Opinions
City Notebook: Big cuts are coming
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on December 5th, 2020
Mayor Ted Clugston promised a peek at the tips of the waves of a late-year budget update. It will be a pretty high white cap when it breaks at Monday’s council meeting. The chief amendments for council to consider is $11 million in cuts to payroll. That chop equals about 13 per cent, and paints ... Read More »
1 responseBusiness Beat: Innovation shines through pandemic clouds
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on December 2nd, 2020
The challenges aren’t getting smaller, but I continue to be impressed with the energy people in our region bring to work every day. Earnings may be down, and in some cases survival is at stake, yet businesses in town and around the world are using their resources and ideas to generate innovative new devices and ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!City Notebook: The great committee consolidation of 2020
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on November 28th, 2020
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant Lost in the shuffle of a busy council meeting on Nov. 16 was a vote to overhaul a long list of committees and advisory boards that report to council on a variety of topics. “Overhaul” is defined in this case as collapsing 10 advisory boards made up of community volunteers into one. Councillor members ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!National Affairs: Canada can take note from Biden, Yellen
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on November 27th, 2020
It’s tempting to note similarities between Janet Yellen and Chrystia Freeland. Like Canada’s finance minister, Joe Biden’s choice for U.S. treasury secretary is the first woman in that job, has her eye on the people hit hardest by the pandemic and seems inclined to spend lots of money getting out of the recession. Both are ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Business Beat: Businesses bracing for new enhanced public health measures
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on November 25th, 2020
Once again COVID 19 puts pressure on the Alberta economy, small business in particular. On Nov. 13, the Alberta government instituted targeted public health measures. Communities with more than 50 active cases per 100,000 people, became subject to enhanced public health measures to control the spread. Medicine Hat’s numbers have increased to 90+ (147/100,000) in ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Laying It Out: Show your value or be accused of abuse
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on November 21st, 2020
In a Postmedia article Thursday headlined “Audit demanded after more than 800,000 ineligible people get CERB,” Conservative MP Kelly McCauley demands an explanation for the “remarkable” $1.7-billion “cost to the taxpayer.” CERB was meant for tax filers who made $5,000 or more in 2019, and according to records from Canada Revenue, 823,850 people who hadn’t ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!National Affairs: Premiers accountable to voters, not PM
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on November 18th, 2020
With COVID-19 cases on the rise across much of the country, pressure is once again on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to use the Emergencies Act to take full control of the management of the pandemic. But is the option really the silver bullet some of its proponents believe it is? Here are three reasons why ... Read More »
1 responseCity Notebook: Will the city alter its stance on masks as cases spike?
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on November 14th, 2020
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant Ever since the spring, Medicine Hat’s top elected official has maintained that it’s not his job to determine health regulations, and that things seemed to be going well without local mask restrictions. Both have been technically correct, up until 3 p.m. on Friday. Without a confusing mashup of numbers, figures and long retelling of ... Read More »
3 responsesLaying It Out: We can’t afford to add more stress; time to do our part
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on November 14th, 2020
I think Premier Jason Kenney is a poor leader whose ideological loyalty is going to leave Alberta scrambling for decades to regain respectability within this province, throughout this country and across this globe. But when he says it’s important that Alberta avoids a complete COVID lockdown, I couldn’t agree more. And when he suggests people ... Read More »
2 responsesLaying it Out: We need a future before we can saddle it with debt
By Scott Schmidt on November 7th, 2020
Honestly, if Premier Jason Kenney’s government was delivering to Albertans a single benefit promised in the two-year lead-up to the 2019 election and the 18 months since, I could almost wrap my brain around an acceptance of widespread austerity. After all, this is conservative heartland. If there’s one place where budget cuts and fewer services ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Laying It Out: Non-stop hits, never their fault
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on October 24th, 2020
You know it’s a big news day when the premier is isolating because one of his cabinet ministers has COVID and the story ends up on page 5. But, such is the life of a layout editor living in present-day Alberta – you don’t know what each day will bring, you just know it’ll be ... Read More »
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