43,16 by Spotlight Magazine

Conservaphobes Exposed (Pg.5)

Putt It In Donald Crawley

Before Saying Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Fired... Scott Stenbeck Photo credit Joan Bateman

EDITOR

THIS ISSUES

CONTENTS

SCOTT COWAN (403) 504-7092 ART DIRECTOR

JOAN BATEMAN joan@gainsboro.ca GRAPHICS DIRECTOR

HEATHER COONS

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05 EDITORIAL The Reign of the Conservaphobic Scott Cowan 06 Golf See and Feel the Breaking Putts Columnist Donald Crawley.

The Fashion Files

Gainsboro Spotlight

Wrongful Dismissal and 13 Law The Duty to Mitigate Columnist Scott Stenbeck

14 Brent Dunstan Butter, Batteries, Beef, and Bitumen Columnist 18 MLA The Character of Alberta

Drew Barnes

20 FINANCE

Retirement for One

BMO consultant - Dan Hein,

Disclaimer: No responsibility can be taken by Spotlight Magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein. Furthermore, responsibility for any losses, damages or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this magazine is not the responsibility of Spotlight Magazine. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Spotlight Magazine. Comments are welcome.

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The Reign of the Conservaphobics

unskilled women were not being given equal footing and opportunities in relation to other attractive and or skilled women. Feminists ignored and resented women of any description who were succeeding on their own merit, without any particular form of affirmative action. They hated women who considered homemaking and motherhood as a legitimate honorable calling.

Scott Cowan Editorial

Discrimination is a nasty habit, usually followed by unabated racism toward the unfortunate individuals or groups targeted. I want to expose and pull the elephant out of the closet. I'm going to "out," the most egregious ongoing example of character assassination in modern history. Few there are of the leftist persuasion who seem interested in identifying this injustice long ignored. Dare I say these hate crimes are excused and enabled by popular media. No other group is so marginalized, left to struggle unaided, and unprotected by elected officials. The people of whom I speak are openly hated, and increasingly misrepresented by liberals.

White conservative males are now being told if they deny climate science they'll be subject to files and or jail time. Forget the liberals have almost entirely fabricated their evidence to support the coming apocalypse. Forget that 99% of scientists who agree" the science is in," are paid, or have their research funded by politicians. The same ones taxing, or amassing billions on climate credit sales to businesses around the world. Forget the 99% of scientists who agree, are only a small sample of the total number of scientists in the community. To be clear it is, "99% who say the science is in," are on my pay role.

This may not be politically correct to say, but it must be said... the left is and has gone absolutely, categorically (conservative phobic) "conservaphobic." Liberals have developed a type of mental illness. They have lost any ability to recognize truth, and their perspective of history and factual reality has been systematically removed. Most holding liberal beliefs have spiraled into clinical identifiable neurosis. The infected leadership transmits their sickness in the form of talking points which anaesthetizes the masses of their followers... Effectively brain washing them against conservative truth. But they've now digressed further into denying free speech, labeling dissent as racisim. There... it is out there, the left is hateful, they discriminate, they're mean, and bigoted. They all need a good spanking to address their child like tantrums. They have offended me Continued on 22

I speak of coarse of the white, conservative, Christian, capitalist, males in our society. No other group is so universally preyed upon by leftist politicians, media, and radicalized feminists. These self appointed experts lay the blame of the world on the door step of white conservative men. God forbid you hold religious values that include moral absolutes. Then you're especially selected for ridicule. Conservative women are considered unenlightened and repressed. The historical fact remains that conservatism demonized today, is totally responsible for building the wealth and success of western culture over the last three hundred years. The left has turned everything upside down, rejecting history, economics, and culture. Centuries held truths are discarded. We've slid so far we can't explain why a trans gender's fear of male violence in a bathroom is justified, but a women's fear of male violence in a bathroom is mocked and considered racist. These new ideas are universally accepted by feminists. You know the group that originally got together to complain that unattractive,

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See and Feel the Breaking Putts hole, one long straight line that would finish alongside the hole, showing 6 feet break. Or pick a spot along that line, 12’ in front of you as does the recent Masters winner Danny Willet. Or the ‘apex’ point or often called the ‘break’ point, where the ball starts to bend/ break. This is one of the hardest things to do, aim at the line not the hole. Our eyes are attracted to the hole. That’s where we want the ball to finish, not where the ball should start! On a breaking putt you cannot aim or stroke at the hole.

