[policyenthusiast]

From an invitation to an Alberta Next Town Hall:

“Led by Premier Danielle Smith and a 15 member panel of UCP MLAs, business leaders, academics, and community representatives, this is part of a rigorous Government of Alberta consultation process.

“The goal is to shape Alberta’s future and strengthen our sovereignty within a united Canada. The panel is touring the province to hear how we can better protect ourselves from Ottawa’s attacks. A provincial referendum on some of these ideas is coming in 2026. What’s on that ballot will be informed by your feedback.

“Panelists will raise important ideas for discussion, including the Provincial Police Service, Alberta Pension Plan, tax collection changes, immigration, constitutional reform, and federal transfers and equalization.

“This is not a United Conservative Party event, but we know many of our supporters care deeply about these issues and may want to attend.”
Emphasis added.

So… this is a “rigorous consultation” but it’s already predetermined that a “provincial referendum on some of these ideas is coming in 2026”???

And we’re expected to support and agree with this nonsense???

Write to your MLA - especially if they're with the UCP.

 

[MacLac]

Disgusting!!! "But the wait times at the Sturgeon and Stollery are lower than the Main 4 - so that's ok..."

'Stressed system': Edmonton has high rate of ER patients leaving without treatment

Warren Thirsk, emergency medicine president of the AMA and an ER doctor at the Royal Alex, thinks it's important to disaggregate numbers.

edmontonjournal.com

 

[David A]

Disgusting!!! "But the wait times at the Sturgeon and Stollery are lower than the Main 4 - so that's ok..."

'Stressed system': Edmonton has high rate of ER patients leaving without treatment

Warren Thirsk, emergency medicine president of the AMA and an ER doctor at the Royal Alex, thinks it's important to disaggregate numbers.

edmontonjournal.com

Not surprising if for no other reason than they haven't built a new hospital here since the late 1980's in what has been and still is a growing city.

Sadly, the UCP doesn't seem to be in any rush to fix this either.

 

[Gronk!]

Transportation minister to meet with Edmonton mayor about ‘problematic’ northside bike lanes

While a section of a major northside roadway has already been converted to multi-modal use including bike lanes, the province suggests it could reverse the decision to construct them.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[David A]

It is getting so bad even Rick Bell is back to writing columns complaining again. 7.5%, more, yikes!

Bell: Premier Smith, Alberta auto insurance rates ugly no matter how you slice it

The Danielle Smith UCP government rolled out its auto insurance plans, for Albertans wanting a break on today's premiums, forget about it.

edmontonjournal.com

 

[TAS]

Some inside news.

As we've seen, the province is targeting active transportation with threats to remove bike lanes and limit cities from building more. Drivers are taking a hit with the UCP's mishandling of auto insurance and rising rates.

So guess who's next?

Public transit users.

Word is, the UCP is looking at a provincial surcharge on all city bus and lrt rides that it will mandate municipalities to collect. It's a surcharge on every public transit ticket. This will raise the cost of transit use for people and the money won't go to cities, it will go into general provincial revenues - $10s of millions a year.

 

[bodsbods9090]

Fkn hell!

Just can't keep their greedy hands off of municipalities.

Get the UCP out and make it quick!

 

[MacLac]

Fkn hell!

Just can't keep their greedy hands off of municipalities.

Get the UCP out and make it quick!

Do we have Mid-terms like the US Feds? Lol

 

[Gronk!]

Drivers are taking a hit with the UCP's mishandling of auto insurance and rising rates.

The UCP can't even organize a piss-up at a brewery, so I'm not surprised by this.

 

[fjordgard]

Some inside news.

As we've seen, the province is targeting active transportation with threats to remove bike lanes and limit cities from building more. Drivers are taking a hit with the UCP's mishandling of auto insurance and rising rates.

So guess who's next?

Public transit users.

Word is, the UCP is looking at a provincial surcharge on all city bus and lrt rides that it will mandate municipalities to collect. It's a surcharge on every public transit ticket. This will raise the cost of transit use for people and the money won't go to cities, it will go into general provincial revenues - $10s of millions a year.

Without burning a source... How reliable is this "word"? I wouldn't doubt it - just checking if this is something that is actually in the works or just someone's thought about what might be in the works...

 

[Avenuer]

Without burning a source... How reliable is this "word"? I wouldn't doubt it - just checking if this is something that is actually in the works or just someone's thought about what might be in the works...

I doubt this would happen but also wouldn't put it past the crazy UCPers.

 

[trevorhayden]

They lost Edmonton and now they are trying to lose Calgary? That or their whole redneck cabinet has never stepped foot in a city before?

 

[TAS]

Without burning a source... How reliable is this "word"? I wouldn't doubt it - just checking if this is something that is actually in the works or just someone's thought about what might be in the works...

Very reliable source. Of course nothing is done until it's done. Nothing is at all final yet.
And even then, decisions that have been made and announced can be reversed days later due to public opposition such as when the UCP retracted on ending transit funding to cities for low income passes (which the UCP was not happy about doing but felt the pressure).

One day later, Alberta restores funding for low-income transit in Edmonton and Calgary

The Alberta government has reversed course on its decision to discontinue funding for low-income transit programs in Calgary and Edmonton.

edmontonjournal.com

Hmmm, I wonder how the province can get that money back for providing funding support for low income passes??

Maybe a provincial surcharge on all transit users? Maybe 20 cents per transit ticket/ride should do it plus some extra cash leftover? That's a number being looked at.

 

[David A]

Very reliable source. Of course nothing is done until it's done. Nothing is at all final yet.
And even then, decisions that have been made and announced can be reversed days later due to public opposition such as when the UCP retracted on ending transit funding to cities for low income passes (which the UCP was not happy about doing but felt the pressure).

One day later, Alberta restores funding for low-income transit in Edmonton and Calgary

The Alberta government has reversed course on its decision to discontinue funding for low-income transit programs in Calgary and Edmonton.

edmontonjournal.com

Hmmm, I wonder how the province can get that money back for providing funding support for low income passes??

Maybe a provincial surcharge on all transit users? Maybe 20 cents per transit ticket/ride should do it plus some extra cash leftover? That's a number being looked at.

Sadly, its not the UCP's craziest idea, but it is up there. Making people pay more to ride transit will motivate more to vote against the UCP and for those that drive higher insurance rates that the UCP is talking about will motivate more to vote against them.

I find it a bit hard to believe politicians can actually be this stupid, but I feel a certain arrogance has set in provincially again and they think they will never lose regardless of what they do.

 

[thommyjo]

Does the province provide any operational funding to transit? Or only capital for larger builds?

Without operational funding, this seems insanely inappropriate.

How about we raise the fricken gas tax since it still isn’t high enough to cover roads and a lot more of its users are businesses and massive corporations. Not seniors, students, and low income people.