Daveberta Smears NDP

Daveberta the liberal blogger thinks he has found a scandal in the NDP calling for an end to corporate and union donations to political parties in Alberta. He reports in high dudgeon on his website that the NDP raised $100,000 from unions during the election campaign of 2004.

However the majority of funds raised during the campaign, as is usual with the NDP, came from individuals for a total of $180,529.35 slightly less than twice as much as raised from union contributions.

Something he fails to mention. Now why might that be?

Because unlike his former employer the Liberal Party of Alberta, the NDP gets the majority of its donations from individuals. And of course unlike the Liberals none from the big corporations in Alberta. So he has to pretend that union funding of the NDP is somehow scandalous.

Elections Alberta > Financial Disclosure > Parties > Alberta New Democrats

2005
POLITICAL PARTY
CAMPAIGN RETURN
ALBERTA NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

SUMMARY OF CAMPAIGN PERIOD REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES
FOR THE PERIOD October 25, 2004 - January 24, 2005

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CORPORATIONS

ALBERTA BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL INC.

EDMONTON

$7,000.00

Cash

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TRADE UNIONS
ALBERTA & NWT REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS	EDMONTON	$1,000.00			Cash
ALBERTA & NWT REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS	EDMONTON	$2,400.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$3,400.00
AREA CNCL PAC STEELWORKERS TORONTO	TORONTO - ONTARIO		$500.00		Cash
AREA COUNCIL C E P	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
C A W CANADA			$8,000.00		Cash
C E C U	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
C E P NATIONAL	EDMONTON	$4,000.00			Cash
C E P NATIONAL	EDMONTON	$7,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$11,000.00
C L C	EDMONTON		$10,000.00		Cash
C M P L			$5,000.00		Cash
C S U	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
C U P E	EDMONTON		$5,000.00		Cash
CANADIAN COUNCIL A T U			$2,500.00		Cash
DISTRICT # 3 U S W A	BURNABY - B.C.		$500.00		Cash
EDMONTON FIRE FIGHTERS UNION	EDMONTON	$2,000.00			Cash
EDMONTON FIRE FIGHTERS UNION	EDMONTON	$2,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$4,000.00
EDMONTON LABOUR COUNCIL	EDMONTON		$750.00		Cash
IRONWORKERS LOCAL 720	EDMONTON		$3,000.00		Cash
LOCAL 1118 U F C W	RED DEER		$500.00		Cash
LOCAL 183 U N A	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
LOCAL 1900 C E P	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
LOCAL 569 ATU	EDMONTON		$3,000.00		Cash
LOCAL 6034 U S W A	CALGARY		$500.00		Cash
LOCAL 855 C E P	HINTON		$2,000.00		Cash
U T U	EDMONTON		$1,500.00		Cash
UNITED ASSOC OF PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS - LOCAL 488	EDMONTON		$14,000.00		Cash
UNITED NURSES OF ALBERTA	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA PAC	TORONTO - ONTARIO		$500.00		Cash
WORKERS UNION TELECOMMUNICATIONS	EDMONTON	$10,000.00			Cash
WORKERS UNION TELECOMMUNICATIONS	EDMONTON	$50.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$10,050.00
YELLOWHEAD LABOUR COUNCIL	HINTON		$500.00		Cash
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS
MEDICINE HAT LABOUR COUNCIL	MEDICINE HAT		$1,500.00		Cash

But what daveberta does not he tell us is how much corporations donated to his former employer the Liberal Party of Alberta during the election campaign. Count all the oil companies. Which you will not find donating to the NDP. Which of course is the whole point ain't it Dave.And note the corporate donations to the Liberals far exceed the union donations to the NDP for the same election campaign.

Elections Alberta > Financial Disclosure > Parties > Alberta Liberal Party

2005
POLITICAL PARTY
CAMPAIGN RETURN
ALBERTA LIBERAL PARTY

SUMMARY OF CAMPAIGN PERIOD REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES
FOR THE PERIOD October 25, 2004 - January 24, 2005

