Friday, April 19, 2019

Ford Nation expands to Kenney Country

Well, they got it. Enjoy.
If you thought Peter Lougheed was the best premier Alberta ever had (I did), you voted for Notley.  If you thought Klein was the best, you voted for Kenney.  Klein took the wrecking ball to the Alberta economy and successive premiers pretty much kept the beat. Alberta was a one trick pony, depending on oil revenue and increased debt. When the bottom fell out of the oil prices and jobs disappeared like fog on a hot morning, the province went into a slump. A slump which was not addressed by the federal or provincial government to the satisfaction of Albertans. Global oil prices and lack of pipeline capacity to tidewater and eastern Canada were the big issues. And still are.

Notley and the NDP had four years to clean up a mess not of their making and needed another four years which they did not get.  The UCP did an incredible job of blaming the NDP for the economy.  The fact that the NDP made a number of changes which helped the poor and marginalized, improved education and health care, improved labour conditions and did more for the oil patch than previous governments, counted for nothing.  These changes may have in fact boosted UCP chances as the poor, marginalized and labour are always out of favour in Alberta.

So here are my predictions for the next four years:

  • Taxes will be cut for the wealthy and large corporations and labour will be attacked, all in the name of "job creation"
  • Budgets will be slashed for health, education, social services, in fact, anything that benefits the citizens of the province, especially the poor and marginalized.
  • No pipelines will be built and the "eco-terrorist" NGOs will not only win every court case but enrich themselves with donations as they now have a very visible, hateable enemy.
  • Oil prices will not recover without a war in the Middle East and jobs in oil patch will never recover to previous levels.  Alberta will not return to previous boom days.
  • Republican Jesus theocracy will be the rule of the day on the social front.
  • Violence against POC, Muslims, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ, and women will increase.
  • All carbon tax court cases will be found in favour of the federal government.
  • None of the above will matter to Albertans as long as they do not have an NDP government.
  • JT's ineptness as PM will throw the election to Scheer and the Conservatives, bringing Ford Nation and Trumpism to all Canada.
These are obviously not things Albertans care about

I will not regret returning to Ukraine in a few months.

11 comments:

  1. Could be worse - We could send you some politicians from the US that would make you enjoy Canadian politics.
    Look forward to you blogging from Ukraine.
    the Ol'Buzzard

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  2. It's looking more and more like the U.S. here in Canada. Unfortunately.

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  3. Yes, Alberta has returned to its status quo. Same old, same old. Rural Albertans and Calgarians seem to be endlessly gullible about the "effectiveness" of having conservative governments. Edmonton, at least, remained solidly NDP -- for all the good it will do us, LOL!

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    1. Yes. Depends on how bad the wreckage is over the next few years, whether they regain their senses or not.

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  4. Oh dear, back to a conservative government. I really don't like Ford at all. I agree with Jenny O, looks like this is happening everywhere.

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    1. It seems to be a world wide phenomenon. As Africans and Asians increasingly flee war and poverty, all of which are a by-product of colonialism, they are creating a backlash. Right wing political parties are able to take advantage of it.

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  5. Elections fill me with despair. Have you been keeping track of our political situation in BC? *sigh*

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    1. To some extent. The Liberal Party which was simply a right-wing small c conservative party created a mess. Proportional voting created a minority government depending on the Green Party to stay in power. The Green Party is not interested in governing for the general good, only in promoting their eco-ideology. Where is Bill Bennet when you need him ;)

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