgarians? Don’t despair, however. Whiners will probably win, as per usual …and disappoint us taxpayers again. Meanwhile, we in the Edmonton (remember? the capital city of Alberta. Not Calgary) area should be pleased with “Red?” Eddie (????) giving us a share, finally, of infrastructure projects. King Ralphie and Prince Peter before him, lavished it all on Calgary and the Kananaskis, as you may recall. And please try not to be too harsh on me. I’m merely giving a history lesson. Facts, not emotion.
I’m merely giving a history lesson. Facts, not emotion.
Here’s a geography lesson.
The head offices of the energy companies are in Calgary.
The service companies they hire are in northern Alberta where the layoffs occur if bad policies come out of Edmonton.
Capice?
And yeah, you’ve got it all wrong, especially the idea that “whining is the basis for the Wild Rose Alliance” and the delusion that it’s somehow a fact instead of emotion on your part that has you saying that.
You sound so much like ‘set you free’ I’d be surprised to find that you aren’t.
(if you aren’t ‘set you free’ your common locus must be the Alberta Public Sector Unions because they’re the only ones who got a piece of “Our Fare Shair”)
Private investment in Alberta is a raw deal under Stelmach.
Why?
Because the government increased it’s royalty take under Stelmach’s “Our Fair Share” plan if the price of a barrel of oil rises.
That means folks who invested in oil companies got their stock dividends ripped off by the Progressives who then gave it to the public sector unions.
It’s hilarious that the WRA gets accused of whining when the PC’s are nowhere close to being conservative. In fact that the PC’s have the term “conservative” in their name makes them out right liars.
Can’t wait to see Ed go down with the red ship lollipop.
As a former Albertan I have to agree with the committee. Hell, for a quarter mill (give or take) I could create my own party in Alberta and ask for a share of the gravy train. Or, heaven forbid, Elizabeth May might decide to try her hand in provincial politics.
Get a seat and then carry on bringing Fast Eddy to his knees, please.
Posted by: garrysworld at June 15, 2010 6:53 PM
Let you in on a little secret.
WRPers are entitled to their entitlements.
Thanks for all your efforts, guys.
Better luck next time.
You have to remember that political parties are at a basic level private clubs open to anyone who wants to join. Of course you have to agree with their particular philosophy. Remember Orchard or Rae or Stronach? Former members of all kinds of parties.
Wild Rose is just another collection of politicians. Not being elected, does not qualify for anything. As mentioned before, Lougheed felt warm and fuzzy, felt generous with other people’s money, so he gave Notley some extra cash. Was not that precious?
Steady Eddy is toast at least that is the perspective.
Wild Rose should work hard on the next election and earn their keep, no freebees. Will vote for them if get the chance.
Um, if the objection is that the WRA leader is not a sitting member, why doesn’t Ms. Smith resign for the time being, and cede her role to one of the sitting members? If the WRA is the party of the practical, this seems a no-brainer.
Or is Ms. Smith more interested in her position than she is in the fortunes of her party? Just asking..
Yep, manipulate the system to get taxpayers money.
Great idea, Kevin.
“The system” setup to give Alberta political parties tax money was created by the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party to benefit the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party as it will any incumbent governemnt.
Red Ed, the public union sector’s lap dog, doesn’t like the signed and sealed agreements his government has made with the energy sector that creates the Alberta economy…unilaterally scrap them.
Manipulation, thy name is Stelmach.
Omigod. Does the NDP know about this?
SYF, what is your answer to Alberta’s problems?
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Still looking for salvation inside of yourself or was that just a passing fancy?
What influence, exactly, do you imagine the NDP has on the terms of government contracts and the percentage of raises that Alberta Public Union workers get when they’ve never formed a government in Alberta, do you think?
Or do you ever think?
How, exactly, does it profit a public union worker to vote NDP?
When the Unions were threatening Stelmach that they would vote in a block against him last election would the threat have had any weight if they hadn’t already delivered votes for him once before, in the leadership race?
Were you even paying attention or reading the news at the time?
I have been donating to the WRP think tank for over 3 years now. For the record I don’t think any party should get taxpayer funding. Our glorious Feds now get $1.99 per vote per year. The politicos are no longer responsible to riding associations as a result. Riding assciations are now glorified ‘free’ labour pools for elections. Policy is formulated at the Ministerial level, quite often not even in caucus.
My take is the WRP is a fiscally conservative, small government. They want the ‘equalization’ boondoggle to end. They want the centralization of power in eastern Canada to end. Yes, I believe they actually stand for much of what we worked for in the Reform Party. Novel concept!
