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SHEILA GUNN REID | Teachers Strike, Tax Blunders, and a Political Earthquake in Newfoundland
00:54:55
Sheila and Kris Sims discuss the impact of Alberta school walkouts on families, the unions' focus on school choice, and the ultimate cost.
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- [00:00]
A
Teacher strike, tax blunders and a political earthquake in Newfoundland. I'm Sheila Gunn Reid and you're watching the Gunn Show. Well, it's another week in Canada where the people running things seem determined to prove they shouldn't be running anything at all. Let's start right here in Alberta where the teachers UN decided to walk out after 23 years. They say it's about the kids, but if you believe that, well, I've got a carbon tax rebate to sell you. This strike isn't about underfunded classrooms or overworked teachers. It's about union bosses flexing their political muscle after their feelings were hurt by Premier Daniel Smith to force everyone into a broken cookie cutter public system that parents are increasingly walking away from. They can't stand that Alberta's education model actually lets parents make choices, real ones, based on what's best for their kids, not what's best for bureaucrats and union executives. Chris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins me to break down what this strike is really costing Alberta families both in dollars and in lost classroom time. Then we'll move east to Ottawa, where the geniuses at the Canada Revenue Agency are rolling out their next disaster, automatic tax filing. The same department that can't answer your call, can't process your return properly and accidentally leaks personal data now wants to do your taxes for you. What could possibly go wrong when the fox runs the henhouse and files all the paperwork? And then finally we head to Newfoundland and Labrador where the Liberals just got tossed out on their ear. The Progressive Conservatives pulled off a political earthquake with Tony Wakem taking over as premier. The question now is how much of that progressive label will stick. Because if Newfoundland just voted for change, they're going to find out soon whether they got it or just a blue painted version of the same old red ink politics. I'll break it all down with Chris Sims from the ctf. No spin and definitely no automatic tax filing. Take a listen. So joining me now is my good friend and good friend of Rebel News and of taxpayers everywhere, Chris Sims. She's the Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. And we've got a ton to talk about. But before we do, last night, surprise upset. If you were watching the pollsters, and I was so I was kind of surprised. We did a live stream last night and I started off saying, you know, like the polls say the Liberals are gonna win and you know, no surprise, it's Newfoundland and Labrador. But then like three hours into what was supposed to be a 19 minute live stream, things have Switched. And all of a sudden Tony Wakem is the new progressive conservative premier in Newfoundland and Labrador. I was surprised, but I am also delighted and I think you are too.
- [03:06]
B
Yeah, it was really nice to hear, especially because he was running on a pro oil and gas platform. And the reason that we're happy to hear things like that is because that is what brings in private investment into Canada and it lessens the burden on the backs of taxpayers payers. As we've pointed out before, we've lost out on billions with a B dollars by not having proper pipeline capacity here in Canada. And that's just from the income taxes federally that we've lost out on by not having those pipelines up and running because of the jobs that are created from those things. And so, yeah, based on what I've seen of that platform, that was really nice to see. So I think, Sheila, the kind of the shine of the fancy words and the slogans and all of the glossy nonsense, I think that's wearing off. Yeah. Because at the end of the day, working people like the families you and I both grew up in, we need money, we need great jobs, we need solid industries that have our backs that we can always go work in and we can't pay the mortgage on good intention and promises of battery plants someday. So maybe this is an indicator of people getting more real over this stuff.
- [04:22]
A
Yeah, I mean I read the PC platform sort of in the lead up to the election and it's pro oil and gas, it's pro small business, pro private sector lower taxes and they really want to take a bite out of that. Highest unemployment rate in the entire country at nine point like that is a devastating unemployment rate. And you know the solution to that really is offshore oil and gas development.
- [04:51]
B
Yep, big time. I'll take an extra little bit of hope out of this too. Is that the previous, now the outgoing government, the Liberals, provincial Liberals who were there credit where it's due, they had reduced gas taxes and they were one of the instrumental voices holding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to account for his stupid carbon taxes. So when they suddenly all of a sudden had to start paying the full freight of carbon taxes in all of Atlantic Canada. So not just Newfoundland and Labrador, there is a distinction between Atlantic Canada includes Newfoundland and Labrador. The Maritimes are just the, the lower provinces, the further south provinces. But again, credit where it's due, they did take Trudeau to task, more so than I thought any other provincial Liberal party would do. So I'm taking this as an indication that the people, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. They reflected that in that current government then and now they want more of that.
- [05:53]
A
Right.
- [05:53]
B
More putting the boots to the federal government more saying, no, we need actual action. We need resource jobs, we need pipelines, we need private investment coming up here to Canada. So I'm, I'm taking this as a good sign.
- [06:08]
A
Yeah. You know, we noted that when we were talking about it last night. It feels as though the liberals in the Atlantic provinces, like the provincial Liberals and even the federal Liberals in the Atlantic provinces, they're a little bit removed from the hive mind of Ottawa and they have to be more in touch with the local people. And a lot of the opposition to the federal carbon tax actually came from those Liberals who were worried about losing their seat. And the Liberals had to capitulate because they actually stand to lose something there, whereas they don't actually stand to lose anything in western Canada. We don't generally vote Liberal out here.
