🧵CCP Investment Inc. is a corporation created 25 years ago to manage the pension money collected by government of Canada. It operates at "arms-length", meaning it's supposed to be independent.

It just released its annual report, and going through it has been a real eye opener. I had no idea just how bad the CPP is.

For starters, this huge organization, bloated with highly paid bureaucrats across all continents, managed to grow our investments by just 8% in 2023. The TSX had the exact same performance in 2023.

I manage my own personal investments through an iTrade account, and I generated 18.58% return in 2023. Any good Exchange Traded Fund offered by most banks with a 0.8% fee would have done equally well.

There are dozens of mutual funds around the world that manage $500 billion dollar portfolio and generate better returns.

Just to put things into perspective, Visa is work $500 billion US. Apple is worth almost $2 trillion.

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cppinvestments.com/the-fund/f2024… So why did the government created a separate corporation 25 years ago?

When the CPP was first introduced in 1965, Canada had almost 8 workers for every retiree.

A senior in 1972-1980 was receiving a pension that he/she had barely contributed to.

In those days the money collected through employee/employer contributions in a given year was enough to cover current liabilities, but not future ones.

In other words, workers weren't contributing to their own future pension.

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Live updates on the Alberta NDP leadership debate in Lethbridge.

So far it feels like a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations. We've had the obligatory land acknowledgment and now we're listening to a Blackfoot Elder deliver the opening prayer.

Weirdly, the person introducing him acknowledged that he got paid an honorarium and a few packs of cigarettes).

1/ Opening statement by Gill McGowan is all about winning over more people to the NDP. We need to be "More Tim Horton and Less Starbuck".

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🧵Why recall Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek?

1) She increased this year's property taxes by a whopping 7.8%, when Calgarians can already barely make ends meet, while at the same time giving herself a personal raise.

1/ 2) She promoted 'defunding the police' by reducing the policing budget by $20 million and now crime in Calgary is at an all-time high. People are scared to ride the LRT.

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This graph shows the Alberta Government's annual budget (blue) vs. actual spent for the last 23 years.

The government went from $17.7 billion in 2000 to $68.3 billion in 2023.

The grey line is our population grown over the same time period, plotted with the same axis ratio, so that the relative slopes are correct.

Data from the government's annual reports


1/alberta.ca/government-and… Annual inflation for that time period averaged 2.18% per year. In other words, the 2023 budget of $68.3 billion, outpaced the inflation adjusted budget of $29.1 billion (see table below) by more than 2:1.

Keep in mind that governments in Canada are amongst the biggest contributors to inflation. If our governments kept spending and borrowing under control, inflation could easily be less than 1.5% annually.



2/bankofcanada.ca/rates/related/…

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Canada's carbon tax scam.

This is a plot of Canada's per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions up to 2021. Emissions peaked 18.5 tonnes/person in 2000, and have been in decline ever since.

Under Harper, Canada's emissions dropped to 15.5 tonnes/person. That's a 16.2% reduction in 10 years, down to pre-1970 levels.

Trudeau introduced his carbon tax in 2016, and it's fair to say that it did nothing for 3 years. The reduction that occurred in 2020 and 2021 is entirely due to COVID and the slow down in the economy. Canada's emissions currently sit at 14.3 t/yr/person, and are increasing slightly.

Trudeau's plan calls for an increase in the carbon tax rate to a whopping $170/tonne by 2030. It's currently set at $65/t. An individual that emits 10 tonnes/year would still face a $1,700 tax bill in 2030.

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No other country gets more revenue from a carbon tax than Canada does.

Last year the Federal government collected an estimated $5.4 billion in Carbon tax.

Note: That's the equivalent of a 1% GST

Last year the tax was $50/tonne. It increased to $65/tonne this past April.

It's set to increase by $15/tonne/year until 2023.

2024 $80/tonne of CO2
2025 $95/tonne
2026 $110/tonne
2027 $125/tonne
2028 $140/tonne
2029 $155/tonne

By 2030 Canadians will be paying $170 per tonne of emission of an invisible, odorless, unreactive gas that is essential for life on this planet.

Remember the joke about "selling ice to Eskimos"? Well guess what folks?

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Weekly deaths in Alberta are still trending higher than statistically expected. Here's data up to Sept 2, 2023. (updated Nov 9, 2023). The orange line is the number of weekly expected deaths. This fluctuates, and usually goes down in the summer months. The blue line is the actual number of weekly deaths. Between 60-85 Albertans more than normal are dying every week. That's a 10-12% increase since the COVID vaccine roll out.

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Here's the same data, but I plotted "actual" minus "expected", which is excess deaths. The trend has been going up for 2 years. That's after we rolled out the vaccine. What's causing an extra 80 people to die every week in Alberta? Draw your own conclusions.

P.S. It's not COVID, long-COVID or heat pumps.

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🧵A short primer on thermodynamics and why heat pumps don't actually work when it's -10C in Canada.

I'm going to keep this very simple.

Below are two objects of identical mass and identical composition. The two objects are in a perfectly heat isolating medium.

I'm going to bring the objects together so that they touch.

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The two objects are now touching. I'm going to leave them like that for a few hours, until they reach an equilibrium.

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🧵Let me draw you a picture of just how bad things are about to get for Canadians. We've all heard stories about 16% interest rates under the Pierre Trudeau regime. I think we're heading in that direction again, despite what the Bank of Canada and Minister Freeland are telling us. This is the history our Government doesn't want us to know.

