Canada's political history

Canadian Politcal  History.

As a one time Conservative Riding secretary and of an age greater than 90% of Canadians I offer this glimpse into our past.

The Liberals built Canada with little interruption to their base until 1919 to 1937 in which case the American Republicans working through the Mormon Church, helped them establish "The United Farmers of Alberta"  This party morphed itself into the Veterans and Active force, 1944 to 1948, again the US Republicans were fully involved.

This morphed into the Conservatives which found a hard landing after Diefenbaker and the Avro-Arrow. (You now know the reason Diefenbaker scrapped the Arrow in Canada allowing the US to take up the design and ordered the only prototype of the Aero destroyed.) and, Harper sold off the Canadian Wheat Board to US interest in leaving office.  Related:

They again morphed into the Progressive Conservatives. This party was started by Peter Lougheed and company.  Peter broke away from the Republicans, in fact, took on US oil interests in Alberta in the much-maligned NATIONAL ENERGY PROGRAM.  Peter became the most popular Premier not only of Alberta but, all of Canada. A time of no internet, those with the money ruled the press.  A world recession stepped in and interest rates went to 25%.  Families invested in oil lost homes and there were a number of suicides  With no internet, those with the money ruled the press!  This was all blamed onto The NEP which was destroyed!

When Klein took over he doubled down with the US Republicans.  All this happening while the Wild Rose Party kept the original foundation going with the Church.  Now we had two political parties which could appear as opposition, one extreme and one tame by comparison.  Doing what they do best, played both ends against the middle.

Notably, Klein started the bleed on the Heritage Savings and Trust by freezing the fund at 5% profit taking all above into General Revenue to support his 10% flat tax.  The loss to Albertans 760 billion dollars most of which went directly back to US parent companies.  Norway over the same period banked over 1 trillion dollars. With just 1/2 of the production. 

Klein also ushered in the Energy East plan.  At one point he was going to continue with Lougheed's plan of building a Refinery in Edmonton,  Then, Shell oil suggested it would be better for everyone if they built pipelines to the Gulf Coast to their refineries.   West pipelines were never considered as Shell's gulf refineries already had the market captured.

In a final analysis, I see the US is in a position to take over our country!  By putting in a Conservative Government again will facilitate the end of our Dairy Marketing board and any other institutions that may hinder this process.

For the record: Kenny and Harper were thrown out of every trade meeting they attended throwing the advantage to the US.  No one could be this unlucky!

From <https://albertathedetails.blogspot.com/2018/06/canadian-politcal-history.html>

Alberta--The Details: How long is this recession going to last?

Alberta--The Details: How long is this recession going to last?: Oil shipping countries around the world are leasing ships to store oil in.  Leases are running 1 to 2 years.  You could take that as a benc...

Canada Bulk Water Exports-NDP Strongly Opposed!

Dear John,

Thank you for taking the time to write. Canada's New Democrats share your concerns and have consistently opposed bulk water exports of this precious natural resource. In fact, our  interest to protect Canada’s  water resources date back to Canada’s  early involvement with the North American Free Trade Agreement.

First and foremost, New Democrats believe that the access to clean water is not a privilege but a human right for all Canadians and people world-wide. Unfortunately the Conservative government refused to support a recent United Nations resolution to recognize access to water and sanitation as basic human rights.

Our vision for Canada includes a commitment to protecting our supplies of fresh water by excluding it from all international trade agreements, privatization and deregulation (http://www.ndp.ca/vision/environment). That`s why New Democrats want to ensure that NAFTA excludes water and bulk water exports from its scope. Water is our most precious natural resource, but it belongs to both all of us and none of us— it is not a commercial commodity. We have been told repeatedly that our water resources would be protected in trade deals. However, neither Conservative nor Liberal governments have added water to the list of goods to be exempt from NAFTA. This omission has left a loophole which could eventually cause us to lose control over our own water resources.

We have consistently called on successive Liberal and Conservative governments to develop a robust National Water Policy. Such a policy is urgently needed to address important water-related issues facing all of us today-- including the roughly 1,700 boiled water advisories affecting Canadians and the negative environmental impact of water use in the tar sands development. While the Harper government committed to a clean water strategy in the past, it has yet to produce one.

As you may know in the 2007 spring session, Parliament voted 134 to 108 in favour of a motion to prevent bulk water exports. The motion came about from a push by the New Democrats to have hearings on the impact of the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) because SPP negotiations have revived troubling questions over access to Canadian water. For more information on the SPP, please visit http://www.ndp.ca/stopthespp

Again, thank you for writing. Again, I appreciate knowing of your interest to have effective measures in place that will preserve and protect our water for future generations. Please know that we will continue to press this important issue.

All the best,

Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)

Leader, Canada's New Democrats

Conservative Bulk Water Export is going to rob you!

From June 16-2010:British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell joined his counterparts from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut for the two-day conference at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

Followed by: Lawrence Cannon – Min of Foreign Affairs – Trans boundary Waters Protection Act – May 13, 2010
“The new act strengthens existing protections by bringing waters within federal jurisdiction under a more comprehensive prohibition against bulk water removals. Rivers and streams that cross international borders will now receive the same protection already in place for waters, such as the Great Lakes, that straddle them.
In truth the new regulation wraps all water into a pail so that all can be exported with no trouble!