- [06:46]
B
Can I, can I for just a second? Definitely. So I've got family back there. You know, I lived back there and so there's a different culture in the Maritimes and in Atlantic Canada. So I, I don't have family in Newfoundland and Labrador. I guess I do for married in, but you know what I mean. I have family all through that region and own a house there. I get it to a large extent. I'll put it this way, when I go back and visit, they don't say I'm from away.
- [07:13]
A
Right. Okay.
- [07:14]
B
Because. Right. Of the, the family connection. So they're. Generally speaking is a difference between politically there. So not everybody. But generally speaking, as the culture in the Maritimes, you're often kind of born into a party.
- [07:31]
A
Sure.
- [07:31]
B
So I know my nana, God rest her soul, she was definitely this way. And she was part of the silent generation. In the same way that you're either born Catholic or Protestant, you're born a liberal oratory and that's just how things are. And you have the portrait of your favorite prime minister next to your bowl of teaspoons. Right. Right there on the dining room table. And it. And it's an ingrained part of their culture of red team, blue team, liberal, conservative. And they're very active in it. And they're more, I would say, more comfortable in their own skin within that party. So it's part of their life here in the west, which I am from, we can start a political party in like an afternoon.
- [08:16]
A
Right.
- [08:17]
B
There's a prairie fire. It's all populous based. I love it. That's cup of tea. Because it affects real change, in my opinion, and it holds government to real account. That is my bag. But in the Maritimes, this is what's interesting, and this is why I think this whole thing started in the Maritimes of the pushback against the carbon tax. That actually had some teeth to it because those constituents from within those Liberal members of Parliament ridings had the confidence to say, hey, Mike, Mike, I have to fill up my oil tank this week. What is going on? I'm not going to be coming out to your box social or your strawberry picnic or anything anymore. What's going on? I'm going to tell your mother about this. I'm not joking. Like, it's, it's, it becomes that integrated into their culture. And so I would argue that gave those members of Parliament the confidence to stand up to the movie star thing that Trudeau had going on and look at him in the eye and say, I don't care what kind of socks you're wearing or how much these people from Toronto and Ottawa like you, I care about Margaret down the street right in my riding and you better scrap this thing right now. That's what happened. And so to your point here, I guess I'd have to really give it some thought as to how they switched now from Liberal, which was still holding Trudeau to account, which is a very Atlantic Canadian thing to blue. Too Conservative. We'll have to see what happens there. But anyway, sorry to nerd out on that.
- [09:49]
A
No, I like that. I like that. Because look, there's something to be said for small town social pressure. It's a course correction in and of itself. And I should note that the pressure that came from the Liberals, but also the Conservatives in the east, resulted in that carve out of home heating oil from the carbon tax. And that car vote and the hypocrisy of awarding that car vote to, if you care about these things, and I actually don't, the dirtiest form of home heating from the carbon tax, it caused a knock on effect where Scott Moe was like, oh, yeah, well then you're not getting any carbon tax from our crown corporation that provides the home heating and electricity around these parts. So it caused a knock on effect, that hypocritical carve out that the Liberals pressured their own party to give out there caused a knock on effect that I think turned into a snowball that made it impossible for the Liberals to keep the consumer carbon tax.
- [10:56]
B
Amen. And actually shameless plug Franco points all.
- [10:59]
A
That out his book.
- [11:01]
B
He points all that out on his book. I Actually saw this in the background of one of the plebs interviews the other day. So thanks for that. I guess that's cool. I guess I should step it up. I don't even have it here. What a bad friend. I should put that in mind. But, but to your point, that was the, to use a different metaphor, that was the crack in the dam. Absolutely it was. Because remember how rushed that looked? Remember that weird press conference where they announced the car vote for the home heating fuel? And that was exactly because of that scenario I just relayed.
- [11:29]
A
Yes.
- [11:30]
B
And it's a true scenario. Come the fall, people are getting their, their furnace oil filled and all of a sudden they're looking at an extra 250 bucks tax tacked onto that. And quite often these folks are seniors, they're on a fixed income, they can't afford that. Yeah. So they rightly raised bloody hell with their MP and then the MPs turned around and filled Trudeau's ear and Trudeau panicked and did a carve out for the highest emission fuel that you're using bunker like compared to natural, you know, like it's, you're just burning oil in a furnace. It's a lot higher emission. If like you said, that's your concern. It's way higher emission than natural gas. But they get this car vote. Interestingly, Stefan Guibo was not there. He did not come to that press conference. He was not part of that announcement. And that was the crack in the dam that finally got rid of the consumer carbon tax and it is gone. I know a lot of people ask me, is it just reduced to zero? It was reduced to zero, but it is now gone. The mechanism is currently gone. But we're in the middle of the lull. It's that phony war right now where they're cooking up the bigger batter, more hidden industrial carbon tax. But right now I'm. I. Gas was a $13 here a liter over the weekend.
- [12:43]
A
I was, I paid A$12 a couple days ago.
- [12:47]
B
Great. That's 20 cents cheaper than it would be. It's great.
- [12:50]
A
Yes.
- [12:50]
B
And it's because the carbon tax is gone. So good on everybody for yelling at the government loud and clear enough. And I'm going to take this as an indication that people are still yelling at the government in Newfoundland and Labrador and they want more change that will result in more wealth for Canada and lower taxes.
