UCP proposals are ’empty grandstanding’
By Letter to the Editor on April 10, 2019.
Mr. Kenney and the UCP recently made campaign promises to, firstly, hold a referendum on equalization, and secondly, to ask Ottawa to reduce federal income tax for Albertans in an amount equal to the amount of the federal Canada Health Transfer plus the federal Canada Social Transfer. One of these promises can not work and the other will lead to nothing useful. Firstly, examine the referendum idea. What will be the question to be put to voters? No referendum will ever yield useful, instructive results to a government unless the question can be stated simply, clearly and unambiguously, and is easy to understand. Also, the question must address all aspects of the issue. This issue does not fit any of those criteria. Equalization payments are federal, not provincial. They are based on a formula which considers a number of factors generally dealing with the financial ability of each province to provide certain standards of services to its residents. The formula is revised to consider the changing finances of each province over time. It is impossible to ask a referendum question about a complex, nuanced and changing issue such as equalization payments, and to obtain useful results. Also, even assuming a useful answer could be obtained, how much impact would an Alberta-only referendum answer have in Ottawa, considering that Alberta has 11% of Canada’s population? The federal government would rightly ask about the views of the other 89%. Mr. Kenney and the UCP might as well hold a referendum on Einstein’s theory of relativity. By way of an example, a good issue to be decided in a referendum is whether or not there should be parking meters in downtown Medicine Hat. I also point out that Mr. Kenney had a 10-year opportunity to change federal equalization payments while he was an Alberta member of the Harper cabinet. He did nothing. Secondly, Mr. Kenney’s proposal that there be federal income tax cuts for Albertans, equal to federal transfer payments, is most likely contrary to section 15 of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and therefore illegal. If it is effected, it will cause litigation which Alberta will likely lose. Practical leaders avoid litigation, in my opinion. Also, I am fully ready to examine the argument of Mr. Kenney and the UCP as to why Alberta taxpayers should be entitled to his proposed tax break simply because they live in Alberta. That proposal smells of privilege and entitlement more badly than Alison Redford’s Progressive Conservatives who, you will remember, had to have their own penthouse atop a legislature building under construction only a few years ago, and also had to retrofit into that building a new elevator for Conservatives only, so as to not have to take the same elevator as MLAs from other parties. Both of these proposals by Mr. Kenney and the UCP are merely empty grandstanding, pandering to ignorant ideas, because one will have no real use and the other can not be done. Gregory R. Côté Irvine, Alta. 10-9
So let’s get this straight. While Jason Kenney promises to continue to give away our oil wealth by not increasing our royalties back up to the Lougheed levels and cut corporate taxes from 12 percent to 8 percent, to benefit his rich friends he will make it virtually impossible to run this province properly . To make up for his revenue cutting stupidity he plans on forcing Albertans into an American style health care system, which is the number one cause of bankruptcies in the U.S. and wants the federal government to start handing Alberta equalization payments because he has deliberately created a have-not- province. How stupid does he think we are and good luck getting the federal government to buy into his stupidity. Of course he is also planning to generate income by selling off public land, and likely hospitals, like Klein did, and wants to privatize the Treasury Branches, which cost their employees their jobs. His next step would be to privatize or education system and force young parents to pay $1,000. per child , per month, to send their children to school, which is part of the Reform Party policies.
As I have said before you would have to be a damn fool to support him, and sadly many of these ignorant seniors who are so willing to elect him will be some of the biggest losers in the long run..
Obviously you have listened and believed Notley’s condemning statements regarding Kenney’s proposals for health care. Not once did he imply Alberta follow the American model. What he did suggest, and I agree, is that our current, unsustainable model be revised to ensure universal care. Notley’s ludicrous suggestion that Albertan’s would be required to produce credit cards before accessing emergency care is fear mongering.
The system is costly and broken. What would you suggest Alberta do?
Anyone that votes for Kenney is voting for fraud. Kenney has proven he will stop at nothing to get to be number one, he will cheat, rob or commit fraud. This moron does not have the intellect to run Alberta, he is better suited to be cleaning out sewers and other shitty places.
Kenney’s vision for Alberta is to emulate that of another moron and I’m talking about the dolt in ontario. Please, please, please fellow Hatters. I know many of you are afraid of the dark and you’ve voted conservative since your grandparents have. Listen, you don’t have to be in bed by 8:00 pm and all the lights turned off.
It has really been enlightening since the NDP has taken power. If that Kenney gets in there will be change, big change and it will not be for the better. Mark my words!
@fd4thought you obviously haven’t been listening to what lawyers, accountants, oilmen, bankers, doctors, nurses, teachers and former MLAs have been saying for years ‘ We are in this mess because Ralph Klein created it . His own estranged father Phil bad mouthed him here in Edmonton for creating this mess. What did you think would happen when Klein while giving away billions in royalties and tax breaks to his rich friends closed hospitals, 1,500 hospital beds, and cut 5,000 nursing positions. I helped nine doctors and at least two dozen nurses relocate out of this province and not one of them wanted to go. We were told we lost 14,783 people from our health care system and doctors point out that if Ed Stelmach hadn’t spent millions of dollars buying up foreign doctors and nurses we would of had to close down our health care system. They are still spending millions on trying to fix the mess Klein created. In addition we were 55 schools short when Notley was elected and she is desperately trying to fix that mess also, while Kenney and his ignorant supporters hurl their sarcastic comments at her for doing so.