# Alberta Election 2015: "Mother of mercy, is this the end of Alberta Tories?"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [April 18, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970 "2015-04-18T05:51:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 9
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/161 "2015-05-22T19:36:29Z")
> [@orcenio](#):
>
> Ragtags who **fought, killed, and buried** one of the two biggest, organized, and entrenched political threats to the existence our country . . .
The other one being the United States?
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### Author:  [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/162 "2015-05-22T20:17:22Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> The other one being the United States?
While we Canadians can, at times, irrationally fear perceived cultural threats posed by Americans, we don’t have irrational fears based on any political threat… We actually tend to smugly to look down on the US with all it’s daily problems (race relations, crime. gun ownership/entitlement, health care struggles, crazy/wacky partisan politics, international ramblings/misadventures, etc).
We don’t fear Americans at all, you’re like our wacky next door neighbour (Kramer to our Jerry). You’re quite lovable in your political system that seems to defy propriety/reason/logic, your madrasa-like adherence to the application of some crazy nth amendment, or when you’re drugged out on your irrational fear of the idea of commonwealth government action.
“Business is people!” Oh you Yanks! :rolleyes: What _will_ you come up with next. 😃
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/163 "2015-05-23T00:13:11Z")
Well this must be a record: Deborah Drever has been kicked out of caucus before the government was even sworn in, for social media silliness:
> **[Alberta NDP rookie suspended from caucus over 'homophobic' image | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/deborah-drever-suspended-from-ndp-caucus-1.3084083)**
>
> Deborah Drever, the NDP member of the legislature for Calgary-Bow, has been suspended from the NDP caucus after yet another controversial social media post emerged. Leader Rachel Notley has apologized for the post, which she says is homophobic.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/164 "2015-05-23T00:31:32Z")
I’m sure glad that Alberta taxpayers are paying her $134,000 per year, plus 13% more that goes into a pension. That’s gotta beat her other alternatives, which probably involved working in a shoe store or perhaps a Tim Hortons.
On the bright side, she’s now an independent without a caucus, which means she can go back to smoking weed and, if the lighting is good in the back bench, studying for her sociology finals.
Best. Job. Ever.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/165 "2015-05-23T00:54:58Z")
[Who are the province’s new MLAs?](http://www.cbc.ca/news/elections/alberta-votes/alberta-election-who-are-the-province-s-new-mlas-1.3062840)
Man, it’s hilarious watching the CBC trying to spin these people as serious credible people. For example:
> [@](#):
>
> **Deborah Drever**
> A Calgary-born sociology student at Mount Royal University, Drever won a tight three-way race, beating out her PC and Wildrose opponents to take Calgary-Bow. In her party bio, she highlights her work with human rights activists, as well as with the city’s feminist and arts scenes. It’s unusual to see a candidate making a campaign issue out of the fact that they live with a grandparent: Drever says she has a first-hand understanding of the economic problems facing both students and seniors in Alberta.
Her first-hand knowledge of economic problems consists of living at home with her grandparents while taking an easy degree at Mount Royal and hanging out with her activist buddies, giving the finger to the flag (and intelligently posting it on social media), smoking weed, and posing for horrible album covers for terrible bands.
> [@](#):
>
> **Brandy Payne**
> There have been a few barbs launched on social media over Brandy Payne’s background as a yoga instructor. But the new MLA for Calgary-Acadia has also worked as a journalist, an education advocate in B.C., and has a stint in the oil-and-gas sector in her background.
Translation: She’s a yoga instructor with a blog, she was a shit-disturber in college before dropping out, and she’s done some kind of low-skill work in Calgary for some company affiliated with the oil and gas industry. She ‘pursued’ a degree in Journalism, but doesn’t actually have a degree. Went to two different colleges where she took part in ‘student activism’, but never graduated from either one.
> [@](#):
>
> **Shaye Anderson**
> a worker for Telus and shop steward. Holding a diploma in physical education, the new MLA for Leduc-Beaumont says he is focused on improving the province’s health-care system.
Wow, a diploma in physical education from a junior college, and with that extensive knowledge (but no actual experience in health care) he’s going to tackle the problems of our health care system!
My wife, who has an RN, a B.Sc in health care management and a Masters in Healthcare administration (along with 30 years’ experience in health care from nursing to hospital management to being a director in Alberta Health) will be answering to this guy. She can’t wait.
Cream of the crop!