- [13:05]
A
Yeah, well, you know, Newfoundland being a resource rich place, what's good for Newfoundland is good for the rest of this country in much the same way that what's good for Alberta is good for the rest of the country. Before we move away from federal, like the intersection of provincial politics and the federal government, something that the CTF has been warning us about was coming is now, I guess, upon us. And that is automatic tax filing at the cra. Like if you try to call the cra, clear your schedule six to eight months from now when you'll hear back from them. But these people are going to take on the duty of filing your taxes for you without your permission and also claiming your deductions that they don't know about. How is this supposed to work?
- [13:57]
B
It's not going to, is the short answer, but let's give you a long answer, please. Yes, we have been warning about this now for a few years. And the actual. Even the phrase government automated tax filing, like, it actually sends a chill down my spine.
- [14:12]
A
Yeah.
- [14:13]
B
And it should because this is a huge government power grab. So for those of us who are keeping score with the conspiracy theorists, we're batting a thousand sisters because this is a huge government overreach. Now, of course, they're rolling out this Trojan horse under the guise of helping. They're going to help poor people, they're going to help disadvantaged people. Because sometimes these poor people and these disadvantaged people don't know legitimately what tax credits they're. They're capable of signing up for meaning what sort of benefits or help they can get from us taxpayers via the government. And so enrolls the federal government through the CRA saying, I'm from the government and I'm here to help. Y' all should be running for the hills when you hear that. So this is easily defeated in a couple of points. One, there are already free services to help poor people and disadvantaged people do their taxes everywhere.
- [15:20]
A
Everywhere churches.
- [15:22]
B
Thank you. There's free tax clinics and free tax help everywhere. So if you can't even afford to, you know, have a computer and an Internet connection and do your own software thing, you can still get free people doing it for you online. Say that you're in that dire of a straight and you don't even have that access. There's tons of in person free tax clinics.
- [15:44]
A
Yeah.
- [15:44]
B
That people can go to. Thank you. They're in churches, they're in parking lots. Okay. Like, yeah, it's there. So here comes the government with a solution to a problem that does not exist. Right. Two, I wanted to ring this bell because this is really spooking me. I'm seeing a lot of sudden and frankly unexpected corners of pushback coming at us at the taxpayers Federation all at once saying, oh, don't you care about poor people? This is a no brainer, like we should do this. And it's from so many kind of prominent people all at the same time. My spidey sense here, Sheila, is the government was chumming that water for a long time through their stakeholder engagement.
- [16:31]
A
Yeah.
- [16:32]
B
So just to get nerdy, nerdy again, I think you're listeners should get a warning when you're inviting me on the show. But with the government, this is typically how it goes. They've got some new stupid idea that they want to push through the House of Commons. So they get their comms team to work on, oh, the advertisements and all the, you know, pop up ad crap that you want to not see on the Internet. And then they get their strategy team to work it out on how to get it the proper amount of votes in the House of Commons, blah, blah, blah. And then there's something, there's an element called stakeholder get relation. Now it took me the longest time to understand what the hell people were talking about when they were saying that. But what that means is get non government people to analyze what you're doing. So for example, if they were trying to put through automatic tax filing, they would go to influencers and people who have a background in economics who follow the government, and they would get them together in rooms and on conference calls and they would present them with different versions of the bill. What do you think of this? What do you think of that? It's kind of like a focus group. Okay. But in government they call it stakeholder relations. My gut right now, Sheila, is that they were pushing that button hard leading up to this because we're seeing an awful lot of pushback from people who should frankly know better, saying automatic tax filing is fine. No, it's not. Because this is a very easy gateway into the government saying to other people, you know what, dear? You filing your taxes is so simple for us and so hard for you. Just trust the government to do it. People should not give the government unfettered access to all of their data. This is not a smart thing to do. Yeah, because it violates your privacy and the government right now is broke. They're like some vampire who's like, hasn't had blood in a long time. They're looking under the couch cushions to find things. Okay? Do not give this government the keys to your accounts. It's not smart. And lastly, sorry, this is a big long rant.
- [18:35]
A
Please do.
- [18:37]
B
The government is terrible at Doing things.
- [18:39]
A
Yeah. Try calling the cra. Let's just try calling them. They're not good at doing the phones down there. You want them to do your taxes Be crazy.
- [18:48]
B
I know. Like, I'll give you a perfect example. And it won't even be a big sexy one, like a rive scam, which never worked and it was a total joke. But even something boring like software. Payroll software for the federal government. I checked, Sheila. This is like a little dumpster fire that nobody's paying attention to. And it's the Phoenix pay system.
- [19:10]
A
Yes.
- [19:10]
B
And every now and then I just pull the curtain back and look, and it is horrifying. $3 billion.
- [19:18]
A
Holy hell.
- [19:20]
B
We have spent as taxpayers $3 billion trying to fix the government software that they use for their payroll. So if the federal government can't fix its own payroll software for its employees in house without blowing $3 billion, you're going to give them access to everyone's personal and super complicated taxes?
- [19:49]
A
Yeah.
- [19:50]
B
Like all of your deductions, all of your dependents, all the things you may or may not own year to year change. To change like this. This would be a nightmare. People should not be fooled by this. Do not let them trick you into saying, oh, it's for poor people. They're super devious. This is not for poor people. Poor people already have free access to tax help. Don't give these keys to the hands of the government.
