Lockout Casualty Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Interesting comment from the editorial page in last Friday's Province. Alberta premier-elect Rachel Notley has to pick a cabinet for her NDP government — a cabinet that will oversee revenues of $44 billion per year. Only four of the 54 NDP MLAs have legislature experience. Ten are in their 20s. Notley needs to pick 11 people for her cabinet, each of whom will be paid a taxpayer-funded salary of $142,050 per year. Her choices are an application engineer, an airline worker, a bus driver, a business consultant, a cashier, two civil-service employees, an electrician, two health-care workers, an insurance manager, four lawyers, a doctor, four nurses, a psychologist, a restaurant manager, five retirees, a realestate agent, a salesman, a school trustee, a secretary, a service technician, a shipperreceiver, four social workers, a software consultant, five students, four teachers, six union reps and a yoga teacher. Imagine trying to pick a management team from those choices for a $100-million private company. The majority of Alberta voters wanted change and they got their change with a bunch of nobodies to watch over revenues of $44 billion per year. Looks like Notley will be spending millions on high-paid consultants to provide training to a lame-duck cabinet. Joe Sawchuk, Duncan Lol. Does this guy know about the expansive bureaucracy that's in place? Would he rather Alberta continue to be driven into the ground by the PCs? I'm sure they had "qualified" candidates for decades, how did that turn out? Oh yeah... The writer is a putz. Is he in favor of career politicians? Or having 90% lawyers in our government? Isn't the entire point of democracy is that people can select representatives from their groups, be they blue collar workers or middle managers? Does he suggest status quo, squandering Alberta's resources and undertaxing to the point they're at now, is a safer route? It's like he's suggesting the only people capable of fixing the problem are ones who broke it in the first place. Putz is too nice a word for the writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Lol. Does this guy know about the expansive bureaucracy that's in place? Would he rather Alberta continue to be driven into the ground by the PCs? I'm sure they had "qualified" candidates for decades, how did that turn out? Oh yeah... The writer is a putz. Is he in favor of career politicians? Or having 90% lawyers in our government? Isn't the entire point of democracy is that people can select representatives from their groups, be they blue collar workers or middle managers? Does he suggest status quo, squandering Alberta's resources and undertaxing to the point they're at now, is a safer route? It's like he's suggesting the only people capable of fixing the problem are ones who broke it in the first place. Putz is too nice a word for the writer. IKR She should just choose the 11 youngest people - I mean why not - can't be worse than before and besides, they wouldn't have ran if they didn't think they could handle it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockout Casualty Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 IKR She should just choose the 11 youngest people - I mean why not - can't be worse than before and besides, they wouldn't have ran if they didn't think they could handle it. Why would she do that? Ooooh, you're trying to put words in my mouth, I get it. Well, good luck with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Is he in favor of career politicians? Or having 90% lawyers in our government? Isn't the entire point of democracy is that people can select representatives from their groups, be they blue collar workers or middle managers? Does he suggest status quo, squandering Alberta's resources and undertaxing to the point they're at now, is a safer route? It's like he's suggesting the only people capable of fixing the problem are ones who broke it in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Why would she do that? Ooooh, you're trying to put words in my mouth, I get it. Well, good luck with that. Why not? Could be a precedent - youngest cabinet. Assign a teacher to be the Minister of Education. Yoga Instructor - Minster of Recreation? Bus driver - Minster of Transportation..etc...etc...easy peasy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForsbergTheGreat Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 IKR She should just choose the 11 youngest people - I mean why not - can't be worse than before and besides, they wouldn't have ran if they didn't think they could handle it. You can cross one of the students of the list since Deborah Drever got suspended after posting homophobic comments on instagram. http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/new-mla-deborah-drever-suspended-from-ndp-caucus-over-homophobic-remark-under-photo She lasted less than a month. But she will milk just under 500k over the next 4 years to remain as an independent. Great use of money. Lol. Does this guy know about the expansive bureaucracy that's in place? Would he rather Alberta continue to be driven into the ground by the PCs? I'm sure they had "qualified" candidates for decades, how did that turn out? Oh yeah... The writer is a putz. Is he in favor of career politicians? Or having 90% lawyers in our government? Isn't the entire point of democracy is that people can select representatives from their groups, be they blue collar workers or middle managers? Does he suggest status quo, squandering Alberta's resources and undertaxing to the point they're at now, is a safer route? It's like he's suggesting the only people capable of fixing the problem are ones who broke it in the first place. Putz is too nice a word for the writer. I think the point is that most of these candidates do not have the qualifications for the job, nor the experience or anything else to offer me as a constituent. The problem was Alberta wanted PC gone so bad that they didnt take the time to do any research on who they were choosing, as long as it wasnt PC. Many of the comments by random people interviewed after the election were stating that its good to finally get an outside opinion. Sure lets pay a large sum of money to someone that