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CORPORATIONS
ALBERTA VIEWS	CALGARY		$15,000.00		Cash
ALL WEATHER WINDOWS LTD	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
AMEC INC	OAKVILLE - ONTARIO		$2,500.00		Cash
ATCO GROUP	CALGARY		$5,000.00		Cash
BELL WEST	CALGARY		$3,000.00		Cash
BREWSTER TRANSPORTATION AND TOURS	BANFF		$500.00		Cash
CANADIAN NATIONAL	MONTREAL - QUEBEC		$3,000.00		Cash
CIBC	TORONTO - ONTARIO		$5,000.00		Cash
COHOS EVAMY	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
DAVID B. ROSS PROF CORP	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
DAVIS & COMPANY	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
DON WHEATON LTD	EDMONTON		$5,000.00		Cash
DOW CHEMICAL CANADA INC	SARNIA - ONTARIO		$5,000.00		Cash
EDCO FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LTD	CALGARY		$2,500.00		Cash
ENBRIDGE PIPELINES INC	EDMONTON		$6,000.00		Cash
ENCANA CORPORATION	CALGARY		$5,000.00		Cash
ESPRIT EXPLORATION LTD	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
FIELD MANAGEMENT SERVICES	EDMONTON		$2,500.00		Cash
HOLE'S GREENHOUSES AND GARDENS LTD	ST. ALBERT		$883.00		Valued
HUSKY OIL OPERATIONS LTD	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
JAMES A. BUTLIN PROFESSIONAL CORP	CALGARY		$750.00		Cash
KATARINA O. STERLIND	VANCOUVER - B.C.		$1,000.00		Cash
LAFARGE CANADA INC.	CALGARY		$500.00		Cash
LOVINK MEDIA INC	CALGARY		$3,300.00		Valued
MADACALO INVESTMENTS LTD	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
MANCAL PROPERTIES DEVELOPMENT INC	CALGARY		$2,500.00		Cash
MANCAL PROPERTY VENTURES INC	CALGARY		$2,500.00		Cash
MCDANIEL COMPANY INC.	CALGARY		$500.00		Cash
MCNALLY CUMING RAYMAKER	CALGARY		$2,000.00		Cash
NEXEN INC	CALGARY		$5,000.00		Cash
NOVA CHEMICALS CORPORATION	CALGARY		$3,000.00		Cash
OCTAGON CAPITAL CORPORATION	CALGARY		$2,500.00		Cash
P.J. PERRY	EDMONTON		$500.00		Valued
PETROVERA RESOURCES	CALGARY		$5,000.00		Cash
PHS HOLDINGS	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
PRECISION DRILLING CORPORATION	CALGARY		$2,500.00		Cash
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS LTD	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS	CALGARY	$5,000.00			Cash
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS	CALGARY	$5,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$10,000.00
READ JONES CHRISTOFFERSEN LTD	CALGARY		$500.00		Cash
REIMER LAW OFFICE	CALGARY		$500.00		Cash
ROCKWELL SERVICING PARTNERSHIP	CALGARY		$2,500.00		Cash
SCOTIABANK	TORONTO - ONTARIO		$4,000.00		Cash
SUNCOR ENERGY INC	CALGARY		$3,000.00		Cash
TD SECURITIES INC	TORONTO - ONTARIO		$1,000.00		Cash
TORONTO DOMINION BANK	TORONTO - ONTARIO		$1,600.00		Cash
TRANSALTA UTILITIES CORPORATION	CALGARY		$2,000.00		Cash
TRANSCANADA PIPE LINES	CALGARY		$5,000.00		Cash
WESTERN FINANCIAL GROUP INC	HIGH RIVER		$1,000.00		Cash
WEYERHAEUSER COMPANY LIMITED	VANCOUVER - B.C.		$2,000.00		Cash
WILL CALL OILFIELD SERVICES LTD	SPRUCE GROVE		$500.00		Cash

Total: 99 Receipts

$206,496.74

Total Campaign Period Revenue $241,438.34

Corporate donations to the Liberals were twice as much as union donations to the NDP for the election campaign in 2004! Something dave forgot to mention.

During that campaign individual donations to the Alberta Liberals totaled $34,941.6 Ouch. Not even close to the individual donations the NDP raised, and this is the real reason for daveberta's faux outrage.

His party and former employer, relies heavily on corporate funding for their election campaigns. Unlike the NDP. And so his attempt to do a bit of political slight of hand, look over there NDP gets union donations. The reality is that if the NDP policy of no corporate or union donations was the law, it would hurt the Liberals more than the NDP. And it is a policy the NDP has adopted as provincial governments across Canada.

Daveberta was outraged that Ray Martin wrote a letter last fall soliciting funding from unions for this pending election campaign. However what he does not tell his readers is that the Liberals on an annual basis raise more funds from unions than the NDP does.

Here is the 2004 corporate donations the Liberals received, during their regular operational year. And lo and behold you will find unions donating to them. Including the Building Trades Council Inc. who donated more to the Liberals than they did to the NDP. And AUPE the provincial government union which did not donate at all to the NDP. And even personal donations from the Alberta Teachers Association president Frank Bruseker who was once a Liberal MLA.

BRUSEKER, FRANK	AIRDRIE	$500.00			Cash
BRUSEKER, FRANK	AIRDRIE	$100.00			Cash
BRUSEKER, FRANK	AIRDRIE	$20.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$620.00

Total donations from unions to the Liberals for the operating year 2004 was $47,675, while total union donations to the NDP was $14,000. So sorry no the NDP are not being hypocrites, they are calling for legislation that daveberta and his Liberal pals fear because it would limit their corporate fund raising including from their pals in the union movement. If any party benefits from union donations more than the NDP it's the Liberals. Because they lack the NDP's financial support which is based on individual contributions.

Mind you the NDP benefits from more unions donating to it, while the Liberals rely on their pals in the Building Trades, ATA, and AUPE to support them. These are unions and associations aligned politically to the Liberals as their donations show.