The Act gives the federal government new powers of inspection and enforcement and introduces tough new penalties for violations, including fines of up to $6 million for corporate violations. The bill offers unprecedented federal protection against bulk water exports while respecting provincial constitutional jurisdiction.”

In truth again; this is a slight of hand; if enabled under NAFTA, bulk water will be exportable to the US and turns bulk water export over to the provinces.

Bill C-26 – Summary of the bill can be found here.

There were two news items in Alberta. Drumheller Alberta and Okotoks Alberta purchased water allotments. The first was from an unnamed party (insider) the other was from an Oil Company. The latter, cost Okotoks over a million dollars for rights to some 230,000 cubic meters of water annually.

Water allotments have never been sold in the past. The oil companies, towns and cities received them free of charge as did the unnamed insider. Bolstered by the Alberta Government the towns had to pay up.

This adds many dollars to the resource and forces the price of water utilities up in the extreme!. When it comes time to export, they will tell Albertans the cost is the same. Edmonton now has the highest water prices in the world (National Geographic April 2010).

Following the long standing Conservative dream of including water into NAFTA and changing bulk water to a commodity is fore front in their plans. The Conservative Association of Canada went before the Privy Council to argue that Water bulk export was included in NAFTA and were told it was not! They said they would wait for a better day.

With Conservative Governments in across the map now seems like a good time to go for the gold!

If we export water under NAFTA rules (which are inherently unfair and biased towards the US), we must give the Americans first chance at the water and we cannot charge the Americans more money than we are now paying.

More details on NAFTA and Water:-

The higher they push the prices on Canadian water to Canadians, the higher the exporters can charge for the water going to the US! This is simply price fixing on a grand scale! Under the new scheme, when it comes time to export, people will be paying more money for water than those people in California who are the targeted export market. Costs of the necessary pipelines to export will be added to Canadian water bills.

This is Harper’s dream! . The Canada Environment are running TV is carrying subtle advertisements in fill in spots saying “our water is our finest resource and it must be shared.” This is a north American movement which has been kept away from the eyes of the public.

From the North:
GNWT seeks agreements with provinces to protect water. Yellowknife, N.W.T. - The NWT has developed a strategy to manage the territory's waters, but protecting rivers and lakes at home can't be done without the cooperation of neighbors from the South. Keep in mind the Alberta Pipeline would accommodate a steady flow from the Great Slave Lake!

On the east coast quote:
“Fortunately, there is some hope that the wisdom of water sales may eventually triumph over emotionalism. Last spring the McCurdy Group, a Newfoundland company looking for permission to tanker 13 billion gallons a year from pristine Gisbourne Lake, received an unexpected endorsement from Newfoundland's Liberal Premier Roger Grimes. Mr. Grimes has promised to use the money the government gets from the deal to underwrite university tuition in Canada's poorest province. A better plan would be to auction the rights and use the proceeds for much-needed tax cuts. (A striking difference between the Conservatives and the Liberals)

The above rhetoric is not true; bulk export of water from Lakes is not legal!

More on the subject here and here.

The McCurdy Group is still waiting for an official go-ahead but thanks to Canadian law, the federal government can't stop the province from granting the permit. "We don't want to sell water in bulk," says Mr. Chretien, "But at the same time, we have to realize that we don't have absolute control of the water. We have control of navigable waters, but we don't have control of other types of water that are under the provincial jurisdiction." Ontario and British Columbia have already said "no" to companies that want to sell water by tanker but if Newfoundland has success in water marketing that might change.”

And in Calgary a quote from the Green Party (Still another Fuzzy named right wing party; this one trying to find an agenda.

* The case for selling Canadian water is being presented more forcefully in the media by SPP proponents, journalists, business strategists and investors seeking profits in this potentially lucrative market.

* Massive NAFTA Super-Corridors, complete with plans for water pipelines, are in the works.

* Bulk water exports were the focus of meetings of the North American Future 2025
Project. According to documents leaked by a Washington-based think tank, SPP meetings in Calgary on April 28, 2007 were to discuss "water consumption, water transfers and artificial diversions of bulk water" with the aim of "maximizing the policy impact.”

And the nail in the coffin from Alberta:
First consider the Peace River is a navigable water legislation changes would have to take place; that is Harper's job.

In the ‘80s the Alberta Government commissioned a fully engineered pipeline by Weatherford on moving water from the Peace River into Southern Alberta, using it to irrigate the pipeline corridor and export huge amounts into the American northern states.

This plan calls for an immense pipe line capable of moving two-thirds of the Peace River Flow through the pipe along with the assurances it will not harm the wild life. This same plan calls for 8 lift stations to move the water; each of them using the electrical power of a small city.

Further, this project was approved, only shelved, until the weather gets dry enough and the public can see the light or, the political opportunity arrives, such as now.

