Broken Promises

You can't break promises if you don't make any.

However, Stelmach wouldn't guarantee his government will continue natural gas rebates for all Albertans

On the other hand its bad news when you make a promise you know you can't keep.

The Tories couldn't seem to do anything right. When Stelmach promised to graduate more doctors from Alberta universities, for example, the doctors themselves said the idea won't work.

When he made an announcement at a Red Deer day care centre, some angry mothers who happened to be there berated the day-care promise as meaningless.

But it only gets worse when the only promise you can keep is that insurance premiums will go up because of your governments bad law.

Premier Ed Stelmach raised the spectre of rising auto-insurance premiums Monday, saying a recent court ruling that struck down the government's cap on payouts for soft-tissue injuries could result in higher costs for Alberta drivers.

"This may have tremendous pressure on (an) increase in rates," Stelmach said during a campaign stop in Edmonton.

The comments follow a claim by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the industry's lobbying arm, that the Court of Queen's Bench ruling could increase premiums an average of $200 a year for every driver in the province

And then there are those promises your government made but failed to keep.

Neils Bach, 77, spoke for many residents of the Strathmore-Brooks riding when he begged Stelmach to start construction of a promised new 100-bed facility now.

"Mr. Stelmach, we need a new and much bigger nursing home in Strathmore. It's 15 years overdue."

Stelmach appeared moved by the plea, but couldn't give residents a specific date when construction will begin. "We'll get it built and we'll get it built as quickly as possible," he promised. "I really do empathize with your situation."

One elderly lady appeared exasperated by the delay.

"I sat in this room four years ago and heard there would be an extended-care facility open in spring 2007," said Madeline Scott.

"I'm a person of my word," the premier responded. "We allocated funds for a 100-bed facility. It's going to be built."

He said the funds have been approved and it's up to the health region to get the facility planned, designed and constructed. When he set out the process and time frame, one woman said she may not live that long.

Or making a promise sort of, maybe, sometime in the next four years we will do it if re-elected. When you could do it now with the swipe of a pen.

A former Member of Parliament from New Brunswick has launched a public battle against the Alberta's government's policy of charging monthly premiums for health care.

Gilles Bernier, who once served as MP for the riding of Tobique-Mactaquac, moved to Alberta in 2006 to start his own business. After applying for an Alberta health care card, he was surprised to find a $45 monthly fee attached. Bernier has refused to pay these premiums on principle because he says paying for health care violates the Canada Health Care Act.

"Under federal legislation, Canadians are entitled to receive free, basic health care," Bernier said. "Charging for health care contravenes the spirit of the Act and it puts our universal health care system in jeopardy. At the same time, it sets up a two-tiered system. Canadians in other provinces do not pay the fees or premiums that residents of Alberta are paying. Many citizens of this province are not aware of this and they are shocked to find it out. Like me, they feel betrayed by this government and unfair health care policy."

Now that a provincial election has been called, Bernier said the time is right to take the issue into the public forum. As the election campaign gets underway, the incumbent Conservatives of Alberta have suddenly promised to abolish the controversial health care premiums in four years.

"They know it is an issue with voters, especially new voters," Bernier said. "But four years is too long to wait for the health care Albertans should be receiving -- the same system provided to other Canadians. Health care premiums should be abolished the day after the election, not in 2012. If this election is about leadership, then Premier Stelmach should show leadership and repeal his government's policy of charging for basic health care. The decision is his to make if he wants to win this election."

Tags
Alberta, Premier, Ed Stelmach,
election,PC, politics, Conservatives,media, politics, Alberta election,

Ed's Politics Of Fear

With a green plan that makes the Federal Conservative government Hot Air Plan look good, hard to do, Farmer Ed now resorts to the politics of fear claiming that any green plan other than his non plan would end up with mass unemployment of everyone in the oil business in Alberta.

Seriously. Every single person working in the oil patch would be laid off if Alberta attempted to reduce our carbon footprint.

And again he has no proof for his assertions that the sky would fall. Oops.

"Our plan is real, is achievable and some of the commitments made by some of the leaders of the other parties would destroy 335,000 jobs," Stelmach claimed. "There's 600,000 new Albertans in this province. You want to send them back home to other provinces, other countries?"

When pressed by reporters after the encounter, Stelmach could not cite a source for the figure, which he has repeated throughout the campaign, but said there are multiple reports that have reached the same conclusion. Last week, the Tories suggested that's every job in the oilpatch.

The contentious issue at hand is a Tory policy on greenhouse-gas emissions that would see the province begin curbing carbon emissions by 2020 and decrease the 14% from 2005 levels by 2050, about 6% and 30 years behind federal targets. It has been roundly criticized by environmental groups.

The Stelmach government unveiled a new climate change plan Thursday that allows Alberta's greenhouse gas emissions to rise until 2020, and puts the province on a collision course with Ottawa over whose strategy takes precedence.

The Alberta plan -- which falls well short of what's demanded by both the Kyoto Protocol and the federal government -- was welcomed by the oil and gas industry as a good first step. But it was immediately panned by environmental groups and opposition parties.

It's the politics of fear. Which is the politics of a loser, with a loser environmental policy that makes no demands on the industry but puts the onus on individual Albertan's.