Donald Crawley Golf Columnist TOP 100 Teacher Director of Instruction Boulders Golf Academy 480 488 9028 Donald.crawley@theboulders.com www.theboulders.com www.golfsimplified.com

Putting has only two functions to master, speed and direction, line and pace, spot and roll. Whatever you call it, they need to be done! In this article we are addressing a downhill left to right breaking putt. The most unpopular putt choice for most right handed golfers. To become a good putter you have to ‘see’ the line, and ‘feel’ the speed. As you walk on the green to face this putt, get a picture in your mind as to how you visualize the ball rolling. Imagine the putt ‘in your mind’s eye’ from start to finish. As the golf announcer Nick Faldo would say, “get a good picture in your mind”. Most golfers read the line first and then try to figure out the speed. Let’s take a page from world beater Jordan Spieth who reads the speed first, then gets a picture of the line. Either way you’ve got to take both steps. Once you have chosen your line, you can either see the line running all the way to the

The aiming of the face is essential on all putts, short, long, straight, or a slider. The putter face must be lined up square to the target line. Although I don’t have a picture here (self made picture enclosed) I highly recommend that you practice under a string which will help you see when the face is perpendicular to the string/ line, which is called ‘square’. Without a string, you can lay a shaft or stick on the ground to help you see if your putter face is perpendicular to the shaft aim. Some key points that all good putters follow; eyes over the line, hands under the shoulders, and putter lie of shaft runs through the forearms. These three posture points greatly increase your chances to swing the putter on line and square to the line at impact. This also reduces the amount of putter face rotation, which is a common fault amongst poor putters. The putter face needs to be square to the arc or line you swing the putter on. Tell me more about the ‘lie’ of the putter shaft? The lie is the angle between the sole of the club and the shaft. An upright lie is one that sits closer to the vertical, 90 degree’s. This is impossible as you stand to the side of the ball and a few inches away from the ball, the lie shaft is more likely to be 74 degrees. If you like to stand farther away the standard lie of the putter needs to be flatter, perhaps 70 degree’s. A flat lie is 66 degrees. Unfortunately most golfers choose their putter on looks not fit. Not a good idea. If the putter is the wrong length or lie for you, it will put you in the wrong posture or you may not sole the club correctly. Look how the middle of my putter sole is flat to the ground at address. Only the toe is slightly off the ground surface. The lie of my putter fits my chosen and correct posture. The next step, in my opinion, the most important part of your putting routine and practice. See the distance and feel the speed. How do we learn that you may ask? To develop the touch and feel you need to learn starts with your eyes! Imagine you are going to bowl a ball. Where would you be looking? At your hands, feet, ground? No of course not, you would be looking at your

target. That’s what all the pro’s do. Watch on TV. They look at the hole judging visually how far they want to roll the ball. I love to use the analogy of bocce (Bocce, sometimes anglicized as bocce, is a ball sport belonging to the boules family, closely related to British bowls and French pétanque, with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire), called in England ‘Crown Bowling’. By looking at your end target with your eyes you are visualizing in your brain the distance. The eyes send the information to the brain which in turn sends the information to the body, hands/arms/chest/, and you feel how big and hard you have to swing the putter, in order to roll the ball the correct speed. That is what you do in bocce, bowling, putting. You see the distance and feel the speed. This visual to feel transformation must be practiced…a lot! Let me give you the putting routine that I recommend, and the majority of top pro’s use. See the length, (look at the hole) read the line. Looking along the line but hole distance, take a couple of practice strokes feeling the length and pace of your stroke. Guesstimate (which is all you can really do) hitting the ball at the correct speed to finish alongside, beside, or hopefully in the hole. What is worth mentioning here is the rhythm of your stroke. Practice to be consistent in your routine and the rhythm of your stroke. For example Phil Mickelson has a longer smoother stroke, compared to Brandt Snedeker who has a shorter ‘rap’ stroke. Some are strokers some are poppers. Whichever you are, be the same all the time. I believe the trend of putting strokes is becoming shorter and softer due to the speed of the greens seen on TV at the PGA Tour. But if you are playing slower greens you will need a longer firmer stroke to roll the ball the required distance. Be consistent, rhythmic on every stroke. Remember most of all, feel the speed, see the line, or if you prefer see the line, feel the speed!