All this ties in with the new dam being proposed on the Peace announced by BC’s Gordon Campbell who at every opportunity is telling the world he is going to usher in a new way of looking after our water resource.

Between the existing dam on the Peace River and the New Dam on the Peace River proposed by Gordon Campbell there will be created a large lake, sufficient to act as a sump to draw down the amount of water this pipeline is capable of, all year around. If there is a shift away from the Conservatives or it comes to Canadian’s attention they are charged exploitative charges on their water service the whole scenario can change.

The only way to break this up is to vote the various participants out of office!

Water-Conservatives in Canada setting up bulk water export.

Recently there were two news items in Alberta. Drumheller Alberta and Okotoks Alberta purchased water allotments. The first was from an unnamed party (insider) the other was from an Oil Company. The latter, cost Okotoks over a million dollars for rights to some 230,000 cubic meters of water annually.

Water allotments have never been sold in the past. The oil companies, towns and cities received them free of charge as did the unnamed insider. Why then the sale?; Bolstered by the Alberta Government's promise of untold riches the towns chose to pay up.

This simply forces the price of water utilities up; Edmonton now has the highest water prices in the world (National Geographic April 2010).

Following the long standing Conservative dream of including water into NAFTA and changing bulk water to a commodity is fore front in their plans. To the Conservative Governments across the map it seems like a good time to go for the gold!

If we export water under NAFTA rules (which are inherently unfair and biased towards the US), we must give the Americans first chance at the water and we cannot charge the Americans more money than we are now paying.

The higher they push the prices on Canadian water to Canadians, the higher the exporters can charge for the water going to the US. This is price fixing on a grand scale!

Under the new scheme, when it comes time to export, people in Alberta will be paying more money than those people in California who are the targeted export market.



Harper is on side. The Canada Environment are running TV is carrying subtle advertisements in fill in spots saying “our water is our finest resource and it must be shared.”

This is a north American movement which has been kept away from the eyes of the public.

On the east coast quote:
“Fortunately, there is some hope that the wisdom of water sales may eventually triumph over emotionalism. Last spring the McCurdy Group, a Newfoundland company looking for permission to tanker 13 billion gallons a year from pristine Gisbourne Lake, received an unexpected endorsement from Newfoundland's Liberal Premier Roger Grimes. Mr. Grimes has promised to use the money the government gets from the deal to underwrite university tuition in Canada's poorest province. A better plan would be to auction the rights and use the proceeds for much-needed tax cuts. (A striking difference between the Conservatives and the Liberals)


The McCurdy Group is still waiting for an official go-ahead but thanks to Canadian law, the federal government can't stop the province from granting the permit. "We don't want to sell water in bulk," says Mr. Chretien, "But at the same time, we have to realize that we don't have absolute control of the water. We have control of navigable waters, but we don't have control of other types of water that are under the provincial jurisdiction." Ontario and British Columbia have already said "no" to companies that want to sell water by tanker but if Newfoundland has success in water marketing that might change.”

And in Calgary a quote from the Green Party (Still another Fuzzy named right wing party; this one still trying to find an agenda.

* The case for selling Canadian water is being presented more forcefully in the media by SPP proponents, journalists, business strategists and investors seeking profits in this potentially lucrative market.

* Massive NAFTA Super-Corridors, complete with plans for water pipelines, are in the works.

* Bulk water exports were the focus of meetings of the North American Future 2025 Project. According to documents leaked by a Washington-based think tank, SPP meetings in Calgary on April 28, 2007 were to discuss "water consumption, water transfers and artificial diversions of bulk water" with the aim of "maximizing the policy impact.”


And the nail in the coffin from Alberta:

First, consider the Peace River is a navigable water with the second highest flow in North America! Legislation changes would have to take place; that is Harper's job.

In the ‘80s the Alberta Government commissioned a fully engineered muli-tier pipeline by Weatherford on moving water from the Peace River into Southern Alberta, using it to irrigate the pipeline corridor and export huge amounts into the American northern states.

This plan calls for an immense pipe line capable of moving two-thirds of the Peace River Flow through the pipe along with the assurances it will not harm the wild life. This same plan calls for 8 lift stations to move the water; each of them using the electrical power of a small city.

Further, this project was approved, only shelved, until the weather gets dry enough and the public can see the light or, the political opportunity, such as now arrives.

All this ties in with the new dam being proposed on the Peace announced by BC’s Gordon Campbell who at every opportunity is telling the world he is going to usher in a new way of looking after our water resource.

Between the existing dam on the Peace River and the proposed New Dam on the Peace River there will be created a large lake, sufficient to act as a sump to draw down the amount of water this pipeline is capable of, all year around regardless of the water levels in the river.


If there is a shift away from the Conservatives or it comes to Canadian’s attention they are charged exploitative charges on their water service the whole scenario can change.

On the other side anything is possible if water can be exported outside of the NAFTA agreement and Canadians will not have to bear the brunt of the higher exploitative pricing.

