News
Around Red Deer May 30th…..
3:09 pm – A reminder from the Penhold Fire Department to not discard smoking material in gardens or planters. This, after a flower garden fire in Penhold today that caused ,000 damage to a garden and the adjacent home on Harvest Close just before 1:00 pm. Fire Chief Jim Pendergast says the flames spread to the vinyl siding on the outside of the house and up onto some electrical lines. Luckily there were no injuries, as everyone evacuated safely.
11:20 am – Red Deer College is inviting central Albertans to celebrate the best films of the year at Film Works 2017. This annual event features films created by RDC’s latest student actors, directors, cinematographers and all-around filmmakers. The event runs Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd. Read More.
11:15 am – RDC is getting set to hold it’s 53rd annual Convocation Ceremony on Friday, June 2nd. Read More.
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11:04 am – RCMP are looking for two suspects after a truck was stolen in Erskine and a break-in soon afterwards at the Erskine Grill May 5th. Read More.
10:25 am – Some road closures are in place throughout the Town of Innisfail today. Read More.
10:15 am – Temporary Road Closures are now in place at many rail crossings throughout Lacombe County over the next several days. CP Rail is doing some work at these locations. Read Where.
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10:08 am – Farm Vehicle Safety Checks are taking place in Lacombe County over the next couple of days. Read More.
9:54 am – It’s Vibrant Neighbourhoods Week and the Crossroads Church in Red Deer will be the site tonight to host a Rural evening with Jim Diers who will share his passion for getting people engaged with their communities. It runs from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Read More.
9:43 am – The 2017 Summer Clash Against Cancer wrestling fundraiser is moving locations from Sylvan Lake to Red Deer on August 12th. Read More.
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9:25 am – Week 1 is in the books for the Central Alberta Bucaneer’s 2017 season. The Bucs emerged victorious with a final score of 44-14 over the Grande Prairie Drillers on Saturday, May 27th. Read More.
9:17 am – It’s Business After Hours at Westerner Park tonight, while the Southside RV Centre Spring Event continues on site. Read More.
8:56 am – The City of Lacombe has released it’s 2017 Spring Coffee with Council Resident Feedback Summary Report. Read More.
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8:45 am – Municipal property tax notices for the 2017 taxation year were mailed out to Lacombe residents on May 26th. Read More.
8:35 am – Grade 8 students in Red Deer will participate in a Track & Field Day at École Secondaire Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School today!
8:27 am – To celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, every school in the Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division will celebrate on the 150th day of the year. That’s today, so all students are encouraged to wear Red and White to mark the occasion. Click here to see what the Catholic schools are doing!
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8:14 am – It’s the final concert of the season at Hunting Hills High School in Red Deer tonight. There will be performances by Concert Band, Jazz Band, Rock Band, Steel Drums, Drumline and Dance students. Tickets $10 each, available at Hunting Hills music room or at the door.
8:07 am – STEM Subjects, coding, 3D modelling and printing and robotics are all part of the Makerspace Open House from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Mountview Elementary School tonight!
7:58 am – Students at Red Deer’s Glendale Science and Technology School have their Outdoor Education Spring Camp today and overnight into tomorrow. They will be at the Alford Lake Conservation Education Centre participating in fishing, camping activities, wildlife identification, archery and survival training!
From the Fraser Institute
By Alex Whalen and Tegan Hill
Back in the summer at a meeting in Halifax, several provincial premiers discussed a lawsuit meant to force the federal government to make changes to Canada’s equalization program. The suit—filed by Newfoundland and Labrador and backed by British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta—effectively argues that the current formula isn’t fair. But while the question of “fairness” can be subjective, its clear the equalization program is broken.
In theory, the program equalizes the ability of provinces to deliver reasonably comparable services at a reasonably comparable level of taxation. Any province’s ability to pay is based on its “fiscal capacity”—that is, its ability to raise revenue.
This year, equalization payments will total a projected $25.3 billion with all provinces except B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan to receive some money. Whether due to higher incomes, higher employment or other factors, these three provinces have a greater ability to collect government revenue so they will not receive equalization.
However, contrary to the intent of the program, as recently as 2021, equalization program costs increased despite a decline in the fiscal capacity of oil-producing provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In other words, the fiscal capacity gap among provinces was shrinking, yet recipient provinces still received a larger equalization payment.
