Election budget in the making- Spring Election

Recently the Mayors of the major cities and members of the Municipal Districts met with the Provincial Government to seek funding for infrastructure which has been badly shorted to this point.

They were told there was cash coming down the chute; it will be in the spring budget.

This sets the stage is now set for a spring election.

A big spending budget will be presented in the legislature immediately followed by an election call.

The reason for the election call is Mr. Stelmach and Mr. Oberg have decided they will not hold public hearings and give a decision on royalty increases for this province in the face of royalty disclosures and provincial coffer/oil company profits being published.

If they were to go ahead with these hearings and a decision they would without doubt be defeated soundly at an election. Now, they have determined it would be better to pump up a big spending budget call an election and then if elected, go ahead with the royalty hearings and offer Albertan’s a token and marginal increase in royalty rates.

This worked well for them in their treatment of private health care. All the pieces remain in place to go that way. They must surly think it will work on the royalty debate.

This Government has been a one trick dog up to this point and it seems a certainty that will not change.

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca