Hung Out To Dry
There were a flurry of rumours floating around that Stelmach would drop the writ today, catching Taft in Toronto which would have been freaking brilliant. Instead, it appears that everything is on track for an election call after next Monday's throne speech (which I imagine will feature a big ticket promise like high speed rail or abolition of health premiums).
Ed did make an announcement today - releasing the 20 year capital blueprint. In it, he uses the word "plan" 389 times - me thinks someone is overcompensating. But, despite his goal to make the whispers of "no plan" go away, here's the synopsis:
I, for one, am relieved that Ed hasn't decided to build schools where children don't live. That would be as silly as, I don't know, changing the fast lane on the highway to the right hand lane.
Of course, the news isn't all bad for Stelmach. I suspect that headlines like "Alberta's Liberal leader says other provinces should profit from oilsands" or "Liberals would end heating subsidies" won't exactly generate the kind of momentum they want heading into a campaign.
Oh, and as for the post title? That's in reference to this. I couldn't resist.
Ed did make an announcement today - releasing the 20 year capital blueprint. In it, he uses the word "plan" 389 times - me thinks someone is overcompensating. But, despite his goal to make the whispers of "no plan" go away, here's the synopsis:
EDMONTON - The 20-year capital blueprint Premier Ed Stelmach released today forecasts a steady-as-it-goes approach towards 2028, avoiding any commitments of a Calgary-to-Edmonton high-speed train or even a mention of how many schools will be needed in two decades.
The much-hyped capital plan instead offers broad strategies along the lines of: "There will be a continuing focus on building schools close to where children live, especially in high-growth communities."
I, for one, am relieved that Ed hasn't decided to build schools where children don't live. That would be as silly as, I don't know, changing the fast lane on the highway to the right hand lane.
Of course, the news isn't all bad for Stelmach. I suspect that headlines like "Alberta's Liberal leader says other provinces should profit from oilsands" or "Liberals would end heating subsidies" won't exactly generate the kind of momentum they want heading into a campaign.
Oh, and as for the post title? That's in reference to this. I couldn't resist.
Labels: Alberta Election, Ed Stelmach, Kevin Taft
posted by calgarygrit at
7:42 PM
4 Comments:
The new royalty regime is designed to allow further development in Alberta and in other parts of Canada since it specifically states that Alberta can choose to take its oilsands royalties IN KIND (i.e in bitumen) if it wants to.
With this provision, Alberta doesn't dictate to oil companies how to run their business, but allows Alberta the option of charting its own course. The main purpose of the royalty-in-kind provision was to insure that Alberta can provide feedstock to develop an independent upgrading and refining industry in Alberta (and as Taft suggests, elsewhere in Canada), or as a bargaining chip with Asia (say a guarenteed supply of bitumen to Korea and China in return for purchasing other goods from Canada).
It is sort of sad that Taft is so clueless not to understand that Stelmach's new royalty regime will allow for this.
Plus, if one is reading the Globe's series on the oilsands this week, one would realize that the rest of Canada is already benefiting enormously from the oilsands with commuting workers flying in and out. The money from the oilsands is flowing throughout the country in wages and taxes to other provincial governments.
By
whyshouldIsellyourwheat, at 10:01 PM
Ah, and I thought the "hung out to dry" was about Dalton/Miller letting people hang laundry outside.
Silly me, not everything Liberal is GREEN. ('cept $/envy)
By
art, at 12:19 PM
Didn't Hung Pham endorse Ted Morton. I wonder if he will run for the Alberta Alliance since if he did this might just be enough to split the vote and allow the Liberals to be competitive in a riding they otherwise wouldn't be.
By
Miles Lunn, at 10:41 PM
WHY IS THE ALBERTA ADVANTAGE ONLY FOR THE RICH. US POOR PEOPLE DON' REALLY COUNT.
By
Anonymous, at 4:47 PM
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