Roundup: The UCP can’t even get capitalism right

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The Alberta government’s plan to move ahead with RStar—a particularly boneheaded scheme by which oil companies can keep a portion of their royalties to clean up orphan or abandoned wells which they already have a legal obligation to do, is getting pushback from some fairly surprising sources, like those tree huggers at Scotiabank, who point out that this kind of a programme goes against fundamental capitalist principles. It’s also indicative out outright corruption, because premier Danielle Smith was lobbying on behalf of certain companies for this kind of subsidy before she got elected. This whole thing is just a giant flashing red flag of what is wrong with Alberta politics.

 

Ukraine Dispatch, Day 352:

As Russian forces continue their assault in the Donbas region, there are concerns that SpaceX has started limiting use of Starlink satellites for use by Ukraine’s military to control drones (which are mainly used for reconnaissance). Meanwhile, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Brussels to both look for more aid and to plead for EU membership, even though that process can take a decade. He also said that Ukraine intercepted Russian plans to destroy Moldova, which Moldovan intelligence confirmed, a plan that mirrored what Russia had planned for Ukraine.

Good reads:

  • At a speech to the Canadian Bar Association, David Lametti said he was giving bail reform “serious consideration” as he meets with provincial counterparts about it.
  • Sean Fraser says the government is looking at fast-tracking immigration from areas of Syria and Türkiye affected by the earthquakes (but “fast-track” may be relative).
  • Dominic LeBlanc and Jean-Yves Duclos met with Doug Ford on Ontario’s bilateral health deal, and Ford says that they are close to an agreement.
  • Rather than lighting their hair on fire, Canadian firms seem to be taking more a wait-and-see approach to Biden’s announcement on enacting Buy American policies.
  • A survey says that trust in government is starting to rebound as we move away from the height of the pandemic.
  • Opposition MPs theatrically demanded intelligence on allegations of Chinese electoral interference, ignoring that with clearance comes responsibilities.
  • Conservatives say they will support the bill to delay the implementation of the expansion of MAiD.
  • Premiers have delayed their meeting on the new health transfers until Monday.
  • The Ontario legislature is looking at nearby places to meet as the 130-year-old Queen’s Park building needs to shut down for a complete refurbish.
  • Doug Ford isn’t running a corrupt government. No, sir. Just ignore him inviting developers to his daughter’s stag-and-doe party for her wedding. Nothing to see.
  • The federal government is putting up $500,000 for a feasibility study around searching a Winnipeg landfill for the remains of murdered Indigenous women.

Odds and ends:

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One thought on “Roundup: The UCP can’t even get capitalism right”

  1. I am endlessly fascinated by the fast track promises made by all politicians when dealing with immigration issues, everything is fast tracked. Question; where do you get the staff to do the regular work and then the fast track files? The media does not seem to understand that with all the cuts and lack of hiring staff, fast track is just a word, nothing else.

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