daveberta.ca - Alberta Politics and Elections

A bit of an update for the first full week of September…

– The Tyee has an interesting article on the real effects of Ralph Klein’s legacy.

– Maclean’s magazine seems to be continuing it’s right-wing slide with last week’s online poll that asks if parents should pay for their adult children’s post-secondary education. I’ve never been able to understand why the parents of an adult student should be even remotely responsible and expected to pay for their education costs. This is one of the greatest flaws in Canada’s student finance system.

Maclean’s used to be a good magazine, but now holds only one consistantly good contributor, of who’s best work can be found online for free.

– This seems like quite the blow to Jack Layton’s NDP. The defection of Paul Summerville to the Bob Rae leadership campaigns…

– Alberta PC leadership candidate Ted Morton has launched his new website. Campaign colours? Black.

– Also, props to the Calgary Grit for posting this one before I did…

I don’t pay attention to international politics for a week and all of a sudden…

WE SHOULD NUKE IRAN
By: MICHAEL COREN

It is surely obvious now to anybody with even a basic understanding of history, politics and the nature of fascism that something revolutionary has to be done within months — if not weeks — if we are to preserve world peace.

Put boldly and simply, we have to drop a nuclear bomb on Iran.

and then…

Ahmadinejad calls for university purge
POSTED: 2341 GMT (0741 HKT), September 5, 2006

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s hard-line president urged students Tuesday to push for a purge of liberal and secular university teachers, another sign of his determination to strengthen Islamic fundamentalism in the country.

I think it’s safe to say that both these men are crazy.

This week, federal Liberal leadership candidate Ken Dryden unleashed his vision for “A Big Canada.” I didn’t read most of the document, but I skipped forward to the education portion.

I was shocked to see this included:

(a) We will establish a national income-contingent student loan repayment program (ICLR) to help individual youth and mature students finance their post-secondary education.

Income-contingent loan repayment (ICLR) is a bad bad idea, Mr. Dryden. These types of systems serve as methods of shifting the cost of post-secondary education away from the government (who should be properly funding the post-secondary education system in the first place) and on to students.

As well, income-contingent loan repayment schemes result in those with lower incomes paying substantially more for the cost of their education due to lengthy payment periods mixed with increasing interest payments.

Mr. Dryden needs to take a look at jurisdictions such as New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom that have income-contingent loan repayment schemes and have seen a corresponding and dramatic increase in tuition fees and other education costs since the implementation of this regressive system.

Instead of implementing an income-contingent loan repayment scheme, I would suggest that Mr. Dryden look at creating and implementing a dedicated post-secondary transfer payment from the Federal Government to the Provinces that will deal specifically with tuition levels – which leads to high debt and is the most direct cost that governments can affect. Proper investment in PSE will make regressive schemes like ICLR even more useless than they already are.

Time to step up to the plate, Mr. Dryden.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The more involved I get in partisan politics, the more I dislike political parties.

I’ve thought about going to the Federal Liberal leadership convention in Montreal in November, but I just can’t find the interest (and the money of course, how ridiculous is it that it will cost over $1000 to attend as a party delegate). Though I like Gerard Kennedy, and think he would be a better leader for the fedlibs than most of the other options, I’m just not really excited about Federal politics in Canada. Harper is boring (and a Conservative). Layton has a talented caucus, but he seems like a flash-in-the-pan. The only real excitement seems to be coming from Elizabeth May’s election as leader of the Greens.

I still enjoy provincial politics in Alberta and municipal politics in Edmonton though.

I’m just not to hot on the partisaness anymore.

Maybe something will change.

On another note, this is fun.

I have a feeling that posting shall be a bit far and few over the next couple weeks, so I’ll leave you with this, this, and this, this, and this…

– There are a lot of Albertans who can feel a little vindicated today…

On his last day in the legislature chamber before retiring later this year, Klein did something he has rarely done in 14 years as premier: admit his Liberal and NDP critics were right when they argued his Conservative government did not properly prepare for the boom and the pressures it has caused.

“The opposition was right in their criticism, but as I said, no one could anticipate the phenomenal growth that took place, or the quickness of that growth,” Klein told reporters.