1/ This is an Andex chart. It's one of the most amazing financial info-graphics you'll ever see. I put a link below. It's on the wall of most financial planner's office, and I highly recommend you ask your bank for a paper copy. It's updated fairly regularly.

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td.com/ca/en/asset-ma…

🧵In order to collect a pension from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), you must have contributed to it while you were working. It's amazing how many Canadians don't even understand that.

1/ To find out how much you contributed over the year, login to your "My Service Canada Account" and click on the CPP contribution tab.

Note: You can (and should) request a printed copy be sent to you by mail.

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🧵 Yesterday the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) published his annual "Economic and Fiscal Outlook" report. It's supposed to be a critical review of the Federal Government's management of our tax dollars.

One big flaw in the report is that the PBO makes forward-looking predictions without including historical context. For that reason, I downloaded the last 5 reports, and created graphs that show historical values, and forecasts.

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This table is the core of the report. I'll break it down in subsequent posts.

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🧵Sharing a post I saw on another platform.

Since the NDP aren't shy about telling lies about Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP, let's lay out a few facts. You can use this too if you're talking to people.
1/ Danielle's 24B health care agreement with Ottawa guarantees no Albertan will pay for a doctor visit. Besides, it’s against the Canada Health Act to charge.

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The Pareto Principle (AKA the 80/20 rule), states that 80% of consequences come from 20% of events.

This is a table of expenditures I put together for a couple making $100,000/year. It's just to illustrate a point, but it's pretty realistic. 1/ 80% of this couple's expenditures come from 3 categories (taxes, bank interest and transportation). This is where the couple needs to focus their attention. This is also the three categories most influenced by government policies. See where I'm going with this? 2/

🧵Let's recap rights & freedoms that were trampled with examples.

Unvaccinated Canadians could not board a plane or a ferry.

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cbc.ca/news/business/…

https://twitter.com/Martyupnorth_2/status/1627703179994624000

Some businesses, like restaurants, gyms, movie theatres and hair salons, were deemed non-essential during CIVID, and forced to close. In other words, Canadians were denied the ability to earn a living. 2/

calgary.ctvnews.ca/alberta-bars-r…

🧵 To celebrate the Freedom Convoy, and because it's been almost 3 years since Alberta reported its first COVID case, I want to provide a lengthy update.

All my data comes from the AB government's website.

P.S. A lot of data is being suppressed 1/

alberta.ca/stats/covid-19… Here's a high level view after 3 years. We've had numerous "waves" of cases (red), with Omicron being the big spike. Cases have been flat since June, yet we currently have a relatively large wave of deaths (blue). 2/

Just once I wish CaptainMoron did some research, instead of spreading lies and platitudes.

🧵 Alberta's GDP in 2021 was $322.9 billion (just behind ON & QC). That's large enough to almost make AB a G30 country if we ever decided to go at it alone. 1/

economicdashboard.alberta.ca/grossdomesticp…

https://twitter.com/Captaincoby00/status/1618807143993606146

Alberta has one of the most diversified economies in Canada. We have 12 sectors, each with a GDP greater than $10 billion. That's why we're the only "have" province in Canada, contributing $200 billion in transfer payments to the rest of the country in the last 20 years. 2/

🧵@ABDanielleSmith won her Nov 9, by-election, totally legitimizing her premiership of Alberta. Since then she's flatten the flu season. It will be totally gone by early January. 1/

alberta.ca/stats/influenz… She's also brought COVID under control. Hospitalizations are declining rapidly. 2/

alberta.ca/stats/covid-19…

🧵 For those wondering what taking a crap in an outhouse when it's -35C outside feels like. The view from my "throne".

Stoney Creek, about 20 km north of Lake Minnewanka in Banff. From a trip a few years ago at this time. 4 days in -25C or colder.

🧵Why Bill C-21? And why now, after 7 years of failed Liberal policies?

There was 788 homicides in Canada last year. Of those, 297 were shootings. Holy shit, 164 people were beaten or strangled to death in the same time period. 242 were stabbed. 1/

www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.… Of the 788 homicides in Canada last year, 184 were gang related. 65 were in Ontario alone. 2/

www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-…

Some of you have asked why I hate Trudeau. Here's a partial list.

He raised my income taxes.
Added a carbon tax to everything.
Killed a project I was working on (Goldboro)
Trying to kill my industry (oil & gas)
Took away 3 rifles with an OIC
Trying to take away my shotgun 1/ Why I hate Trudeau (continuation)

He prevented me from traveling within or outside the country for nearly a year.
He's trying to censor me.
He called my views unactable.
He questions whether I should be tolerated.
His reckless fiscal policy has brought in 40-year high inflation

🧵These past few weeks have been interesting. Between the enquiry and all the commentary I've read, I finally realized that Trudeau does represent the MAJORITRY of Canadians who elected him. That's an alarming epiphany. 1/ The essence of democracy is that the majority governs. That's a very scary thought if you're on the fringes. That's why democracy hinges on the rights of minorities being protected, and they have to be. That's why we have a constitution and a charter of rights. 2/

🧵Just a friendly reminder that at this time a year ago, social gatherings of more than 10 people were illegal in Alberta. Furthermore, those gathering had to be vaccinated. In other words, even family members couldn't come to your small Christmas party. 1/ A year ago, this was considered a normal way to broadcast a hockey game. 2/