Designer Paula Saavedra showed off her latest collection of bikinis and swimwear. The 'Caffe' designer highlighted several embellished Bandeau Bikinis along with several sexy string numbers with colorful, feminine prints. The Caffe Swimwear show was part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami. The Miami Swimwear event is often abbreviated as 'Swim 2011 MBFW'. Swim 2011 MBFW is held every July and attracts top swimwear designers and many fashionable celebs. It is considered the most influential fashion event for the swimwear industry. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami works in partnership with New York Fashion Week, which is scheduled for September. After we were invited to attend and we sent the RSVP, I foolishly wondered how a bikini could be different over a week of shows? I could not have been more wrong! As in all fashion, the differences are limited only by the imagination and creativity of the individual designer.

Paula spoke of her leopard, snake skin, and peacock prints integrated into each design to depict the specific regions of her native Columbia. Designs featured bright colors, and bold patterns that worked seamlessly, to take the audiences breath away. The collection was the very DNA of "Caffe," and their brand of, "Relaxed luxury." The perfect signature ending in this writer's opinion, is seeing the designer walk the stage in one of their own designs. Paula graced the runway commanding style and grace mere words are incapable of describing.

Photo credit Joan Bateman

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Wrongful Dismissal and the Duty to Mitigate pay and level of responsibility, and in the same geographic area in a similar field to which they were dismissed. That is the legal side. The practical reality however is that most employees can’t wait. They have to take something in order to pay the bills.

Scott Stenbeck

1(866)783 6232 Law Columnist

I usually write on family and divorce law. I thought I would shift gears for a couple months and write on another area. I have practiced a lot of employment law. My first case after I opened my own office some fifteen years ago was an employment law case. It was an area I had a lot of interest in during law school.

Let’s take an example of an employee that was working somewhere making five thousand a month for the next few examples. Let’s say that after their length of time working, their age, level of specialization of the job. And other factors are taken into account, either the parties in settlement negotiations, or the Court in a trial, arrive at 6 months pay as a reasonable notice period. But, what if the employee in the above example failed to take reasonable steps to find another job? Either the defendant employer, or in the case of a trial the judge is going to say something like, “If you had made a reasonable effort to find another similar job, you could have been employed in two months. Therefore that is all you are getting for notice pay.”

If the employee in the above example did take reasonable steps to mitigate their damages, one of two things will happen. If they find another job, the earnings from that job are going to be subtracted from the notice pay. Consider if the employee is totally unemployed for two months, then finds something part time for two months paying two thousand dollars a month. Then, he secures a full time job, paying four thousand dollars. His damages for the six-month notice period are $18,000 On the other hand, the employee may despite reasonable efforts to do so, not find another job. The damages are then the full five thousand dollars times six months. But the employee better be able to prove they took reasonable steps to find another job. What does that entail? Keeping a journal daily of all efforts. Printing off or taking copies of every single communication or application for the purpose of finding a job. Keeping a list of everywhere a resume has been sent; everywhere there has been an interview, and the result.

I will talk this month about one of the biggest pitfalls from the employee perspective. That is failing to be able to prove appropriate mitigation. I will explain what that means in a moment. Employment law comes from contract law. There is recognition that generally the contract is between unequal parties. But it is still contract law nonetheless. A basic part of contract law is called, “the duty to mitigate.” This means for example, say you and I have an agreement that you are going to buy a car from me for $5,000. At the last minute, you back out. I am not allowed to just fold my arms, sit on the hood of the car and say, “you owe me five grand.” I have to make reasonable efforts to sell the car. Say I get four thousand dollars for the vehicle from someone else. My damages that I can claim from you are one thousand dollars. In the employment law context this means that when an employee is dismissed, they are not entitled to just sit down and demand damages for the period of reasonable notice. They have to make reasonable efforts to find comparable employment. Those efforts have a legal and a practical side. If an employee is able to they are entitled to hold out for a job with roughly the same

Butter, Batteries, Beef & Bitumen

opinions on virtually everything, it may be worthwhile to hit pause and assess the data. Are we coming to our conclusions based on the broadest sources of information available? Or, are we forming our opinion solely on information that supports the widely held, or worse, currently popular hypotheses? Consider this; how much shelf space at the supermarket is devoted to the umpteen brands of margarine vs. butter?