- [20:14]
A
Right. And who's lining up to line their pockets? All the government contractors with the solutions for this stuff. All the GC strategies of the world. They're just there waiting to line their pockets under the pretense of helping poor people when, you know, like, if you want to help poor people, you don't need a government contract to do that. You can just, like, go do it.
- [20:34]
B
Yep.
- [20:34]
A
You just go do it. Go right now. Don't do it through the government. Just go help poor people file their taxes. If that's what you want to do.
- [20:42]
B
That's right. Get down there, grab a little card table, set up a calculator, and your Internet connection. You go do that.
- [20:49]
A
Now. I need to file an access to information request to find out the influencers who were on this. Because you can get those lists, right? Oh, yeah.
- [20:59]
B
Aren't you smart?
- [21:00]
A
Yeah. There were vaccine influencers on a list, and they were exactly who you. I thought they were.
- [21:06]
B
That's right. I forgot about that. You're right. But no, do check it out, because I noticed it was immediate and it was dozens of them and they were all saying Similar ish things. Now, it's fair. Like, we often do say similar ish things because these are fights that we're having, but it was so quick and it was so concerted. I'm like, y' all were part of the same stakeholder relations conference call, weren't you?
- [21:28]
A
So great.
- [21:28]
B
That's. That's my gut.
- [21:30]
A
Yeah, I'm. You know what, your gut is generally, right. Especially when it's. The sentence structure is remarkably similar. In their defensive posts, like, you guys just run it through ChatGPT and ask them to rearrange the words for you. But that's too much like work, I guess, for some of these.
- [21:47]
B
Drop it in the word blender and dump it back out.
- [21:50]
A
Now, before we get onto the teacher strike in Alberta, which you have really been pointing out a lot of facts, something just popped up on my email, like, just minutes ago, and it just came up out of the corner of my eye. And I've got to tell you about this. I want to share this with you first. The Alberta government new bridges on Highway 8 will be named the Stu Hart Memorial Bridge, honoring one of Alberta's most legendary figures and a true wrestling pioneer.
- [22:21]
B
I'm wearing my pink shirt, and it's just a complete pink and blue. This is wonderful. Yeah, look at this. The Heart foundation pink. This is great. Okay, so for people. Should we explain who Stu Hart was? For people who just landed in Alberta from Mars.
- [22:35]
A
Okay, so from the Alberta government press release, but I mean, if you know the Hart foundation, if you've watched even, like a snippet of wrestling over the last, I don't know, since 1948, you might have seen somebody either trained by the Hart family or influenced by the Hart family or a member of the Hart family themselves. But for over 30 years, Stampede Wrestling launched the careers of professional wrestlers and household names, including Brett the Hitman Hart, Owen Hart, Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, that's the Anvil, and others. And now we're on to, like, the second and third generation of the Hart family wrestlers. Hundreds of aspiring aspiring wrestlers learn the ropes in the legendary Dungeon, the basement gym of the Hart Mansion on Calgary's west side, now a designated heritage site, which is just so Albertan. Devon Drishen, Minister of Transport and Economic Corridors, says, for many Albertans, Stampede Wrestling wasn't just a show. It was Saturday night's tradition. Naming this bridge and Stu's honor provides a lasting tribute to Stu and his legendary family, not only for promoting the sport of wrestling, but for the family's Countless contributions to Alberta. It extends beyond the wrestling ring. It's the Hart family is noted to have been a supporter of more than 30 charitable and civic organizations including Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Alberta Firefighters Toy Fund. Through the Owen Hart Foundation, Martha Hart has continued the legacy of philanthropy by contributing millions to causes across Alberta in support of educational scholarships, housing assistance and youth programs. The Hart family's ongoing engagement ensures that Stu's legacy of caring, inclusivity and giving back remains very much alive. And it was actually the Stampede Wrestling was actually one of Canada's longest running TV shows airing in more than 50 countries over its 30 years of broadcasting, bringing professional wrestling to the mainstream. I'm just so pleased with this.
- [24:32]
B
It's me too.
- [24:33]
A
It's on the West Calgary ring road and I can't wait to just go get a picture with that sign when it's up.
- [24:40]
B
That is so rad. I really hope that Bret Hart is there for that. That would be really cool to see. One of my favorite things I ever did. I worked in mainstream media for like 20 years or something. One of the best moments of my life was when I got Bret Hart's cell phone number. Oh, it was the coolest. Like I've interviewed prime ministers and all these people. I don't care. Like I got Bret Hart's cell phone number. It's super cool guy. And again for people who don't know do go check it out. Like it is a. It's a foundational cultural element of Africa for sure. And it. And now if I may as the little girl from the woods in B.C. it carried over to western Canada and those of sitting up late at night and early on Saturday morning watching this wrestling. That is wonderful. Now they need to, if they ever do change the five dollar bill again, they should get it. So remember have you seen that one where it's Bret Hart standing there in.
- [25:37]
A
His sunglasses and his white jeans in.
- [25:40]
B
His acid wash jeans in front of. I think it's Bamf. I can't remember where it was but they need to do that. That is wonderful. Hey, fun fact. I can't remember if I read this in Andrew Lawton's book about Pierre Polyev or if Andrew just told me one night at the bar. But he, but he said that Pierre Poliev, he grew up basically in the same neighborhood as the Harts. Yeah. And that Owen Hart actually came to his birthday party. I think it was his, I don't know, 12th birthday party or something.