Elections Alberta > Financial Disclosure > Parties > Alberta Liberal Party

2004
POLITICAL PARTY
ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT
ALBERTA LIBERAL PARTY

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CORPORATIONS
AINSWORTH LUMBER CO LTD	GRANDE PRAIRIE		$3,000.00		Cash
ALBERTA BLUE CROSS	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
ALBERTA BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL INC.	EDMONTON	$2,200.00			Cash
ALBERTA BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL INC.	EDMONTON	$12,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$14,200.00
ALBERTA FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOC INC	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
ALBERTA MOTOR ASSOCIATION	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
ALBERTA ROADBUILDERS & HEAVY CONST.	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
ALBERTA VIEWS	CALGARY		$15,000.00		Cash
ALLIANCE PIPELINE LIMITED	CALGARY		$875.00		Cash
ALTAGAS SERVICES INC	CALGARY		$525.00		Cash
AON REED STENHOUSE INC	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
APEGGA	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
ARTTEC ADVERTISING INC	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING ALBERTA LTD	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
BOMBAY PALACE RESTAURANT	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
BREWSTER TRANSPORTATION AND TOURS	BANFF		$500.00		Cash
BURLINGTON RESOURCES CANADA LTD	CALGARY		$1,200.00		Cash
CANACCORD CAPITAL CORPORATION	VANCOUVER - B.C.		$1,750.00		Cash
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF OILWELL DRI	CALGARY		$1,100.00		Cash
CANADIAN ENERGY PIPELINE ASSOCIATION	CALGARY		$875.00		Cash
CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LTD	CALGARY		$1,100.00		Cash
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY	CALGARY		$550.00		Cash
CANADIAN SALT COMPANY LIMITED	POINTE CLAIRE - QUEBEC		$1,000.00		Cash
CAPITAL PACKERS INC	EDMONTON	$500.00			Cash
CAPITAL PACKERS INC	EDMONTON	$100.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$600.00
CARLYLE & ASSOCIATES	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
CARMA DEVELOPERS LTD.	EDMONTON	$550.00			Cash
CARMA DEVELOPERS LTD.	CALGARY	$200.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$750.00
COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS	EDMONTON	$275.00			Cash
COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS	EDMONTON	$525.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$800.00
CORIL HOLDINGS LTD	CALGARY		$2,000.00		Cash
DOUGLAS A. LYNASS PROF CORP	EDMONTON	$550.00			Cash
DOUGLAS A. LYNASS PROF CORP	EDMONTON	$350.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$900.00
DRAGICH DESIGN	EDMONTON		$850.00		Valued
DYNACARE KASPER MEDICAL LABORATORIES	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
ENBRIDGE PIPELINES INC	EDMONTON	$2,200.00			Cash
ENBRIDGE PIPELINES INC	EDMONTON	$1,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$3,200.00
ENER-WEST PROJECTS LTD	CALGARY		$550.00		Cash
FIELD ATKINSON PERRATON MANAGEMENT	EDMONTON		$2,200.00		Cash
FIRSTENERGY CAPITAL CORP	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
FWD STEP RESOURCES	CALGARY	$500.00			Cash
FWD STEP RESOURCES	CALGARY	$25.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$525.00
GENERAL ELECTRIC CANADA INC	MISSISSAUGA - ONTARIO		$1,000.00		Cash
GRAHAM GROUP LTD	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
HAMILTON HALL SOYES/RAY & BERNDTSON INC	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
HEMISPHERE ENGINEERING INC.	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
HOLE'S GREENHOUSES AND GARDENS LTD	ST. ALBERT	$836.74			Cash
HOLE'S GREENHOUSES AND GARDENS LTD	ST. ALBERT	$50.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$886.74
HUSKY OIL OPERATIONS LTD	CALGARY		$2,000.00		Cash
IMPERIAL OIL LIMITED	CALGARY		$3,500.00		Cash
IMPERIAL OIL RESOURCES LTD	CALGARY		$3,500.00		Cash
INLAND LEHIGH CEMENT LIMITED	EDMONTON	$2,200.00			Cash
INLAND LEHIGH CEMENT LIMITED	EDMONTON	$1,000.00			Cash
INLAND LEHIGH CEMENT LIMITED	EDMONTON	$500.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$3,700.00
J.E. (BUD) MILLER CONSULTING LTD	KITSCOTY		$500.00		Cash
JAMES A. BUTLIN PROFESSIONAL CORP	CALGARY	$275.00			Cash
JAMES A. BUTLIN PROFESSIONAL CORP	CALGARY	$500.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$775.00
K P ACCOUNTING & TAX SERVICES	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
K P M G	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
LOCAL #8 SHEETMETAL BENEVOLENT FUN	EDMONTON		$750.00		Cash
LUSCAR LTD	EDMONTON		$3,000.00		Cash
LUTHRA LAW OFFICE	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
MANSELL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTING SE	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
MCDANIEL & ASSOCIATES CONSULTANTS LTD	CALGARY		$500.00		Cash
MCNALLY VALUATIONS INC	EDMONTON	$550.00			Cash
MCNALLY VALUATIONS INC	EDMONTON	$350.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$900.00
NEXEN INC	CALGARY	$550.00			Cash
NEXEN INC	CALGARY	$2,200.00			Cash
NEXEN INC	CALGARY	$12,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$14,750.00
NICHOLAS PERELES PROF CORP	CALGARY	$1,000.00			Cash
NICHOLAS PERELES PROF CORP	CALGARY	$350.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$1,350.00
NORTHLANDS PARK	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
PARKER FORD & MACKAY SPECIALTY OPT	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
PAUL ZIFF & CO NATURAL GAS CONSULT	CALGARY	$275.00			Cash
PAUL ZIFF & CO NATURAL GAS CONSULT	CALGARY	$250.00			Cash
PAUL ZIFF & CO NATURAL GAS CONSULT	CALGARY	$250.00			Cash
PAUL ZIFF & CO NATURAL GAS CONSULT	CALGARY	$500.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$1,275.00
PCL CONSTRUCTION GROUP INC	EDMONTON		$5,000.00		Cash
PETERS & CO. LIMITED	CALGARY		$1,000.00		Cash
PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION OF ALBERTA	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
PIPELLA AND COMPANY BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS	CALGARY	$550.00			Cash
PIPELLA AND COMPANY BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS	CALGARY	$350.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$900.00
QUALICO DEVELOPMENTS WEST LTD	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA	EDMONTON	$1,100.00			Cash
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA	EDMONTON	$2,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$3,100.00
SCHUMACHER & ASSOCIATES	WETASKIWIN		$825.00		Cash
SCOTIABANK	TORONTO - ONTARIO		$2,000.00		Cash
SECURITY LIFE AND INVESTMENT	CALGARY		$400.00		Cash
SHAW COMMUNICATIONS INC	CALGARY		$550.00		Cash
SHELLY'S ENTERPRISE LTD	EDMONTON		$1,000.00		Cash
SUNCOR ENERGY INC	CALGARY		$6,500.00		Cash
T. BOWEN & A. ROBERTS PROF CORP	CALGARY	$275.00			Cash
T. BOWEN & A. ROBERTS PROF CORP	CALGARY	$175.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$450.00
TALISMAN ENERGY INC	CALGARY	$550.00			Cash
TALISMAN ENERGY INC	CALGARY	$5,000.00			Cash
TALISMAN ENERGY INC	CALGARY	$1,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$6,550.00
TAURUS INVESTMENTS LTD	EDMONTON	$825.00			Cash
TAURUS INVESTMENTS LTD	EDMONTON	$1,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$1,825.00
TECHNA-WEST ENGINEERING LTD	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
TELUS	EDMONTON	$2,200.00			Cash
TELUS	EDMONTON	$2,200.00			Cash
TELUS	EDMONTON	$700.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$5,100.00
TERASEN PIPELINES INC	CALGARY		$1,225.00		Cash
THE COHOS EVAMY	CALGARY	$275.00			Cash
THE COHOS EVAMY	CALGARY	$275.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$550.00
THE TORONTO DOMINION BANK	EDMONTON		$2,200.00		Cash
THURBER ENGINEERING LTD	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
TRARION RESOURCES LTD	STONY PLAIN		$500.00		Cash
VINTERRA PROPERTIES INC	EDMONTON	$1,100.00			Cash
VINTERRA PROPERTIES INC	EDMONTON	$50.00			Cash
VINTERRA PROPERTIES INC	EDMONTON	$750.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$1,900.00
WEYERHAEUSER COMPANY LTD	EDMONTON		$550.00		Cash
WILL CALL OILFIELD SERVICES LTD	SPRUCE GROVE		$550.00		Cash
WILLIAM E. SEVICK PROFESSIONAL CORP	EDMONTON	$550.00			Cash
WILLIAM E. SEVICK PROFESSIONAL CORP	EDMONTON	$500.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$1,050.00
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TRADE UNIONS
ALBERT & NWT REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS AND ALLIED WORKERS	EDMONTON	$1,000.00			Cash
ALBERT & NWT REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS AND ALLIED WORKERS	EDMONTON	$275.00			Cash
ALBERT & NWT REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS AND ALLIED WORKERS	EDMONTON	$1,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$2,275.00
AUPE LOCAL 50	EDMONTON		$2,000.00		Cash
AUPE LOCAL 9	EDMONTON	$500.00			Cash
AUPE LOCAL 9	EDMONTON	$200.00			Cash
AUPE LOCAL 9	EDMONTON	$10,500.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$11,200.00
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF BOILERMAKERS IRON SHIP BUILERS	EDMONTON		$15,000.00		Cash
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMST	CALGARY		$500.00		Cash
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING EN	EDMONTON	$3,000.00			Cash
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING EN	EDMONTON	$750.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$3,750.00