In fact it is not his plan nor even an Alberta plan, it is big oil's plan.

At the centre of the oil and gas sector's proposal is a plan to capture and store about one million tonnes of carbon emissions a year from natural gas. That would account for about 17 per cent of the sector's total emissions.

The proposal is still subject to feasibility studies, the industry admits, and its officials would not say whether it could be in place by the 2020 deadline. They also warned that the plan will likely be costly.

David Pryce, vice-president of western operations for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said more reductions could be found through waste-heat recovery, fuel efficiency programs and the elimination of gas flaring.

SEE

Liberals Empty Promises

Made in Alberta Green Plan



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Time For Public Auto Insurance

This decision couldn't have come at a better time. Once again the Tired Old Tories tried to pull the auto insurance companies fat out of the fire and in doing so of course passed a law that blamed the victims.

Taking a page out of the Republican handbook about tort law cases, and blaming trial lawyers, the Tories capped claims rather than doing anything about out of control profiteering by the insurance companies.

That law was tossed out last Friday. Already we could be seeing increases in insurance premiums while a public insurance program would actually save Albertan's hundreds of dollars per person.

The insurance industry has suggested that if the legislation is not eventually upheld, it could lead to a rate increase of $200 a year per policy holder.

Of course the Tories will appeal this decision wasting more taxpayers money and solving nothing but doing the bidding of their masters; the insurance companies. And it means they will try to kill it as an election issue. But they will be as successful with that as with their appeal.

A senior Tory official confirms that candidates have been sent a letter telling them they're not supposed to talk about the auto insurance issue since it's before the courts. (The Canadian Press)

It would have been a perfect political day for Stelmach, had a curious e-mail not arrived in my in-box.

The e-rocket was from "Alberta Progressive Conservative Campaign Headquarters" and PC candidates were ordered to "delete and destroy any copies."

In it the "Campaign Team" reminded them of last week's court decision ruling Ralph Klein's flawed auto insurance reforms "unconstitutional" and warned candidates they "must not comment on this decision."

It isn't hard to understand the political sensitivity over the goof, especially after the premier admitted yesterday that "there may be tremendous pressure on increasing rates."

Neil Waugh, Edmonton Sun.

The plaintiffs in the court challenge argued that the insurance industry in Alberta had manufactured the premium crisis by raising rates unnecessarily. They entered evidence into court that showed the insurance companies never lost money in the province; to the contrary, by the time the legislation was enacted in 2004 the insurance industry was well on its way to reaping record profits.

During the court case, Dennis Gartner, the province's superintendent of insurance during the reforms, admitted under oath that the government had no way of knowing how much money insurance companies were making.

After years of waffling, the Klein government finally acted on the controversy in 2004, imposing a $4,000 cap on soft-tissue-injury claims. Since then, personal injury lawyers among others have argued that the ruling -- seen as a sop to the well-connected private insurance lobby -- robbed many accident victims of their basic Charter rights.

Needless to say, the government disagreed, maintaining that its reforms helped all Albertans and didn't affect anyone's liberty. Furthermore, it rejected out of hand the notion that high premiums be tackled with a public auto-insurance scheme, ironically at a time B.C.'s conservative Campbell government was abandoning talk of privatizing the Insurance Corporation of B.C, having discovered that public insurance seemed to work best for taxpayers.

But last Friday, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Neil Wittmann exploded the $4,000 cap, deeming it unconstitutional. As well, he found the existing Minor Injury Regulation discriminates against a specific group of injured Albertans. Wittmann didn't mince words, either, summarily rejecting the government's contention that the legislation was designed to help victims.

Instead, he ruled, the so-called reforms unfairly sacrificed a single group of Albertans "at the altar of reducing insurance premiums."

Now, as anyone financially responsible for a teenager appreciates, the word "high" didn't do justice to premiums faced by some drivers under the old system. "Astronomical" was closer to the mark, and the relief spurred on by the 2004 legislation has been welcome. But the premium grid that did most of the work of changing such inequities is itself unlikely to be affected by Wittmann's ruling.

There will be no waiting period, as requested by the Stelmach government.

Alberta Finance has announced it is studying the ruling, but that shouldn't take long. As of today, the $4,000 cap is no more. Indeed, virtually every argument put forward by the cap-smashing plaintiffs was accepted by the court.

Without the law - and its rate-increase controls - in place the public faces the prospect of increased insurance premiums, Premier Ed Stelmach said Monday.

But opponents decried the government's stance, noting the ruling also clearly indicates that the insurance industry was enjoying record profits at the time and had everything to do with charging the public for bad long-term investments, said NDP Leader Brian Mason.

Mason's party has pledged to introduce public insurance if elected March 3, noting that the most recent Canadian Consumers Association study shows a public system like that in B.C. would save the average Alberta motorist about $400 per year.

"The premier can run from this, but he can't hide," said Mason. "He allowed an industry that was making record profits to run roughshod over the public and to deny injured Albertans their basic rights."

'SCREWED THE PEOPLE'

"Eventually this will come home to roost ... the government clearly screwed the people and took the side of big insurance over Alberta families."

Tags
Alberta, Premier, Ed Stelmach,
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Conservatives,NDP, public auto insurance

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


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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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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."

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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


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