Brock Skywalker

Third Way delay · 7 March 06

Today at cbc.ca:

Alberta’s so-called “Third Way” to deliver health care may not lead to new legislation this spring.

For months, Health Minister Iris Evans and Premier Ralph Klein have said that their plan is to put the new legislation up for debate in the coming months.

The government is encouraging the public to give their MLAs feedback until the end of the month.

Evans says depending on the feedback, the government may decide to delay introducing legislation to get even more public input.

“We’ll see what the response is,” Evans said. “Maybe it’ll be important to have more detailed consultations later but we’ll see what this first round of response is and evaluate it from there.”

Which means it is even more important for us to do the reading and send in those opinions now!

Comments | Permalink

Our Premier throws books · 2 March 06

The incident occurred during question period yesterday when a member of the opposition asked a page to deliver a copy of the Liberal’s 78-page handbook on health care to the premier.

Alberta Premier, Ralph Klein, tossed the book back at the 17-year-old female page uttering “I don’t need this crap”.

At the time Klein was being flippant responding to criticism over his rich people first ‘Third Way’ health care reforms.

• Read more about the incident
• Find out how to help preserve health care

Comments | Permalink

The unhappy Georges · 17 February 06

I don’t know where they are, what they are all doing together, or even who the lady in the middle is, but I do know that none of them look happy to be there. What unhappy occassion could have brought these two Georges together? Does George W actually think Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ program involved Lucas in some way? Does anyone know? Please tell me!

• Interesting addendum – George Lucas on declaring that the Force is with the Democrats: “The emperor works behind Darth Vader, he doesn’t actually stand in front. I say that in fear of getting hit with a lot of buckshot.” (Rush & Molloy)

Comments [1] | Permalink

$400 of ego · 30 January 06

“Dear Albertan… Congratulations, and thank you for helping build this province. From, Premier Ralph Klein.”

How dare he sign the Alberta 2005 Resource Rebate cheques (when did they stop calling it the Alberta Prosperity Cheque?) off with his own freakin’ name! It is not from his pocket, or his chequing account. This is OUR money, intended for strengthening the Albertan infrastructure, being routed back to us in some sort of egotistical money laundering. The least he could have done was to sign it off from “Your Albertan Government”.

But, I guess we already know, he has no shame.

Comments | Permalink

And so it begins · 26 January 06

I knew it! I knew it would happen.

Apparently a whole lot of my fellow countrymen went out and got rippin’ drunk before they went to the polls on Monday (this is the only way I can explain it) and, on a bleary eyed lark, voted for a PC in their riding. Man, woman, man-woman, goat, whatever… point is now we are stuck with dullard Stephen Harper as PM.

But the humiliation doesn’t end there. No no. The Americans have already begun making fun of us for doing so. They are even refering to us as the “51st red state”. Great. We have drunkenly voted our way into becoming even less cool world wide than we were before. And just when we were gaining some street cred with our gay-marrying, anti-warring, legal-doping, economy growing ways. So, thanks a lot all you right-winged conservative voting goons who were too afraid to vote NDP or too blinded by media hype to re-elect a government that was, for the most part, working AND staying out of our face. No no, you’re right, there were never any scandals when Mulroney (Mr. GST himself) was in the PM chair… this is exactly what we needed.

Comments | Permalink

Bridget is living it! · 24 January 06

This just arrived in my inbox from my buddy (and Waynefest 2005 mc extraordinaire) Bridget Ryan.

I am sleeping outside for the next three days to raise money and awareness for safe and affordable housing, for the people who need it, with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

If anyone wants to come by and make a donation – we’re at the Old Timer’s Cabin on 99th street OR they can call 453-4653 to donate!

Thanks much!

Even five bucks helps….thank you thank you.
B

Do it do it do it! It will take your mind off calculating how many votes it would have taken to keep Anne in and some buffoon out.

Comments | Permalink

Cauliflower helps you vote · 23 January 06

Who knew it was so good for you? Not me. I always thought it was kind of tastless, gassy and, being that it is not one of the dark coloured vegetables, that it would not be that great for you. I was wrong. It is an excellent cource of vitamin c, folate and dietary fibre, among other things:

• Cauliflower (and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale) have compounds which may help prevent cancer.
• Cruciferous vegetables contain both glucosinolates and thiocyanates. These compounds increase the liver’s ability to neutralize potentially toxic substances.
• Studies suggest that vitamin C-rich foods, such as cauliflower, provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid arthritis involving two or more joints.

I also hear cauliflower helps keep Stephen Harper (and the rest of his frightening cabinet) out of the Prime Minister’s seat. Excellent! Eat some cauliflower and go vote.

Comments | Permalink

MLK Day · 16 January 06

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday honours the life and contributions of America’s (and perhaps the world’s) greatest champion of racial justice and equality, the leader who not only dreamed of a color-blind society, but who also lead a movement that achieved historic reforms to help make it a reality.

The King Holiday celebrates Dr. King’s global vision of the world house, a world whose people and nations had triumphed over poverty, racism, war and violence. The holiday celebrates his vision of ecumenical solidarity, his insistence that all faiths had something meaningful to contribute to building the beloved community.

Happy MLK Day everyone! And I mean everyone, not just our American neighbours to the south. Dr. King’s efforts may have been focussed in the USA but they truly touched the world.

Comments | Permalink

Second-class lungs · 30 December 05

On Sunday (the first day of 2006, Happy New Year!) a provincial legislation comes into effect that bans smoking in any public place that allows minors.

Critics say this legislation is too weak to make any real difference. The law, which initially was going to ban smoking in all public places, allows people to light up in bars, bingo halls and casinos.

Les Hagen, with Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), says “That is a sweeping exemption that we do not support. From our perspective, no one has second-class lungs. Everyone deserves protection from second-hand smoke.”

Many municipalities, such as our own E-town, have no-smoking bylaws that are tougher than the provincial one so the new rules will not really be noticed. Edmonton put a total smoking ban in place July 1, 2005, but those Calgary slackers won’t be entirely smoke free until 2008. Only about one-third of communities in Alberta currently do not have any smoking regulations.

Comments | Permalink

Not a lie, just confused · 19 December 05

In year-end interviews, Premier Ralph Klein has cited a report, written by Saskatchewan’s auditor Fred Wendel, as supporting the need for fundamental changes to the system to make health care sustainable.

“The Saskatchewan government was warned by its auditor general that unless they do something about the rising costs of health care that it will consume the total budget by the year 2020,” Klein said. “The total budget of that province.”

But Wendel says that’s not what his report says, and that if his province is 15 years from financial disaster, it’s news to him.

“I have not made a comment to that effect,” Wendel said. “I have talked about the sustainability of health spending. The government certainly is spending more and more on health care and it needs to carefully consider its options.

Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert says Klein is trying to use Wendel’s report to further his “third-way” health care plans.

“Well, those, including my colleague and friend the premier of Alberta, who propose that the solution is in the privatization of health care, will take any argument they can find,” Calvert said. “And sometimes even misrepresent the facts to try and bolster their argument.”

Klein’s spokeswoman Marissa Etmanski says Ralph may have confused Wendel’s remarks with that of someone else… or his own… or he made them up to make himself feel better.

Comments | Permalink