Official 2012 Alberta Election Thread

[hampstor]

With the Alberta Election called, we will be going to the polls on April 23rd, 2012.

Please try and keep discussions about the Alberta 2012 Election to this thread
Party Policies:

Progressive Conservative Policies: http://www.votepc.ca/admin/contentx/...6&PageId=10106
Liberal Party Policies: http://www.albertaliberal.com/files/...20Platform.pdf
Wildrose Policies: http://www.wildrose.ca/media/2011/10...olicy-Book.pdf
New Democratic Party: http://albertandp.ca/wherewestand
Alberta Party: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.ne...pdf?1332790825

Global TV Leaders Debate: April 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (From Link: http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/6442603584/story.html)

[Masked Bandit]

I think this is the first time in a long time the PC party has had some legit competition. I'm going to have to wait and see how things go to make up my mind. It's easy for the WR to attack, attack & attack while they are nobody, now lets see if they have any substance. I'm not opposed to change but it has to be for a valid reason.

[lasimmon]

Gogo wild rose !

[hampstor]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit
... I'm going to have to wait and see how things go to make up my mind...

Good point... added this to the poll: "Undecided and will wait and see what the campaigns bring"

[Feruk]

I don't much like any of them. They're either fiscally not conservative (everything except the Wild Rose), or made up of a bunch of bible thumper idiots (Wild Rose). Back in the day, at least the PCs were still fiscally conservative, but this no longer applies as they once again cannot balance a budget in the richest province in Canada. That is totally inexcusable IMO, especially in good times. Why can't there be a fiscally conservative, but socially liberal party out there??

Economy's more important IMO, so gonna likely vote Wild Rose.

[nonofyobiz]

Originally posted by Feruk
... cannot balance a budget in the richest province in Canada. That is totally inexcusable IMO, especially in good times. Why can't there be a fiscally conservative, but socially liberal party out there??

Economy's more important IMO, so gonna likely vote Wild Rose.

+1

it's just absurd. All I hear about is more spending and deficit, then they grab a higher % of our property taxes. Funny how all of a sudden the city council was able to find areas to make cuts so they didn't have to raise taxes even more. They are all so full of sh1t.

Definitely voting Wild Rose. Time to give someone else an opportunity.

[hampstor]

writ has been dropped - we are going to the polls April 23rd.


http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...189/story.html

[schocker]

Originally posted by nonofyobiz


+1

it's just absurd. All I hear about is more spending and deficit, then they grab a higher % of our property taxes. Funny how all of a sudden the city council was able to find areas to make cuts so they didn't have to raise taxes even more. They are all so full of sh1t.

Definitely voting Wild Rose. Time to give someone else an opportunity.

Seems asinine. I will check out the platforms though, have been reading through the wild rose information a bit and they seem to be my choice thus far.

[Masked Bandit]

If anyone comes across a good source for comparing platforms & policies, please post it up.

[FraserB]

95% Wildrose unless there is some major policy I find that I disagree with. If there is I might just not vote, it seems that every year we have to vote for one pack of fools or the other. Getting pretty tired of it to be honest.

[spikerS]

I want to vote conservative, and it looks like I have to now.

I have a personal rule, that I will vote for the first person that actually engages me in person, or by actually talking to me on the phone not as a recording, and my MLA came and knocked on my door a few nights ago and talked with me.

[Maybelater]

Originally posted by Feruk
Why can't there be a fiscally conservative, but socially liberal party out there??

Sure there is options you can find. The only real problem is that you're in Alberta and it is either going to be PCs or WRA with the majority in the end.

Wild Rose is a tough choice for most because the social stance of the party is par with the rhetoric you can expect from insane Evangelical Christians in the America South.

This election is important to left voters too. We are going to see a huge split on the right due to the WRA and PC's fighting each other. I predict we will see more left-of-center MLA's then ever before who managed to sneak into power simply because of a split vote on the right.

[Gainsbarre]

Saw my first election sign this morning when heading to the bus stop around 7:30 am for a Wildrose candidate that ran for Alderman in Ward 9 in 2010.

Checked out his website, and ya...looks like a real bible thumper (volunteer activities sound deliberiately vague becuase they're probably all church based) and it sounds like the only paying job he has is at a religious institution that his dad founded.... , so ya, Wildrose is out for sure...not anti-religion, but I like to keep politics and religion far, FAR apart....

I recall my dad saying that the incumbent MLA actually responded to his email & phone calls (an elected representative resounding to constituents...a pleasant surprise given that I live in ward 7)' so I might look into that...still very undecided....

[Toma]

Wildrose are just conservatives.

Who gives a fuck.

[dirtsniffer]

kinda want to vote liberal. probably won't make it to vote though. i would like ot see more than a 1 party system though..

maybe the alberta party would be a better choice?

[SmAcKpOo]

Why does the Wild Rose party want to abolish the Alberta Human Rights Commission?

Wild Rose seem to want to bring Religious undertones into their policy and I have problems with not separating the Church and State.

[Toma]

Originally posted by SmAcKpOo
Why does the Wild Rose party want to abolish the Alberta Human Rights Commission?

Wild Rose seem to want to bring Religious undertones into their policy and I have problems with not separating the Church and State.

Like I said, these whack jobs are nothing but extremist conservatives (PC's)

People need to know that so they don't make a big mistake (as our polls would seem to show).

[Maybelater]

Originally posted by SmAcKpOo
Why does the Wild Rose party want to abolish the Alberta Human Rights Commission?

Wild Rose seem to want to bring Religious undertones into their policy and I have problems with not separating the Church and State.

The CHRC is a pretty controversial organization.

From what I have read they have judicial powers, but don't have the over-sight that normal justice/policing organization have. They have been implicated for tampering with cases. Many on the right believe the staff of the CHRC have a hidden agenda and that they have out-lived there use from the days of civil-rights movements.

I've heard odd stories of CHRC cases. One that stood out was a women who was dismissed by McDonald's after months of not working and on WCB leave due to an issue with her skin becoming irritated from the need to constantly wash them to handle food. She won the case.

Basically, McDonald's gave her months to correct the problem and were faced with two choices: Bring her back to work and have her not wash he hands creating a public health risk (then likely get sued) or fire her and get sued.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadia..._controversies

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
kinda want to vote liberal. probably won't make it to vote though. i would like ot see more than a 1 party system though..

maybe the alberta party would be a better choice?

I can't stress how important it is for the Alberta left to vote in this election. You can use advance polls.

[schocker]

Originally posted by SmAcKpOo
Why does the Wild Rose party want to abolish the Alberta Human Rights Commission?

Wild Rose seem to want to bring Religious undertones into their policy and I have problems with not separating the Church and State.

Because you didn't read their platform

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human Rights need protection: equality, freedom of religion, freedom of speech are important to Albertans
Over the last 20 years, the Human Rights Commissions in Alberta have probably been the single worst offender of Rights: i.e. freedom of speech; politically correct activists have used them to punish religious and right-wing social commentators. Even when found not guilty, its expensive and time-consuming
The commissions have proven that they can’t be trusted to do the job. We need to resolve these issues in real courts, with real judges and rules of evidence
We’ll replace the Human Rights Commission with a new Human Rights Division of the Provincial Court of Alberta, which will adjudicate all human rights complaints
We’ll ensure that translators and financial aid are available so that all Albertans have access to the process, but standards will be stricter

[masoncgy]

I would vote for the Wild Rose party without question, but given the fact I won't be living in Alberta at the time, I have to sit this one out.

I was looking forward to voting.