- [26:07]
A
What?
- [26:07]
B
And yeah. And isn't this a great story and it was so big that they even set up a wrestling ring, like, in the backyard or the front yard of Pierre Poliev's house. And I remember hearing the story and thinking, why don't you tell this story more? That's really neat. That's a very Canadian thing to talk about. Like, I understand. I love inflation too. And talking about it is a big. Is a big deal. But could you talk a little bit more about professional wrestling and the Hart family? Because that's pretty cool.
- [26:38]
A
That's compelling to people. Like, I think it's. It's a cute family story. And one of my favorite photos ever. I know that we've just gone off on a real estate, and Menji's David Mens used to say, a real tangerine. One of my favorite photos ever is one of my oldest friends who had the biggest crush on Diana Hart. Actually meeting her a couple of years ago. And his, like, googly eyes, like, as.
- [27:03]
B
A grown man.
- [27:06]
A
Was the best thing ever. And I'm so glad that I was able to capture it, like, in photographic evidence. She's still just like a classy, beautiful lady. Okay, thanks for taking. Coming on that big side quest with me. Tell us about the teacher strike in Alberta. We're rolling into week three. I think three of the teachers.
- [27:28]
B
I think we're rolling into week three. I abandoned my family and went to Ottawa for a few days last week. So I'm missing time.
- [27:34]
A
I was at the ostrich farm. So I was in the ostrich universe where time does not exist. It's like an airport chili's where time doesn't matter. That's what it's like an ostrich farm.
- [27:45]
B
I was literally in an airport chili's. Okay, so this is. This is what's going on. So for folks who are watching this outside of Alberta that are like, again with Alberta. No, no, no. So the Alberta Teachers Union is a huge government union. And if they go on strike like this other provincial government unions will get the idea of doing the same thing. So folks, better watch what's happening in Alberta. Here's the situation. We've got around 700,000 kids who are out of school right now. So an astonishing amount of young people here in Alberta, K to 12, who can't be in their classroom because around 50,000 government school teachers are on strike. Interesting elements here.
- [28:27]
A
Sheila.
- [28:28]
B
This is the first time the Alberta teachers have gone on strike in 23 years. So that's a long time. Next, what we are hearing reported is that the rejected deal, so it's fair game to talk about rejected deals here. So the rejected deal that came from the Alberta government and was offered to the teachers goes something like this.
- [28:49]
A
Okay?
- [28:50]
B
Teachers with no experience, fresh out of school, you would start at $71,000 a year, plus your benefits, plus your pension, plus your vacation, plus it's a super secure job, crazy job security as a teacher. You start there. Interesting note. The average Alberta salary is $71,000 per year, which includes brain surgeons. Okay. And super risky, like, you know, energy work that guys have to risk themselves to do on this side. And brand new fast food, fast food workers. In the middle is 71,000 teachers would get to start there with a government job. After seven years on the job, they'd already be making more than $100,000 a year. This, according to Alberta Premier Daniel Smith, would have made Alberta teachers the highest paid teachers in all of western Canada. And I think for average working people in Alberta, asking themselves, isn't $100,000 a year fair for teaching like grade seven social studies? Yeah, it is. That's a fair wage. On top of that, the government apparently had offered to hire 3000 new teachers plus 1500 new education support workers or those classroom helpers. So highest paid in western Canada, you're starting at 71,000 a year. By seven years in, you're already making over $100,000 plus all the vacation time they get, plus crazy job security, hiring 3000 new teachers, hiring 1500 new classroom support workers. And they still said no to that by like 89%. So, Sheila, there's something else going on here. Yeah.
- [30:36]
A
And that's the timing.
- [30:37]
B
Can't figure out.
- [30:38]
A
I think we can just. Okay, you want to say it. I think the timing is quite providential for this strike considering they haven't gone on a strike in two. Over two decades. So what is driving the strike? What provoked the strike? Well, I'm not going to say it's class sizes because they reject a deal that would have given 3,000 extra teachers. So don't give me that it's class size garbage. Just be honest with me. If it's about money, just say it's about money. Don't use my kid as a human shield because I know you don't care because you just rejected 3,000 extra teachers and has put my. You've put my kid out of school for three weeks. So let's. And again, this is me saying this. This is not the taxpayers federation saying this. I think it has a heck of a lot to do with the fact that the teachers Union didn't care for the provincial government, making sure that there was no smut in school libraries and making sure they didn't show homoerotic graphic novels to elementary school kids. They seem slightly offended by that. Also that they cannot socially transition your kid behind your back. They don't seem to like that all that much. And there's. So I think there are reasons that they are pursuing this and they're trying to punish the government for reining them in with a strike and catching other people's kids in the crossfire. And they seem to be perfectly fine with that. Now, I think they've been outflanked by the government on this because the government has taken the poison of an extended school strike away from parents. So the government has said that. Oh, okay, well, if you have a kid under the age of 12, we're. I think it's 100. And is it $150 a week?
- [32:25]
B
A week? Yep.