Brent Dunstan Columnist

Have you heard the news? Butter isn't evil anymore. As it turns out, it never was. It seems that the Minnesota Coronary Experiment, the seminal scientific study, and basis for 40+ years of dietary advice to reduce animal fats and replace them with vegetable oils, was incomplete. Or rather, the reporting of it's findings was incomplete. It has become dogma that saturated fat raises cholesterol and increases heart disease and other health problems, thanks to the 1970's Minnesota study. However, as published recently in The BMJ (formerly The British Medical Journal), the findings of this study were only partially revealed. While it's true that diets rich in animal fats lead to higher cholesterol levels, the study showed not only no significant links to increased heart disease, but that the subjects eating less animal fats and more vegetable oils had the increased health problems and heart related deaths. In the years between the study and today, as diets have conformed to the study's recommendations, obesity rates have soared, as have heart related illnesses. It has been suggested that some of the findings were possibly withheld because they contradicted the researchers theories, and suppressed because they failed to support commonly held dietary conventions. It appears that, while science is objective, scientists aren't always so. To quote the Washington Post, "the long-belated saga of the Minnesota Coronary Experiment may also make a broader point about how science gets done: it suggests just how difficult it can be for new evidence to see the light of day when it contradicts widely held theories." This raises an interesting issue. As we have become inundated with "scientifically" based

The issue of climate change is beginning to stimulate similar concerns. By simply saying so, one runs the risk of being branded with that most horrible of labels - a climate change denier. To be clear, this is not a treatise dismissing the idea of climate change. Rather, this is merely a somewhat gentle admonition. Bear in mind that climate change and it's related topics are too important not to consider the full breadth of scientific input, and not just that which squares with one's predetermined positions. Have you noticed that you rarely hear the term "global warming" anymore? The en vogue term is "climate change". It's a far more accurate description, as the climate is, and the globe isn't; or so the data tells us. Localized weather patterns are behaving differently, but Al Gore's inconvenient truth has proven

inconveniently inaccurate. For approaching 19 years, despite increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the global mean temperature hasn't gone up. His infamous proclamation that by 2014 the polar ice caps will have melted has proven to be, ironically, hot air. In actuality, the Antarctic ice mass has grown since Mr. Gore got the residents of Malibu believing they would soon be awash in what was formerly the polar ice caps. It's unlikely that you've heard much about that recently. "The Ice Is Still There" isn't a very sexy headline. Do you want a sexy headline? "Canada Is A World Leader In The Fight Against Climate Change." How so? Everyone talks about carbon emissions, but what about carbon absorption? This is a classic case of being presented with only half of the equation. Not all carbon emissions remain airborne. The Global Carbon Project determined in 2014 that 36% of worldwide carbon emissions remain in the atmosphere. 64% is absorbed by land, water, and vegetation. Canada has a lot of land, water, and vegetation, and hasn't a lot of people. Simple math and science tell us that, using the GCP numbers, and based on our land mass and current emissions, Canada absorbs 20-30% more carbon than it produces. "Canada: Proudly Carbon Neutral Continued on Page 19

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Raising the Minimum Wage Misguided Policy, Unintended Consequences

by Robert P. Murphy, Charles Lammam, and Hugh MacIntyre Proposals to increase the minimum wage have re-emerged in provinces across the country. For instance, the Alberta government recently pledged to hike the provincial minimum wage from $10.20 to $15 per

March 2016

similar movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 in various jurisdictions in the United States.

Popular support for the minimum wage largely derives from

The tenuous link between minimum wage earners and poor

the belief that it is a useful tool for boosting the wages of

households makes the minimum wage a very crude method for targeting assistance to those who need it. At the same time, hiking the minimum wage can do considerable harm, most

target workers in low-income households. In fact, 87.5% of

notably by decreasing employment opportunities among low-

Canadians earning minimum wage in 2012 lived in house-

skilled workersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the very group the policy is designed to help.

measure of relative poverty. Moreover, the vast majority of workers (83.4%) from households falling below the LICO

teenagers and other groups of low-skilled workers. Besides

threshold earned more than the minimum wage.

reducing employment outright, hiking the minimum wage

These counterintuitive results follow from the demographic

as on-the-job training) for those workers who keep their jobs.

composition of minimum wage earners. In 2014, 58.4% of those earning minimum wage were youths aged 15 to 24.

