Sometimes living in Alberta is like living in the classic film Groundhog Day, in which actor Bill Murray finds himself in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again. In Alberta, relying on the cyclical nature of oil prices while… Continue Reading →
Continue readingAuthor: Dave Cournoyer
daveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: PC MLAs follow Prentice command to cut Auditor General budget
Progressive Conservative MLAs sitting on the Standing Committee for Legislative Offices voted last week to deny a request from Child and Youth Advocate Del Graff to reinstate more than $200,000 in funding cut in Dec. 2014. At the same committee meeting,… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Tuesday morning candidate nomination update in Alberta
Five-term Progressive Conservative MLA Wayne Cao announced last week that he will not be seeking re-election as MLA for Calgary-Fort. Known around the Legislature for his good humour, love of the opera and online selfies, Mr. Cao came to Canada a… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta’s Great Family Day Debate of 1989
[This post was originally published on Feb. 16, 2010] The annual Family Day long-weekend is something that many Albertans look forward to. The many Albertans who take the holiday on the third Monday of February for granted may be surprised to know… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Sharpen Your Pencils, Alberta. Slash-and-burn is back.
Living in the land of the lowest taxation rates in Canada allows many personal benefits but long-term government stability has not been one of them. Relying heavily on natural resource revenues, our political leaders continue to stumble from embarrassment of riches to poverty and never… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Sunday evening candidate nomination updates in Alberta
With a provincial election expected in the next few months, the 43-year long governing Progressive Conservatives are expected to have all their candidates nominated by the end of March 2015 and be in a position to trigger an election soon after…. Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Can Wildrose survive Rob Anders? Can floor crossers survive PC Party?
Initially turned away by Wildrose Party officials, controversial Conservative Member of Parliament Rob Anders has asked the Wildrose Party for a “waiver” to run for the party’s leadership. Having lost bids for federal Conservative nominations in Calgary-Signal Hill and Bow River last… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Wednesday night candidate nomination update in Alberta
I have made the following updates to the list of nominees and nomination candidates planning to run in Alberta’s next provincial election. Please email david.cournoyer [at] gmail.com if you have additions to the list. Thank you. Bonnyville-Cold Lake: City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Who will stop the Jim Prentice juggernaut?
The past few months have been a sobering reminder that it foolish to underestimate the staying power of Alberta’s 43-year long governing Progressive Conservatives. A year ago the scandal ridden PC Government appeared to be on the verge of collapse. And now,… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: So long Liberalberta! Raj Sherman calls it quits.
All four main political parties will have new leaders going into the next election after today’s announcement by Liberal leader Raj Sherman that he is resigning as leader and will not seek re-election as the MLA for Edmonton-Meadowlark. Like the Wildrose Party, who… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Election 2015: What We Know versus Speculation
What we know: The last provincial General Election was held 2 years, 9 months and 3 days ago on April 23, 2012. The Election Amendment Act introduced by Wetaskiwin-Camrose Progressive Conservative MLA Verlyn Olson and passed on December 6, 2011 legislated that… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Saturday Morning election nomination updates in Alberta
From Lethbridge to Rimbey and Peace River to Cochrane, here is your Saturday morning candidate nomination update: Airdrie: Mayor of Airdrie Peter Brown announced this week that he will seek the Progressive Conservative nomination. Mr. Brown was first elected Mayor in 2010. The… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Goodbye 4H Club – Horne, Horner, Hughes and Hancock now gone
The announcements this week by former Finance Minister Doug Horner and former Health Minister Fred Horne that they are leaving politics did not come as a surprise to anyone watching politics in Alberta. Once powerful ministers in Premier Alison Redford’s cabinets, the two men were… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: A Decade of Daveberta – Marking 10 Years of Blogging
Ten years ago, on January 21, 2005, I sat down at a computer in a University of Alberta library and launched the blog known as daveberta. I had no idea at the time where the blog would take me. Blogging was new and… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Tuesday Night candidate nomination updates in Alberta
With the spectre of a spring provincial general election hanging over us, the Progressive Conservative, Wildrose and New Democratic parties are in a hurry to nominate candidates in Alberta’s 87 constituencies. On Jan. 19, 2015, the PC Party announced that… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Albertan Graffiti: Jim Prentice buys a 1956 Ford Thunderbird
After months warning Albertans that declining oil prices will have dire consequences unless we ‘tighten their belts‘ and make ‘tough choices,” Alberta Premier Jim Prentice has made some tough decisions of his own. Returning home from an official government visit to Houston, Texas… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Sunday night candidate nomination updates in Alberta
Edmonton Public School Board Trustee Sarah Hoffman is expected to make an announcement on Monday, January 19 that could signal a jump into provincial politics. Speculation is rampant that Ms. Hoffman could be announcing plans to seek the New Democratic Party nomination in Edmonton-Glenora constituency. The… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Guy Boots’ Fort McMurray residency challenged
In the heart of oil sands country, former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, Wildrose MLA and now municipal councillor Guy Boutilier could be in trouble. As Fort McMurray Today first reported on January 7, 2015, his eligibility to serve as a councillor with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Friday morning provincial candidate nomination updates from Alberta
Alberta MLAs will return to the Legislature for a spring sitting on March 10, 2015, the Progressive Conservative Party plans to have candidates nominated in all 87 constituencies by March 15, 2015 and Finance Minister Robin Campbell is expected to introduce… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta can’t afford to ignore the Provincial Sales Tax
“Rat-free, PST-free and Liberal-free” has been a Conservative mantra in Alberta since the reign of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. But is this trifecta now in jeopardy? The decline of government revenues caused by the drop in the price of oil has once again sparked… Continue Reading →
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