Consider: The Calgary Malting Company and Dasani Water (Coke a Cola) own huge Aquifer water rights; quantities greater than those held by the City of Calgary in their surface allotments. Under the present scheme these two companies will be able to draw this water from the Alberta drinking aquifer and sell it directly to the US if they so choose and there is nothing people in Alberta will be able to do about it! Water going to the highest bidder!

There is only one fix for this! Break up the Conservative club as in get rid of them!

Alberta Heritage Trust Fund ripped of by 370 Billions of dollars.

The Conservatives have been drawing down the Heritage Trust fund to a limit of 4% appreciation.  The moneys taken from the fund have been added to the provincial General Revenues and spent out of this slush fund.

This, coupled with the downloading of expenses to the cities and towns and allowing the cities to charge whatever they want for power, means Alberta is the highest taxed state in North America if not the world!

balance73
1:43 PM on June 19, 2010

Here's what might have been...
$97.9 billion- If the government had allowed the Heritage Fund to reinvest its profits, rather than using them to cut the deficit, pay off its debt and otherwise help with general government expenses

$57.2 billion- If the government had diverted a mere 1% of revenue to the fund starting in 1987, and had allowed profits to be reinvested

$164.5 billion - If the government had never taken a penny from the fund, and had continued to seed it with 30% of resource revenues from 1982 onward

$55.6 billion - If the government had kept adding 15% of resource revenues per year after 1987

$65.8 billion - If the government had treated the Heritage Fund like an endowment, letting the fund reinvest its profits and drawing out a fixed amount every year-say 4.5% of assets-and topping up the fund to account for inflation (as it eventually started to do in 2005), with no further royalty contributions after 1987 (figures as of march 2008 - Globe and Mail)

Alberta setting up water for export!

                   
Alberta Environment
10th Floor, Petroleum Plaza South Tower
9915 - 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5K 2G8

Attention Mr. Rob Renner, Minister.

Dear Minister;

How is it possible an energy company can sell water they have received free as an operational allotment, to Cities and towns and by extension, anyone else?

The Western Wheel on June 10th reports CanEra Resources has agreed to transfer over 200,000 cubic meters of water to the Town of Okotoks of unused allotment.

You tell us time and again, this is an Alberta resource owned by the people of Alberta and yet, we have to buy it from resource companies?

There was a second news item in which the Town (Drumheller?) was not allowed to divulge who they got the water from or, what they paid for it.  Why do you not publish who you have given water to for the purpose of resale?
 
This is patently wrong!   Receive water permits using fresh water for drilling is bad enough but receiving cash for water they asked which was beyond their needs is something else again.

John Clark.








The Alberta Conservatives are setting up our water, not unlike our electricity for export purpose.

NAFTA presently prohibits the export of bulk water to the US. If it were included it would mean once export started, People in Alberta residences would have to pay the same rates as those in the buyers market.

In this case it would mean California prices which are much higher than ours.

By encouraging the oil companies to sell the allotments for cash, a value, however artificial, is put onto the water.

When it is exported Alberta will tell you your price of water is legitimate and nearly the same as California or, where ever.

In Electricity, the tool was Power Agreements and they were flipped several times, each time driving up the value of the holding.

Insiders got the flip money bonus and no records of who these people were was ever released.

In water they are using the allotments the same way.

Alberta Universities take funding cuts to promote Conservive Agenda! Albertans relegated to second class citizenship.

The news is alive with funding cuts to our universities.  I have left it for you to pick your own links.

These cuts represent the very softest targets for the Torys.  Most people at the universities vote for parties other than Conservative (I choose to think because they are enlightened) so cutting them to the point of putting them out of business is the best idea Morton could come up with according to Tory insiders.  Universities are a soft target-no vote losses there.

There is more!

About 10 years ago now, the Conservatives paid big bucks to get the opinions of experts regarding the expansion of industry in Alberta.   They were told that Alberta could not support larger industries because we did not have the educated population that is needed to build these same industries.  We were not graduating enough Doctors and Engineers to grow!

Those years passed and the Conservatives found it is cheaper and easier to higher the professionals from Namibia, China and the Philippians than it was to educate our own.

You will recall when the latest boom started Alberta kids were encouraged to leave school to work as labour in the construction and oil fields.  This Government thinks that is a great plan to continue with!

Now, those jobs are gone, the same kids are back home with their parents looking for work; any kind of work and the Conservatives are cutting funding to the universities in the event that any of these kids managed to get there.

Why any one in this province would consider voting Conservative is beyond me.  Why anyone in this province would go to an even more extreme group, the Wild Rose Part is also beyond me.

And for those of you who though it was not worth while for you to vote, perhaps you will think again the next time you have a chance.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/index.html

The Calgary Herald remains tightly controlled, to the point of being worthless as a news source!

Articles of policy proposals are seldom left open to comment, regardless of how bizarre or confrontational those same articles are.

When a Conservative ploy is so obviously a ploy and they try to run with it the public will call it what it is. Crap for a number of reasons.

This is where the next level of control comes in. When most of the comments are critical of the story the Herald puts up the first half dozen tame comments then, hold all the rest until some time after the story is closed. Then, a person will have to hit a tab to see "all" the comments that were withheld earlier or on the previous day.

