Scathing AG report directed at (former Minister of Finance) Travis Toews on COVID19 spend. For example, on the topic of $1.3 billion from Ottawa: "We could not trace funds... to see who spent the money and what was achieved" #AbLeg
oag.ab.ca/wp-content/upl…
On "Safe Return to Class" funding, also scathing: "we could not identify how much was spent on individual initiatives, nor were results reported." Not sure many parents will find that comforting after a disastrous school year.
Oct 16, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
The circus that is Bill 10 and the seriously interesting internal rift within the UCP
Recall: Bill 10 (passed this spring) changed the Public Health Act. Allowed a minister to create new law, bypassing the elected legislature #AbLeg
edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/…
Th legal community (see below for example), the NDP, and citizens who all noted that Bill 10 was unconstitutional, but UCP MLAs voted to jam it through the legislature in 48 hours during the pandemic.
AB Finance Min press conf, where he launched Budget 2021 consultations. First thought: Asked whether approach taken yesterday on AHS (see below) would apply to all ministries, he said yes. Hence, more jobs on the chopping block #ableg
edmonton.ctvnews.ca/as-many-as-11-…
Thought two: Finance Min continues to talk about the Triple Black Swann event hitting AB. Not sure that it was "impossible" to predict Saudi/Russia deal falling apart. It was by definition tenuous. #AbLeg
FACT CHECK: AB tapped the debt markets 24 times between March 20 - April 30. Now up to 44 separate debt issuances since pandemic, borrowing $21.03 billion.
Does the Premier not know his Finance Ministry publishes this data? #ableg
cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…
If you want to see the trade date, settlement date, par amount, coupon rate, maturity date, etc., of every issuance it's right there on the Alberta Treasury Board and Finance - Investor Relations - website: alberta.ca/assets/documen…