Elections Alberta > Financial Disclosure > Parties > Alberta New Democrats

2004
POLITICAL PARTY
ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT
ALBERTA NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CORPORATIONS
629075 ALBERTA LTD	EDMONTON		$400.00		Cash
ALBERTA BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL INC.	EDMONTON		$4,000.00		Cash
ALL WRIGHT INFOTECH	EDMONTON		$600.00		Valued
LYLE S R KANEE PROF CORP	EDMONTON		$420.00		Cash
P GILL CNC INDUSTRIES LTD	EDMONTON		$500.00		Cash
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TRADE UNIONS
AREA COUNCIL C E P	EDMONTON		$4,000.00		Cash
C E P NATIONAL	EDMONTON	$1,000.00			Cash
C E P NATIONAL	EDMONTON	$5,000.00			Cash
C E P NATIONAL	EDMONTON	$4,000.00			Cash
		Subtotal:	$10,000.00

So nice try dave, guess all those blogging awards and the ensuing publicity you get now as a political blogger have gone to your head. Next time you try a drive by smear full of righteous indignation get your facts straight. And before making allegations about union influence over political parties look in your own back yard.



SEE:

Diotte Endorses Mason and NDP


tags
Alberta, Premier,
Alberta NDP, Brian Mason, Ed Stelmach,
election,PC, Edmonton, politics, Conservatives,media, politics, Kevin Taft,
Alberta, Liberals, Paul Hinman, Taft,
blog, daveberta, Dave Cournoyer ,

Another Tory Turn Coat

More Alberta conservatives are deserting the Tired Old Tory Titanic.

Stelmach also got sideswiped in the traditional Tory stronghold of Calgary -- despite not even stopping in the city -- when Ron Wood, longtime adviser to Preston Manning and Stephen Harper, also took aim at the Progressive Conservative leader.

Wood, who allowed local Liberal candidate Pat Murray to put up a Grit lawn sign in front of his home in Calgary-North Hill, said he's been a life-long conservative backer and cast a ballot to select Ed Stelmach as the Alberta Conservative leader in December 2006. But the former Calgary broadcaster said he believes Stelmach has done a poor job governing, spending money freely to win votes.

"These guys are not progressive, and they're not conservatives," Wood said in an interview. "They don't have a plan. They cover over their plan with a shovel full of money . . . I'm a fiscal conservative."

Gee I have said that for the past four years, it's nice to have such august company agreeing with me.



Alberta, Premier, Ed Stelmach,
election,PC, politics, Conservatives,media, politics, Alberta election,
Rod Love, Alberta, Ralph Klein's Brain, Arthur Kent,Calgary,PC, Calgary Currie, Conservatives,Liberals, Dave Taylor, scud stud,

Brand X

Rick Bell hits the nail on the head about our Brand X government and the party in charge.

a good assumption is many Albertans will simply cling to the Tory brand unless the actual Xs on the big day show something different. It's the brand. It has nothing to do with political philosophy. We have seen billions in boondoggles, an attitude of denial causing a building backlog you feel everyday you get out of bed. We've seen cutting and spending and behaviour that would be a firing offence elsewhere. We've smelled the stench of scandal and been served up arrogance as aggravating as anything Ottawa dishes out.

All we can hope for is that the stench from this dying corpse of a political regime disgusts the huge undecided vote in Alberta enough that it decides to NOT vote Tory.

The key to election-night victory could be the support of the large segment of undecided voters, said Lois Harder, who teaches political science at the University of Alberta. "The issue in a province with a long political dynasty and a healthy economy is whether people are going to be motivated to vote."

