Federal wage subsidy should go to struggling Albertans, not to a political party with plenty of money in the bank
The United Conservative Party said it would stick up for taxpayers, but now the UCP is exploiting the federal wage subsidy and taking money meant for struggling Albertans. The federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy provides employers affected by COVID-19 with a 75 per cent wage subsidy. The intent of the program wasn’t to force Canadians to subsidize…
Unfortunately, the UCP’s rhetoric has been on-point but its bite hasn’t matched its bark
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney will need to make tough decisions to keep the government’s leaking fiscal ship afloat. But before Kenney can sell necessary spending cuts, he will need to show the public that his United Conservative Party politicians and staff have done all they can to trim their own expenses. So far, the UCP…
Trudeau, for example, has learned that just standing in front of a mic and sounding sincere is about all he needs to do to emerge a political winner
A lot of us are finding we have the luxury of unexpected spare time while we wait to bust out of COVID jail. I am happily using some of my newfound time to slog my way through Churchill: Walking with Destiny, Andrew Roberts’ brilliant and exhaustive examination of one of the greatest leaders of the…
Province struggles to deal with a devastating drop in oil prices, the impact of COVID-19 and the federal agenda to kill the industry
Three concurrent and independent elements are preventing Alberta from realizing the full potential of its energy resources. It’s generally said that good things come in threes. The Latin expression ‘omne trium perfectum’ conveys the idea that things that come in threes are more complete. The expression has an optimistic ring – but not for Alberta’s…
By Steven Globerman and Jairo Yunis The Fraser Institute The Alberta government recently announced cuts to scores of jobs at the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), including operations staff, headquarter managers and field workers, as part of a major reorganization. The ostensible goal is to make the AER more efficient, effective and resilient by simplifying the…
The health-care system in theory exists for the benefit of Albertans. We pay the bills, yet we’re not at the table
By Charlie Fischer and Judy Birdsell IMAGINE Citizens Collaborating for Health It’s positive that the government of Alberta and physicians have created a working group to find a way to reach common ground in the current dispute over the doctors’ cancelled contract. Yet, IMAGINE Citizens Collaborating for Health, a citizen-led organization that aspires to support Albertans…
How one endorsement could change the federal Conservative leadership race, pushing MacKay into the background
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney endorsed former Veterans Affairs minister Erin O’Toole in the federal Conservative leadership election on March 5. Quite a few political observers were surprised by his decision. Some wondered why Kenney did it so early, since a new leader won’t be chosen until June 27. Others were puzzled why he backed O’Toole,…
The province is stuck in a one-generational political rut that’s built on memories of easy money
I have to admit that I don’t live in Alberta anymore. After a 35-year work sojourn, my wife and I left for B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, returning to roots and escaping the prairie winters in our retirement. Our adult children have also left, choosing to live in London and Vancouver rather than Calgary, their birth home.…
Being tested and labelled at an early age can have a devastating effect on a child’s self-esteem and intellectual potential
If Steve Bannon isn’t on the Alberta government’s payroll, he certainly is its muse. Bannon is the notorious former strategic adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. His views on the benefits of disruption might well inform Premier Jason Kenney’s government tactics of mass disruption in many sectors. These include the most vital areas of health…
Too many right-wing politicians base their policy thinking on antiquarian dogma, and not contemporary science or even democratic values
The other day my wife looked at me in a familiar way and said, “You are such a ‘rowboat’ thinker.” I knew immediately what she was getting at. Maybe it’s because I grew up with a father and grandfather who were inveterate hand-line fishers out of clinker-built rowboats. They first got me out on the…
The United Conservative Party said it would stick up for taxpayers, but now the UCP is exploiting the federal wage subsidy and taking money meant for struggling Albertans. The federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy provides employers affected by COVID-19 with a 75 per cent wage subsidy. The intent of the program wasn’t to force Canadians to subsidize…
