Wednesday, May 8
Prosper Free Enterprise! More handouts to multinationals
5Dec By Bob AscahNo Comments
Economic Data, Employment, Energy, Government Finances, Investment, Politics

Prosper Free Enterprise! More handouts to multinationals

Updated 20 December 2023 If low taxes was the supreme good of libertarian governments and eliminated the need for additional company specific grants, why is the UCP government doling out up to $5-billion in additional handouts mainly to foreign=owned corporations for capturing carbon. The announcement by Premier Smith and the heretofore missing in action Brian Jean- Alberta's energy minister paved the way for another major announcement, this time Premier Smith alongside Deputy Minister Chrystia Freeland (see below).   Alberta Carbon Capture Program Another successfully orchestrated communications announcement by Smith came this past Tuesday 28 November.  With the wind in her sails, Smith has come off two federal high court victories (impact assessment and toxic plastics...
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22Nov By Bob AscahNo Comments
Energy, Environment, Intergovernmental, Politics

Where is Brian Jean? Alberta Energy and Mines Minister Missing in Action

Updated 2 December 2023 I receive about two to three dozen emails from the Government of Alberta news service (Alberta.ca/News) each week. These emails keep me up to speed with what is going on with the Government of Alberta. Perhaps half of these releases are not  significant recognizing special holidays or special days or weeks that government ministers or departments wish to acknowledge.  Some are for junkets of MLAs travelling to various conferences.  Perhaps 10 per cent are substantive and feature the premier and the relevant minister issuing statements which are picked up by the media.  Many coincide with major news conferences such as the recent one on health care reforms. Most unusual these past six months has been the virtual non-presence of the Minister of Energy and Mi...
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16Nov By Bob AscahNo Comments
Economic Data, Energy, Environment, Intergovernmental, Opinion/Research, Politics

Alberta 5, Ottawa 2- Re. Impact Assessment Act (Part 2)

Before turning to the dissenting opinion, it may be instructive to note some of the key points made by the Alberta Court of Appeal (ABCA) in their 10 May 2022 reference decision. The reference opinion may be found at CanLit. ABCA Majority In the majority ABCA opinion, considerable space was devoted to the history, purpose and scope, of the section 92A resource amendment (paras 74-83).  The majority contended Provincial governments should not be faulted for focussing their attention on matters important to their citizens. That includes not only the environment but also the economy. It is a false dichotomy to suggest that the two are mutually exclusive. Without a strong economy, a province’s ability to respond to the needs of its citizens, including meeting the challenges of climate chang...
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Alberta 5, Ottawa 2- still many thorny questions remain -Part 1(Revised)
13Nov By Bob AscahNo Comments
Uncategorized

Alberta 5, Ottawa 2- still many thorny questions remain -Part 1(Revised)

Updated 15 November 2023 Overview In the dissent, Justices Karakatsanis and Jamal pose a certain fact situation eerily akin to what happened with a leaking tailings pond and potential for justice for indigenous groups living downstream. If this is eerily similar to the case of First Nations living downstream from the Kearl Lake tailings ponds owned by Imperial Oil, it is.  Boiled down into its most essential is the value of people vs.the value of things.  Do we value a life more than say $20-billion in bitumen royalties and billions more in personal and corporate income tax ? Justice Andromache Karakatsanis Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia   To give a concrete example, on the majority’s view, there is (properly) no constitutional objection to federal authorities prohibit...
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Alberta Pension Plan- conversation with retired professors at UofA
6Nov By Bob AscahNo Comments
Demographics, Economic Data, Employment, Financial Institutions, Intergovernmental, Opinion/Research, Politics