There is an enormous body of empirical research examining

Furthermore, 56.8% of all minimum wage earners were living

with family, while 19.9% were married to a spouse who was

sidered of higher quality than US studies because (among

also employed. Taken together, the data undercut the popu-

other reasons) there is a wider variability in the provincial

lar image of minimum wage earners being single breadwin-

Canadian minimum-wage variable. The Canadian literature

ners supporting a family. In fact, only 2.2% of those earning

minimum wage were unmarried heads of household with at

reduces employment among teens and young adults (ages

least one minor child.

15 to 24) by 3% to 6%. By making it harder for low-skilled

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY www.fraserinstitute.org

Raising the Minimum Wage: Misguided Policy, Unintended Consequences

workers to obtain an entry-level position, the minimum wage may perversely hinder the development of human capital

credit that allows qualifying low-wage workers to keep more

and harm the long-term career prospects of the very people it ostensibly helps. Indeed, Canadian researchers have found designed to minimize the disincentives that can occur when government assistance is removed at higher income levels.

impact on poverty and in some cases can increase it.

Because it targets the desired individuals more accurately Up through the 1980s, research in the United States reached

and avoids price controls, the WITB is a much more sensible

similar conclusions, though the impact of the minimum wage on youth employment was not as severe as reported in the

the aid of workers from low-income households.

Canadian studies. It is true that a wave of “new minimum wage research” emerged in the United States in the 1990s, challenging the original consensus. However, there have been -

RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE

Misguided Policy, Unintended Consequences

Raising the Minimum Wage: Misguided Policy, Unintended Consequences

Robert P. Murphy, Charles Lammam, and Hugh MacIntyre

by Robert P. Murphy, Charles Lammam, and Hugh MacIntyre

ings, some of which employ techniques similar to those of the revisionist studies. Furthermore, some leading researchers in March 2016

Fortunately, rather than the dubious policy of increasing the minimum wage, there is a better option for helping workers

Click here to read the full report

from poor households, namely increasing the Working Income

Family composition of employees earning minimum wage in Canada, 2014 11.0%—single (living alone or with non-family room-mates

26.3%—living with spouse (with or without children)

3.5%—single head of household, with no minor children 2.2%—single head of household, with at least one minor child

56.9%—son, daughter, or other relative living with family

The Character of Alberta In the Legislature and in the news, we debate plenty of policy issues, most of which are well-known. We debate taxes and how high they should be. We debate debt and deficit. We debate how best to run the healthcare or education systems. And while I have opinions and ideas on these important topics, everything is secondary to my guiding principle: I believe the things I do because I believe in Albertans.

DREW MLA BARNES Cypress - Medicine Hat cypress.medicinehat@assembly.ab.ca 403-528-2191

The American writer, James Lane Allen, famously said that “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” Nowhere was this more evident than in Alberta over the past weeks. As a vicious wildfire swept through large parts of Fort McMurray and the northeastern part of our province, the people of Alberta, without hesitation, responded with a swift and determined vigour that no disaster could possibly match. Hardship and devastation brought forth compassion, generosity, and great courage. Thousands upon thousands of families and individuals have opened their hearts, homes, and wallets to evacuees and relief efforts. Companies operating in the region have contributed resources beyond measure – facilities for evacuation centres, airstrips, planes, and money. And, of course, the brave personnel working on the ground (or in the air) have pushed themselves well past the point of exhaustion to ensure the safety of residents and stop the destruction. Through every trial that this province has faced, I am ever in awe of how well the nature of Albertans is demonstrated. Like the hard grinding wheel upon which brilliant gems are revealed from raw stones, adversity never fails to expose the good and noble character of this province. It is humbling beyond words to represent a people so proud of their land, dedicated to their communities, and eager to serve their fellow citizens. As an elected official, people often ask me why I believe what I believe. Not what I believe, but why.

In every single trial or struggle, in thick or thin, in lean years or times of abundance, I am always comforted that one thing remains constant – that the strength of Alberta is its people. In all circumstances and at all times, I know that the people of this province have the ability, the will, and the courage to accomplish great things. There is no force, of nature or otherwise, that can strip this away. While the fundamentally good and steadfast character of Albertans is revealed most clearly in times of great distress, we also see it every day, in ways big and small. We see it in the local charity raising money to support the most vulnerable. We see it in neighbourly acts of kindness or civic pride. We see it in the strength of families and bonds of

community. The willingness of Albertans to work earnestly, give freely, and build diligently is more than evident. Albertans build wealth in order to build families and communities, and we do it for love of our province. All the other policy issues out there pale in comparison to the central fact that believing in our people means empowering them at the personal and local level. The discussions around taxation, administration, regulation, and the rest ultimately come down to this. It’s precisely because the strength of Alberta is its people that we should do everything we can to maximize opportunity and empower communities. The opportunity for communities to grow and thrive is opportunity for them to give and build for the good of all. The overwhelmingly heartfelt response to the terrible fires in the north is commendable, but as any Albertan would tell you, it’s no less than we’d do for our own anywhere in the province. And that’s what makes us truly great.