As a Conservative rag this same paper will often cut the article and republish it under a new link in order to separate the story from adverse comment.

As a newspaper the Calgary Herald is a low a piece of information as is out there. It is not in most cases worth opening the page of it.

Alberta's Economy will shrink the most!

Alberta has been grossly mismanaged. Rather than invest windfall royalty back into this province this Government has elected to plough the profits back into reduced royalty rates.

At 19% Canadian, the rates are the lowest in the world but because of the nature of stock very little of this money come back to the province.

Alberta's conventional oil is now a "mature" resource. Deep wells and directional drilling are expensive. Using captured carbon to access deep well reserves is a good plan but will take years to get on line.

Now in recession with a Government that has only experience in mega surplus non budget performance, we see the fruits of our labours. I don't think this crew could manage a lemonade stand!

Alberta finances.

This article on the reduction of cost on the Henday drive is a historical document!

This is the first time in Alberta Conservative history they have released the results of the bidding on a project.

Here, we have the players names and the relative placement of their bids.
Can we expect more of the same as this Government burns through the cash?

I think, probably not.

Alberta Finance amature and reckless.

Alberta puts 40 million into well reclamation reads the headline.
Also the article tells us the receivers of the money, the Orphan Well Association, did not ask for funds and did not need the funds as the Orphan Wells have been paid for by the oil companies to the extent of about 12 million dollars a year.

The Mr. Stelmach in a separate article said he was giving this money to them to use in addition to what ever they are spending and he hopes they will spend it.

The point of all this?
This project like the other 2.5 billion dollars in projects that have been put up by the Conservatives have gone out with no plans, no details, no instruction on how or what to spend it on.

Their construction projects when they were more than flush with cash were all cost plus. Bids were given to whoever they wanted after a bid was asked for regardless of what the winning bid was. Lists of bids are never let to the public. Awash with cash they threw money at what ever tweaked their interest.

Now, the worm has turned and it should be apparent to every one that after all these years we are dealing with amateurs who do not no how to Govern.

They don't have a whole pile of experience. They have the same very few experiences, over and over again.

Calgary Herald - The Conservative Ink Barrel

The Calgary Herald recently decided to take an excursion into allowing comment on their articles to appear on their web site. This lasted no more than a month. Now, if you criticize the Government by citing oil royalty, spending or mismanagement in general the comment stays up at best for an hour or so but more often does not make it past the moderator. Never to see publication.

Likewise the Edmonton Journal regular addition. The digital publication seems to be more forgiving.

Alberta Oil sold at fire sale prices!

“At the same time, the development of these things (tar sands) is pretty important, in our judgment, to North American energy security." Says Obama.

It is time to take a closer look at the tar sands crude output.

Tar sands output is a crude oil that has been heavily refined before going to market as crude. There is none of the sulfur or other impurities in the crude. These have been taken out. Essentially it is clean, ready to be used.

This means the refineries in the US who are intent on doing the final cracking in the US are going to be able to collect big bucks back on Carbon reductions. Very little needs to be done to the Alberta Crude so, they can claim operational improvements in reducing their carbon foot print.
Estimates from industry have put a value of the Alberta Tar Sands oil as being underpriced by as much as 30% because of the state of distillation of the product.
If you add the underpriced base oil to the short shift we got when the Conservatives put the oil to Canadian dollars for figuring out royalty you can see where we are paying the oil companies to take the resource away from Alberta.

Calgary Harold is a biased and useless rag!

The Calgary Harold is the most biased, most useless rag in the province if you are looking for information.

Two Examples today:
One misleading quote: “That might work in normal times, but industry leaders are deeply pessimistic these breaks will encourage much new activity in today's bleak conditions.”

They make no effort to explain exploration is down to zero around the world right now. Instead, they would have you believe it has something to do with the new Energy plan. Also note that the Alberta Government doesn’t release these BS enlightenments in papers that allow public opinion.

And another one:
“Knight, however, argued Alberta isn't in "any danger"of collecting less royalties under the new system as opposed to the old one.”
The controversial royalty plan, which took effect Jan. 1, was announced in the fall of 2007 after a government-appointed expert committee said Albertans weren't receiving "their fair share" of energy development.

In this article they pan the Canadian Dollar royalty like it has been in there forever! Such crap!
The royalty was switched from US to Canadian last September away from the public eye when exchange between the US and Canadian dollars was at par.

How in Knights wildest dreams can he expect a point for point change in royalty percentage to make up for the direct 20% loss in exchange? He can’t! It is still another lie.

They have mismanaged this economy drastically. That exchange slight of hands costs Albertans 8 to 12 billions of dollars per year! Think of that when they start laying off and cutting programs.

--

Alberta Conservatives unleash the SHOCK DOCTRINE.

This is the perfect financial climate for the Conservatives who want to push their right wing privatization agenda more than they want anything else. Cut Services, Destabilize, under fund. This has been the legacy of this Government.

When the programs are ruined the answer is clear; privatize it!

