When it comes to private MRI clinics, Albertans seem to hold a “let sleeping dogs lie” view.  According to our September Eye on Alberta report, nearly 6-in-10 (59%) Albertans approve of the current “hybrid” system for MRI diagnostics, compared to 1/3 (33%) that disapprove.   The issue briefly surfaced in late August, when the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons […]

For Immediate Release 2013 May 7   Although little known, Alberta’s $15 per tonne carbon tax is very popular among Albertans according to a recent ThinkHQ Public Affairs survey.   The poll, conducted in mid-April, reveals that fewer than 1/3 of Albertans (31%) are aware that Alberta currently has a levy on CO2 for large industrial emitters, with only 6% […]

Some new provincial politics numbers from our February 2013 survey. EOA Feb 2013 Excerpts

“He who controls the past controls the future.  He who controls the present controls the past.”   –       George Orwell, 1984   With all the discussion lately about the upcoming March 7th budget, and the difficult financial straights our province now navigates, I find myself thinking about Ralph Klein and how history will mark his place in the story of […]

IN THE NEWS… Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal 2013 February 2: “Tories taking a wrecking ball to the public trust”.   Click here to read Graham’s column: http://tinyurl.com/b8k7m7w       Click here to see survey results (.pdf): December 2012 Budget EJ Ex

About 6 or 7 months ago, on this very page, I said the Government of Alberta had a budget problem – well, actually 3 problems:   1)   Energy royalties would be well short of budget projections; 2)   The Provincial Budget had no spending “cushion”, i.e. every nickel of revenue was slated for spending, along with $900 million drawn from savings, […]

Crafting provincial budgets in Alberta is more challenging than one might think.  We have resource wealth, no doubt, but it is revenue prone to wild fluctuation.  The Government must not only manage the dollars and cents of the budget, but the public expectations that come with being as financially fortunate (and sometimes unfortunate) as we are.  And Governments who lose […]

A curious thing happens when government gets close to an election; they become extremely “risk averse”.   Inside government, it’s called “The Red Zone”: a pre-writ period where only new policy forming the election platform sees the light of day, and any old policy that could potentially be a liability is downplayed and tucked away in favor of more positive […]