Hey folks,
The fascists are once again in power here in Alberta. They will soon be deconstructing all the careful people centric legislation that our provincial NDP has enacted the last years.
“The UCP has made no secret it will scrap the carbon tax, but it would also kill (and spend taxpayer dollars to review) the NDP government’s entire Climate Leadership Plan.”
Future generations, go frak yourselves. We need money and jobs in the short term and our political thinking is a reflection of our shortsighted nature.
“The current large emitter tax would be replaced with a new Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program. The first $100 million of TIER would fund new technologies to reduce carbon emissions (the party cited improved oilsands extraction technology and carbon capture as examples) and $20 million would go to the energy “war room.” The rest will fall into general revenue. That change would likely sound a death knell for both Energy Efficiency Alberta, which oversees projects solely funded by the carbon tax, and Emissions Reduction Alberta, an arms-length agency established in 2007 and a recognized world-leader funding research technology with carbon tax dollars.
Getting rid of effective human habitation preserving programs is the order of the day.
“Under an Open For Business Act, the UCP would introduce a $13/hour youth minimum wage, publish economic data on the NDP’s minimum wage increase, allow banked hours to be paid at regular instead of time-and-a-half pay, and restore mandatory secret ballots for union certification.”
Because youth who have the agency to work should not be rewarded with a quasi-livable minimum wage. Overtime? Get bent workiers. Oh, and let’s make it harder to unionize, because nothing says ‘open for business’ like an exploited working class.
“It would reduce the business general income tax rate from 12 to 8 per cent over four years in the hopes of creating jobs, “
Because trickle down economics has been shown to fail in almost every jurisdiction that it has been implemented in. It does not stimulate economic growth, nor does it create jobs. It creates bigger dividends for shareholders and more profit for the wealthy elite. I’m so happy the working class has voted overwhelmingly to enrich the business class.
“and replace farm safety Bill 6 with a Farm Freedom and Safety Act. However, the party would maintain some employment law changes made under the NDP, including provisions around long-term, bereavement, domestic violence and child illness leave.”
Farm workers obviously don’t need rights. They need to be as vulnerable and exploitable as possible. Remember folks, work through your injuries or we can replace you with another desperate person.
“The party pledged to develop a 10-year tourism strategy focusing on jobs, “reorient” the mandate of Travel Alberta towards public-private partnerships, and make the department the responsibility of the Economic Development Minister.”
Ineffective private/public partnerships serve only to enrich the private sector and are inefficient ways to get public works done. But let’s make it a priority because efficient public works are for dirty socialists.
“The Alberta Energy Regulator’s board of directors would be fired by a UCP government”
Let’s change the Energy REGULATOR because they hold a balanced view toward the environment. We need someone to make Alberta great again and burn some coal and deregulate all the things so we can screw the public, raid the treasury, and make the business class even richer than before.
I for one am totally pumped to embrace the upward transfer of wealth in our society. I can hardly contain myself as I consider the upcoming gutting of the public and social services. Tickled pink (or perhaps I should say UCP blue), am I.
11 comments
April 18, 2019 at 12:39 pm
Bob Browning
“Liked” is too mild as praise for your summation. Sad and a little surprising that the Canadian sheep are as easily led as our US sheep.
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April 18, 2019 at 1:36 pm
john zande
Did they win all chambers?
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April 18, 2019 at 1:40 pm
The Arbourist
@JZ
Just provincially with a large majority, so they can effectively pass whatever legislation they see fit.
Federally, we are still governed by the centrist Liberal Party of Canada.
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April 18, 2019 at 1:41 pm
john zande
Wouldn’t the federal govt have some sway over environment legislation?
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April 18, 2019 at 1:49 pm
The Arbourist
@ JZ
They do. UCP promises are just vaporous red meat for the base. The federal carbon tax will be imposed immediately if they repeal the provincial one. But it looked great on the campaign trail as he was bring ‘jobs’ back to Alberta by getting rid of pesky carbon regulation…
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April 18, 2019 at 1:52 pm
john zande
So, ready the lawyers and clean the Supreme Court. Things are going to get busy.
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April 18, 2019 at 1:54 pm
The Arbourist
@ JZ
Pretty much. Fighting for social policy that doesn’t resemble Darwinism. This is such a step backwards for Alberta. :/
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April 18, 2019 at 1:56 pm
john zande
I think the sheer weight of that orange human stain, Trump, has dragged many otherwise normal countries a little back.
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April 18, 2019 at 1:59 pm
The Arbourist
@ JZ
Yep. Reactionary politics is the new black. We have a federal election coming up, and currently we’re looking to follow the US in choosing the right-wing to guide our country. It blows my mind how little people seem to consider the political context of Canada, but also the world.
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April 18, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Carmen
It’s actually terribly depressing, Arb. :(
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April 19, 2019 at 7:37 am
The Arbourist
@Carmen
Completely. 😐
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