Changing the royalty regime on all of Alberta’s petro chemical resource to Canadian Dollars from US dollars, the standards all other in the petroleum trade business follow has ensured them this province will be short 6 to 8 billion dollars a year in revenue and, they have no intention of pulling that money back.

Taking hugely deficient royalty percentages ensured another shortage of revenue. For years now we have only been collecting 19% royalty on the tar sands. The “new deal, good for everyone” moves that percentage back to 25%, where it was to start with.

The 1% taken on product until the plant is paid for by Albertans is an icon in itself! For comparision the US, BC and Saskatchwan all take funds in US dollars This is an immeidate loss of 20% Their start up percentage is 2%, not 1 as is Alberta. Another 1% loss. BC and Saskatchwan both take 34% royalty on Tier 3 oil (producing). This is a long way from the 19% and 25% Alberta is taking. A further loss of 9%

In total we are loosing a minimum of 30% of the revenue that rightly belongs to this province!
There is no guarantee the new rates will come into effect WE WILL REMAIN AT 19%! Mel Knights ongoing lies are tantamount in considering his recent comments that “nothing is written in stone” and “we may put off the increases”

So, the stage is set! Enter now, THE SHOCK DOCTRINE.
In a few short months (perhaps, weeks) Stelmach-Liepert-Knight-Evans-Snelgrove will begin the process of telling (think – warning and leaky press releases) Albertans the following:

Dear Albertans, because of lower than expected revenues...
Less of X
Less of Y
Less of Z
Then:Pay as you go!
And, we're holding off on the previously announced initiatives... long list but, a peek did come in Stelmach’s New Year’s speech on CFRN. When asked about the pharmacare package for seniors he said “that will take place probably in 2010 (think here after the next election) and we will be telling you who pays and, who doesn’t.

EVERYTHING will be blamed on the GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS.

The attitude and direction of Stelmach will be, I / we have no choice. Behind the veil of the GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS, the Stelmach government will take the opportunity to implement M-O-R-E privatization, including the sell-off of more public works and the rural hospitals.

By definition the basis for the Shock Doctrine is to take Full Private Sector Advantage of public disaster (s) be they mother nature (Tsunami - Hurricane) OR mismanaged economic as is about to happen.

Nobody in Alberta can tell me that should oil slip to $25 a drum (until April) the government won't fire-sale everything to their buddies!

38 years of Tory rule, including billions and billions of non-renewable dollars passing through this province and we have NOTHING MORE THAN ANY OTHER CANADIAN PROVINCE TO SHOW FOR IT.

The Tories have run our province into the ground. Unfortunately, too many idiots got their rocks off because a handful of guys got rich in the process. Yes, a handful of folks did get rich, but that didn't translate into a flourishing prosperous society.

The Biggest Lie in Conservative History!

How can anyone possibly believe Liepert in his measured approach to the privatization of health care?

How can any one in their right mines believe this crew in anything they say?

If the population would just turn out to vote, this could all be changed!

Government lies to cost you big bucks!

With our dollar at 80 cents we are loosing 20% of our royalty in exchange. That is over 6 billion dollars of Albertans monies have gone into oil pockets as a bonus.

Today, Albertans are given a choice of a deficit or, do you want to pay more for gas at the pumps. Some choice!

On another front this same bunch of bandits is saying they will close rural hospitals and turn them into homes for the aging. This, forcing rural people into city hospitals for treatment. In almost the same breath they say they are going to increase the costs of accommodation in these same buildings as a means to attract investment.

Soon enough you will hear the announcement that the hospitals have been sold to Conservative insiders for a dollar (After you have finished paying for conversations as required). This is still another big leap forward in privatization.

When Mel Knight made his lie public at the last election he put out reams of paper showing there would be increased revenue attributed to his "new deal". The figures put forward to the public included lies about anticipated revenues from new production from new tar sands installations.

When the crunch came, the new projects were cancelled and his numbers became impossible.

So much for the most expensive lie in the Conservative history! The minster went public saying "errors had been made" In any civilized Government there would be resignations of both Stelmach and Knight but not in Alberta; they own it you know.

Alberta's new energy booklet.

Alberta’s new energy booklet “energy vision” released today is like the other new fair for all deals they have come out with. We get screwed!

Iris Evans made an announcement on funding the other day. The funding was not nearly has important as the by-line as in “another project paid for out of windfall profits” After giving away 16% of our revenue to the oil companies in their currency flip it is all they can do to keep this province afloat! And, with personal bankruptcies climbing one has to wonder if it is afloat or not!No more windfall profits Evans! Try for once to take care of the provinces business. Perhaps the oil guys will give you a week off.

To the subject of the new booklet: “Changing energy consumption behavior of industry and ordinary Albertans.” It says. And Strengthening the electrical transmission system by "identifying requirements, technical solutions, timing, and updating of the approval process."

The Conservatives sponsored an Environmental speakeasy in Lethbridge about two years ago and filled the forum with their own people notably one “famous” scientist from the US who said Alberta was on the right track increasing the cost of water and electricity. “It is really the most effective way to change things”

The announcement above is telling us the price of electricity is going to sky rocket in Alberta to a point you cannot afford to use it. And, with the encouragement of the Government. So much for Alberta’s Advantage!

