Tories Lack Of Planning Wins Election

There was no enumeration done between the 2004 an 2008 election despite thousands of new people coming to the province to gain from the current boom. Instant Albertans, you only have to live here for six months to be eligible to be called an Albertan and vote, became eligible to vote during that time. But did the Tired Old Tories do a new enumeration. Nope. So massive amounts of voters found themselves having to fill out forms at polling stations identifying where they live. On line attempts to register also failed.

I scrutineered the advance poll in Edmonton Strathcona and again election night and watched as frustrate voters were directed to identify themselves with a picture id and a power bill showing where they lived. In many cases these folks had voted in the last provincial and federal and municipal elections and had not moved!!! Polling stations overlapped so voters came to a poll they thought they voted at only to be told to go somewhere else.

The Tories had no plan for this election. Which is like the rest of their policies, make em up on the fly. So the result was that they only got elected because the majority of Albertans did not vote.

The Tories got elected through voter enui, which they count on. Unfortunately the old anarchist adage, Don't Vote It Only Encourages Them, applies here but not as one would think.

'Won't vote' wins majority

Another, rather perverse, possibility is that some non-voters realize the political class is a lot more likely to worry about them if they don't vote -- by writing earnest opinion articles about the dangers of a disengaged electorate, for example -- than if they validate the process by marking ballots.

The Tories count on Albertans not voting in order to get elected. I know it appears counter intuitive but they really don't want Albertans to vote it ensures their re-election. They all but admit that. They reminded us of that Monday night when Ed told the press that Albertans "only vote to turf out a government". As they did in the landslide election of 1935 and again in 1971.

Alberta's "shameful" voter turnout for its provincial election sparked anger and disappointment Tuesday, with analysts trying to figure out the root of the apathy and Liberals calling for a probe of voting problems.

Only 41.3 per cent of eligible Albertans cast ballots Monday -- a record low for the province and the worst turnout to elect any current sitting government in the country.

Some Albertans blamed voting problems -- like being directed to the wrong voting station -- for not being able to cast their ballots.

Turnout has been sliding in Alberta since 1993, and this time the number came in below the previous worst – 44.7 per cent in 2004.

Let's conclude -- and underline the truly dreadful nature of Monday's turnout -- by stating party results in terms of all potential voters.

Doing that, we see that of 2,252,104 folks on the voters list, about 22.2 per cent voted Tory, 11.1 per cent voted Liberal, 3.6 per cent voted NDP, 2.6 per cent voted Wildrose Alliance, and two per cent voted Green.

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Ed's Glass Half Empty

CanWest Media; the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald this morning greeted Albertans with this screaming election headline; Another Tory majority in sight.

Well actually no. Their latest poll puts Ed Stelmach and his team at 40%. Now that would be a sweep in any other province. But this is Alberta. Where previous Tory Governments had pre-election poll numbers of 65%, 75%, 80%, 90%.

So this is a decline. Ed's glass is not half full, it's half empty. Worse yet a poll last week had Ed's Team at 49% so in a week he has dropped 9%. Like just under 10% in week. That means by next Monday they could fall even further, in the poll that counts.

The headline should have said 60% of Albertans unhappy with Ed and his team.

And so the sub header ih the Herald and Journal reveal the truth;

'Enormous' undecided bloc a wild card, poll finds.

Now that's the glass half full.



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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.



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Mason Forces Royalty Debate

Slick Eddie had hoped his TV show and Royalty announcement would have avoided any discussion of his royalty plan in the fall sitting of the Legislature which kicked off yesterday.

The Stelmach government doesn't want to discuss royalties or homelessness. Rather they want to talk about busting speeders and smokers. The best laid plan of mice and Tired Old Tories.....And it took the NDP to force the debate.

The legislature will try to debate 26 bills during the month-long session, but royalties took centre stage on the opening day despite the fact no legislation is being introduced on that issue.

NDP Forces Emergency Debate On Energy Royalties

Nov, 05 2007 - 4:20 PM

CALGARY/AM770CHQR - The fall sitting of the Alberta Legislature got off to a raucous start Monday afternoon, as oil and gas royalties became a hot topic during question period.
NDP leader Brian Mason was also successful in forcing an emergency debate on the issue, by getting a Standing Order approved.

Premier Ed Stelmach told the legislature he can't see how the province was shortchanged because of the tremendous prosperity Albertans have enjoyed in recent years. But the NDP and Liberals disagree.

"The auditor general said this minister had access to information showing that their royalties could be raised without hurting the industry and he denied it in this house," Mason said. "How can you condone that, Mr. Premier, why don't you do the right thing and fire that minister?"

Knight and Stelmach largely dodged questions about their roles in past royalty reviews, preferring instead to focus on the government's overall performance.

Knight took issue with opposition claims that the province missed out on billions of dollars in royalties. "There are no missing billions. Those dollars remained in the province of Alberta, were invested, were a magnet for additional dollars," Knight said. "The royalty structure in the province of Alberta is a policy set by the government. The policy is not set by reports that are developed both internally and externally and are given to any minister at any point in time."

Funny that's not what the Auditor General or the Royalty Review Committee said. They said Knight and his Department had NOT collected billions in royalties.