Thanks to Ed calling a winter election, lets hope it remains so damned cold that rural Tories decide to stay warm at home in front of their pot belly stoves.

That and let's hope the oil boys decide that the WildRoseAlliance is the place to park their votes splitting the right.

The Tory leader found a more welcoming crowd during coffee shop meet-and-greets in Wetaskiwin and Calmar. But when his bus pulled into Drayton Valley for a chat to about 100 townsfolk at the 55+ Recreation Centre, he faced some tough questions from oil and gas workers upset with his royalty plan.

Ken Cameron, a 52-year-old co-owner of an oil and gas services company, told Stelmach that industry workers have been crippled by the soaring Canadian dollar and Ottawa's decision to tax income trusts. But "the final nail in the coffin" has been Stelmach's new royalty framework.

"I think the premier and (Energy Minister) Mel Knight are totally out of touch with conventional oil and gas," said Cameron.

Stelmach has vowed to review his royalty plan to ensure there's no "unintended consequences" for smaller oil and gas companies.

The review had better produce some major changes or Stelmach's lost another vote, this one from Dave Humphreys, a 42-year-old vice-president of an oil and gas company who also pressed the Tory leader on the issue.

"I'm very worried about the economic impact on the community," Dave Humphreys, vice-president of an oil and gas firm, told Stelmach. "It's going to have a terrible rippling effect."

The rough receptions in Red Deer and Drayton Valley only add to what's already been a rocky start to Stelmach's first election campaign as premier, suggested Peter McCormick, political scientist at the University of Lethbridge.

"This is the part of the campaign that should be on auto pilot," McCormick said.

"This was well set up to be a triumphant campaign, but it just isn't working."

If the Tories remain in power, after Stelmach's vote buying campaign let us hope it is with a decimated majority, with a balance of power in the Leg made up of the opposition parties. Now that would be usual for any other province, but highly unusual for Alberta.

Then the Tories would have to act like a government rather than as a feudal dynasty including having to have debates in the legislature and actually bringing budgets and bills to be voted on rather than passed 'in council' as they have done for the past twenty years.

Considering that this is the Party that had popularity ratings of 80-90% in past elections this poll does not bode well, despite the spin put on it by Dave Rutherford's right wing media mouthpiece;

CALGARY/AM770CHQR - The first poll of the provincial election campaign finds the conservatives are off to a good start and the opposition are yet to find traction.
Environics did a telephone survey February 1-4.
The Progressive Conservatives have the support of 52 per cent of decided voters across the province.
The Alberta Liberals come in at 25 per cent, the NDP ten per cent, the Green Party 7 per cent and the Wildrose Alliance 6 per cent.
19 per cent of respondants are undecided or chose not to answer the question.
Older and more affluent voters tend to back the tories while the liberals are more popular with younger voters and students.
The tories also have 48 per cent support in Calgary while the liberals are at 29 per cent.
It's not much different in Edmonton but in the rest of the province the tories jump to 57 per cent and the liberals drop to 19 per cent.

And Ed Stelmach's own poll numbers are even less than any other Tory leader, less than even the much maligned Don Getty.

That's what happens when a central campaign starts to fly off the rails. Ed's might be heading for a dry gulch even deeper than the one former Premier Don Getty's campaign crashed into in 1989. Like Stelmach, Getty made a string of money promises which he could not explain. They were deeply flawed as policy and made voters worry about debt.

Also, like Stelmach, Getty had no discernible vision for the province beyond providing something expensive to every group that might be upset.

It's all eerily familiar to veterans of that bizarre 1989 campaign.

Don Getty lost his own Edmonton Whitemud riding. Later he limped to a byelection victory in Stettler, and governed listlessly until his party ran him out of the leadership in 1992.

His only saving grace is that he is not alone in being a charismatically challenged leader.

A January opinion poll showed 28.5 per cent of Albertans think Stelmach would make the best premier, well in front of nearest rival, Liberal Leader Kevin Taft.

For some critics, the weakness in the polls is enough to compare Stelmach to Harry Strom, who was the leader of the Social Credit government when its 36-year dynasty was snuffed out by Peter Lougheed's Progressive Conservatives in 1971.

McCormick said there are some comparisons to be made -- Strom was a decent man in charge of a low-key government that was more progressive than it's remembered today.

"He just couldn't project it," McCormick said. "Where Stelmach is really lucky is, although he reminds us of Harry Strom, Kevin Taft doesn't remind us at all of Peter Lougheed."

tags
Alberta, Premier, Ed Stelmach,
election,PC, politics, Conservatives,media, politics, Alberta election,
Kevin Taft,
Alberta, Alberta Liberals,Alberta Election,

Diotte Endorses Mason and NDP

The Edmonton Sun's resident right wing city hall columnist Kerry Diotte actually praises Brian Mason and the NDP. Truly this election is going to see things shook up in Alberta.

NDP Leader Brian Mason is easily the most quotable and savvy of the three, but he's saddled by the innate fear of socialism in Alberta. The party has made a smart move, though, by gearing its policies toward the average Joe and Josephine and accusing the Grits and Tories of being too tight with big corporations.

Speaking in the heart of corporate Calgary, Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason proposed legislation Friday that would ban both corporate and union donations to political parties.

"Big money in politics has a corrosive effect on our democracy and it undermines decision and policy making by political parties," Mason said at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel, a building surrounded by Calgary office towers.

"In the last couple of years the Conservatives have accepted over a half a million dollars from oil companies alone and the Liberals (accepted) close to $200,000 . . . .

"If they depend heavily on big corporations for their money, they will not stick up for the average family in this province when push comes to shove."

Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, sees the NDP proposal as a positive development. Alberta stands out from most Canadian jurisdictions in its "Wild West" treatment of political finances, she said.