Monday night, I swore I heard an animal growl outside my house.

This was in my inbox this morning…

On (Thursday) Aug 31, 2006 at 2 am, the Edmonton Police Service advised that there was an unconfirmed sighting of a cougar in the area of Stadium Car park and R.C.M.S (116 Street-89/91 Ave). Again, this information is unconfirmed however we feel that the community should be informed. In the event that a cougar is sighted on campus contact Campus Security Services immediately at 492-5050 or the EPS at 423-4567.

That’s 4 blocks away…

– Elizabeth May is the new Leader of the Green Party of Canada. The former Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada should shake things up on the Canadian federal scene. Should be interesting to see which direction she takes the Green’s in toward the next Federal Election.

I really think the Greens are the ones to watch at both the Federal and Alberta political level (as I mentioned here).

– This is an interesting campaign by Lakehead University. Though I was very surprised that an institution would try something this risqe, it is certainly generating the attention it was meant to.

– Federal Liberal leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy is calling for national educational standards.

– Now you can buy “A whale of a day at Marineland with Albina and John!” woot?

I didn’t think so.

– “truthliness” and “wikiality” are the new “TV Words of the Year.”

The Alberta Liberal and NDP caucus’ were sucessful in filibustering Ted Morton‘s Bill 208 yesterday afternoon in the Alberta Legislature.

In response to the still-death of his bill, Dr. Morton had these words to offer:

“The Liberals not only were irresponsible in blocking debate today, they were stupid, too.”

Liberal House Leader Laurie Blakeman responded with:

“I’m not going to accept arguments from Dr. Morton that he deserves special treatment to get his bill up and I’m frankly not going to accept that from the Speaker either.”

ADDENUM – I would just like to send a shout out to all those folks who felt inclined to send me emails filled with lots of nasty names and accusations. Glad to know that you’re reading my blog!

Hey guess what? A non-political post!!!!

– I saw Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby last weekend. It was pretty funny. It was a typical Will Ferrell movie filled with oneliners. Ali G was good too. Speaking of Ali G, the trailers for Borat are out. I’m really looking forward to this one. It looks pretty ridiculous, but should be somewhat entertaining.

– I registered for the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute Conference this upcoming November. The theme is “Power for the People: Determining Our Energy Future” and the speakers list includes John Raulston Saul, Marc Lisac, Gillian Steward, Larry Pratt, Lindsay Telfer, Gordon Laxer, and Oystein Noreng. It should be interesting.

– This is a cool music video.

– And finally, Chuck Norris is still pretty cool.

Ted Morton’s Bill 208 is now posted on the Assembly website. It’s very important that this sort of mean spirited and discriminatory legislation be stopped before it can become law in Alberta.

If passed, Bill 208 will amend the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act, the Schools Act, and the Marriage Act to propose that:
1. educational information about gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer or transgendered rights will will be optional in public schools.
2. public marriage commissionaires could opt out of performing same-sex marriages.
3. that a person expressing their opinion/ideas about homosexuality could not have a claim of discrimination brought against them.

Here is what you can do to STOP BILL 208!

– Phone, Fax, or Email Ted Morton and tell him why you oppose Bill 208 (cc the email to your MLA):
Email: foothills.rockyview@assembly.ab.ca
Constituency Phone: 1-866-843-4314 (toll-free)
Constituency Fax: (403) 216-2225
Legislature Phone: (780) 422-2768
Legislature Fax: (780) 422-1671

– Phone, Fax, or Email your MLA and let them know why you oppose Bill 208. Find your MLA here. Ask your MLA to table your email in the Assembly.

– Come and show your opposition to Bill 208 at the Alberta Legislature on Monday August 28. To get passes to the visitors gallery and be introduced in the Assembly, please call the Liberals (Contact Jill Roszell at (780) 422-0013 or jill.roszell@assembly.ab.ca) or the NDP (Contact Anand Sharma at (780) 415-1803).

Monday’s session will run from 1:30pm to around 5:30pm. You must register before 11am on Monday August 28 as they need to send the list of people to the Speaker’s Office so you can be introduced.

(Updated with amendments)

Phew! I feel better already.

