PIE-GATE!

What's this campaign coming to?  Wildrose candidate, Rick Strankman,  had to apologize and take down a poster asking "Bring Your Wife's Pie" for an auction to fundraise for his re-election
 campaign.

 Some calling it harmless while others called it "sexist" 

NDP Leader Rachel Notley took a lighter approach, answering questions about the poster with a laugh.
“I think Mr. Strankman has some perhaps out-of-date assumptions about who does the cooking where,” she said.

“I would say that perhaps it’s clear he has a sweet tooth, but he needs a wisdom tooth.”

 I think it is a rural vs urban thing but it is so ridiculous that this would even be an issue.  So stupid!  Desperation to make the Wildrose look bad.    Hey, makes me want to bake pies this weekend! Cheers!

Calgary Flames Play Off Run Distract From Election Campaign?

As the election campaign that nobody wanted, progresses, the Calgary Flames are in the playoffs since 2009.   Will  these playoffs be a distraction for voters from the election? 

  One thing both pollsters and politicians can agree upon is to not make calls on game nights.
"We won't halt calling, but we will go around it ... because it can produce a lot of anger if you call in the middle of a hockey game," says Cameron. 
"And when people are really excited about hockey they're paying attention to that and they're irritated by talking about politics."

By the way the Flames won game one last night against the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1.  Go Flames!

Wildrose Economic Plan

 

 Leader Brian Jean presented the Wildrose's economic plan today.  They claim they can balance the provincial budget by 2017 without raising taxes.

“Our plan is sensible, modest, protects families from dangerous PC tax increases and restores jobs, growth and prosperity,” Jean said.  “We will show real leadership from the top, trim PC waste and entitlements and shrink the size of government without hurting front line services.”
Highlights of the budget plan include:
-  Reduce Government of Alberta (GoA) managerial ranks by 33 per cent
- Reduce AHS managers and consultants by 50 per cent
-  Reduce GoA travel, advertising and conference budgets by 50 per cent
-  Limit public executive pay
- Roll back Cabinet and MLA pay raises and reduce expenses
-  Eliminate corporate grant subsidies
-  Reinstate the 3-year salary freeze on remaining managers in GoA
The spending reductions will result in an immediate $2.2 billion in savings for this budget year, and $3.5 billion by 2017-18.

That's a much better plan than the PC's tax hikes, spending sprees, and borrowing and putting us deep into debt.
The PC slogan is "Choose Alberta's Future."  With Prentice and the PCs Alberta's future will  be that we turn into Ontario in short order.  I don't want that future.  I want a smaller government. The only party that we have a chance at a smaller government is Wildrose.
 

 

And It Begins!

Premier Jim Prentice dropped the writ this morning for really an unnecessary election that is going to cost the Alberta taxpayer $28 million. We go to the polls May 5. We had a fixed election date sort of.  We were originally supposed to go to the polls sometime in the  spring of 2016.  So much for that!

 Why is he calling an election now?  He claims he needs a mandate to implement his plan for Alberta but I think he wanted to catch the opposition primarily the Wildrose Party unprepared  since there has been some upheaval with all the defections before Christmas and just choosing a new leader in Brian Jean.  I could be wrong but I have a feeling voter turnout will be low as usual. 

I have become so disheartened by politics in Alberta lately so I don't know if I am going to and vote.  I want here what the new Wildrose leader has to say before I decide for sure. I do wish Brian Jean and all the candidates, volunteers etc. of the Wildrose Party the best of luck! 

We Are LIving in Bazzaro World

 

 There were two provincial budgets came down yesterday.  One budget was not a balanced budget with an historic deficit, more spending, and a rise in taxes pretty well across the board.  The other budget came in as balanced and a reduction in taxes.  One budget came from Quebec and the other one came from Alberta.  Guess which one is which.

The one you would think that was balanced and that reduced taxes would be Alberta but it isn't.  It's Quebec.  The one with more spending and historic deficit is Alberta.  Things have been turned upside down.  Here is the highlights of both budgets.

Alberta:

EDMONTON – The province unveiled its 2015-2016 budget Thursday afternoon. Here are some of the highlights:

The bottom line

Total spending of $48.4 billion on revenue of $43.4 billion for a $5-billion deficit – the largest in Alberta’s history. The deficit will be covered mainly by the province’s contingency fund.
 

End of the flat tax

Alberta will end its 10 per cent flat income-tax rate and phase in two new tax brackets for those making more than $100,000 or $250,000 a year. The change will affect about 330,000 workers.

Health levy

Individuals making more than $50,000 a year will have to pay a health-care levy, effective July 1. The amount will be tied to income and capped at $1,000 annually. The levy is to be collected through the income-tax system and won’t be paid by employers.

Gasoline tax

The gasoline tax jumps four cents a litre on Friday. The government notes Alberta’s gas tax has not been raised since 1991 and remains the lowest in the country.

Smokes and booze

It will cost 16 cents more for a bottle of wine and 90 cents more for a case of 12 beers starting Friday. The tax on a carton of cigarettes will go up by $5 to $45.

Tax breaks for the working poor

Families earning less than $41,220 a year will be eligible for a supplement for each child, to a maximum of $2,750 each year. The government says about 75,000 families will be eligible.

Fees aplenty

Fees are going up for everything from camping to court filings and marriage certificates. Traffic fines are being boosted by an average of 35 per cent.

Job cuts in government

The government plans to shed 2,016 full-time jobs across all departments. Most of those positions are already vacant and will not be filled. About 370 layoffs are expected.

© The Canadian Press, 2015

Quebec

It’s the first balanced budget since 2008.

Here’s what you need to know:
$197.1 billion: Quebec’s gross debt as of March 2014, estimated to reach $210.5 billion by March 2016
$80.7 billion: the amount it takes to balance the budget on own-source revenue

Related

$19.4 billion: in federal transfers
$2.35 billion: the 2014-15 deficit, as projected last year
READ MORE: Quebec tables balanced budget as it aims to slice its massive debt
11.5: per cent – the corporate general income tax will be reduced from 11.9 per cent starting in 2017
2019: the year the health tax will be fully eliminated
63: seniors over this age will receive a new tax credit of up to $602 in 2017 and $902 in 2018. For those 65 and over, the amount in 2018 will be $1,504
2: the percentage of expected economic growth
0: new taxes

As you can see it's a tail of two budgets.  For Albertans cost of living is about to go up because the Premier is punishing us instead of themselves for the state of our economic woes.   For Quebecers, cost of living is about to go down.  Bazzaro world indeed!  Gosh, I miss Ralph!

Update:

 Here is good take by Ezra Levant.