- [32:26]
A
$150 a week they're giving parents so that you can put your kid in daycare, math, Nasium, Montessori, whatever. So they're not necessarily falling behind. So if we're hunkered down for an extended strike, parents are going to be okay. They've actually given an increased amount to kids with parents of kids with severe disabilities because they will need extra care. And the ATA seems to have no money. The ata, the Alberta Teachers association, seems to have no money. So an extended strike does no longer go in the favor of the unions. But I think, I think their timing is slightly opportune after all these years. And again, that's me saying that. Not that. Me saying that as a kid who is currently on strike. And not the Canadian Taxpayers Federation saying.
- [33:19]
B
That there's, there's something the Taxpayers Federation can say. And that is a lot of data. And that's what, again, I'm sitting there going, okay, what's the real reason you guys are going on strike? Because it shouldn't be about the money. And what got me really thinking about it was NDP leader Nahid Nenshi saying that Daniel Smith, the premier, provoked this strike by teachers. That's a very interesting word that he chose.
- [33:46]
A
There sure is.
- [33:48]
B
And so I'm like, that's a very trigger y sort of word. What would have Daniel Smith ever done to provoke a teacher strike? So I went back to the budget documents and I took a look at the line item of education. I encourage everyone to do this. You can Google it. Google Alberta government fiscal plan budget with the year that you want. You can find the spending line item on just Education. Advanced education is separate line item. Just capital E Education. Run your finger along it. Okay, let's look at these numbers. So Starting back in 2022, the Alberta government spent $8.3 billion. The next year, $8.8 billion next year, $9.2 billion. This year we're on track to spend $10.4 billion on K12 education in Alberta. I don't know about you, Sheila, but steadily increasing the funding for K12 education is a really weird way of provoking a fight with teachers.
- [35:01]
A
Yeah, yeah. So it's not that it might be all those other things that I suggested.
- [35:07]
B
Further, to bolster your theory, they've also announced that they're spending billions and billions of dollars building more than 100 schools. So let's just quickly recap. So the deal that was allegedly rejected, reportedly rejected, was we're going to make you the highest paid teachers in western Canada. We're going to start you at 71 grand a year with all the bells and whistles. By seven years in, Sister, you're already making over $100,000 a year to teach school. We're going to hire 3,000 new teachers. We're going to hire 1,500 new classroom assistants. Over and above that which is already previously announced. We're in the process of building more than 100 new schools across Alberta. And if you go back through the budget documents, their funding for education has been going like this. It's been going up. So what gives? This is where. And again, I wanted to highlight this because one of the disturbing elements I've seen here is this sudden and coordinated attack on charter schools. Yep, that's very interesting and it sure smells political to me because let's just take the argument at face value. Let's say I'm speaking to an earnest 20 something year old teacher who does not have their house paid off, who is staring down a mortgage payment real soon. And they're not getting paid by their union. The teachers aren't getting strike pay from their union folks. Keep that in mind. Even though they haven't gone on strike in 23 years, which is super weird. Speak to that teacher, okay? Say at face value that they're having trouble in their classroom. Say that there's too many kids with too many different needs and it's overwhelming that teacher. Okay? And they can't get through a lesson plan. Okay. Maybe that's why they're hiding behind the phrase class sizes or something. They also use the buzzword complexity quickly at face Value. And I know I'm probably running into your next time.
- [37:09]
A
I'll be very quick.
- [37:11]
B
Take that a next step. Okay. Say that your classroom is too complicated. The way to uncomplicate that is to have more access to charter schools.
- [37:21]
A
Right.
- [37:23]
B
So for people who don't know, and I love it here in Alberta for.
- [37:26]
A
This reason, it's the most diverse. These people won't shut up about diversity. But it is the most diverse, diverse school system in the entire country because the funding follows the child and statistics show. So what that means is it no longer is a socioeconomic barrier for you to choose private or charter schools which best suit your child's need. If you want to send your kid to a military school, we got one. You want to send it to your kid to a hockey academy. There's a few of those. A classical academy where they will learn the classic arts. There's two of those. If you want to get together with a group of parents and put together your own religious charter school. As long as you teach the curriculum in an acceptable way and you can tweak that to deal with the culture of your school 100%. Definitely. And it takes kids out of the cookie cutter schools and helps them learn in a way that they need to. And statistics show that the people accessing private and charter schools in this province are actually people who are below the socioeconomic average. It's people who see a proper education for their kid as a way up the ladder. And yet, and yet there is a coordinated unionized attack on the charter system here where they want to put it to a citizen led referendum. Sorry, I'll be quiet. You go on and explain.
- [38:53]
B
No, no, you're bang on. You are hitting all of the nails on all of the heads. Even more so with charter schools. I'll expand on that. There are charter schools that focus on first nations led education. Charter schools that focus on agricultural based rural education. So really four h E type stuff. And there are charter schools, I am told by parents who help kids who have complex needs.
- [39:18]
A
Definitely.
- [39:19]
B
Who need more time, who are overstimulated by a big classroom, who do need more focused care. These are charter schools, meaning the taxpayer funding follows the kid through the doors of that school. Interestingly, the teachers are certified. They're teaching the Alberta curriculum. And this is what blew my mind. Sheila.
- [39:39]
A
They're not school.
- [39:41]
B
Yeah. Pardon me.
- [39:42]
A
They're not unionized either.
- [39:43]
B
That. See? Ding, ding, ding. Right. But here's the thing with how interesting charter schools work. They use already existing buildings.
- [39:53]
A
Right.
