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2009
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December
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- year in review 2009: alberta mla edition.
- merry christmas.
- tis the season to crack down on democracy.
- the top 3 alberta political moments of the decade.
- doing elections right in alberta.
- premier stelmach's problems are bigger than a cabi...
- hej enhver! lade os gennembanke alberta!
- #yegcc #lrt & #asked
- the top 10.
- david swann's 1st anniversary.
- crying wolf.
- round two: top alberta political moment of the dec...
- what will be the 21st century tidal wave?
- wildrose-in-waiting.
- tough economic times.
- vote now: top alberta political moment of the decade.
- new generation co-operative railway in alberta.
- not so tough economic times for some.
- buzz about reboot & renew.
- tis the season.
- vote for daveberta.
- my political reboot.
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December
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About Me
- daveberta
- Dave Cournoyer began blogging in 2005 while studying Political Science at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. In 2006, he was elected Vice-President (External) his Students’ Union and served as Chair of the Council of Alberta University Students until 2007. Since then, he has worked as Communication Coordinator for Alberta’s official opposition party and for various advocacy and public policy groups. As well as writing on this blog, Dave also occasionally writes for publications such as SEE Magazine.
Thanks for posting this. Hugh MacDonald criticizes pay increases yet he receives a 37% hike. What a joke!
ReplyDeleteDidn't Albertans get a cheque in the mail not too long ago when the oil money was flowing?
ReplyDeleteActually I have no problem with these increases. Public officials make serious sacrifices and work long hours. They deserve to be paid well.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous 10:36pm
ReplyDeleteSo do soldiers and they also get shot at and blown up.
$40,000 pay hike for Luke Ouellette. $45,000 payhike for Ray Danyluk. $50,000 payhike for Iris Evans. These increases are bigger than what most Albertans make in a year!
ReplyDelete@anonymous @ 9:51
ReplyDeleteMacDonald at least voted against the changes that brought these increases in, unlike the Tory and NDP crews.
Now he's in a situation where he can either not join committees, or sit on committees and represent his constituents and get paid more. At least the meetings he goes to are on the public record.
One more thing - They just said "Let them eat cake." They cut $3 million in funding to programs for persons with disabilities.
ReplyDeleteDoes Special Ed deserve the salary he makes? Let's compare, shall we? PM of Canada, $282,000/yr; PM of UK (Great Britain): £197,689/yr; PM of Australia: A$330,300/yr; President of US:US$400,000/yr, V-P $227,300. Premier of Alberta: $213,450/year. Judge for yourself.
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy for our MLA's - my pension went up $31 a month last year!! And I'm one of the lucky ones
ReplyDeleteMacDonald voted against it but then goes and criticizes it - yet he collects it! Talk about grandstanding. Nothing's forcing him from giving it back - except his own double standards.
ReplyDeleteI always get a good laugh when the salary "controvery" pops up every few months. the fact is that a number of MLAs and especially Ministers are taking a pay cut from their previous careers, and they have an extremely demanding job; moreover, we want to attract good people for the job of government and managing budgets. Sufficient value has to be there for them.
ReplyDeleteFinally... look at the value of the pay increases: less than a dollar per tax payer per year, yet people complain like it is the end of the world.
Did not Bridget Pastoor essentially give it back in the form of a donation to a senior's organization in her constituency? Hugh, on the other hand, can add "hyprocite" to the (long) list of things which combine to make him a Grade-A, Class 1 idiot.
ReplyDelete10:20 is right - at least Bridget does what she says and is consistent. Not like grand standing Hugh.
ReplyDeletePragmitist - I am sooooo sorry that the MLAs and Ministers had to take paycuts to come to government. That story has been played before. Try a new sob story.
ReplyDeleteThe thing with a government gig is that you don't have to generate clients to pay your overhead, bills, and salary. When you have a captive client base why should you be paid for the effort of generating and maintaining one as is done in the real business world.
Our province is being run right into the wall and we are paying top dollar to the people who are doing it. How stupid are we?
Albertagirl46 - who would you have run the province? Geez. Talk about negative city!
ReplyDeleteWhether or not the incease is valid or not, the optics of doing it now aren't good. With stuff like this and the rumored meeting with energy producers on the powerlines, the government is quickly becoming The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 10:56pm - Thanks for that question. Guess I have to come up with a better answer than "not them". I am not aligned with any party so I don't have a politcal favorite who, but I have a what kind of person. Unfortunately the current party and electoral system doesn't encourage them.
ReplyDeleteThe current system of supposed representative democracy no longer applies. I am sure it will continue for awhile yet but will do so without the implicit moral consent of the vast majority of the population.
ReplyDeleteIt is fast becoming an anachronism and the public merely tolerates it but obviously does not endorse it.
As it slides into utter irrelevance, all I can think about is the stunned look on Ceaucescu's face when the Romanians people simply booed or ignored him and he was simply done away with by the will of the people.
of course, we will not see such a tragic or bloody end to things here in Canada. Instead, the Alberta legislature will slowly fade away.....
MPs are public servants who deserve to get paid well, but not at the expense of other public servants who also deserve to get paid well.
ReplyDeleteIt's a hell of a lot harder to get a university faculty member than it is to get an MP, yet universities are being asked to keep their payroll increases to 0% this year. Now we know why.
And Alberta MLA's took a 0% raise last year, 0% this year, while the raises continue for MP's.
ReplyDelete