The current situation in Alberta has helped create a longstanding tradition of "lopsided elections... that is very difficult to overcome," Young said.

The Edmonton Sun and Journal have done political leader bio's about Brian. Both pointing out that under Brian's leadership the NDP increased their seat count last election. Hardly the 'loser' party with no chance in hell of winning, that the pundits predicted then or predict now.

In fact Diotte is right on; Mason and the NDP have real chances of gaining ground as the best party to be the Opposition. Which is what the NDP has run for since their return from political purgatory under the leadership of Pam Barrett and then Raj ( Against the Machine) Pannu.

In 2000 the provincial New Democrats came calling.

They had fallen from 16 seats and official Opposition status under Ray Martin in the late 1980s to zero seats by 1993. By 1997 they’d crawled back to two seats when new leader Pam Barrett triumphed in Edmonton-Highlands and Raj Pannu won by just 58 votes in Edmonton-Strathcona.

“We took a kicking in 1993, and when Pam stepped down (in 2000) we were in serious difficulty,” said Martin.

But Martin had knocked on doors for Mason in civic campaigns, knew him as a scrapper with a conscience and convinced him to run in the Highlands byelection. He got three times the votes of his nearest competitor. “That victory probably paved the way for the future of the NDP,” said Martin. “If we hadn’t won that, I think it would have been tough slogging.”

By 2004, Mason was also party leader and the NDP had improved from two seats to four, giving him a chance to hone his skills for political theatre while his party pounced on the Tories on issues from royalty rates to skyrocketing rents.

After a Tory cabinet minister suggested Albertans chilled by high heating bills put on warm sweaters, Mason and Pannu sat in the legislature during question period and knitted.

When former premier Ralph Klein declined to debate health-care privatization in the 2004 election campaign, saying it was too complicated, Mason came out with a pamphlet entitled “Health Care for Dummies.”

He said his party prides itself on being ahead of the curve — it called for oil royalty increases back in the 2004 campaign. The idea was roundly derided at the time, but in 2007 the Tories announced even more drastic hikes.

SEE

Careful Of What You Ask For


nd blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Alberta, Premier,
Alberta NDP, Brian Mason, Ed Stelmach,
election,PC, Edmonton, politics, Conservatives,media, politics, Kevin Taft,
Alberta, Liberals, Paul Hinman, Taft,

Ethically Challenged Ed

Ethically challenged Alberta CEO Ed Stelmach continues the Tired Old Tory tradition of protecting that ultimate special interest group; Tory Cabinet Ministers and MLA's. Smelling pending doom they quickly trashed Ed's first promise as Premier; accountability, transparency and ethics reform. And so once again Albertans suffer a Democratic Deficit.

Premier Ed Stelmach has given a free pass to cabinet ministers and senior aides who leave or get ousted after the election, ensuring that new conflict of interest rules won't apply until a month later.

Trying to distance himself from former premier Ralph Klein's distaste for ethics rules, one of the first moves Stelmach made as premier was to draft legislation that tightens the conditions for how top officials can peddle their skills and insider knowledge once they leave government.

But hours before Stelmach dropped the writ Monday, the Tory cabinet approved an order-in-council to have the Conflicts of Interest Amendment Act take effect on April 1, nearly a month after the March 3 vote. A government worker had earlier told The Journal the rules would be in place before the campaign began.

t means retiring finance ministers Lyle Oberg and Greg Melchin don't have to wait 12 months before they can start lobbying their former government on behalf of auto insurers or oilsands companies -- only the six months for ex-ministers under the old law.

And the premier's chief of staff, his deputies and all ministers' senior aides have no restrictions on their dealings if they hit the exits following the election, which they traditionally do in droves.

In fact, if the Tories get turfed from government, they all avoid the new rules Stelmach trumpeted as part of his approach to open and honest government.

Rivals said this proves Stelmach isn't much more serious about his ethics policies than Klein was.

"Maybe they should change their slogan to 'Change that works for Tory insiders,' " NDP Leader Brian Mason said. (The Tory slogan suggests the party's brand of change works for Albertans.)

"To them, (ethics are) a matter of convenience, and clearly they saw this as an inconvenience to themselves."

SEE

Fire The Bums

Transparency Alberta Style

Socialist Alberta

Where's That Damn Calculator

Alberta's Leaky Ship Of State

Alberta's next CEO


Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Alberta,, Ed Stelmach, Stelmach,, , Lyle Oberg, Progressive Conservatives,, Premier,, Government,, , politics,, , democratic deficit, One Party State,, , Alberta election,

Ed Deserts His Scud Stud

Bad enough Ralph Klein's Brain; Rod Love, doesn't support the Scud Stud (despite his back pedaling denials), but neither does his leader; Farmer Ed.

As Calgary Herald columnist Don Braid reports;

Tory leader Ed Stelmach stood up his star Calgary candidate Friday to ride his campaign buckboard around Edmonton and the rural north.

And Arthur Kent says the Stelmach campaign wants "nothing but my name, sadly." But he vows to fight on as the Tory candidate in Calgary-Currie.

The episode left local Tories gasping in disbelief, although they should be used to Stelmach's tin ear for Calgary by now.

It's just one more example of a Conservative campaign that has quickly become a mule-train wreck of bad policy, bad preparation, and bad politics.

Kent, the Calgary boy who became famous as a U.S. TV reporter during the first Gulf War, was personally recruited as a candidate by Stelmach.

When Stelmach promised weeks ago to attend the breakfast, Kent easily sold more than 100 tickets. Then the premier's campaign phoned Wednesday to say Ed wouldn't make it.

The call didn't even come to him, Kent tells me.

"I would have thought they'd have phoned me directly."

Later, though, Kent was harshly critical of Stelmach's campaign team. I've never heard anything like it from any candidate during an election campaign.

