Edmonton Municipal Politics Thread

[240glt]

^ oh there'll be a merger.. Take that to the bank

[s13]

^Politics is so frustrating in this province. While NDP made some bad policies, Wildrose and PCs imo routinely offer up bad alternatives to those policies... Or just complaints and no alternatives to what they're arguing..

If the economy really does start to turn around, job numbers look good, deficit managed, and right wing parties still a mess... NDP may have another path to victory in 2019.

[BretttheRiderFan]

My feeling is that the next government will likely get elected with little to no representation from Edmonton, which cannot be good.

[BretttheRiderFan]

Then again...winter of 2013 there was no way to predict Redford's shameful resignation, Prentice becoming premier, the mass floor crossing, the collapse of oil and then the election of the NDP. Likewise it's silly to act like we know how the next two years goes.

[240glt]

^ there's a palpable hatred of Notely and I hate to say it, I believe a lot of it is rooted in mysogyny. That takes a lot longer than 2 years to change

I also think that's the same reason they went after Redford

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by 240glt

^ there's a palpable hatred of Notely and I hate to say it, I believe a lot of it is rooted in mysogyny. That takes a lot longer than 2 years to change

I also think that's the same reason they went after Redford

+1.

As for the central public service (minus growth public safety (prison, remand, sheriffs)), it is barely larger than under the low under Klein. They can try to cut all they want, but unless they eliminate entire business lines, there isn't much to do to save money. The continued office renewal program will reduce space requirements slowly overtime.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Originally Posted by 240glt

^ I'd love to say that O'Leary doesn't have a chance but I've been burned by that type of statement before...

Everyone said the same thing about Trump's chances!

I'm not a fan of O'Leary, but what does make him more palatable is that he's socially very liberal: pro-feminist, pro-immigration, pro-LBGTQ (whatever the hell this acronym is now), pro-abortion rights, pro-marijuana etc whereas Trump has taken gun-toting Bible-thumping Republicanism even far to the right.

As for Notley, the irony is that the NDP under her is not your dad's socialist NDP anymore, her version is more akin to Tony Blair's New Labour or Lougheed's PCs. Her pro-oil, pro-pipeline stance is at odds with other NDP parties, and is likely making Pam Barrett spin in her grave

[240glt]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

+1.

As for the central public service (minus growth public safety (prison, remand, sheriffs)), it is barely larger than under the low under Klein. They can try to cut all they want, but unless they eliminate entire business lines, there isn't much to do to save money. The continued office renewal program will reduce space requirements slowly overtime.

They're definitely on a mission to stack as many employees in the Brownlee and Terrace assets and get out of as much leased space as possible right now. they'll be pulled out of almost any A class space they occupy by fall so I hear

Yes contrary to popular belief the ranks of the government have not swelled, but I still foresee a cull of public sector employees under a PC/WR government

[adam-machiavelli]

I know this is not exactly on topic but I think Albertans, particularly those on the right have underestimated the Alberta NDP. They have no more adversaries than they did in April 2015. The exact same people still like them as did in May 2015.

[240glt]

The 2015 election was a rejection of the conservatives 44 Year dynasty, and what they'd become. Between the PC and WR they had 10% more of the vote than the NDP. People voted for change and that's what they vote, and I know there's folks that aren't happy

I'm an NDP supporter and I think they've actually done a pretty decent job but I really doubt they'll win the next election

[SHOFEAR]

I can't wait for a united right to absolutely destroy the NDP.

A few years ago the stance of the WRP was on social issues was terrifying, but now, fuck it. If they govern in a manner that allows the economy to prosper and ignores "social licenses" and wealth redistribution hidden as environmental concerns then I'm all for it.

It's somewhat unfortunate really, we had a pretty populist government that catered to the interest of the vast majority of Albertans while being rather reasonable on social issues, but some people got mad at them for irrelevant issues like airplanes and living accommodations for the premier. A Pandora's box has been opened, and well, hope it was worth it.