Alberta Pension Plan- conversation with retired professors at UofA

I was excited to present to retired professors from the University of Alberta last Thursday my views on the marketing campaign by the Alberta government to "engage" the public on the supposed benefits of an Alberta pension plan. My focus was on the political messaging. The Youtube video can be viewed here. The political messaging created by the Government of Alberta is an expensive communications effort (close to $10-million of Albertans’ tax dollars). The friendly website "Alberta Pension Plan" begins with “What’s in it for you.”  The web page design is classically an appeal to Albertans’ sense of place and community with pictures of the Rockies and foothills and wistful pictures of a handsome seniors’ couple. The pitch focuses mainly on the benefits that would be supposed...
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An Alberta Pension Plan- Thoughts, Ideas, Experiments -Episode 6 with Trevor Tombe, Virendra Gupta and Ellen Nygaard
26Oct By Bob AscahNo Comments
Demographics, Economic Data, Financial Institutions, Government Finances, Investment, Politics

An Alberta Pension Plan- Thoughts, Ideas, Experiments -Episode 6 with Trevor Tombe, Virendra Gupta and Ellen Nygaard

Background On September 21st Premier Danielle Smith, Finance Minister Nate Horner and former provincial treasurer Jim Dinning gave a press conference about an Alberta Pension Plan. There were two features of the conference- first the public release of a long-anticipated report from actuarial and consulting firm Lifeworks.  The second aspect of the release was the announcement of what is being called an engagement panel led by former Treasurer Jim Dinning.  Dinning served under Ralph Klein and then contested unsuccessfully the PC leadership in 2006. Jim Dinning was Alberta Treasurer when CPP reforms were undertaken Source: Calgary Herald At the news conference Dinning said this about the idea of an Alberta Pension Plan (APP)- ”it could be a game changer for the financi...
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1Oct By Bob AscahNo Comments
Uncategorized

Thank you to my readers

One of the great pleasures of writing is the feedback you receive from your readers. Although my Bob@Abpolecon.ca is rarely full with comments, I am continually gratified by the loyalty of my readership.  Though small in number, I get mostly positive comments from former colleagues, friends, and around Edmonton social circles. The infrequency of mail makes reading your comments so delightful. You know who you are and without revealing names, you all are eminent individuals who have contributed a great deal to public policy development in Alberta and elsewhere and building community. Thank you for your continuing support over the past six years as I have "graduated" from Albertarecessionwatch.com to Abpolecon.ca. Alberta' political economy remains a mystery worth exploring.  Thank you for...
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A devil’s bargain- Opinion
1Oct By Bob AscahNo Comments
Fiscal History, Government Finances, Opinion/Research, Politics

A devil’s bargain- Opinion

You may be an ambassador to England or France You may like to gamble, you might like to dance You may be the heavyweight champion of the world You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls [Chorus] But you’re going to have to serve somebody, yes indeed You’re going to have to serve somebody Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you’re going to have to serve somebody Bob Dylan-1979 Slow Train Coming We are a province of free riders- free riders on the periodic gusher of oil, bitumen, and natural gas revenues. As such, this bargain has made us, inured us, to low taxes and good public services. And public buildings too,  testaments to Alberta's engineering prowess. When I say "we," that includes me.  I was lured to Alberta by money a decent research assistant-ship st...
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An Alberta Pension Plan  (APP): Your Plan, Their Choice
24Sep By Bob Ascah1 Comment
Agencies, Demographics, Financial Institutions, Opinion/Research, Politics

An Alberta Pension Plan  (APP): Your Plan, Their Choice

Updated 25 September 2023 Updated 30 September 2023  “This report shows a made-in-Alberta pension plan could put more money in the pockets of hard-working families and business owners and improve retirement security for seniors. We want to hear from you because it’s your pension, your choice. I’m so excited to hear what Albertans think about a provincial pension plan that could benefit Albertans now as well as our future generations.”     Danielle Smith, Premier In this post I critically examine the upcoming battle between the UCP state, business organizations, and Alberta sovereigntists versus a labour -NDP coalition led opposition of concerned seniors and worried CPP contributors. First, I begin referencing the debate over the past two days and then investigate the central polit...
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