Kent says Stelmach's close knot of advisers doesn't communicate with him in any way.

"They've asked nothing. They want nothing but my name, sadly. But I'm not letting them discourage me. I'm going after the biggest majority in southern Alberta."

Kent feels Stelmach's people see him and his team "as competitors, somehow, rather than as partners. There should be a more inclusive attitude.

"They should be asking us what we're hearing on the doorsteps and where the campaign should go. They don't do that.

"Instead, they rely on those damn telephone surveys that are really pissing people off."

Then the most damaging zinger:

"One-way communication of the sort we experienced this week is not the way to go. You don't just call the bustling heartland of the most exciting city in North America and say, 'No, we can't make it.' "

This might get the candidate in trouble with his leader, but there's no sign Kent gives a damn.

The delicious irony is that it looks like "Scud Stud" Kent's campaign will be as successful as Saddam's Scud missiles were.

ags
Alberta, Premier, Ed Stelmach,
election,PC, politics, Conservatives,media, politics, Alberta election,
Rod Love, Alberta, Ralph Klein's Brain, Arthur Kent,Calgary,PC, Calgary Currie, Conservatives,Liberals, Dave Taylor, scud stud,

Why Canada Failed Kyoto

The truth about why the Liberals failure to meet their Kyoto commitments,that the Harpocrites deliberately side step, was revealed last night by Jean Chretien when he spoke at the U of A.

He said his Liberal government of the 1990s had done much to pump up the economy Albertans now enjoy, including helping to push ahead development of the oilsands. "If I had done for Quebec what I had done in Alberta in terms of incentives for the tarsands, I would have won all the seats in Quebec," he joked.

Surprise, surprise development trumped the environment and Kyoto was window dressing. State Capitalism is the source of Alberta's oil wealth, unfortunately it is socialism for the rich. Them that's got gets.

H/T to AlbertaTory

Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Alberta, tarsands, oilsands, Canada, state capitalism,
Liberals, Jean Chretien,
Big Oil, PC, Calgary, kyoto, state capitalism, Conservatives, Fort McMurray, One Party State,

Ed Gets No Love

I am surprised more folks have not picked up on this earthshaking political shift. Ralph Klein's Brain supporting a Liberal.

The Scud Stud can't get no Love.

Rod Love, the one-time top adviser to former Conservative premier Ralph Klein, remarked Tuesday on a CBC radio show that in the current provincial election campaign, he is endorsing the Liberal candidate in his home riding of Calgary Currie.

That's the same riding where the Tories are running quasi-celebrity Arthur Kent, a former NBC reporter who earned his nickname for his good looks and unfazed live coverage of Scud missile attacks during the Persian Gulf War.

Liberal candidate Dave Taylor welcomed the endorsement, though he acknowledged Love is probably still firmly entrenched in the Alberta Tory camp.

In Alberta, well at least Calgary, you can't tell the difference between the Liberals and Tories. After all Ralph Klein was Liberal for a while. And Lougheed built the PC's on an alliance with Calgary Liberals and Socreds.

And no sooner had loose lips sunk Ed's ship Love recanted. Of course there is no love lost between Ed and Ralph. Which may have been why Love blurted out his preference. A little bit of the old stab in the back.

Rod Love, one of Alberta's most well-known Conservative backroom strategists, wants everyone to know that he hasn't gone "to the dark side" to support the Alberta Liberals.

Love took to the airwaves Wednesday to correct earlier reports that he was endorsing Liberal incumbent Dave Taylor in the March 3 provincial election.

On a radio panel Tuesday, the one-time top adviser to former Conservative premier Ralph Klein had conceded that Taylor has been a "very good" elected representative in Calgary Currie, where Love lives.

But he says his support still lies with the Conservative candidate, former reporter Arthur Kent, who earned the nickname Scud Stud for his good looks and unfazed live coverage of missile attacks during the Persian Gulf War.

Love told The Rutherford Show on CHQR radio that he'd no sooner support the Liberals than cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Taylor, meanwhile, says he represents all his constituents regardless of how they voted in the last election and is pleased that Love is happy with the job he's done.

It seems that Conservatives across North America lately suffer from Flip Flop.

“I woke up this morning to find out that I had gone to the dark side.”

-- Rod Love, long-time Alberta Tory operative, on Wednesday responding to a Calgary Sun story he had endorsed Liberal candidate Dave Taylor. Mr. Love told Calgary radio host Dave Rutherford the “torqued” story arose from a radio interview he gave on Tuesday. Mr. Love said he told the CBC that he lived in Mr. Taylor’s riding of Calgary Currie and he was a competent MLA.

And once the cat is out of the bag well its hard to spin it as yuck,yuck just kidding. Nope this key political strategist and back room boy did not misspeak, he said exactly what he wanted to get out there. The old Klein gang is not happy with Mr. Ed. Haven't been since he lost Ralph's seat in a by-election.


tags
Rod Love, Alberta, Ralph Klein's Brain, Arthur Kent,
Calgary,PC, Calgary Currie/a>, Conservatives,Liberals, Dave Taylor, Alberta election,

Liberals Empty Promises

It is not just the Tired Old Tories that are making empty promises this election, so are the Alberta Liberals. They suffer from the me too syndrome.

Liberal Leader Kevin Taft reiterated today his pledge for "an absolute cap on greenhouse gas emissions from all sources" within five years of becoming Alberta premier as part of a plan to control oilsands expansions, offer subsidies for carbon sequestration and bar new coal-power plants that don't use the cleanest technologies.The Liberal leader did not provide specifics on where emission targets would be set, but said he would work with industry to establish caps.

An industry that donates to the Liberal Party.

Liberal Leader Kevin Taft promised today to give the natural gas sector a break on royalties amid its current struggles, but squeeze more from the oilsands to rebalance Albertans' fair share of energy riches.

