[bodsbods9090]

Not sure if some are aware here...but ambulances are now private, not provincially run.

Source: My cousin and her husband who are EMS employees.

 

[policyenthusiast]

Not sure if some are aware here...but ambulances are now private, not provincially run.

Source: My cousin and her husband who are EMS employees.

Not exactly private, but funded by municipalities instead of the province. Some munis like Spruce Grove elected against absorbing the cost, so the service is just stopping.

 

[bodsbods9090]

Not exactly private, but funded by municipalities instead of the province. Some munis like Spruce Grove elected against absorbing the cost, so the service is just stopping.

Yup, you're correct.

I heard wrong.

Didn't mean to cause panic everyone!

 

[inclusion]

Admittedly, as a Forever Canada supporter, I am unconvinced of the "separatists scare investment away" argument especially when people compare this to Quebec.

For one, Quebec has this thing called The French Language, or more accurately Charter of the French Language (1977) that made French the official language (and not English as well!) that made it a major headache for companies to do business when they're forced to do a minority language in a largely English and Spanish continent. Hell, you probably heard the occasional story how businesses in Quebec are hit with fines in the literal thousands of dollars just for having an English word on their sign. It's partly why many businesses fled to Toronto, a place that speaks and respects English. Alberta, on the other hand, speaks English, just like 300 million others in North America, so already they have no hurdle on that front.

And the other is that Alberta has this thing called Oil. Love it or hate it, the world runs on it, and if they are happy and oh-so-willing to extract oil from the chaotic Middle East that never had a single calm day in their history ever since Sykes and Picot drew lines on maps, then the much more developed and first world Alberta will do just fine in that front. Hell, Venezuela has Chevron and Shell and even ExxonMobil to a slight extent interested in doing business there, and this was because and after the USA got away with plucking Maduro from the capital!

I can understand the hesitancy that comes with having to create a new currency or new financial laws, especially since Alberta will have to make their own national reserve and bank, and of course companies would rather not want to learn yet more ways an independent nation will be different. Nonetheless, the difficulty is not getting companies to do business in your country's economy, it's making your own distinct financial system.

Venezuela and Alberta aren't good comparisons at all. The capital has already been spent in Alberta and is a sunk cost for companies at this point. It's more or less the entire reason that the companies you listed are hesitant to invest in Venezuela or other markets without established energy infrastructure. The US is bending over backwards to save its blunder by having big oil invest there, but big oil doesn't want to burn the billions of dollars in capital it has spent in Alberta. It is more likely the energy companies ride Alberta out for a few decades for ROI, then pivot to new markets like Venezuela that require significant capital expenditures to get output moving in a meaningful way.

Scaring investment away is an easy talking point, even though it isn't really true in Alberta's energy sector or agriculture, since the capital has already been spent. They already burned the renewables bridge before the referendum was a consideration. There are definitely a ton of financial reasons I want to remain in Canada, but I'm not worried about the risk of any significant investment leaving Alberta.

 

[Whattagame]

Venezuela and Alberta aren't good comparisons at all. The capital has already been spent in Alberta and is a sunk cost for companies at this point. It's more or less the entire reason that the companies you listed are hesitant to invest in Venezuela or other markets without established energy infrastructure. The US is bending over backwards to save its blunder by having big oil invest there, but big oil doesn't want to burn the billions of dollars in capital it has spent in Alberta. It is more likely the energy companies ride Alberta out for a few decades for ROI, then pivot to new markets like Venezuela that require significant capital expenditures to get output moving in a meaningful way.

Scaring investment away is an easy talking point, even though it isn't really true in Alberta's energy sector or agriculture, since the capital has already been spent. They already burned the renewables bridge before the referendum was a consideration. There are definitely a ton of financial reasons I want to remain in Canada, but I'm not worried about the risk of any significant investment leaving Alberta.

This doesn't make sense. The fact that money has been spent doesn't mean that future investment is no longer required. The opposite is true. An independent Alberta would need more investment to be sustainable given the start up costs required for a new country.

It's been hard enough finding a proponent for a new pipeline as it stands. Now you have to throw national boundaries into the mix, and the uncertainty that comes with negotiation from a nascent national entity.

 

[inclusion]

This doesn't make sense. The fact that money has been spent doesn't mean that future investment is no longer required. The opposite is true. An independent Alberta would need more investment to be sustainable given the start up costs required for a new country.

It's been hard enough finding a proponent for a new pipeline as it stands. Now you have to throw national boundaries into the mix, and the uncertainty that comes with negotiation from a nascent national entity.

Where did I say that future investment is no longer required? What do public start-up costs have to do with the existing energy infrastructure? You're conflating two separate issues. It's no secret in the energy sector as to why companies don't want to invest in Venezuela. Alberta has a lot to do with it. Do you work in the sector? Based on what you're saying, I'm thinking not.

 

[Whattagame]

Where did I say that future investment is no longer required? What do public start-up costs have to do with the existing energy infrastructure? You're conflating two separate issues. It's no secret in the energy sector as to why companies don't want to invest in Venezuela. Alberta has a lot to do with it. Do you work in the sector? Based on what you're saying, I'm thinking not.

You said "...I'm not worried about the risk of any significant investment leaving Alberta." I interpret that as you saying that no more investment is needed. Because the risk of investment leaving obvious and significant. If you read public annual reports for any of the companies with proposed major capex you can clearly see that this is the case. There was no conflation of issues.

I like the appeal to authority, though. Nice touch.

 

[whattheheck]

I truly despise Danielle Smith and any CONServative who supports her and her separatist party.

 

[David A]

That Edmonton exit idea is not bad

It is not just Edmonton, but parts of northern Alberta and Calgary doesn't seem so keen on separating from Canada either. The Republic of Alberta could end up being a mostly southern rural rump.

 

[Gus Haynes]

What's worrisome is that I get the distinct sense that most people are writing off separation as something that's not to be taken seriously -- a joke that can be brushed off like David Cameron tried to do with Brexit. And while separation is not something that that majority of Albertans want, in a low-turnout election anything is possible.

(Source: Angus Reid)

 

[David A]

Interesting how younger voters are stronger for staying in Canada than older ones. I wonder if some people have considered where their CPP and OAS comes from?

Also, I wonder if the referendum on a referendum question is a stealthy way to try ease people more towards separation.

 

[Markyeg]

What's worrisome is that I get the distinct sense that most people are writing off separation as something that's not to be taken seriously -- a joke that can be brushed off like David Cameron tried to do with Brexit. And while separation is not something that that majority of Albertans want, in a low-turnout election anything is possible.

View attachment 738985
(Source: Angus Reid)

Wild how 7% of NDP voters are pro-separation