Last month, Auditor General Fred Dunn said the Tory government knew at least three years ago that it was losing royalties from energy projects in the province.

He slammed former energy ministers and their staff for identifying, but not collecting, about $1 billion per year in fees owed by oil and gas companies.

In light of those findings, the NDP hounded the Tories Monday over why the current energy minister was unaware of what his predecessors knew about the province's royalties.

"What I'm saying is there is not billions of dollars missing any place," Energy Minister Mel Knight said. "There is no requirement for me to get a briefing from any previous energy minister in respect to the royalty structure."

SEE:

Mason Hits The Bricks


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Your Tax Dollars At Work

The Tired Old Tories,who believe that the party and the government are one and the same, are selling Ed Stelmach to the people of Alberta in a pre-election ploy using our tax dollars rather than the Conservative Party election bankroll in a slick ad campaign.

Heck if they want an image make-over the San Fransisco Stores did that for him at Halloween.

Helping drive the speculation of an early election are ads the government placed in newspapers during the weekend. "I made a commitment and I delivered," reads the quote from Stelmach in the full-page ad that looks like something the Conservative party would publish, right down to the blue and yellow colour scheme. Except that these ads were paid for by your tax dollars

The government has started an advertising blitz to sell the royalty plan. At the same time, a second layer of ads under the title A Report to Albertans is promoting the accomplishments of the premier since he took office 10 months ago.

Stelmach spokesman Paul Stanway says the $277,000 cost of the newspaper and radio campaign is actually a bargain compared to the price of province-wide mail-outs used in the past.

"I don't believe it's partisan," says Stanway. "It's clearly labelled as a report to Albertans, which is the normal communications that we have with Albertans three times a year."

"I think the decision was that it would have looked a bit like overkill if we'd done this advertising campaign and then also a full mail-out of the report to Albertans."

New Democrat Leader Brian Mason says the punchy slogans and Tory party colours in the newspaper ads leave the impression that the government is preparing for an early election.

"I think (Albertans) see them for what they are. Government propaganda, Conservative party propaganda that they're paying for."

SEE:

December 3 Alberta Election

Mason Hits The Bricks

Alberta Election In The Offing

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Alberta Election In The Offing

Here is the slogan Alberta CEO Ed Stelmach and his Tired Old Tories will be using in the upcoming election he prepared us for in his Ed TV show last night; The Future Is Bright" and " Our Future is Secure"

The future of our province is indeed bright."

We will secure Alberta’s future.

We need new ideas — new attitudes — to secure Alberta’s future.

In the case of the last slogan there was nothing new in his speech last night, no new ideas, nor any new commitments. It was Forward To The Past. It was a pre-election announcement speech. And it didn't fail to disappoint.

Add these possible Election slogans;

we will get it done!

sound and practical environmental vision.

And this one; Strong communities built with strong families.

Strong communities are much more than roads and buildings.

They’re built with strong families.

Suddenly I am having a flashback to 1971 and Peter Lougheed.

Central to our future prosperity is a commitment to add value to our traditional strengths in energy, agriculture, forestry, tourism, and health sciences.

We must build on those strengths, and develop new areas of promise.

This will involve making choices — and even taking some risks.

But being timid and doing nothing is a far greater threat to our future.

The diversification of our economy will be driven by the creativity and innovation of Albertans.

While we all waited with baited breathe in anticipation of the much predicted announcement on Oil Royalties, it didn't come last night. Near the end of his forty minute snoozer that we got told that the government would take decisive action but we have to wait till later today to find out what it is says Mr. Ed. Big Oils Talking Horse.

As I’m sure you know, the review panel delivered their recommendations a few weeks ago. I made their report public as soon as we received it — so that it could receive the widest possible public debate.

And that’s certainly happened.

We’ve taken the time to give this important issue the serious thought Albertans would expect from their government.

And we’ve taken the time to get it right.

Now we’re ready to take decisive action.

Tomorrow we’ll be releasing details of a new royalty framework. One that delivers the fair share Albertans rightly expect from the development of their resources.

The Royalty report was released a month ago, giving the Big Oil Lobby lots of time to create a climate of fear. And Ed is trembling. And what do you think he will announce. Well it won't be anything the Royalty Report recommends. As he told us in his wrap up. And of course he will be announcing his historic betrayl of the Volk of Alberta in Calgary with the Petro-Towers of Big Oil as his backdrop.

A province where government gets out of your way — and where you can keep the fruits of your hard work.

That’s my promise as your Premier.

So if you snoozed through his bland, milquetoast TV show last night you didn't miss anything. It was all platitudes and homilies spun by Farmer Ed. Paid for by you and I as it was broadcast on CTV. And it didn't get broadcast on radio.

Also passing strange it was not broadcast on the hour. It wasn't broadcast at 6pm or 6:30 pm but at 6:40. So if you were channel flipping looking for it well it was easy to miss, just like so much this Tired Old Government does. It came right after the weather report which reflects the farmer mentality of our Premier.

He is a lame duck Premier like his historic predecessor that other farmer Premier; Harry Strom. And his decision on Royalties will determine if he will repeat Harry's folly. So far he has been true to script.

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