“We have to do more with less. That will apply across the board. It will have to apply to the very good work [of the child advocate], it will have to apply to my office, it will have to apply to the auditor general’s office. That’s the way it’s going
Continue readingTag: Jim Prentice
daveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Sharpen Your Pencils, Alberta. Slash-and-burn is back.
Living in the land of the lowest taxation rates in Canada allows many personal benefits but long-term government stability has not been one of them. Relying heavily on natural resource revenues, our political leaders continue to stumble from embarrassment of riches to poverty and never… Continue Reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Six Political Personalities: Which One is Jim Prentice?
The only thing worse than a political strategist spouting theories on how to beat the competition is a blogger discussing a political strategist’s theories on how to beat the competition. But Ms Soapbox is going to do it anyway because the events of the last few weeks made her cranky
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Prentice Takes a Pay Cut and You Should Too. Um, What???
“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.” – Anatole France “Burden-sharing” When Mr Prentice announced the 5% cut in MLA pay he sanctimoniously declared: “The term I’ve used is ‘burden-sharing’…no
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Who will stop the Jim Prentice juggernaut?
The past few months have been a sobering reminder that it foolish to underestimate the staying power of Alberta’s 43-year long governing Progressive Conservatives. A year ago the scandal ridden PC Government appeared to be on the verge of collapse. And now,… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: So long Liberalberta! Raj Sherman calls it quits.
All four main political parties will have new leaders going into the next election after today’s announcement by Liberal leader Raj Sherman that he is resigning as leader and will not seek re-election as the MLA for Edmonton-Meadowlark. Like the Wildrose Party, who… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Election 2015: What We Know versus Speculation
What we know: The last provincial General Election was held 2 years, 9 months and 3 days ago on April 23, 2012. The Election Amendment Act introduced by Wetaskiwin-Camrose Progressive Conservative MLA Verlyn Olson and passed on December 6, 2011 legislated that… Continue Reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Alberta: Government By Trial Balloon
“The chickens are coming home to roost, and you live in the chicken house.”– General MacArthur to President Kennedy during the Bay of Pigs crisis. Mr Prentice, like President Kennedy, managed to get elected just in time to confront the nasty consequences of decisions made by his predecessors. Albertans are
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne writes that by finally recognizing the unfairness and ineffectiveness of Alberta’s regressive tax system, Jim Prentice may be starting a needed national debate: Alberta Premier Jim Prentice talks up taxes for individuals including a sales tax (Alberta is the only province
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Goodbye 4H Club – Horne, Horner, Hughes and Hancock now gone
The announcements this week by former Finance Minister Doug Horner and former Health Minister Fred Horne that they are leaving politics did not come as a surprise to anyone watching politics in Alberta. Once powerful ministers in Premier Alison Redford’s cabinets, the two men were… Continue Reading →
Continue readingFlat Tax Math Yields a T-Bird
Here’s some interesting math for you. Between 2011 and 2014, Alberta Premier Jim Prentice was a Vice-President for CIBC, with a salary “reportedly over $2 million.” In Ontario, his 2013 provincial income taxes would have been calculated using a progressively increasing tax rate that topped out at 13.16% on income over $509,000. The
Continue readingFLAT TAX MATH YIELDS A T-BIRD
Here’s some interesting math for you. Between 2011 and 2014, Alberta Premier Jim Prentice was a Vice-President for CIBC, with a salary “reportedly over $2 million.” In Ontario, his 2013 provincial income taxes would have been calculated using a progressively increasing tax rate that topped out at 13.16% on income over $509,000. The provincial tax deducted from his … Continue reading FLAT TAX MATH YIELDS A T-BIRD →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Albertan Graffiti: Jim Prentice buys a 1956 Ford Thunderbird
After months warning Albertans that declining oil prices will have dire consequences unless we ‘tighten their belts‘ and make ‘tough choices,” Alberta Premier Jim Prentice has made some tough decisions of his own. Returning home from an official government visit to Houston, Texas… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta can’t afford to ignore the Provincial Sales Tax
“Rat-free, PST-free and Liberal-free” has been a Conservative mantra in Alberta since the reign of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. But is this trifecta now in jeopardy? The decline of government revenues caused by the drop in the price of oil has once again sparked… Continue Reading →
Continue readingIn This Corner: A provincial election would be cynical and foolish, but ….
The Alberta Legislature press gallery, the most chronically underworked legislature press gallery in the country, is all abuzz with election gossip. The Progressive Conservatives have kicked their candidate selection process into high gear, leading to speculation that Premier Jim Prentice might call a spring election. Gossip mongers are also suggesting
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Election Alert! PCs set March 15 nomination deadline!
The Progressive Conservatives gave hints today that they could be preparing for a Spring 2015 provincial election. Reported by the Calgary Herald and confirmed by sources close to this blogger, the PC Party has set a deadline for candidates to be nominated… Continue Reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Alberta Needs Charlie Hebdo
Wednesday’s massacre of eight journalists, five of whom were political cartoonists, at the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo unleashed a torrent of “We are Charlie Hebdo” editorials across the world. Newspapers fell all over themselves in an effort to demonstrate solidarity with the slain cartoonists—but they had a concern. Was
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens. Week 1
Welcome to Stuff Happens, a weekly wrap up of the news that you know, or may have missed. They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Not quite true. Outside of France, nobody had ever heard of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical French newspaper that mercilessly skewed everyone, from the Pope
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Keystone XL, Alberta Oil Sands and International Travel in 2014
TweetAs the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline dominates political debate in Washington D.C., Alberta Premier Jim Prentice announced that he will soon travel to the American capital to lobby in favour of the pipeline. Although most politicians in the capital appear to support the pipeline’s construction, United States President Barack Obama has not made
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Will Liberal wild card spoil NDP gains in Edmonton?
TweetTwo polls released in the final weeks of 2014 could give an indication of the direction Alberta political might take in 2015. The polls show Jim Prentice‘s Progressive Conservatives dominating in Calgary and rural Alberta. And with Wildrose Party support in decline across the province, Mr. Prentice could be tempted to call an election
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