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Alberta Jason Kenney and Health Care

Lord Tammerlain

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Here’s everything you need to know about the cuts proposed by Alberta’s blue ribbon panel | The Star


Prior to the Provincial election Kenney promised to maintain or increase health care spending during his governments time in office

The suggestions struck a nerve with Sarah Hoffman, the NDP’s MLA for Edmonton-Glenora and Alberta’s former health minister, who reminded Premier Jason Kenney that he signed a public health guarantee to maintain or increase health-care spending during the election campaign

After the election the UCP created a Blue Ribbon Panel to review government spending with the intent to see how they could reduce the rather large deficit in Alberta.

The finding/report has just been released

One of the largest chunks of any province’s budget, the report said Alberta spent $20.4 billion on health care in the 2018-19 fiscal year. Roughly 42 per cent of Alberta’s operating budget is devoted to hospital upkeep, funding provincial health initiatives, and paying doctors, among other significant expenses.
The report says Alberta spends around $5,077 per capita on health care compared to similar provinces, such as Ontario ($4,080), British Columbia ($4,267), and Quebec ($4,370), despite having a younger overall population.
So as expect the report came back with recommendations for ways to make it more "efficient " meaning cuts. Assuming everything else stayed equal (wages, cost of supplies, population and revenue for the province etc ) for the next 3.5 years, the government would have to find ways to remove 3 billion in health care spending to achieve their state goal of eliminating the deficit. Now I know how Albertan's like to say they are for smaller government and so on, but we also like our health care and education system.


Now for predictions. Kenney will not announce any cuts to education and health care until after the next federal election. Also if he actually follows through with cuts, and does not see oil and gas prices increase by the next election he will be a one term Premier
 
Knowing Alberta they will find some way to blame the NDP or Trudeau/Liberals for this instead of opposing Kenney and the Conservatives.
 
I dunno, do you really think the NDP could challenge next election again?
 
Knowing Alberta they will find some way to blame the NDP or Trudeau/Liberals for this instead of opposing Kenney and the Conservatives.

The only way I could see that working is if they kept spending flat (ie zero dollar increases). Alberta's two largest cities have changed in demographics drastically in just 10 years and Edmonton has been reasonably in support of Liberal/NDP parties in the past. I doubt Calgarians are likely to support cuts to education or health care (lots of young parents, and a large number of elderly, the elderly tend to vote Conservative here, but if they cant get health care I expect they will be rather upset.

If cuts are made to rural hospitals the main stronghold of the Con parties in Alberta would be upset
 
I dunno, do you really think the NDP could challenge next election again?

Potentially

Kenney is likely to alienate at least one group of conservatives in Alberta.

The Social Conservatives who are primarily rural if he does not move on social issues, or the fiscal conservatives who do want small government, or the centrists who are the largest demographic of voters in it. He alienates the SC or fiscal conservatives a new party could rise up again (Ie Wild Rose). If he makes cuts that hurt the centrists to much a swing to a moderate NDP could easily happen. If the pain under Kenney is to high, the pain under Notley might be seen as being better. I expect his political future is tied directly to the oil and gas industry
 
The only way I could see that working is if they kept spending flat (ie zero dollar increases). Alberta's two largest cities have changed in demographics drastically in just 10 years and Edmonton has been reasonably in support of Liberal/NDP parties in the past. I doubt Calgarians are likely to support cuts to education or health care (lots of young parents, and a large number of elderly, the elderly tend to vote Conservative here, but if they cant get health care I expect they will be rather upset.

If cuts are made to rural hospitals the main stronghold of the Con parties in Alberta would be upset

You know we are talking about Alberta right?
 
You know we are talking about Alberta right?

Yes I live there

I know that most Albertans are not as conservative as they appear to be. Yes more than in other provinces, but that is just because we can have low taxes due to oil and gas revenues. Alberta is quite a bit different then when Ralph Klein was premier. The minute health care services get cut and it effects the center right conservatives they will switch, same with education
 
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