Both Epcor and Enmax are owned by the cities of Calgary and Edmonton. You can't deal with the Government on anything nor can you deal the power companies but you can deal with the city councils. Vote them out if need be!

Cutting your consumption would suit Alberta’s scheme of things allowing more electricity to be available for export. This, is a segway into the Bruce Power bid for Nuclear power in Saskatchewan. While the nuclear power is a good thing in my mind the plans are not.

Alberta announced a new power line from the connection of the Saskatchewan grid to the Montana border. Because it is on the Alberta side of the line, Alberta taxpayers will be paying for the power line of which Saskatchewan will be the major user.

By this time we all know what huge disdain the Conservatives hold the electorate in this province. You and I simply do not matter! Perhaps some of you die hard Conservatives that are perhaps a little tired of 14 years of lying by these guys will rethink your ideals as you shiver in the dark.

Health Statistics pure and simple by Stats Can.

The public system is still less expensive than is the private US system!
It is worthwhile to note the US system is now making moves towards the Canadian system.

The health care figures are skewed because they are totaled and include health care expenditures by insurance companies plus the premiums paid by individuals and companies.

Depreciation on hospitals and properties are included but capital appreciation is not. When Alberta sells a 100 million dollar hospital for a buck, the thing shows as a loss of a 100 million.

A drug hot spot is easier to target on both sides but neither are able to produce a clear picture.

The medical schools are not friendly towards Canadians because the universities make more money bringing in students from out of country. A one point drop in a starter course in your second year will prevent you from entering medical school even though your MCAT is in the top 1 or 2% of humanity! Chairs left open for aboriginal people regardless of their scores is a good thing for the people but, who wants to turn your life over to them when they become physicians?

Finally, the aging population thing was a stat put out in the 1950s! It was a projection that those who had an interest in privatizing medicine took up. In fact, it never came to pass! The projections never came close! The seniors by and large are in better shape than the younger set and even these dolts seem to be catching on.

Obesity is a bad thing. It is a constant source of discontent and effort by a large number of us. My body fat is runs about 17% which is too high but, damned if I can pass up the bagel in the morning.

A lot of things in our system sucks! You have voted in wall to wall Conservatives who are pushing us towards a private system by the manipulation of budgets. This what most of these numbers are about.

Conservatives stonewall Royalty Rate information!

Alberta Government stonewalls Royalty rate information.

Alberta royalty information is to be kept secret for 5 years time. The Alberta extreme conservatives have followed a plan that reduces Alberta’s take on royalty to match what they figure the province needs rather than what is ours. Their needs list is patterned after their own hawkish lists which say desperation is okay for seniors and the less fortunate. Kids are not chattel; they can't make you any money.

Alberta has more private schools than any other province. Our kids take their tax credit to school when they enroll and when you decide to change school you can't find one because the tax credit stays where they first arrived.

A dozen more schools are being built under the 3P scheme which means the Government leases them back. Now you have a system where the names on the lease can be changed to a private school and the tax credit can be eliminated through attrition while the actual costs of the school are picked up by you personally.

You are looking towards the end of the public school system!

Costs for infrastructure and social programs have been downloaded onto the cities and communities to work with however they can.

This was coupled with the Electrical power, an endless cash grab, which can be used to pay for the shortfalls. ‘More money for royalties.

Now, they are doing the same thing with the provincial water supplies. First put it in pipes then charge for it. Having already sold or assigned most of the water allotments the prices for the water will be included in the pipeline (probably metered) charges.

You do not own the water in your dug outs, the water in your wells and/or your snow rain catchments. More revenue for the province, lower goes the royalty; this time figures kept secret.

All the monies made from income taxes, empty container returns and user fees are put into their General Revenue account along with the monies taken through oil royalty.

The Heritage Trust Fund started out to be an appreciating fund of reinvested revenues held in the hands of Alberta Treasury that was robbed over the years with the profits from the investments taken out and added to the General Revenues and used to reduce the oil royalty taken. Now, it is in the hands of an Alberta private company Iris Evans has put her personal stamp on it saying it will be held to a 4.5% increase per year.

All those millions above the 4.5% will be sucked off and put into the General Revenues and used to reduce royalties of the future – now to be kept secret.

As Brian Mason of the NDP says ‘They have more secrets than the KGB”

Every election they have won since Peter Lougheed left has been won on outright lies and misdirection. They have not show up at any public debates for the last two elections and are not going to show up for the next election.

There is a new political party in Alberta a Small C; small L which is exactly what the voter wants in this province, a real alternative. When you get the chance, use it!

Alberta Heritage Savings and Trust is robbed!

The Alberta Conservatives today announced we would loose a billion dollars from the Heritage and Trust fund because of the economic climate.

Such Crap! An example of misplaced trust!

16,000,000,000 dollars divided by 3,290,000 Albertans is 4863.00 each!
This is after 30 years of pouring millions and billions into it!