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### Author:  [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/166 "2015-05-23T04:48:23Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> Her first-hand knowledge of economic problems consists of living at home with her grandparents while taking an easy degree at Mount Royal and hanging out with her activist buddies, giving the finger to the flag (and intelligently posting it on social media), smoking weed, and posing for horrible album covers for terrible bands.
Still, she isn’t a wet brain like King Ralph, who took the Tory vote no matter who he insulted in his half-witted drunken tirades and no matter which police forces he bought. . . .
> [@](#):
>
> My wife, who has an RN, a B.Sc in health care management and a Masters in Healthcare administration (along with 30 years’ experience in health care from nursing to hospital management to being a director in Alberta Health) will be answering to this guy. She can’t wait.
. . . as he tore down the Calgary General, turning the remaining two in a city of at least 750,000 people at the time into hallway-medicine sardine cans. He probably had options on the land.
> [@](#):
>
> Cream of the crop!
After that sad parade of Tory premiers since Lougheed walked away, Alberta’s used to it. Suck it up.
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### Author:  [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/167 "2015-05-23T14:25:54Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> I guess we’ll know in a few years.
At which point the min wage will have finally increased to the $15/hr amount. It’s remarkable how everyone critical of this plan has characterized it as a sudden jump of 50%, when it has been stated at every step of the way that it’s a phased jump to $15 by 2018.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/168 "2015-05-23T15:17:14Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> Man, it’s hilarious watching the CBC trying to spin these people as serious credible people.
Wouldn’t the time to have pointed out how unserious and incredible the NDP is have been _before_ the election? That way, the voters of Alberta could have looked at the NDP candidates and said, “Woah! The NDP candidates are unserious and incredible! I should not vote for them!” This way, it’s too late.
Yes, it’s a tragic thing that Wildrose and the Tories didn’t let the voters know beforehand that they were the serious and credible people.
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/169 "2015-05-23T17:12:21Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Well this must be a record: Deborah Drever has been kicked out of caucus before the government was even sworn in, for social media silliness:
>
> [Deborah Drever suspended from NDP caucus | CBC News](http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/calgary/deborah-drever-suspended-from-ndp-caucus-1.3084083)
A correction at the bottom (and a new headline) now says she’s only suspended.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/170 "2015-05-24T04:26:00Z")
> [@Frank](#):
>
> Wouldn’t the time to have pointed out how unserious and incredible the NDP is have been _before_ the election? That way, the voters of Alberta could have looked at the NDP candidates and said, “Woah! The NDP candidates are unserious and incredible! I should not vote for them!” This way, it’s too late.
>
> Yes, it’s a tragic thing that Wildrose and the Tories didn’t let the voters know beforehand that they were the serious and credible people.
The thing is, before the election no one expected the NDP to win a majority government. But the frustration with the PC’s and the Wildrose and their shenanigans just reached a boiling point exactly as election day hit.
I don’t think it would have mattered how much information was put out about the NDP candidates before the election, because clearly no one was paying attention to them. As I said, there were a couple of candidates who won _and didn’t even bother campaigning_. They were just ‘placeholder’ candidates to give the NDP a name on a ballot. Not even the NDP expected some of those candidates to win - which is probably why they weren’t vetted very well.
But win they did, and now we’re stuck with them for at least 4 years. At least it will be entertaining. I expect them to be a real gaffe factory.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/171 "2015-05-24T05:31:07Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> The NDP have a majority goverrnment. The official opposition is made up of the Wildrose - diametrically opposed to the NDP philosophically. It’s going to be hard for them to work together without major compromises on both sides. Since the NDP doesn’t have to compromise with a large majority, I think they’re going to govern on their own.
That’s what all majority governments in Canada do. None of this unrealistic “bipartisanship” nonsense that we hear from the US politicians (no offence, USian dopers 😉 )
The job of the majority government is to govern according to its election platform, and the job of the Opposition parties is just that - to oppose. The different parties are not expected to try to work together, precisely because they have strongly divergent views of the correct policies to be followed.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/172 "2015-05-24T05:40:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Has the new government even taken office yet?
To be sworn in tomorrow, Sunday. This article has a lot of speculation about who will get cabinet posts, and discussion of the difficulties Notley faces in putting together a Cabinet:
[Rachel Notley to be sworn in as Alberta premier Sunday](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rachel-notley-to-be-sworn-in-as-alberta-premier-sunday-1.3072847)
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/173 "2015-05-24T14:59:43Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> None of this unrealistic “bipartisanship” nonsense that we hear from the US politicians (no offence, USian dopers 😉 )
It mostly isn’t the politicians who tell us that anymore anyway, just a few commentators, and not so often since David Broder passed away.