- [39:54]
B
So they have to Go find an old library or an old decommissioned school or something.
- [39:58]
A
Yeah.
- [39:58]
B
And like, so it is very cost effective, super cost saving for taxpayers and parents who choose this option of charter schools for their kids for specialized education, for either special education help all the way, you know, over to agriculture, first nations, mechanics, trades, pardon me, outdoor.
- [40:18]
A
There's like outdoor schools. Love them.
- [40:21]
B
Thank you. So this is. Everybody's all about choice, right? And saving money through choice. If these teachers in the regular public school system are getting overwhelmed with too complex of classrooms, the way to make them less complex is to open up more charter schools so parents can choose fashioned, fashioned schools after their own kids needs. That is ideal, Right? So the attack on charter schools at this moment is crazy because that's one of the solutions to the problem here.
- [40:55]
A
Right? And the problem I worry about is that not enough people understand that the funding follows the child even, even within Alberta. And I explained the school system to my colleagues at Rebel News and they're like, wow, that's wonderful. Like the parents, you know, like to marry you. Galini, she's like, that is the best thing ever. Lee Smurrel in Saskatchewan, she's like that. That is, I mean, it's the solution to all your problems. And we have one of the best functioning school systems, despite the fact that we're on a strike right now. But we have one of the best functioning, best performing school systems in the entire country.
- [41:34]
B
Can I jump?
- [41:35]
A
Why are we changing it? Yeah, please do.
- [41:37]
B
So the teachers union bosses are very selectively cherry picking one stat from the Fraser Institute, which I find hilarious, right? Because the other. What, what's that?
- [41:50]
A
Right? Because there's other stats at this Fraser Institute that they don't want you to know.
- [41:54]
B
Like the idea of the teachers union picking the Fraser Institute as their source for data. Like, you know, there's something going on here because usually they wouldn't pick them up if they were hitchhiking. Like it's not happening. So yes, the one stat that they pick on is the spending per capita. So government spending per capita of students and or teachers. Okay? It's kind of a mix. And they say, oh look, Alberta's got the shortest, you know, colored crayon there, so therefore our school system must be terrible. Nope. How about you continue to read that same report to the next paragraph where Fraser Institute points this out. Montreal Economic Institute points this out. All of the smarty pants, okay, who focus on education, point out that Alberta is second only to Quebec for student outcome. Student outcome meaning good test scores, happy kids, happy parents, successfully Going on to post secondary. There's all sorts of metrics that they measure there. So by the number. Sure. You could try to cherry pick there and say, oh, spending per capita. Okay. Look at the next paragraph. And our outcome is outstanding across Canada. Right. Why? Because we have things like school choice. Because we have things like charter schools. Because parents are not welded into a one size fits all cookie cutter big government school system. This is where I think the fight is going in this current teacher strike. Yeah. And I'm imploring Alberta Premier Daniel Smith to do two things. You dig your heels in. Yep. You don't let them attack the charter schools and try to dismantle it. Expand them, make more of them. Fast track the approvals. Because we know that there's three year long waiting lists from parents who are desperate to get their kids into these schools. So you get that done. Second, you don't give them a signing bonus.
- [43:52]
A
No.
- [43:52]
B
Because at the federal level, PSAC pulled this trick where they didn't get paid while they were striking and then Trudeau gave them a big fat signing bonus that paid for their picket days. Taxpayers paid for them to be on strike.
- [44:04]
A
Take it to the. It's the ATAs problem. It's not my problem.
- [44:07]
B
Sure is. That's their problem. I don't know why they don't have a big war chest. That's their problem. It's not taxpayers problem. And lastly, if it's a little bit of hope for Premier Smith to take inspiration of all places from Ottawa, Mark Carney in this current fight with Canada Post and Cup W. Canada Post took the signing bonus off the table. Yeah, I did that too. I was like, okie dokie. Then that's. Well, well, then we don't want to get upstaged by them, do we? No. So make sure two things. Dig in your heels. Don't let them try to dismantle the charter system. If anything, expand it to give parents more choice and to no signing bonus. Don't make taxpayers pay for this strike.
- [44:48]
A
Chris, I could talk to you all day and it appears as though I'm trying. However I have to.
- [44:55]
B
You need to go do another show.
- [44:56]
A
I need to go do another show. Please tell people how they can get involved in the good work that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation does.
- [45:03]
B
Oh, wonderful. So you can head on over to our website quickly. Taxpayer.com. click on the petitions. Sign the petitions that matter most to you. That could be anything from cutting things like industrial carbon taxes to getting rid of censorship laws or stopping the funding of the media through the government. Once you're on there, you'll be part of our taxpayer army and you'll get all of our alerts.
