#NewAlbertastan Hashtag Starts After Left Sweeps to Power in Alberta, Canada

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Thanks to @McPeekAg north of Scobey, Montana in Saskatchewan for the heads up…there’s a hilarious new hashtag that folks here in the Rocky Mountain/Upper Great Plains states may get a kick out of: #NewAlbertastan

I guess this whole hashtag was started to mock the conservatives after the Left swept into power in Alberta, Canada. The hashtag now is apparently having the opposite result.

The story and some of the tweets are below.  But first- former Obama campaign manager, and Chief of Staff to Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), played a role in the UK elections helping…the conservatives?

The Western Word: Jim Messina

Former Max Baucus Chief of Staff and Obama campaign manager Jim Messina took his skills across the pond to help Prime Minister David Cameron. Messina was a campaign advisor to the Cameron’s British Conservative Party that trounced the Labour Party in Britain’s Parliamentary elections. (Source)

Messina was interviewed on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” early this morning and although he helped the Conservative Party in Britain, he said he was clearly supporting Hillary Clinton here in the United States.

Politico: Messina trounces Axelrod in British elections

Many were skeptical that American-style political consulting could translate to Britain’s rough-and-tumble parliamentary system.

I think it was that sweet new Austin Powers hairdo that sealed the victory:

While conservatives were victorious in the UK…the same was not true in Alberta, Canada earlier this week.  As the Left swept to power in our neighbor to the North, new t-shirts and hashtags hit the market.

EdmontonJournal.com: ‘People’s Republic of Albertastan’ T-shirts hit the market; Justice minister’s comment on NDP win inspired designer

Al Jazeera:  Canada’s most conservative province shocks many by electing left-of-centre provincial government.

The surprise victory by a left-leaning party in one of Canada’s most conservative provinces has some calling the area “New Albertastan”.

Rachel Notley of the New Democratic Party (NDP) stunned political analysts when she won Tuesday’s election, uprooting the centre-right Progressive Conservative Party, which has ruled Alberta for more than four decades. Conservative party Justice Minister Peter McKay told reporters some said the province “was like Albertastan now”. This prompted many to use #NewAlbertastan to joke about what the NDP victory means for Alberta.

I doubt the Koch brothers would have approved of the income tax hike proposed by former “conservatives” though…

PRIOR  POST

Aaron Flint posted on May 06, 2015 09:34 :: 266 Views
 

I shared the news with you recently that there are now *zero* rigs in Montana, but could that change with oil prices topping $61 a barrel for the first time in 2015?  That story is below.  But first, what implications could the election results in Alberta, Canada- our neighbor to the North- have on jobs here in Montana?  Not only is tourism dependent on the strength of the Canadian energy sector, but the mutually beneficial energy sector provides jobs on both sides of the border.  

From Politico’s Morning Energy:  BIG CHANGES IN ALBERTA

Tuesday’s election has brought big changes to Keystone-loving Alberta, Canada’s government. The Alberta New Democratic Party wrested power from the Progressive Conservative Party, according to projections. The Wall Street Journal explains the energy implications: http://on.wsj.com/1KKV2gG And Maclean’s outlines the NDP’s energy platform: http://bit.ly/1PnS16E

The Wall Street Journal: Left-Leaning Party Sweeps to Power in Canada’s Oil-Rich Alberta; Alberta New Democratic Party wants to raise corporate taxes, increase oil and gas royalties

The longtime ruling party of Canada’s energy-rich Alberta province lost its four-decade hold on power on Tuesday, ushering in a left-leaning government that has pledged to raise corporate taxes and increase oil and gas royalties.

The Alberta New Democratic Party swept enough districts to form a majority, taking most of the seats in both the business center of Calgary and the provincial capital of Edmonton, according to preliminary results from Elections Alberta. The outcome was a blow to Premier Jim Prentice’s Progressive Conservative party and one that threatens to roil the province’s economy amid a slump in energy prices.

It was the first general election in the province since 2012 and served as a referendum on Mr. Prentice’s eight-month tenure as premier. The chief issue was a budget plan to raise income taxes while holding the line on spending to compensate for revenue lost largely due to the pullback in the energy sector.

Related…

Marketwatch.com: Oil ends above $60 for first time in nearly 5 months

Oil futures rallied Tuesday, with the U.S. benchmark settling above $60 a barrel for the first time in nearly five months as protests at a Libyan oil port fed concerns over supplies.

Karim Rahemtulla, alternative investments strategist at The Oxford Club, attributed oil’s gains to the eurozone forecast as well as the Libya port shut down.

He also pointed out that Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi has been quoted by CNBC as saying that no one can set the price of oil, “it’s up to Allah.” Al-Naimi also said he wasn’t worried about the possibility of more oil from Iran if sanctions are lifted. See: As U.S. cuts, Saudi oil-rig counts hit record highs

WHO TV.com: Oil Tops $60 a Barrel for First Time in 2015

Here’s something the world hasn’t seen since December: oil trading above $60 a barrel.

Crude oil crested the $60 mark Tuesday for the first time this year. Traders are buzzing about whether its a sign that the era of low gas prices for American drivers is over.

Flynn also notes that Saudi Arabia released data on its oil sales to Asia that show prices were stable — another sign that Asian demand isn’t as weak as some may have thought.

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