> [@](#):
>
> the job of the Opposition parties is just that - to oppose.
We get a lot of \*that \*here lately, though. And down here it has a real effect.
> [@Sam Stone](#):
>
> Man, it’s hilarious watching the CBC trying to spin these people as serious credible people.
And yet a majority thought they’d do a better job than the Tories, with all their, um, experience. How could that possibly have happened?
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### Author:  [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/174 "2015-05-24T15:01:01Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> To be sworn in tomorrow, Sunday. This article has a lot of speculation about who will get cabinet posts, and discussion of the difficulties Notley faces in putting together a Cabinet:
>
> [Rachel Notley to be sworn in as Alberta premier Sunday](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rachel-notley-to-be-sworn-in-as-alberta-premier-sunday-1.3072847)
A very informative article. Thanks for sharing this.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/175 "2015-05-24T15:10:40Z")
And the first gaffe: the NDP was trying to use the swearing-in as an opportunity to find-raise for the party. Rookie mistake; not appreciating the difference between the party and the government. They’ve taken down all the fund-raising stuff from their web-pages and apologised:
> **[Braid: Notley's NDP removes link between swearing-in RSVP and donations](https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/braid-notleys-new-democrats-use-swearing-in-ceremony-to-solicit-donations)**
>
> The NDP issued an apology Friday for "the serious mistake" of inviting people to Sunday's swearing-in ceremony while asking them to contribute money to the…
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/176 "2015-05-24T15:26:10Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> It mostly isn’t the politicians who tell us that anymore anyway, just a few commentators, and not so often since David Broder passed away.
I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Obama, in commentary and from some posters on this board. over the ACA that it went through on a straight party vote, the Dems didn’t accept any republican amendments, etc.
Obama’s also been criticised for not being able to build coalitions with Republicans.
Is that an unusual critique, then? It also sounds odd to my Canadian ears: why would bitter political enemies, with wildly different views on public policy issues, be expected to compromise all the time?
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/177 "2015-05-24T16:17:53Z")
Don’t take those complaints at face value. They are partisan/opposition-for-the-sake-of-opposition in themselves. There were no “Republican amendments” that were not considered; their position on ACA was, and remains, “Go fuck yourselves”.
Apparently that happens more in Canada, perhaps because it just doesn’t matter what a party with no power thinks (the people voted against them anyway). Our divided-powers system grants the losers the power to obstruct, not simply oppose. And yes, it’s a recent development here, dating only to the 1990’s.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/178 "2015-05-26T13:41:41Z")
Well, it’s pretty much as bad as I feared:
Our Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure is an ex-bus driver.
Our Minister of Finance is a social worker.
Our Minister of Energy is a rural teacher.
Our Minister of Justice is a former union legal rep.
Our Minister of Health is another teacher and former school board official.
Our Minister of Innovation and advanced education is a social worker.
Our Minister of Jobs, skills, training and labour is the same social worker.
Our Minister of Agriculture and Forestry is a former technician who is now a self-described “Social Justice Fighter” and union representative.
Our Minister of the Environment is a person with a degree in political science and as far as I can tell no real work experience other than as a ‘policy analyst’ for the NDP.
Our Minister of Municipal Affairs is a teacher
Our Minister of Education is a teacher. Hey, at least he worked in the field he’ll be ministering.
And that’s the best they could come up with out of their caucus. In fact, because the rest of the bench is so weak Notley has had to double and even triple up some of these cabinet positions. Alberta has only 12 cabinet members now.
Maybe that’s a good thing. If they’re all overworked and swamped perhaps they won’t have time to get into serious mischief with new legislation.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/179 "2015-05-26T13:52:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> Well this must be a record: Deborah Drever has been kicked out of caucus before the government was even sworn in, for social media silliness:
>
> [Deborah Drever suspended from NDP caucus | CBC News](http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/calgary/deborah-drever-suspended-from-ndp-caucus-1.3084083)
Linky no worky.
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alberta-election-2015-mother-of-mercy-is-this-the-end-of-alberta-tories/717970/180 "2015-05-26T13:56:00Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> It’s unusual to see a candidate making a campaign issue out of the fact that they live with a grandparent . . .
Shouldn’t be. Highly educated young adults who **still** can’t earn enough for their own apartments are a constituency that needs a voice, in the U.S. certainly, and probably in Canada.
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