- [45:31]
A
Last segment of the show always goes to you at home because without you, there truly is no gun show, but also no Rebel News. So I want to hear what you have to say about the work that we do. It's why I give you my email address right now. It's Sheila. Rebelnews.com put gun show letters in the subject line so I know why you're emailing me. First things first, I need to check my own tone just a little bit. Regular viewer of the show wrote to me and expressed his concerns about some loose use of language that I and my co host, Lis Merle used when discussing DEI initiatives. And it's my friend Bruce, and the last thing I want to do is offend him. Now, I do get some bad faith hate mail, but I know this isn't it. And I want to correct myself and I want to promise that I will be more precise in my language because I don't think I was necessarily wrong. I just don't think I was precise enough in my language. And so rather than make enemies that are friends, I'm going to try to do better. So Bruce wrote to me saying that, you know, we were making fun of DEI and saying that, you know, the liberals are constantly shoehorning gender minorities and ethnic minorities, which I don't think the liberals actually care about ethnicities. They care about color, which is a strange way to judge people and disabled people into their hiring quotas. And Bruce took umbrage with how we categorized disabled people. I should be more precise. I think disabled people should be in the workforce, if they can be. I did an entire documentary on medical assistance in dying. And the conclusion we came to after we talked to all the experts was that people who pursue euthanasia actually are people who feel a loss of usefulness. And that could be anything. But people desire to be useful in whatever way that they can. That may be in the workforce. It may be volunteering in their community and maybe playing cards with somebody so that they don't feel lonely. Could be gardening, could be taking care of a cat. It could be anything. But that was the, the thing that really drove people to suicidal despair. And so I, I don't discourage people with disabilities from being in the workforce. I love it, actually, when I talk with the liberals and their DEI shoehorning of people with disabilities into the workforce. What I mean is not real disabilities. People who are like, I'M disabled because I have anxiety about a certain food type or whatever or I have, I'm disabled because I have ptsd, because I've been misgendered. That's not a disability, that's being psychologically weak. And I think those are different things. And I should have been more precise in my language because I actually believe that it is necessary for the health of the human mind to be useful always in whatever way that you can be. It doesn't have to be, you know, lifting and moving heavy things. But everybody can contribute in their own way and I, I don't want anybody to think that I think otherwise. What I'm talking about when I say the liberals, you know, with their DEI quotas and their gender quotas and everything, when they say people with disabilities, it's usually people who are, they love to get themselves on the hierarchy of grievances and the, those people are, I mean they'll co opt somebody else's struggle for their own, for virtue signaling and I think that's gross. Okay, now let's go to some viewer feedback. This came to me not from the email inbox, but I went over to YouTube because I wanted to know what you guys thought about the surprise election win in Newfoundland and Labrador for new premier Tony Wakem. And I sort of got surprised live on air. I thought, you know, 500000 people in Newfoundland, this thing's going to be over in 90 minutes. I'm not gonna have to find ways to kill time and the Liberals are gonna win about 180 minutes in. I was pleasantly surprised like many of you, but my first mistake was reading the polls, I guess. And let's see what you guys have to say. Victor Bzinski says big win for Newfoundland for setting the stage removing the Liberals. MHYYVB says congrats Newfoundland and Labrador. Michelle Rose 1190. Well, that made my night. Cheers Newfoundland. Joe Pepito, 7431. This needs to happen right across the country. Listen brother, I think it's gonna happen in Yukon in about. Well, what's today? Two and a half weeks, November 3rd they go to general election and the Yukon party, which is their conservative party is polling very high. But I mean, I guess the only poll that matters is on election day. But things are looking real good in the Yukon. New me77 says I'm proud to be a conservative Newfoundlander. Today we knocked out the woke liberals and took a majority government. My family and I have converted a lot of people to the conservative side. We cannot stand the Liberals. They are destroying Canada. It's the same all over, ain't it, El Dude? 350. The tides are turning. Look and weep, Liberals. I think we'll know if there's a trend for sure if Yukon can change things because that's a minority Liberal government up there. God bless the Conservative premier of Newfoundland. He's got a really nice truck. He's got a vintage GMC Sierra 2 tone. It's gorgeous. That's a man who's conserving the past, conserving history. It's good to see a Conservative actually do that. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, remember the last time the government sold us out on the Churchill project. Mark Rice Q1H can't understand why anyone would vote Liberal or NDP. Look, I'm with you, buddy, but they do and they just do. Their brains are being scrubbed by the tv. Damn right. Congratulations, Newfoundland and Labrador, finally. Congrats, Newfoundland and Labrador. Whoever do the polls are activists for the Liberals. They could be, but those inaccurate polls I, I think helped really get the vote out for the Conservatives. They voted like they were way behind. Every vote really did count in one riding. It's like 18 votes that the Conservatives won by. Viva Conservatives. Bravo, Newfoundland. Great to see Newfoundland and Labrador making real progress. I'm so happy we ousted the Liberals. Finally, time tells all. CBC must be having a Rachel Maddow hour. Tears are glorious. And it goes on like this. Conservatives win. Bravo, Newfoundland. Bravo. Finally put an end to the Liberal NDP Green Party insanity. Awesome move. Really. Just a lot of people celebrating a really unexpected win from the outside looking in. Maybe the. The sentiment on the ground was much different. Maybe I didn't pay close enough attention to the election. I tried to, but I was in the universe of the ostrich farm for a while. But the polls were really wrong. Really wrong. Maybe it's. It's hard to pull. I heard that it's hard to pull Newfoundlanders. Maybe that's me just making excuses for bad polls. But I'm really excited to see what happens next in Newfoundland. And I think it's going to be really great as an Albertan to have another pro oil and gas premiere on the east coast. Very exciting. Very, very exciting. I'm sure the results have rattled the Liberals and I love that. Well, everybody, that's the show for today. I was thinking about doing a Stu Hart themed sign off in the meantime and in between time. That's it. Another episode of the gun show. Good night. It.