PHOTOS: David Climenhaga yaks … and yaks and yaks and yaks … about Turmoil in the Tories! Art work by Malcolm Azania. Below, Mr. Azania, also known by his nom de plume, Minister Faust (from Twitter). I am the first to admit I am not a podcasting kind of guy
Continue readingAuthor: David Climenhaga
Alberta Politics: Wildrose defence of Christian home schooling group unravels on news of operators’ big salaries
PHOTOS: The Trinity Christian private school in Cold Lake. Court documents indicate its principal was paid $322,813 over three years. One news report says it currently has 13 students. Below: Ken Noster, board chair and administrator of Wisdom Home Schooling Society, his wife Marlane Noster, and Trinity School principal Richard
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The Pipeline File: NDP’s ‘social license’ approach worked where Conservative shouting failed, it’s that simple
PHOTOS: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kananaskis, Alberta, in April 2016 (photo by Chris Schwarz, Government of Alberta). Below: Anti-pipeline demonstrators in British Columbia (Rabble photo by Alyse Kotyk). They may not find it reassuring that Alberta conservatives are praying for their success. Without
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Backstory to purloined party list whodunit hints Wildrose civil war may be brewing
PHOTOS: Veterans of the Wildrose Caucus civil wars get together in 2046 to compare their experiences. Actual aged Wildrose MLAs are unlikely to appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean (CBC photo), his party’s finance critic, Derek Fildebrandt, and former Wildrose House leader Rob Anderson reading his confession
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Breaking news: Wildrose Edmonton office burgled, computers stolen, membership data being misused, Brian jean says
In an email to supporters sent late Sunday with the bland subject line “A Wildrose Update,” Opposition Leader Brian Jean drops a bombshell with the revelation someone broke into the party’s Edmonton office several weeks ago, stole two laptop computers and tried unsuccessfully to walk off with the party’s server.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: I come to bury Castro, not to praise him: unpacking conservative fury at PM Justin Trudeau’s condolences
PHOTOS: Fidel Castrol in his heyday. Mr. Castro died Friday at 90. Below: An affectionate Havana scene … “Viva Fidel por siempre;” Margaret Trudeau, Mr. Castro and Pierre Trudeau in 1976; King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died at 90 last year; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Before I start, let’s
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Robo-gaffe: What do you do when caller-ID says it’s a PC on the line and you get the NDP?
PHOTOS: The offending caller ID message (photo found on Twitter). Below: Edmonton-Castle Downs NDP MLA Nicole Goehring, former Edmonton-Castle Downs Progressive Conservative MLA Thomas Lukaszuk and NDP Caucus Outreach Director Garret Spelliscy. Memo to politicians: Make sure – really, really sure – that when you send out a robo-call alerting
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Bygone bleats: Ray Speaker speaks again, while your blogger still awaits his letter
PHOTOS: Past and present at the Alberta Legislature. Progressive Conservative campaign vehicles may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Former MLAs Ray Speaker, a Social Crediter and Progressive Conservative, Tory Steve West, New Democrat Ed Ewasiuk, and Conservative Ted Morton, the worst premier Alberta never had. Below them, Calgary MLA
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Smoke-Free Alberta asks: Why hasn’t all of the Smoking Reduction Act been enacted?
PHOTOS: Water pipes and flavoured tobacco … Why has Alberta legislation outlawing them not been enacted? There are no secret political messages in this picture, by the way. Below: Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman, NDP MLA Sandra Jansen, and Edmonton Journal Editor Mark Iype. A letter Monday from the Campaign
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jason Kenney’s sleazy campaign tactics explained: He’s rolling the dice on a first-ballot win
PHOTOS: Baby needs new shoes! Jason Kenney prepares to roll the dice on winning the Alberta PC leadership race on the first ballot. Actual Alberta conservative politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Mr. Kenney, plus candidates Steve Khan and Richard Starke. If you’re surprised by reports
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Trading press barons for social media behemoths: not an improvement for people who want news
PHOTOS: The Calgary Herald newsroom, back in the day. (Photo grabbed from Facebook, of course.) It’s quieter, nowadays. Below: Brodie Fenlon, managing editor of CBCNews.ca, and Gillian Steward, former managing editor of the Herald. I have bad news for you, people: mainstream media in Alberta is a trainwreck! Of course,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The puzzling legacy of Calgary mayor Rod Sykes: not even one pathetic cul-de-sac has been named after him!
PHOTOS: Former Calgary mayor Rod Sykes sometime during his heyday between 1969 and 1977 (Glenbow Museum photo). Below: The cover of Thin Power, How Former Calgary Mayor Rod Sykes Stamped His Brand on the City … And Scorched Some Sacred Cows, and its author, retired Alberta journalist Andy Marshall. Rod
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Former PC leadership candidate Sandra Jansen, subjected by Tories to ‘intimidation and harassment,’ joins NDP caucus
PHOTOS: Sandra Jansen and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley at today’s news conference (CBC Photo). Below: Conservative leadership front-runner Jason Kenney. Ten days ago ago she was a credible candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. This afternoon, Sandra Jansen became a member of the New Democratic Party Caucus
Continue readingAlberta Politics: If Donald Trump won’t knuckle under, could he face an American ‘Colour Revolution’?
PHOTOS: One of many anti-Trump rallies in the United States in the past few days (from Facebook). Below: U.S. President Elect Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, U.S. Senator John McCain and Julius Caesar. It would be an irony if the troubles the United States has visited on much
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The twists keep coming: Ex PM pitches woo to Wildrosers for Kenney Con coup as candidate cries counter Kudatah!
PHOTOS: “That group of NDP activists was this big!” Jason Kenney is shown at the launch of his campaign to spring a kudatah on the Progressive Conservative Party in this CBC photo grabbed from the Internet. Actually, I have no idea what Mr. Kenney was saying when the CBC photographer
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Guest Post: Where’s the evidence for a health care sustainability crisis in Canada?
PHOTOS: Well, that’s one way to “bend the cost curve” … premier Ralph Klein’s way. The old Calgary General Hospital begins to fall an instant after the dynamite was triggered on Oct. 4, 1998, the Klein PC Government’s approach to health care infrastructure. Within seconds, Calgary’s only downtown hospital had
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Don’t laugh or scream, but Jason Kenney is the Hillary Clinton of Alberta politics
PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton, grim faced, gives her concession speech on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Below: Jason Kenney, who, it is predicted here, will in future be seen as the Hillary Clinton of Alberta; Sandra Jansen and Donna Kennedy-Glans, the two women who dropped out of the Progressive Conservative Party’s leadership
Continue readingAlberta Politics: More Bernard-trutherism: An update on Alberta’s (now ex) Roughneck
PHOTOS: Bernard the (now-ex) Roughneck enjoys some of the acclaim that goes with his newfound prominence here in Wild Rose Country. Photo grabbed from Facebook. Below: Neal Hancock as Bernard during his Parliamentary Press conference two months ago. Below that: A screenshot of Interim Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose at her
Continue readingAlberta Politics: RCMP explanation of why Nigel Wright was never charged doesn’t quite pass sniff test
PHOTOS: Sen. Mike Duffy arrives at the courthouse for the final day of his trial in April 2016 in this screenshot. A couple of hours later he would look considerably happier. Below: Nigel Wright, Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper’s chief of staff at the time of the events for which
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Leonard Cohen, poet, musician, 1934-2016
But you’ll be hearing from me, baby, long after I’m gone I’ll be speaking to you sweetly From my window in the Tower of Song … The post Leonard Cohen, poet, musician, 1934-2016 appeared first on Alberta Politics.
Continue reading