But he admitted he doesn't know how to tweak the rates Ed Stelmach's Conservatives have already announced, saying only that the Liberal goal is to somehow reap 20 per cent more from royalties.

And like the Tired Old Tories the Liberals lack any plan on how they will cap greenhouse gases.

One prominent environmentalist said she likes that the Liberals were planning quicker short-term steps than the Tories, but contended their agenda was "empty" on detail."They're all great statements, but you have got to outline some steps on how you're going to achieve (the reductions)," the Sierra Club's Lindsay Telfer said.

Yeah no need to have plan now, wait till we are the government then we will plan. Wait a minute I have heard that before.

And like the Tories they are good at recycling, announcements that are not much different than those announced by the Tories. And like the Tories they are calculator challenged when it comes to costing their promises.

Taft explained a plan his deputy leader Dave Taylor first released in October.

The Liberals would temporarily cap rent increases until new housing units get built, hire a provincial housing director to co-ordinate various cities' 10-year homelessness plans, and boost outreach services.

Taylor said the plan would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but couldn't say exactly how much.

Like the mayors of Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer, Ed Stelmach's Conservatives have also pledged to end homelessness in 10 years.

And they also don't follow their own play book when making election announcements.

Liberal Leader Kevin Taft envisioned a day when school closures were banned forever in Alberta - but then he was reminded his party plan is for only a three-year moratorium.

A few hours after announcing a plan for an "indefinite" halt today, Taft was forced to modify his proclamation, because his Liberal policy book promises the more temporary suspension on school closures.

Yep Liberals Tories same old story.

He may say he favours hard caps on greenhouse gasses, but Liberal Leader Kevin Taft and his party voted against motions to that effect when the subject came up in the legislature.

On April 10, 2007, members of the Liberal caucus voted against an NDP motion in favour of Kyoto- compliant hard caps on green house gas reductions. Liberal environment critic David Swann spoke against the motion.

“This highlights exactly what we have been saying about the Liberals and Conservatives in this campaign,” said Mason. “They talk a good game when they want your votes, but when push comes to shove – they support their financial backers in big oil and other large polluters.”

Mason also slammed the Liberals for continuing to call for an end to home heating rebates, noting that the Liberals want to take rebates away from families while subsidizing big oil for carbon capture projects.

“Alberta families will suffer,” said Mason. “The Liberal plan will particularly hurt tenants who pay their own heating bill, but live in homes that have not been retrofitted.”

“Kevin Taft’s ideas are not practical for average families. They simply don’t reflect the reality of the struggles Albertans go through to make ends meet.”

“The Liberals, like the Conservatives, put the needs of big oil over regular Albertans.”

SEE

Careful Of What You Ask For


d blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Alberta Kevin Taft,
Alberta, Alberta Liberals,Alberta Election,

Wait For It

Ed promises more doctors and the Harpocrites promise reduced wait times. Yet in Alberta hospital beds are closed and basic surgery wait times are increasing. That is the Conservative legacy. Including the legacy of building hospitals during the Lougheed/Getty era to garner votes and then blowing them up, closing beds and cutting staff during the Klein years. Chickens, home, roost.

And inquiring minds want to know what happened to that Liberal Federal funding Paul Martin gave the provinces to reduce wait times? Why it went into building new facilities named after old Tories like Don Mazankowski who called for more private health care.

The Tories legacy after 37 years is to build infrastructure to win votes, with no plan on how to staff that infrastructure once it is built. A sop to the construction industry in Alberta.

It's ridiculous for Premier Ed Stelmach to promise Albertans an extra 225 doctors a year when current surgeons are being sent home because operations are cancelled, two Edmonton doctors say.

"It's exceedingly frustrating that we can't do our jobs and it's getting worse, not better," said Dr. Clifford Sample, a gastrointestinal surgeon at the Grey Nuns Hospital.

Sample was sent home Wednesday after his two major surgeries were cancelled because of shortages in beds and nursing. Across the region, about two dozen elective surgeries were cancelled.

At peak times this winter, the problem has been even worse, with up to 40 operations cancelled over two days.

"We get announcements from Mr. Stelmach that he's going to bring on all these extra physicians and I ask him: Where are they going to work?" asked Sample, who is president of general surgery for the Alberta Medical Association.

"What are they going to do when the physicians in the system now can't do their jobs due to lack of resources?"

One of Sample's cancellations was a woman who has waited three months to have her stomach moved from her chest back into her abdomen. She can't eat without pain or bend over without losing her breath, he said.

A second woman has waited three months to have a paraesophageal hernia fixed, but will now have to wait at least two more. Sample said the operation ideally occurs within two months, since there's a risk of the stomach becoming twisted in the chest of patients with this hernia. That carries a 50-50 chance of death.

"If that happens between now and the time I can do her surgery, I'll feel pretty awful," Sample said. "I haven't seen any bad outcomes (from surgery cancellations). It will happen eventually."

Sample said the province and Capital Health need to focus less on building acute-care hospitals, such as those set for Sherwood Park and Fort Saskatchewan, and more on immediate creation of long-term care beds.

In Edmonton-area hospitals, 150 to 200 patients a day occupy emergency or acute-care beds while they wait for long-term care spaces. Coupled with a severe nursing shortage, that has kept hospitals from performing more surgeries.

Alberta Health's promise of $300 million in the next budget to open 600 new long-term care beds in the province falls short since the facilities won't open until at least 2010, Sample said.

"These are mythical, long-term care beds in the budget," he said. "I don't believe anything until it's actually built."

He said that until new, long-term care facilities open, beds should be converted in the soon-to-open Mazankowski Heart Institute, the joint-replacement centre across from the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Lois Hole Hospital for Women.

SEE:

Ed's Ides of March


tags
health care, Alberta, Premier, Ed Stelmach,
wait times,PC, hospitals, Conservatives,doctors, politics, Alberta election,