can barely handle their own expenses to make the important decisions with Albertas. This has become such a gong show and really there is no one to blame but the weasel Prentice. Its not that you need to be a politician or even a lawyer but there is a reason why $100 million companies dont just hire your local Starbucks employees to run their companys. You need experience, you need credibility, and most of all, you need to have a decent understanding of Alberta economy. It's no different than any other business Heck let just hire the next kid that claims hes good at the game of Be a GM mode in NHL 15 to run the Canucks. Whats the worst that could happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurn Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Democracy can come with warts. However I'd wait to see what they do, rather than get tied up in knots about what they might do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Looks not too bad: EDMONTON JOURNAL MAY 25, 2015 Premier Rachel Notley, 51 Premier, Intergovernmental Affairs Edmonton-Strathcona As premier, Notley will serve as the guiding hand of her team of ministers, ensuring the group of rookie ministers find their footing in the early days of her government. As Alberta’s representative on the world stage, Notley will herself manage international and intergovernmental relations, which carries a focus on Alberta’s energy exports. Brian Mason, 61 Government house leader, Infrastructure, Transportation Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood As the longest-serving MLA in the legislature, Mason was an early favourite for energy or finance. Instead, Notley appointed the former bus driver to be minister of infrastructure and transportation. Together, the portfolios include major issues the new government will have to address quickly, including new school construction, highway improvements and a new cancer centre for Calgary. David Eggen, 52 Education, Culture and Tourism Edmonton-Calder He was a ferocious health critic in opposition, but Notley has tapped Eggen as her new education minister and minister of culture and tourism. Eggen’s past life was a public school teacher in Edmonton, experience he will likely draw on as he navigates his new portfolio. Eggen will have the challenge of ensuring funding for the 12,000 new students expected to enter the province’s schools this fall, an NDP election pledge. Sarah Hoffman, 34 Health and Seniors Edmonton-Glenora The well-known former chair of the Edmonton public school board, Hoffman was an early favourite to manage the education portfolio. Instead she was named health minister, a massive department that swallows nearly half of the provincial budget. Hoffman will also serve as minister of seniors and between the two portfolios must address the challenges facing emergency room wait times and the lack of long-term beds across the province. Deron Bilous, 39 Municipal Affairs, Service Alberta Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview Bilous taught for five years before becoming a New Democrat MLA in 2012, going on to serve as the party’s education critic. He will oversee municipal affairs as well as Service Alberta. His first order of business will likely be to sit down with the province’s big city mayors, Don Iveson and Naheed Nenshi, who have been clamouring for a big city charter since Alison Redford was premier. Marg McCuaig-Boyd, 62 Energy Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley Hailing from Notley’s hometown of Fairview, McCuaig-Boyd helps ensure rural representation at the cabinet table. A teacher for two decades and vice-president of the Grande Prairie Regional College Fairview campus, McCuaig-Boyd said her family were oil industry pioneers. Her first order of business will be to reach out to anxious oil and gas executives, but said a royalty review remains a top priority. Shannon Phillips, 39 Environment, Parks, Status of Women Lethbridge-West Phillips has experience as a journalist, consultant and most recently as an economic policy analyst for the Alberta Federation of Labour. She will be the minister of environment and parks, as well as the minister for the newly created portfolio responsible for the status of women. Joe Ceci, 53 Treasury Board, Finance Calgary-Fort The five-term alderman is the NDP’s star in Calgary and among the few incoming MLAs to boast actual experience in government. Notley said his years on Calgary council gave Ceci experience in budgeting, which is the first major task facing this rookie minister as cabinet begins to draft a new provincial budget for the fall. Kathleen Ganley, 36 Justice, Solicitor General, Aboriginal Affairs Calgary-Buffalo A labour and employment lawyer who also has a philosophy degree, Ganley quickly became a favourite to oversee the justice department and become the new Solicitor General. She will also handle the aboriginal affairs portfolio and is one of three ministers from Calgary. Irfan Sabir, 37 Human Services Calgary-McCall The Pakistani-born immigrant has a degree in social work law and has practised aboriginal, business and resource law with a Calgary firm for the last three years. As the new minister for human services — a super ministry that brings together crucial files affecting some of the province’s most vulnerable — this rookie to both the legislature and cabinet will have his work cut out for him. Lori Sigurdson, 54 Innovation, Advanced Education, Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour Edmonton-Riverview Sigurdson’s experience as a social worker for two decades and the public affairs manager for the Alberta College of Social Workers makes her familiar with dealing with people and communicating with the public — both crucial roles for a minister. She has also served as a university instructor, experience that will help in her new role as minister of advanced education and minister of jobs, skills, training and labour. Oneil Carlier, 52 Agriculture, Forestry Whitecourt-Ste. Anne The new minister of agriculture, forestry and rural development, Carlier worked for Agriculture Canada for two decades as a geotechnical technician. During his time with the federal government, he worked on several large projects, including the Bassano Dam rehabilitation. His ministry comes with a host of issues, including country-of-origin labelling rules for beef exports and grain transportation backlogs. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/touch/news/alberta-politics/Meet+your+cabinet+Premier+Notley+names+team/11079541/story.html?rel=11079595 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Looks not too bad: EDMONTON JOURNAL MAY 25, 2015 Premier Rachel Notley, 51 Premier, Intergovernmental Affairs Edmonton-Strathcona As premier, Notley will serve as the guiding hand of her team of ministers, ensuring the group of rookie ministers find their footing in the early days of her government. As Alberta’s representative on the world stage, Notley will herself manage international and intergovernmental relations, which carries a focus on Alberta’s energy exports. Brian Mason, 61 Government house leader, Infrastructure, Transportation Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood As the longest-serving MLA in the legislature, Mason was an early favourite for energy or finance. Instead, Notley appointed the former bus driver to be minister of infrastructure and transportation. Together, the portfolios include major issues the new government will have to address quickly, including new school construction, highway improvements and a new cancer centre for Calgary. David Eggen, 52 Education, Culture and Tourism Edmonton-Calder He was a ferocious health critic in opposition, but Notley has tapped Eggen as her new education minister and minister of culture and tourism. Eggen’s past life was a public school teacher in Edmonton, experience he will likely draw on as he navigates his new portfolio. Eggen will have the challenge of ensuring funding for the 12,000 new students expected to enter the province’s schools this fall, an NDP election pledge. Sarah Hoffman, 34 Health and Seniors Edmonton-Glenora The well-known former chair of the Edmonton public school board, Hoffman was an early favourite to manage the education portfolio. Instead she was named health minister, a massive department that swallows nearly half of the provincial budget. Hoffman will also serve as minister of seniors and between the two portfolios must address the challenges facing emergency room wait times and the lack of long-term beds across the province. Deron Bilous, 39 Municipal Affairs, Service Alberta Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview Bilous taught for five years before becoming a New Democrat MLA in 2012, going on to serve as the party’s education critic. He will oversee municipal affairs as well as Service Alberta. His first order of business will likely be to sit down with the province’s big city mayors, Don Iveson and Naheed Nenshi, who have been clamouring for a big city charter since Alison Redford was premier. Marg McCuaig-Boyd, 62 Energy Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley Hailing from Notley’s hometown of Fairview, McCuaig-Boyd helps ensure rural representation at the cabinet table. A teacher for two decades and vice-president of the Grande Prairie Regional College Fairview campus, McCuaig-Boyd said her family were oil industry pioneers. Her first order of business will be to reach out to anxious oil and gas executives, but said a royalty review remains a top priority. Shannon Phillips, 39 Environment, Parks, Status of Women Lethbridge-West Phillips has experience as a journalist, consultant and most recently as an economic policy analyst for the Alberta Federation of Labour. She will be the minister of environment and parks, as well as the minister for the newly created portfolio responsible for the status of women. Joe Ceci, 53 Treasury Board, Finance Calgary-Fort The five-term alderman is the NDP’s star in Calgary and among the few incoming MLAs to boast actual experience in government. Notley said his years on Calgary council gave Ceci experience in budgeting, which is the first major task facing this rookie minister as cabinet begins to draft a new provincial budget for the fall. Kathleen Ganley, 36 Justice, Solicitor General, Aboriginal Affairs Calgary-Buffalo A labour and employment lawyer who also has a philosophy degree, Ganley quickly became a favourite to oversee the justice department and become the new Solicitor General. She will also handle the aboriginal affairs portfolio and is one of three ministers from Calgary. Irfan Sabir, 37 Human Services Calgary-McCall The Pakistani-born immigrant has a degree in social work law and has practised aboriginal, business and resource law with a Calgary firm for the last three years. As the new minister for human services — a super ministry that brings together crucial files affecting some of the province’s most vulnerable — this rookie to both the legislature and cabinet will have his work cut out for him. Lori Sigurdson, 54 Innovation, Advanced Education, Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour Edmonton-Riverview Sigurdson’s experience as a social worker for two decades and the public affairs manager for the Alberta College of Social Workers makes her familiar with dealing with people and communicating with the public — both crucial roles for a minister. She has also served as a university instructor, experience that will help in her new role as minister of advanced education and minister of jobs, skills, training and labour. Oneil Carlier, 52 Agriculture, Forestry Whitecourt-Ste. Anne The new minister of agriculture, forestry and rural development, Carlier worked for Agriculture Canada for two decades as a geotechnical technician. During his time with the federal government, he worked on several large projects, including the Bassano Dam rehabilitation. His ministry comes with a host of issues, including country-of-origin labelling rules for beef exports and grain transportation backlogs. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/touch/news/alberta-politics/Meet+your+cabinet+Premier+Notley+names+team/11079541/story.html?rel=11079595 agreed, all very educated and very qualified......hopefully that puts some of the concerns of albertans to rest about some of the MLA's elected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Why not? Could be a precedent - youngest cabinet. Assign a teacher to be the Minister of Education. Yoga Instructor - Minster of Recreation? Bus driver - Minster of Transportation..etc...etc...easy peasy. Uh huh and an oil patch worker for the energy sector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonLever Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 agreed, all very educated and very qualified......hopefully that puts some of the concerns of albertans to rest about some of the MLA's elected. Being well educated means absolutely nothing. You could be a PHD and be an idiot. Notice not a single one of them come from the private sector. All of them either have a background in government or draw a paycheck from the government. A disaster in waiting. Guaranteed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 People complaining about a lack of experience or related experience. Let me point a few things out. Our PM is a failed economist and mail room clerk. Former finance critic and failing our economy. Our defense minister NEVER served. Our health minister smokes. Our former foreign affairs minister has insulted the globe while standing behind Israel. Our aboriginal affairs minister has a past full of racial issues. Our former finance minister never balanced a budget in over 20 years in political office Our current finance minister is a failed financier Our environment minister worked for the energy sector. Our nuclear minister raised what is labeled the "safe rate of radiation exposure" for humans as an answer to Fukushima Complaining about the lack of experience for their cabinets is a laugh. Age life experience etc. All earned over time. Truth be told they CANNOT do worse than the previous Alberta government and collectively can't do worse than the feds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Being well educated means absolutely nothing. You could be a PHD and be an idiot. Notice not a single one of them come from the private sector. All of them either have a background in government or draw a paycheck from the government. A disaster in waiting. Guaranteed.yes because of course coming from the private sector means worlds of difference right? A disaster waiting to happen based on what Don? Weighed against what Don? Their work history? Laughable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Too bad BC Liberals don't value education this much: EDMONTON - Students will return to school this fall with the same supports and class sizes they had last year thanks to the NDP government’s decision to restore education funding for student growth, say the chairs of the Edmonton public and Catholic school boards. The NDP funding will give Edmonton Catholic Schools about $15 million more than last year, for a total of $367 million in funding. Edmonton Public Schools will receive nearly $37 million more than last year, for a total of nearly $877 million. “I think, when it comes to education funding, this math isn’t difficult,” Edmonton public school board chair Michael Janz said Thursday. Janz and Edmonton Catholic school board chair Debbie Engel said the districts were worried about how to educate thousands more students expected this September using the same number of teachers and fewer support staff. “We were looking at a really dire situation, because with 80 per cent of your budget going to salary, the only thing you could do is have classrooms grow,” Engel said Thursday. “So this day has just been a big sigh of relief.” After reviewing Alberta’s finances, Premier Rachel Notley announced Thursday that cabinet has decided to fund new students coming into schools for 2015-16, and to restore previously announced cuts to numerous education grants. “The government will allocate an additional $103 million to the education budget, sufficient to ensure that our school boards can meet their obligations, and ensure that every student in Alberta is getting the help and attention and the education that they need in our schools,” Notley said. The provincial budget that the Progressive Conservatives released in March, which was never passed by the legislature, sparked significant backlash for its education funding plan. The budget gave school boards about $125 million more in operating dollars, but nearly all that money was consumed by previously negotiated teacher salary increases. The budget protected front-line teaching jobs, but didn’t fund new student enrolment and cut numerous education grants, including those for transportation and to maintain school buildings, as well as those supporting students with special needs, English language learners, First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, and students from families of lower socio-economic status. In April, representatives of 19 public and Catholic school boards protested the cuts to education grants. Education Minister David Eggen said he will work with school boards to get the changes in place for fall. Board budgets must be submitted to Alberta Education by June 30. “It means we can address some of the pressure points and areas where we knew we had the greatest strain on our schools or our classrooms,” said Janz, Alberta expects 12,000 new students will enter the K-12 system this fall, and 36,000 over the next three years. The Edmonton public school board expects about 2,700 more students for 2015-16 and Edmonton Catholic Schools expects an additional 1,357 students. The proposed cuts had “fundamental implications for the quality of education in the classroom,” Notley said. The NDP government also has no plan to roll back funding for private or charter schools, Eggen said Thursday. Speaking to reporters in Calgary, he said the funding model for all schools will remain “status quo” for the foreseeable future. Alberta is the only province to fund charter schools, which receive the same per-student funding as public schools, but don’t qualify for infrastructure and maintenance funding. Private schools are eligible for 60 to 70 per cent of per-student funding. Critics have long complained funding of charter and private schools drains resources from the public system while proponents maintain the schools provide choice for parents and students. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/touch/story.html?id=11090445 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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