Hey Smith could not run a one grill limited capacity rail car gimmick of a restaurant. She is fiscally inept and wastes every tax dollar that we pay to the province or city that then gets routed to Edmonton re property taxes. Now add the debt interest as well. Meanwhile an easy way to increase revenue would be to increase corporate taxes to what they were before she reduced them down to 8%. She cares nothing re the plight of Alberta taxpayers as she screws over the disabled, seniors, the sick, etc. but God forbid wealthy oil and gas companies pay more in corporate taxes while she wants us taxpayers to pay oil and gas’ costs re orphan wells and tailing ponds clean up which is estimated to be in $100-$130 billion range. Voting against one’s own best interests again and again and against saving lives of your own loved ones re healthcare and senior care re assisted living is beyond stupid. Voters in this province are so brainwashed. Time to lose the “own the libs” mentality.
Mr Klein also had the advantage of high natural gas prices and their attendant royalty payments. He also ignored a few billion in debt that had accumulated because conservative governments had neglected to contribute to the ATRF for several decades.
Thanks for sharing Doug Griffith’s comments re the PST. I have to observe than an HST would actually impose zero administrative burden on a business, because they are already administering the GST. But of course that would mean the CRA would be collecting and distributing the money, and we can’t have THAT!
I think one of the audience members added that as well. And Doug went on to say that the business community understands something needs to change, so they’re open to conversations as well (and a PST/HST is the least of their worries when they have the lowest corporate and biz tax rate in the country, too).
I heard a clip of Nate Horner's response to a reporter's question on the PST, and was taken by just how quickly he responded with an estimate of the revenue. He made it obvious they've been looking at it.
Then there was the number he didn't have: the cost of all those immigrants. He plainly stated they don't know what that is.
Yep. It’s obvious he’s not thrilled about having to be the face of this budget, and they’ve really bared their hand on the focus on new immigrants of the referendum questions. Thing is, the questions are not final. Like most of the things this govt does, they were hastily thrown together and I imagine they’ll change— maybe even significantly. But they introduced that stupid bill saying they couldn’t increase taxes without a referendum and, oh, what luck! There’s a referendum coming.
Excellent analysis. Alberta’s chronic revenue imbalance is finally being exposed as structural, not cyclical — and that may be Danielle Smith’s unintended political legacy. Alberta may end up not only with a debt that will be paid for generations but also with more taxes, PST, as well as a very expensive police force and ideological social programs that provide no public benefit.
Deirdre just curious as to the make up of your shopping cart? As most grocery items are at least GST free, and often PST free, depending on jurisdiction, that would seem to skew things a bit?
Also of all the states our friends in Montana do not have a state sales tax, nor an obvious federal consumption tax; however, the Montana State Legislature in Helena only sits a few weeks a year, elected state representatives generally have other full time employment and the size of the state bureaucracy is relatively small.
Glad to hear I am not the only one pissed off and baffled as to how a government can run this type of deficit after an $8 billion surplus in 2024-25 and knowing that oil prices were dropping then. If Kenney had kept Rachel's 2% carbon tax and turned it into a PST we'd be an a much better place. (he could have still "axed the carbon tax" and made JT collect that?
His judgement seems to have improved by being out of office and ostensibly working for a living? Maybe he can make a comeback after the wheels fall off of the UCP honeywagon, maybe his former colleagues will find their balls, and maybe pigs will fly?
this all points to the need for a really good WTF emoji!
Yeah I thought I’d added more taxable items when I went looking for it today. I may have to do another with more to see. I was still peeved that the prices were somehow higher in AB.
Montana also has less than a fifth of our population. It’s easier to get away with running your jurisdiction with a glorified city council when your entire state doesn’t even have the population of Edmonton
Also “benefits” from the significantly different nature of the US republic. There, every level of government has full authority to do basically whenever they want unless it’s superseded by a higher level. So if Montana doesn’t feel like administrating their own programs and services, it just falls back on the base level federal programs and services.
In Canada the federal government has its constitutional areas of responsibility, and the provincial governments have theirs. Almost no overlap. So if a provincial government doesn’t feel like doing its job, there’s no fallback
Good points BUT I would suggest that given the deep thought involved in the last legislative session I'm not sure full time MLAs and an Executive Council of silent toadies provides Albertans with any significant improvement in governance?
Let me see if I can help Mrs David Smith Moretta out of her rabbit hole deficit. Go back in time and accept the $33 Billion in Alternate Energy plans. Right, she serves O&G interests not Albertans.
I expect soon to hear "Trudeau made me do it, or Carney's not helping" instead of admitting she's at the end of a long line of incompetent conservative managers of the Province.
Pull up your big girl panties Dani, drop the separation nonsense, stop the lies and actually go to work for all Albertans - your program is a fucking train wreck!
The woman is toxic traitorous pond scum. She’s bought time for US interference, she needs to be traveling with a constant overseeing body, can’t trust her at 7-11.