Butter, Batteries, Beef & Bitumen Continued From Page 14

Since Always." Not surprisingly, this isn't cited by many advocates of the Leap Manifesto. Perhaps Canada's Green Revolution could be funded by cap and trade deals with countries that are net positive emitters, instead of repressive domestic taxation. This approach would actually promote and pay for conservation. Other examples of incomplete scientific disclosure, although perhaps not entirely intended, are found among advocates of certain alternatives to fossil fuel use. It's hard to impugn the intentions of those who sincerely want to save the planet. However, as Carl Sagan said, "We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows about science and technology." For example, at first glance, electric cars appear to be an environmentally friendly option. But what isn't being widely broadcast? Well, lithium mines are often open pit, with little land reclamation potential. Lithium battery production requires toxic solvents that are difficult to dispose of safely, and cobalt, which is highly carcinogenic. The cumulative production of electric cars, from raw materials to completion, is about twice as energy intensive as traditional cars, and depending on how the electricity they use is generated, they can actually have the same or even larger overall carbon footprints as gasoline powered cars.

steroids, and their burger has one nano gram less estrogen than the competition's; 2.5 ng instead of 3.5 ng. That's one billionth of a gram difference. To put this amount into context, a typical hamburger bun contains 50,000 ng of estrogen, and a serving of cabbage, (i.e. coleslaw) has about 5500 ng of estrogen. An average woman produces 500,000 ng of estrogen every day. What purpose does the extra 1 ng of estrogen in that hamburger patty serve? Without it, it takes 12% more cattle, 11% more feed, 10% more land, and create 10% more greenhouse gases to produce the same amount of beef. So, that "better" beef actually contributes to climate change? Oh, the irony. What is the result of having a broader

perspective on these issues and hearing more than one scientific voice? Look at the respective governments of Alberta and Canada - once they took office, and came to terms with the both the responsibility of governance and input from the full spectrum of informed sources. Both are suddenly and increasingly more receptive to, and indeed to a greater extent, even promoting getting Alberta's bitumen to refineries and tidewater via pipelines. In light of the Fort McMurray fire, if there was ever a time to support Alberta's Oil Industry, it's now. It's important to know which side of the bread has the butter. Brent

If the electricity is solar produced, then it has it's own baggage. Solar cells themselves are manufactured in an incredibly energy intensive manner, due to the high temperatures required to produce the necessary silicon. Silicon tetrachloride waste is highly toxic, and many producing countries either have no disposal standards, or fail to enforce them. Cleaning the production equipment involves the release of sulphur hexafluoride, considered the most potent greenhouse gas; 25 times more potent than CO2. As a result, many experts believe that over the life expectancy of a solar cell, it barely breaks even in offsetting emissions. Sorry to throw a wrench into that "green" plan to put a solar panel on your roof to power up your Tesla. But it's not just the energy sector that falls prey to spurious science-speak. Even the humble hamburger is victimized. A popular fast food chain is experiencing great success due to advertising beef raised without added hormones or steroids. How different is their beef? Well, no Canadian beef has added

BMO Nesbitt Burns

Retirement for One

Important Considerations for Singles Saving and Planning for Retirement By chance or by design, a surprisingly large number of Canadians are facing their golden years alone. The fact is that even if you are part of a couple now, a 2009 BMO Wealth Institute report “Retirement for One - By Chance or By Design”, indicates a strong likelihood that you will find yourself single at some point during retirement. Based on the reports’ findings, singles need to plan and save just like couples, but should also address these considerations; • Start planning for retirement earlier than couples • Manage expenses more closely both before and during retirement • Greater need to protect their income • Build a “Later Life” plan Even though common wisdom suggests that every Canadian should start saving for retirement as early as possible, singles are often likely to be less informed about their financial wellbeing in retirement than their married counterparts. Since singles have only one income on which to rely, it’s

