Ralph does it again

[u4ic]

Klein loses temper and throws booklet at legislative page

EDMONTON (CP) -- Premier Ralph Klein has apologized for throwing a booklet at a page in the legislature during an emotional debate Wednesday over Alberta's health care reforms.

The 17-year-old page had delivered a soft-covered, 80-page booklet of Liberal policy proposals to Klein's desk in the assembly, when he grabbed it and tossed it at her.

The premier was heard to say, "I don't need this crap,'' referring to the booklet that was sent to him by the opposition as they fired pointed questions over the Third Way health reforms.

The page refused comment to the media and there was no confirmation that the booklet actually hit her

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=fcaefab7-bbcd-49c1-b066-36a2515f349a&k=24588

[Bassic]

1. Klein is an idiot

Closest we have to the likes of Bush and other such morons.

[Mother Jones]

2. Here's what I don't get....

Alberta is swimming in cash. Why can't they apply SOME of it to their healthcare system, rather than focus on privatization?


I happened to catch the Edmonton 6pm news last night (CTV on Satellite), and I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was alot of backlash against privatization. And believe it or not, they did not portray Klein favourably - which, again, surprised me.

[daleo]

3. That was the Edmonton news

Edmonton is not really all that conservative - most of the opposition MLAs are from Edmonton. As for Calgary and rural Alberta...that's another matter.

I hope the rural voters see this health care privatization as a dagger pointed at their hearts, as they should. A two tier system hurts rural voters and rural medical consumers in two ways. First, rural people have lower incomes to begin with, and the drawback of a semi-privatized system is obvious as far as that goes. Second, a semi-privatized system will tend to encourage doctors to move to the city, as that is where the population and consequently the big bucks are. This reduces the supply of doctors in rural areas, and puts those who do remain into a quasi-monopoly position.

Every now and again Alberta tosses out a political party. Maybe this will be the turning point.

Mind you, I have lost a lot of bets on Alberta elections thinking this way.

[MrPrax]

6. Because the money is funnelled...

back to the oil companies and their shareholders through tax breaks and subsidies...not that difficult to break through the BS in Canada.

Hell BC would be showing surpluses too, if Gordo didn't decide to 'cut rich peoples' taxes', lower the corp. tax rate again and promise to 'showcase Whistler's skiing facilities to the world'...

It's not that complicated, once you start to accept that party labels are meaningless and the personality defects of these particular pro-biz puppets is irrelevent.

Oh yeah--they are both alkies--go figure

[JohnyCanuck]

4. Sounds like Ralphie might have been imbibing again. n/t

[daleo]

5. No, he throws coins at the indigent when he's drunk

He has to be sober when he throws books at high school girls - they have pretty fast reflexes.