Hey Smith could not run a one grill limited capacity rail car gimmick of a restaurant. She is fiscally inept and wastes every tax dollar that we pay to the province or city that then gets routed to Edmonton re property taxes. Now add the debt interest as well. Meanwhile an easy way to increase revenue would be to increase corporate taxes to what they were before she reduced them down to 8%. She cares nothing re the plight of Alberta taxpayers as she screws over the disabled, seniors, the sick, etc. but God forbid wealthy oil and gas companies pay more in corporate taxes while she wants us taxpayers to pay oil and gas’ costs re orphan wells and tailing ponds clean up which is estimated to be in $100-$130 billion range. Voting against one’s own best interests again and again and against saving lives of your own loved ones re healthcare and senior care re assisted living is beyond stupid. Voters in this province are so brainwashed. Time to lose the “own the libs” mentality.
Mr Klein also had the advantage of high natural gas prices and their attendant royalty payments. He also ignored a few billion in debt that had accumulated because conservative governments had neglected to contribute to the ATRF for several decades.
Oof — I hadn’t heard about the ATRF. Getting out of debt seems much easier when you can just stop paying your other bills!
Thanks for sharing Doug Griffith’s comments re the PST. I have to observe than an HST would actually impose zero administrative burden on a business, because they are already administering the GST. But of course that would mean the CRA would be collecting and distributing the money, and we can’t have THAT!
I think one of the audience members added that as well. And Doug went on to say that the business community understands something needs to change, so they’re open to conversations as well (and a PST/HST is the least of their worries when they have the lowest corporate and biz tax rate in the country, too).
I heard a clip of Nate Horner's response to a reporter's question on the PST, and was taken by just how quickly he responded with an estimate of the revenue. He made it obvious they've been looking at it.
Then there was the number he didn't have: the cost of all those immigrants. He plainly stated they don't know what that is.
Yep. It’s obvious he’s not thrilled about having to be the face of this budget, and they’ve really bared their hand on the focus on new immigrants of the referendum questions. Thing is, the questions are not final. Like most of the things this govt does, they were hastily thrown together and I imagine they’ll change— maybe even significantly. But they introduced that stupid bill saying they couldn’t increase taxes without a referendum and, oh, what luck! There’s a referendum coming.
And deficit budgets as far as the govt can see. “Let Albertans choose how to get out of this and then we don’t have to be the bad guys.”
Excellent analysis. Alberta’s chronic revenue imbalance is finally being exposed as structural, not cyclical — and that may be Danielle Smith’s unintended political legacy. Alberta may end up not only with a debt that will be paid for generations but also with more taxes, PST, as well as a very expensive police force and ideological social programs that provide no public benefit.
Thanks for the update. What a tangled web we weave….
Have a Great Weekend
You as well!
Deirdre just curious as to the make up of your shopping cart? As most grocery items are at least GST free, and often PST free, depending on jurisdiction, that would seem to skew things a bit?
Also of all the states our friends in Montana do not have a state sales tax, nor an obvious federal consumption tax; however, the Montana State Legislature in Helena only sits a few weeks a year, elected state representatives generally have other full time employment and the size of the state bureaucracy is relatively small.
Glad to hear I am not the only one pissed off and baffled as to how a government can run this type of deficit after an $8 billion surplus in 2024-25 and knowing that oil prices were dropping then. If Kenney had kept Rachel's 2% carbon tax and turned it into a PST we'd be an a much better place. (he could have still "axed the carbon tax" and made JT collect that?
His judgement seems to have improved by being out of office and ostensibly working for a living? Maybe he can make a comeback after the wheels fall off of the UCP honeywagon, maybe his former colleagues will find their balls, and maybe pigs will fly?
this all points to the need for a really good WTF emoji!
Thanks
I added a link to the post with my shopping list— I think it’s a newsletter so it’s the second story.
And thanks!
So you're paying tax on soap essentially.
Yeah I thought I’d added more taxable items when I went looking for it today. I may have to do another with more to see. I was still peeved that the prices were somehow higher in AB.
Peeves as well, must be the Alberta Advantage 🤣
🤣
Montana also has less than a fifth of our population. It’s easier to get away with running your jurisdiction with a glorified city council when your entire state doesn’t even have the population of Edmonton
Also “benefits” from the significantly different nature of the US republic. There, every level of government has full authority to do basically whenever they want unless it’s superseded by a higher level. So if Montana doesn’t feel like administrating their own programs and services, it just falls back on the base level federal programs and services.
In Canada the federal government has its constitutional areas of responsibility, and the provincial governments have theirs. Almost no overlap. So if a provincial government doesn’t feel like doing its job, there’s no fallback
Excellent point
Good points BUT I would suggest that given the deep thought involved in the last legislative session I'm not sure full time MLAs and an Executive Council of silent toadies provides Albertans with any significant improvement in governance?
Let me see if I can help Mrs David Smith Moretta out of her rabbit hole deficit. Go back in time and accept the $33 Billion in Alternate Energy plans. Right, she serves O&G interests not Albertans.
I expect soon to hear "Trudeau made me do it, or Carney's not helping" instead of admitting she's at the end of a long line of incompetent conservative managers of the Province.
Pull up your big girl panties Dani, drop the separation nonsense, stop the lies and actually go to work for all Albertans - your program is a fucking train wreck!
The woman is toxic traitorous pond scum. She’s bought time for US interference, she needs to be traveling with a constant overseeing body, can’t trust her at 7-11.