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Monday, September 24, 2007
Wildrose is blooming
Congrats to the new Wildrose Party of Alberta for being the first party in the province to take a stand against higher gas and oil royalties. The position is one more reason why Albertans should look forward to the party's founding assembly October 26 and 27 in Edmonton.
Meantime, party organizer (and senator-elect) Link Byfield tells me the party is now one-third of the way to collecting the 6,000 signatures it needs to become official.
There's good reason to be optimistic: scroll through the party's weekly update page and you get a sense of both the opportunity and enthusiasm for a new party in Alberta.
Posted by Terry O'Neill on September 24, 2007 in Canadian Provincial Politics | Permalink
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Comments
Stelmach can get 20% more Royalties and be a hero here.
But he has to get those Royalties from the Federal Government's 25.5%, which they have NO right to, instead of crippling the industry here in Alberta.
Posted by: Speller | 2007-09-24 9:36:30 AM
...I just laugh when I hear all the howling about the royalties issue. From either side.
If Premier Stelmach wants to make an impression, fight for lowering of taxes on gasoline both provincial and federal.
Till then all the howling going on is smoke and mirrors.
Posted by: tomax7 | 2007-09-24 11:18:12 AM
Wow sounds like an NDP plea for more tax? Hard to believe that a new "conservative" party would raise taxes!???? I do think we need better control and more accountability right now in the oil patch, but on the other hand the lower rates of taxation has lead to unprecedented development and JOBS in related fields.
I think the should stick to the plan and raise the rates of taxation as they originally agreed upon with the oil companies once the site are completed.
Posted by: Sean Whelan | 2007-09-24 2:15:38 PM
I find it hard to consider this as raising taxes. The oil DOES belong to the people of Alberta and a review of income derived from this resource is not necessarily a bad thing,but it is a necessary thing.Unfortunately,our current gov't does not believe in tax breaks for the people in Alberta. I followed the last leadership race and not one of the candidates proposed a reduction in income tax. The closest that Stelmach has come to lowering taxes is proposing extra cash for families with children under 6. That does nothing for the majority of Albertans who are losing real income due to rising prices and inflation. I am afraid that the provincial gov't is like Calgary's municipal gov't,closet liberals.
Posted by: wallyj | 2007-09-24 6:25:04 PM
Isn't the Albertan Government subsidizing the Oil. They deserve something back.
Posted by: merriman | 2007-09-24 6:37:35 PM
"Something back" ???
What do you think they've been getting up to now? Certainly enough to fund Quebec's free (almost) day care programme!
Posted by: obc | 2007-09-24 6:41:24 PM
Heard somewhere the proposed royalty regime will put Alberta somewhere on par with Texas.
If so, the new regime does not sound unreasonable. Does anybody have some comparitive stats?
Or is it just about making as much money as you can, while you can, and have somebody else pick up the tab for roads, schools, etc?
Posted by: set you free | 2007-09-24 6:41:41 PM
And in Ontario, internal Lieberal polling must be showing that McSquinty is losing ground if he is willing to even discuss this possibility:
"McGuinty willing to accept minority government"
Ontario Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty says he is willing to accept a minority government after next month's election.
"The electorate will do its own thing in its own course and I accept that. That's fine by me," McGuinty told reporters in Barrie, north of Toronto, on Tuesday morning.
His comments came a day after NDP Leader Howard Hampton said he would only support a minority government if the premier adopts his party's six campaign commitments.
The NDP has focused its campaign on reducing the health tax, increasing the minimum wage, reducing tuition fees, better protecting the environment, better education funding and improving the health-care system with better senior care and more doctors and nurses.
Bringing in those policies would cost about $9.1 billion, the NDP estimates.
ONLY $9.1 billion to stay in power? NO PROBLEM! It's only the People's money.
Posted by: obc | 2007-09-25 11:42:27 AM
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