Why? Because a “fixed-growth rule,” introduced by the Harper government in 2009, ensures that payments grow roughly in line with the economy—even if the gap between richer and poorer provinces shrinks. The result? Total equalization payments (before adjusting for inflation) increased by 19 per cent between 2015/16 and 2020/21 despite the gap in fiscal capacities between provinces shrinking during this time.
Moreover, the structure of the equalization program is also causing problems, even for recipient provinces, because it generates strong disincentives to natural resource development and the resulting economic growth because the program “claws back” equalization dollars when provinces raise revenue from natural resource development. Despite some changes to reduce this problem, one study estimated that a recipient province wishing to increase its natural resource revenues by a modest 10 per cent could face up to a 97 per cent claw back in equalization payments.
Put simply, provinces that generally do not receive equalization such as Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan have been punished for developing their resources, whereas recipient provinces such as Quebec and in the Maritimes have been rewarded for not developing theirs.
Finally, the current program design also encourages recipient provinces to maintain high personal and business income tax rates. While higher tax rates can reduce the incentive to work, invest and be productive, they also raise the national standard average tax rate, which is used in the equalization allocation formula. Therefore, provinces are incentivized to maintain high and economically damaging tax rates to maximize equalization payments.
Unless premiers push for reforms that will improve economic incentives and contain program costs, all provinces—recipient and non-recipient—will suffer the consequences.
Authors:
National
Liberals, NDP admit closed-door meetings took place in attempt to delay Canada’s next election
From LifeSiteNews
Pushing back the date would preserve the pensions of some of the MPs who could be voted out of office in October 2025.
Aides to the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that MPs from the Liberal and New Democratic Party (NDP) did indeed hold closed-door “briefings” to rewrite Canada’s elections laws so that they could push back the date of the next election.
The closed-door talks between the NDP and Liberals confirmed the aides included a revision that would guarantee some of its 28 MPs, including three of Trudeau’s cabinet members, would get a pension.
Allen Sutherland, who serves as the assistant cabinet secretary, testified before the House of Commons affairs committee that the changes to the Elections Act were discussed in the meetings.
“We attended a meeting where the substance of that proposal was discussed,” he said, adding that his “understanding is the briefing was primarily oral.”
According to Sutherland, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, it was only NDP and Liberal MPs who attended the secret meetings regarding changes to Canada’s Elections Act via Bill C-65, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act before the bill was introduced in March.
As reported by LifeSiteNews before, the Liberals were hoping to delay the 2025 federal election by a few days in what many see as a stunt to secure pensions for MPs who are projected to lose their seats. Approximately 80 MPs would qualify for pensions should they sit as MPs until at least October 27, 2025, which is the newly proposed election date. The election date is currently set for October 20, 2025.
Sutherland noted when asked by Conservative MP Luc Berthold that he recalled little from the meetings, but he did confirm he attended “two meetings of that kind.”
“Didn’t you find it unusual that a discussion about amending the Elections Act included only two political parties and excluded the others?” Berthold asked.
Sutherland responded, “It’s important to understand what my role was in those meetings which was simply to provide background information.”
Berthold then asked, “You nevertheless suggested amendments to the legislation including a change of dates?”
“My role was to provide information,” replied Sutherland, who added he could not provide the exact dates of the meetings.
MPs must serve at least six years to qualify for a pension that pays $77,900 a year. Should an election be called today, many MPs would fall short of reaching the six years, hence Bill C-65 was introduced by the Liberals and NDP.
The Liberals have claimed that pushing back the next election date is not over pensions but due to “trying to observe religious holidays,” as noted by Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen.
“Conservatives voted against this bill,” Berthold said, as they are “confident of winning re-election. We don’t need this change.”
Trudeau’s popularity is at a all-time low, but he has refused to step down as PM, call an early election, or even step aside as Liberal Party leader.
As for the amendments to elections laws, they come after months of polling in favour of the Conservative Party under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre.
A recent poll found that 70 percent of Canadians believe the country is “broken” as Trudeau focuses on less critical issues. Similarly, in January, most Canadians reported that they are worse off financially since Trudeau took office.
Additionally, a January poll showed that 46 percent of Canadians expressed a desire for the federal election to take place sooner rather than the latest mandated date in the fall of 2025.
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