I guess I just don’t get it. Calgary has the Prime Minister of Canada as its riding rep. How’s it been workin’ for ya’? Harper was a Reformer, has he ended big government and Eastern domination for ya’all? How’s he doin’ on the “equalization” boondoggle for ya’? Now you want the Alberta premiership back. Oz, baby, re-read your rant. The head offices of the oil companies are in Calgary. Dosn’t it occur to you that you are sounding an awful lot like a Trawna person . . . that you have the power, therefore the entitlements, and shut up the rest of you? Settle down. And blaming Stelmack for for the oil companies slowing off here in Alberta and going more into Saskatchewan because he wanted a “fair share” of royalties for Albertans. Come on. You know better than that. We’ve always been told that it takes at least five years for oil companies to bring policy changes into effect. As soon as Saskatchewan got rid of it’s socialist government, the oil companies jumped in to develop the Sask. fields. The Alberta slow-down was going to happen, regardless. You Calgarians throw the “Red” word around pretty freely: “Redmonton”. Now Red Eddie? Really? How many Calgary seats went to Liberal MPs last federal election?
We’ve always been told that it takes at least five years for oil companies to bring policy changes into effect.
~garrysworld
That’s very true.
Oil companies put a lot of time and treasure into planning for future development.
That’s why they had contracts with the Alberta Progressive Conservative government that ran through to the year 2016.
Guess what?
All that time and treasure that the oil companies put into meticulous planning for the future was wasted when Stelmach unilaterally scrapped the agreements his government had signed with them.
They had to make instant policy changes because the policy they had been planning for years was ruined by the bad faith actions of the Stelmach regime.
Man, you are making this too easy.
Oz – Thanks so much for commenting on one of the many questions I posed, tho I stand by what I said; the oil companies were already gearing production for Saskatchewan just as soon as the NPD (yes, real socialists; not your rediculous red slurs against Stelmach’s Progressive Conservative government). Incidentally, what is this Alliance of Wild Rose, other than one of disgruntled Calgary politicians, who want the ball back in their possession. I was offended like most Westerners when Trudeau called Albertans Yahoos . . but what are Central Canadians to think of such childishness as the WRA. Yahoos, indeed!
Ozzzzzie . . . where are you?
You say I’m “making it too easy?”
Is that a dismissal from the great Oz? Shucks, I was just getting warmed up on you. I guess that you and your WRA gang of SuperAlbertans (The current PCs are what, ignorant, Ukrainian farmers, totally unworthy of the City-State of Calgary?) So you you turn against us “small people” Albertans and will attack (and probably destroy) the legitimately-elected PC Party of Alberta? And you wonder, perhaps, why some Central Canadian PC-haters look on you as champions of their loony-left cause? Oz, baby, they think you’re one of them, for crissake! And, perhaps, you are.
Ozzzie . . . come back! Ozzzzzzzziieee!
Some Calgary Cowboy you are, SuperAlbertan tho you may be.
You strike up a debate; deal with only one point of challenge – and were smarmy on it at that; say I’m easy; then you jilt me!
You, sir, are a cad . . . and all your SuperAlbertans from the Calgary Wild Rose (Oil) Alliance Party can ride out on the jackasses that you rode in on! Where have all the Calgarians of my day gone? They’d never piss on the “small people” of this province; they’d never smear the Conservative Party of Alberta just for the premiership empowerment? Why, you’d think Calgary (not Edmonton) was the capital city; that their NHL team had won six Stanley Cups (not one). Get over it!
gerrysworld; yep Edmonton once had an ID as an Alberta city. Everyone in Alberta cheered for the Oilers when they had that awesome team of hockey players. Edmonton people did not win the cup – the fantastic individuals on that hockey team won the cup! In those days Edmonton was still an oil town (now it is a gument town) – and Turdo with the help of a weak Premier had brought the city to it’s knees(NEP). In those days, the Oilers were our mascots, proof that the province still had excellence. Nothing to do with gument, garrysworld!
Red Ed is not liked by the Albertans in Edmonton – he is liked by the Easterners and foreigners who have moved to Alberta.
Use the Yukon as an example: Easterners, former Dippers from B.C. and Sask. and French only speakers from Quebec have made the Yukon into a gument TERRITORY. Election of an WRP government will stop that from happening in Alta. Many of the Yukon’s former entrepreneurs now live in Alta; they were pushed out of the Yukon territory by fanatical environmentalists and left wing gument workers hired by the ‘new’ Dipper M.P.s back in the 1980s. The imports wanted a slice of the mining revenues!- these nut cases were imported by the Dipper gument that gained control back in the 1980s. The Yukoners who left the territory stay in touch and they all see the Red-Ed administration as the blueprint for what caused the destruction of the Yukon, happening in Alberta.
The Yukon now has a Dipper Premier (masquerading as a PC) he is worse than the real Commie Dippers(NDP) who do not try to hide their agendas. If the WRP does not succeed, the only way Alberta will go is down.
Just to note: Edmonton is the only jurisdiction, in Alberta, that elected a Dipper to the Fed gument. Not something I would brag about if I were from Edmonton!