important to start saving as early as possible to benefit from compounding growth. In fact, if you’re 20 years from retirement and you save $5,000 per year in an account like an RRSP or TFSA, you will have approximately $220,000. If you wait 10 years to start saving, you’ll have to come up with $15,000 each year for the next 10 years to have as much money saved up. Saving enough money for retirement is hard enough, but starting earlier will make it seem easier. Singles may find themselves needing to invest more aggressively both before and during retirement in order to compensate for a lower saving rate and a smaller nest egg. However, your investment portfolio should be well diversified and reflect your risk tolerance and time horizon. Meeting with a BMO financial professional to review your portfolio at least annually is an important part of your financial plan.

be able to save, but may result in using funds that had previously been set aside for retirement. Having a plan that encompasses both savings goals and risk management will help you make your retirement vision a reality. Talk to your trusted advisor – get to work creating and updating your retirement plan - explore solutions to help you achieve your goals. Leger Marketing (2011) survey of Canadians aged 18 and over conducted on behalf of The BMO Retirement Institute. The “Study” refers to The BMO Retirement Institute’s analysis of individual responses to the questions posed in this survey. 2 Research team: Ross, D. G., Wills L & Gilbert, M. (May 2012). Canadian financial preparation for retirement. Unpublished research paper. “Research” refers to research conducted by this international research team. 1

Lets Connect:

Once you’ve established a plan to accumulate savings, you should ensure you take steps to protect that savings plan. When you’re the only income earner saving for retirement, protecting your earning potential should be top of mind because not being able to work due to illness or other reasons, will not only impact how much money you will

Dan Hein, BRE Investment Advisor BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. 606 2nd St SE Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0C9

403-528-6771 Dan.Hein@nbpcd.com www.bmo.com/nesbittburns

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Alberta carbon tax will fund bureaucratic expansion, redistribute wealth of Albertans

Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks Shannon Phillips recently introduced Bill 20, the Climate Leadership Implementation Act. If there was any doubt that Alberta’s climate plan is little more than expansionary tax-andspend government, the details of the legislation should lay those doubts to rest. As the Globe and Mail reports, the budget tabled by the government in April forecast revenues from the carbon levy of $9.8 billion over five years. Some of that money will be redistributed to lower-income earners, and some will be given back to small businesses as a reduction in Alberta’s small business tax, but at the end of the day, the government expects to net $6 billion to fund a giant green energy spending spree. According to estimates in the Edmonton Journal, the new tax scheme will cost a family of four about $338 extra in 2017, rising to $508.00 in 2018 in direct energy costs, and another $70 to $105 in “indirect costs,” that is, when products and services have to increase in price as a result of the tax on producers and service providers. The legislation at about 100 pages long includes three acts, one to establish the carbon tax, one to allow for reductions in small business taxes, and one to create a new Crown corporation with which to spend the tax revenues, called “Energy Efficiency Alberta.” The mandate of this corporation is: (a) to raise awareness among energy consumers of energy use and the associated economic and environmental consequences, (b) to promote, design and deliver programs and carry out other activities related to energy efficiency, energy conservation and the development of micro-generation and small-scale energy systems in Alberta, and (c) to promote the development of an energy efficiency services

industry. But as we pointed out in a recent study by the Fraser Institute, this approach to managing greenhouse gas emissions has been tried—and failed—repeatedly in both the United States and Canada. Ontario has done a masterful job at avoiding transparency with regard to the benefits of its “demand-side management programs,” despite spending some $400 million on efficiency programs in 2013 alone. But a landmark study from the United States suggests that most of that money is likely wasted. As authors Ross McKitrick and Tom Adams observe: An important study in 2015 out of Berkeley University looked at participants in the US Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This home retrofit program has been in operation since 1976, but in 2009 the budget was increased more than ten-fold to $5 billion annually. What makes this study particularly important is that the authors were able to construct a randomized sample of program participants and non-participants, making it the first ever experimental test of a major energy conservation program. An apparent puzzle in the energy literature has been the low level of voluntary investment by households in efficiency improvements that, according to engineering estimates, would save them money. The Berkeley study shows that households were right and the engineering models were wrong. The study found that, on average, engineering models predicted 2.5 times more energy savings than were actually realized. And the cost of the energy efficiency program per household was about twice the value of the energy savings. In other words the program cost two dollars for every dollar saved in energy, even

