TweetThe same poll that showed former Premier Alison Redford with a 75% disapproval rating also showed urban Albertans have huge confidence in the leadership of their big city mayors. Previously unpublished questions from the same poll conducted by Marc Henry‘s ThinkHQ and provided to daveberta.ca showed Edmonton mayor Don Iveson and
Continue readingAuthor: daveberta
daveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Thomas Mulcair reminds me of Stephen Harper
TweetMore than 500 people packed into the lobby of the Winspear Centre yesterday to watch the New Democratic Party of Canada officially nominate Edmonton-Centre‘s Lewis Cardinal as the first candidate for 2015 federal election. The selection of Edmonton-Centre as the NDP’s first nomination demonstrates that party’s desire to turn Edmonton into a
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: PC Party opts for a short and expensive leadership campaign
TweetIn 2006, it was $15,000, in 2011, it was $40,000, and in 2011, the fee to become a candidate in the Progressive Conservative leadership race is $50,000. Senior officials from Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party gathered in Red Deer last night to discuss timelines, entry fees and the rules that will
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Harper endorses Rob Anders and more nomination updates
TweetWith Dave Hancock being sworn-in as the 15th Premier of Alberta and speculation running rampant about who will replace him in four to six months, I thought now would be a good opportunity to provide a quick update about nominations for federal election candidates in Alberta. Calgary-Signal Hill In what could be
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Tories hope for a Hancockian era of stability
TweetOn March 20, 1989, Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives were re-elected with a majority government but Premier Don Getty was defeated by voters in his Edmonton-Whitemud constituency. It was a stunning embarrassment for the then 18-year governing PC Party. Twenty-five years later, on March 20, 2014, Alberta’s still-governing PCs selected Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Dave
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: 8 candidates who could run for the leadership of the Alberta PC Party
TweetWith yesterday’s announcement by Premier Alison Redford that she will resign on March 23, 2014, the Progressive Conservative caucus will need to select an interim premier and the PC Party is required to hold a leadership contest to select a new leader. Deputy Premier Dave Hancock and Agriculture minister Verlyn Olson have been rumoured
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: It was only a matter of time. Ruthless Tories force Redford to quit.
TweetIt was only a matter of time. After a short 898 days as Premier of Alberta, Alison Redford announced today that she plans to resign as premier and leader of the Progressive Conservatives on Sunday, March 23, 2014. After facing months of controversy over travel expenses and weeks of turmoil
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: 4 ways out of the PC leadership crisis
Tweet The increasingly public struggle between Premier Alison Redford and a group of disgruntled MLAs in the Progressive Conservative Party continues this week. Following Monday’s announcement by Calgary-Varsity PC MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans that she would sit as an Independent MLA, two more PC MLAs are publicly considering leaving. Edmonton-South West
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: That sinking feeling. More problems for the Redford Tories
TweetBlasting the culture of entitlement that has engulfed the 43-year governing Progressive Conservative Party, Calgary-Varsity MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans announced today she was leaving the government caucus to sit as an Independent MLA. Ms. Kennedy-Glans is the second MLA to leave the PC caucus this month, but unlike the departure of
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Anti-Redford coup fails to materialize at PC MLA meeting
TweetA rumoured coup d’etat within Alberta’s Progressive Conservative caucus failed to materialize yesterday as government MLAs gathered at Government House to discuss Premier Alison Redford‘s future. Cancelling all public appearances and media events for the day, including the premier’s trip to Regina to participate in the New West Partnership meeting,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: $45000 trip has serious political costs for Redford
TweetAfter spending two months avoiding having to pay the costs of her $45,000 trip to South Africa, Premier Alison Redford called a press conference late yesterday to announce she would reimburse the government for costs of sending herself and her executive assistant Brad Stables to South Africa in December 2013. Despite attempts to ignore the issue,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: LRT funding a big win for Edmonton, but it is enough to save Redford?
TweetJust five days after provincial finance minister Doug Horner was criticized for delivering a budget that was absent of additional funding to expand the south east section of the “Valley Line” of Edmonton’s LRT system, provincial politicians announced yesterday that it would commit $600 million towards the project. Surrounded by city
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Laurie Hawn to retire, blowing Edmonton-Centre race wide open
TweetEdmonton-Centre Conservative Member of Parliament Laurie Hawn has decided to retire when the next election is called, according to the latest column by the Edmonton Sun’s Lorne Gunter. The retired Air Force lieutenant-colonel first entered politics in 2004, running unsuccessfully against Liberal MP and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan. Mr. Hawn defeated Ms. McLellan in
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: By-election update: Conservatives choose Barlow for Macleod, Liberal MPs invade Alberta
TweetJohn Barlow was chosen as the Conservative Party candidate last night in the Macleod riding. With a by-election expected to be called soon, Mr. Barlow defeated three other candidates – Melissa Mathieson, Phil Rowland and Scott Wagner – to win the nomination. During the campaign, Mr. Barlow faced severe opposition
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Why Budget Day matters less every year
TweetGenerally speaking, Budget Day and the Speech from the Throne have been big events that gave Albertans an indication about the government’s agenda for the year ahead. This week, no real agenda was not laid out in the Throne Speech or in the provincial budget. Each event is stage-managed to
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Airplane scandal takes off as Tory support, fundraising effort nose dives
TweetYesterday’s Speech from the Throne was old news as scandal erupted today over Premier Alison Redford’s alleged inappropriate use of government-owned airplanes. After facing criticism over her $45,000 trip to South Africa and a $9,200 trip from Palm Springs, Ms. Redford struggled to control the story today by announcing plans
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Albertans defend modest pensions, Redford staff defend Palm Springs flight
TweetAbout 2,000 Albertans from every corner of the province braved the -33C windchill yesterday to defend their modest pension plans at a rally in Edmonton’s Churchill Square. Many municipal and provincial employees are concerned that Finance minister Doug Horner‘s proposed changes to Alberta’s public sector pension plans could impact their retirement security.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Another PC MLA abandons Redford for the Harper Tories
TweetAnother Progressive Conservative MLA is about to jump into the federal arena. Edmonton-McClung PC MLA David Xiao will announce this week that he will seek the Conservative Party nomination in Edmonton-West. An email circulated to Conservative supporters in Edmonton says that Mr. Xiao will make the announcement at 10 a.m on
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Will MLA Steve Young survive the PC caucus?
TweetWhen former cop Steve Young was elected as the MLA for Edmonton-Riverview, it was considered to be a huge coup for the Progressive Conservatives. With Mr. Young as their candidate, the Tories succeeded in scooping the traditionally Liberal voting constituency previously represented by popular MLA Kevin Taft. All indications suggest
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Kerry Diotte to run for federal Conservative nomination in Edmonton-Griesbach
Tweet Former City Councillor and mayor candidate Kerry Diotte announced on his Facebook page today that he plans to seek the Conservative Party of Canada nomination in the new Edmonton-Griesbach riding. Mr. Diotte represented Ward 11 on Edmonton City Council from 2010 until 2013. He ran against Don Iveson for mayor
Continue reading