This Government has robbed the Heritage Trust fund of 90% of its profit using those profits from the investments in their General Revenue disbursements.

In effect our Heritage and Savings Trust Fund has not only been robbed blind but the misappropriated funds have been used to reduce royalty rates on the tar sands! A double hit for Albertans!

Why Albertans persist in backing this crew is beyond me! Is it a religious; cult relationship? Or, more than likely Albertans are just poorly informed and stupid.

Water - the election

The export of bulk water has been a Conservative dream for a long time. It is not new stuff. Tankers off BC comes to mind out of hand.

In 1982 the Alberta Government received a fully engineered project from Weatherford Engineering of Alberta having to do with the details of transferring a large part of the flow of the Peace River south using it for limited irrigation though the core and exporting the balance to the US northern states.

This engineering is as valid and up to date as the day it was put up. Now, years later the Alberta Government is talking additional dams on the Peace River?

Meanwhile the Alberta Government announced a mid province pipeline and in their spin said it would replace doubtful well water. Farmers in the peace River block were notified a few years ago they did not own the water in their dug outs and did not own their trapped rain water..

What is going to happen is the pipeline will go into Central Alberta and people will no longer be allowed to use their wells for anything unless it is on the meter. That is the way of commodity water.

The Fraser institute put up some papers on how much money we (corporations) were loosing by not being able to export water. It was a lot. The Conservative Party of Canada went to the Liberal dominated Privy Council asking for confirmation that Bulk Water was included already in NAFTA.

The resounding answer was NO, it is not!
The Conservatives said they would pursue it through the courts. Nothing back on that. NAFTA is going to be renegotiated no matter who gets in.

If the Liberals negotiate with Mexico and the US there will be no inclusion of bulk water exports. All three Governments are waiting for the elections to be over before entering into the Frey.

If however you turn Harper loose, it is a given and your drinking water will become a commodity under NAFTA and you will be paying US prices for your water. Canadians presently pay from zero to 50 dollars a month for their water service. This is doubled by most municipalities as a sewage charge regardless how much went on your lawn. I can see the probability of 100 dollar or more monthly water bills if water is made into a commodity.

More private helth care rides on this election!

We all know Alberta is on the fast track to privatizing heath care.

We are all aware the Capital Health Region did extensive consultations on what to de-list from services covered under the Alberta Health Care program.

We all know the list was completed and is sitting; waiting to implement.

Alberta cannot de-list services in the Health System unless there is changes made to the Canada Health Act. Harper will make those changes! The other parties wont.

A defeat for Harper is a Win for Alberta!

The Fraser institute took positions on the amount of money we corporations) were loosing by not exporting bulk water. The Conservative Party of Canada went before the Privy Council of Canada to make a case on the export of bulk water under NAFTA. The resounding reply to them was NO! Not allowed.

The Conservative party of Canada accepted this saying they would take it up with the courts. Nothing more on that since.

The Democrats in the US say they want to open NAFTA again. No matter which party gets in, NAFTA will be renegociated.

If bulk water is allowed for export it becomes a commodity under NAFTA. As such we cannot charge the US more than we pay. To get the most money for export (like electricity) they have to boost the amount we pay. Bottom line is: If the Conservatives get in at all you will be paying California prices for your water! Consider that many in Calgary pay nothing it will be a shock to your system!

Alberta insiders get another pay off!

RBK in Alberta wrote:
Posted 2008/10/02at 2:19 PM ET
cyberclark wrote:
Posted 2008/10/02 at 1:50 PM ET

The Alberta Government owned crown land in and around McMurray that was worth a fortune. Rather than put it up on public open auction they turned it over to an insider construction contractor to build apartments and houses on.

A year or so has passed. Has there been apartment and houses built? Do the prices of those units reflect the fact the property was free? How would you compare this new property to property in Edmonton and Calgary price wise?

RBK in McMurray:
No, things have not changed for the better up here. Housing costs are out to lunch and I blame that on the Government. The land, as you stated, is mostly crown land. The Alberta Government put a stop to speculators buying up land years ago. However when they parcel that land out to developers they are squeezing as many houses into each block that they can, creating zero lot line, 2 and 3 storey houses, so they can build up and get more in. Land costs for a developed lot are absolutely ridiculous when you take into account that the developers were given the land for next to nothing.

A lot for a MOBILE home currently costs 100K and upwards so a mobile home on a lot currently lists at 250K to 400K. So someone is making a ridiculous amount of money out of land up here and I highly doubt if it will ever change. With the recent two large areas released by the crown for development what I have seen to date does not give me any hope whatsoever those things will change.

However, newcomers are helped out in buying a home by the company they work for but it still takes 2 incomes to afford those mortgages. Those working service industry jobs in town are hard pressed to keep up and many businesses just close their doors due to lack of people to work. My home is long paid off but I really feel for those just moving into town and signing 750K mortgages for a house.

If things do go bad they will go really bad and then it will get ugly up here. That is why Layton scares most people up here with his plans to slow or curtail development. Developement of the oil sands has to moderate to allow other sectors to catch up but if not handled properly it will be ugly.