after accounting for the value of reduced air pollution emissions. And as researchers at the Breakthrough Institute have found, efficiency programs are subject to the “rebound effect,” also known as the Jevon’s Paradox. If you actually do make things more energy efficient, people tend to use more energy. They buy more energy-consuming products, potentially wiping out potential reductions in either energy consumption, or emissions related to it: At the economy-wide, macroeconomic scale, the aggregate impacts of widespread energy efficiency improvements can lead to substantial rebound effects. As producers and consumers respond in turn to various cascading changes in the price of goods and services, the pace of economic growth quickens, and market prices for fuels may fall, driving further rebound. A number of 'Computable General Equilibrium' (CGE) models generally show rebound at the scale of a national economy at 40 to 60 percent for developed economies, and 50 percent to much greater than 100 percent (‘backfire) for developing economies. Alberta’s new climate plan, by the government’s own admission, will not lead to significant greenhouse gas reductions for many years, if it ever does. The tax is far too low to have significant impacts on consumer behaviour, which is further proof that it is not “market-based carbon pricing,” it’s a funding mechanism for bureaucratic expansion of failed efficiency programs, a mechanism for redistributing the wealth of Albertans, and a green fig leaf for an Alberta government that wants to look as if it’s proactively promoting “social license” for the continued development of Alberta’s oilsands. Alberta’s new carbon tax should be called what it is: Alberta’s new Provincial Sales Tax. Author: Kenneth P. Green

The Reign of the Conservaphobics

Continued From Page 05

personally with their conservaphobic comments and actions. Their addiction to political correctness is why they spew hatred toward people like Donald Trump. Let's discuss the latest example of intolerance displayed in Parliament. Prime Minister Justin was physically violent toward those with whom he disagreed. I would expect RCMP charges of assault are necessary and justified. Also the Prime Minister should resign immediately. But alas, the conservaphobic caucus and sycophant media will rally to protect their hateful leader. If a woman is in the way, just give her an unlawful cross check into the boards. Push men around while issuing four letter expletives. Obviously the rotten apple does not fall far from the tree. Racist conservaphobes force others by law to support expenditures no liberal would invest their private money to fund. Such as multi-billion dollar investments in affordable housing in Mumbai. The left spends billions more on importing new liberal voters via immigration, who are unskilled and speak neither French nor English. Clearly these liberal adherents will remain on social assistance indefinitely. They'll overwhelm

schools and healthcare. Any objections are summarily identified as bigoted by the "conservaphobes." Learn from Germany and their million refugees. They're on the brink of civil war with each other, and the migrant invasion. German women, especially children aren't safe in their streets. Rape is epidemic. Private houses and commercial buildings are being confiscated for immigrant housing. While welfare stands at over 80% for immigrants across Europe. Canadian liberals shout," let's bring more to Canada." Meanwhile, all Conservatives ask is common sense. For instance, rather than spending billions on foreign government subsidized housing, rebuild Fort McMurray. Maybe try housing our own veterans? How about keeping mentally ill pedophiles who slap on wigs and "identify as a woman today," out of little girls washrooms. Will someone on the left please explain why the "needs," of less than one tenth of one percent of transgendered people carry greater weigh than the 99.9% who object to such radical change? Me, I'm crazy enough to suggest it's just not a good idea to give over stimulated high school boys access to female showers after gym class.

But mentally ill liberals are now in charge of the asylum called the Canadian Parliament. What's right is declared wrong, and morality is defined as intolerant. Home grown pedophiles and immigrants who claim sex with children as a right, and normal cultural behavior, claim discrimination. Liberals ask, how can we deny them their rights? Trudeau and his Liberal comrades in office now want to change voting laws that virtually guarantee they'll never lose an election. They're hailed as, "Progressives." When in fact they're dictators seizing the reins of power forever. You see I identify as a social conservative, a common sense, kind of guy. Why are racist, liberal, conservaphobes so intolerant of my views? Must I file charges with the Human Rights Commission? Can't we see some bi-partisan cooperation across the aisle? We must stop the systemic tyrannical conservaphobic genocide of conservative thought. But remember Trudeau campaigning, he said his most admired form of government was communist China, their basic dictatorship means things get done. Now your surprised?

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Inside this Month’s Issue “Paula Saavedra” 2016 24