[240glt]

^ Yup. While I certainly don't agree with your views, I do agree Alberta will take a hard lurch right next election.

It'll be Calgary and the rural areas that elect the next government, so it'll be back to that again too

[MalcolmTucker]

So pessimistic. I think the NDP have even odds. Perhaps better against a united right. even better against a united right that can't run afoul of the nonparty political actor scene on the right, which is just off the deep end right now, even compared to the land right movement which the wildrose grew from with a few helpful injections of money from leasehold ranchers and smaller oil and gas service firms.

[240glt]

It'll depend if the United right can muzzle their crazies and stay on point

I hope I'm wrong but I think the NDP's chances hinge less on their own policies and message, and more on what the economy and oil prices are doing at the time. Even then the vitriolic hatred of anything progressive and "me first" attitudes that dominate this province, it's going to be a challenge for the NDP to maintain power

[adam-machiavelli]

Again, my apologies for being a bit off topic but I think a united right may actually help the NDP. As seen in the 2012 election, a lot of moderates on the right will see how far right a united right-wing party would be and would choose the NDP over Wildrose-Conservative party any day.

[240glt]

^ the fact that the Alberta party can't seem to get any traction tells me there's little appetite for a centrist party in Alberta, curiously enough.

Like I said, depends on how far right the "new" PC's go

[Mikemike]

There seems to be little understanding of what a centrist party is, but if we understood then there would be voters.

We had a centrist party for decades, but because they were colloquially "the conservatives" and we always voted for them we decided that we must be conservative. And now that conservative has been re-defined as self-reliant anti-government, anti-government, anti-regulation we felt that since we're conservative that must be what we're for.

If you actually put a lists of general principles of centrist, conservative and progressive policies I bet most Albertans would choose the centrist platform over the others.

[Mikemike]

Also, I wonder whether the death of the PC party might shift some voters to the NDP- and whether more liberal votes night shift to the NDP in an attempt to avoid a WRP government.

I've happily voted PC in the past but it's unlikely I will vote wild rose/Kenney left until it shifts centrist again, or the NDP goes farther left than WRP is right.

[ciudad_del_norte]

Originally Posted by 240glt

^ the fact that the Alberta party can't seem to get any traction tells me there's little appetite for a centrist party in Alberta, curiously enough.

Like I said, depends on how far right the "new" PC's go

The Alberta Party missed it's chance in getting established last election. For whatever reason, it just never really got taken seriously in much of the province, but I don't think it's because there is a little appetite for a centrist party. In fact, I think the success of the NDP in the last election actually shows that AB is more centrist than often given credit for in that the rejection of the PCs wasn't clearly to the benefit of the wildrose as many would have thought.

Add to that the NDP has been sliding steadily more and more to the centre. It's hard to say what will happen because if the conservative side, even united, could be forced farther right to differentiate themselves from an increasingly centrist NDP. They also run the risk of being unable to escape the backwards socially conservative image that has hampered the wild rose. Kenney's bid for the PC leadership has already alienated a substantial portion of the centrist PC base. It's difficult to say where they end up right now. If your choices are Kenney and Notley, where do the centrist PC supporters go? I think it would be naive to discount Kenney's ability to play the game, just as it would be to ignore the NDP potential to profit off the ongoing gong show he's created on the right.

[Landlocked]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

The Alberta Party missed it's chance in getting established last election. For whatever reason, it just never really got taken seriously in much of the province, but I don't think it's because there is a little appetite for a centrist party. In fact, I think the success of the NDP in the last election actually shows that AB is more centrist than often given credit for in that the rejection of the PCs wasn't clearly to the benefit of the wildrose as many would have thought.

I had the 'luxury' of knowing one of the Alberta Party candidates personally. I found him to be passionately anti-west, anti-christian and anti-caucasian. If given the exclusive choice between the Alberta Party and the NDP, I'll take the NDP every time until they start dropping the nut-cases.