The hypothesis of abiogenic petroleum origin holds that most petroleum was formed from deep carbon deposits, perhaps deposits dating to the accretion of the Earth. The ubiquity of hydrocarbons in the solar system is taken as evidence that there may be a great deal more petroleum on Earth than commonly thought, and that material may exist at depth in the Earth’s crust and mantle. Adherents to the abiogenic hypothesis often downplay or dismiss altogether the more widely held view that petroleum is a fossil fuel produced from the buried remains of ancient living organisms.

1. Seriously. SERIOUSLY.

The legislature begins a rare summer session tomorrow, but Premier Ralph Klein says what MLAs do under the Dome doesn’t count for much.

The departing premier says that during his summer travels around the province – a combination farewell tour and fact-finding mission – he’s been reminded that what happens at the legislature doesn’t mean all that much to the average Albertan.

“I have always said what we see and do here bears no relationship with what is happening in the real world,” Klein told the Sun. …

2. CalgaryGrit has a found a ridiculous video of Florida Congress Republican candidate Tramm Hudson. Here’s another ridiculous video.

3. According to the Globe & Mail:

The number of homeless people also seems to be on the rise. In 1992, when Calgary began its biennial count of the number of homeless in the city, there were 447 people without permanent shelter; this spring, the number reached 3,436. In Edmonton, the homeless population hovers at about 2,200.

Even smaller urban centres are now struggling with the issue. Grande Prairie in northern Alberta recently estimated that about 1,159 people — the majority being men between the ages of 18 and 24 — didn’t have a roof over their heads.

According to the City of Grande Prairie, their estimated population in 2005 was 44, 631. If these numbers are correct, that means that 2.5% of people in Grande Prairie are homeless – that’s about one in fourty citizens. We have a problem.

I was in Calgary for meetings today. When I got back to Edmonton, this was waiting in my inbox:

From: ******@ualberta.ca
Date: August 21, 2006 1:23:03 PM MDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Bill 208: A Call to Action!

CALL TO ACTION

MLA Ted Morton will try to bring back his private members bill 208 in the upcoming provincial session on Monday August 28.

Morton’s bill as proposed would legislate that 1. information about G/L/B/T not be allowed in schools, 2. marriage commissionaires could opt out of performing same-sex marriages, and 3. that a person expressing their opinion/ideas about homosexuality could not have a claim of discrimination brought against them.

Although it is rumoured that Mr. Morton will bring forth an amended bill (and remove some clauses) it needs to be stopped in its entirety!

The Provincial legislative session begins on Thursday Aug. 24 and Monday August 28 beginning at 1:30pm will be the session for private member’s bills.

In discussions with both the provincial Liberals and New Democrats their strategy will be to filibuster on August 28 to keep the bill from coming forward.

CALL FOR ACTION

This e-mail is coming to you in hopes that you will register, attend and be introduced in the Legislative Assembly on August 28. The session will begin at 1:30pm and run until 5:30pm. You can only attend if you register.

In order to register and be introduced call either the Liberals (MLA Laurie Blakeman‘s office 414-0743) or the New Democrat Office (415-1803 Arnand Sharma). Invite others to do the same.

(Come early as everyone has to go through security.)

Thanks.

Kris Wells, Julie Lloyd, Michael Phair, Ken Macdonald, Murray Billett

N.B. There will be a media conference on the steps of the Legislature on Friday August 25 from 1 to 1:30pm. Attend if you are available.

I think it’s really important that this regressive and backward agenda be stopped dead in its tracks.

It seems to me that the reappearance of Bill 208 has more to do with Ted Morton‘s bid for the Alberta PC leadership than any real Alberta uprising. It would be disgraceful if Bill 208 was being used as a tool to simply galvinize the support of a crop of social conservatives in favour of Dr. Morton.

UPDATE – Click here to find out how to STOP BILL 208!

The conference is done and I’m freed for the rest of my Sunday afternoon! And what a wonderful afternoon it is!

The Fringe Festival is up and running this weekend and will be going until next Sunday. I was there last night and plan to check out some of the great (and not-so-great shows) this week. If anyone has heard of some good ones – drop a comment in the box and let me know.

Also, I tried this today. It was awesome.