On December 30, Edmonton Sun commentator Rick Bell published a column suggesting Premier Danielle Smith plans a purge of Alberta Health Services that will reach deep into the middle ranks of the province-wide public health care agency’s management. Calgary Sun political columnist Rick Bell (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). “Layers and
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Alberta Politics: He’s baaaack! Jason Kenney on Donald Trump – and maybe Danielle Smith and Take Back Alberta, too
When Jason Kenney talks about Donald Trump, it’s hard to shake the feeling he’s really talking about Danielle Smith. Interviewer Steven Edginton (Photo: Screenshot of Youtube video). We all remember “Perfesser Kenney,” back when he was the United Conservative Party premier of Alberta, taking off his blazer, rolling up the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Happy New Year! By the time you read this, Alberta’s fuel tax holiday will be history
Happy New Year! Derek Fildebrandt, in 2016, was mocked for the way he anticipated the carbon tax (Photo: X/Derek Fildebrandt). It’s too late, alas, for me to advise you, my fellow Albertans, to race out to your neighbourhood gas station and fill the tank of your giant pickup truck to
Continue readingAlberta Politics: What can we expect from the UCP in 2024? Not just more of the same – a lot more!
The Alberta commentariat was asked: What can we expect from the United Conservative Party in 2024? The Alberta commentariat has answered: More of the same! Here are a couple of examples: “2023 a roller-coaster for Danielle Smith and Alberta politics, with no signs 2024 will be any different.” — Don
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Letter implores Edmonton mayor and council to intervene to halt ‘violent and disruptive decampment’ planned today
With Edmonton Police Services ready to start breaking up some of the homeless camps in downtown Edmonton this morning, opponents of the mass clearances will circulate a letter to Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and City Council imploring them to intervene to seek a moratorium on the rousts. An EPS mobile
Continue readingAlberta Politics: AlbertaPolitics.ca as its 17th year of publication begins: we need to talk, Dear Readers
This blog commences its 17th year of publication today, which makes it something of an institution in Alberta political commentary. The blogger in 2023 (Photo: Daniel St. Louis). On Christmas Eve, someone I don’t know called me “the hardest working blogger in Alberta,” which might be true, at least if
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas comes a little early for the Trans Mountain Pipeline as Ottawa guarantees another couple o’ billion
It appears Christmas came a little early for that unending and expensive Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project, with word of another couple of billion dollars in loan guarantees arriving from Ottawa on Tibb’s Eve, the celebration on the day before Christmas Eve that’s marked in Newfoundland – and, by logical
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Danielle Smith dodges and weaves, but doesn’t deny, report government ordered AHS not to mention COVID or flu in vaccine ads
Grilled by reporters about yesterday’s news the United Conservative Party Government ordered Alberta Health Services not to use the words “COVID-19” or “influenza” in its seasonal vaccination advertising, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith dodged, weaved and prevaricated, but didn’t outright deny the truth of the report. Take Back Alberta founder David
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Steven Guilbeault is keeping someone busy writing unhinged jeremiads for Danielle Smith!
Who’s writing Danielle Smith’s unhinged jeremiads? Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). Whoever it is, as an Alberta taxpayer I sincerely hope we’re not paying them by the word, because their screeds are definitely getting longer! Regardless of what it sounds like, we know it’s not some guy with
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Ethics investigations, Alberta, style – no rules were broken when Deena Hinshaw was fired! Now please move along, folks …
You were wondering about that ethics investigation into the way former Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw was immediately re-fired after she was hired as a member of Alberta Health Services’ Indigenous Wellness Core last June? Was it Premier Danielle Smith? She says not (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr).
Continue readingAlberta Politics: After a day of negotiations, deal lightly taps the brakes on mass Christmas clearances of Edmonton homeless camps
Lawyers for the Edmonton police and the city of Edmonton on one side and the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights on the other reached a deal last night that lightly taps the brakes on pre-Christmas sweeps to bust up eight homeless encampments in the city’s downtown core. Justice Kent
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Police officer swears city officials agreed with plan to drive Edmonton homeless people from encampments before Christmas
Edmonton Lawyer Avnish Nanda yesterday posted on social media part of an affidavit in which Edmonton Police Service Staff Sergeant Michael Dreilich swears city representatives agreed with the police department’s plan to roust residents of eight downtown homeless encampments just before Christmas and break up their shelters. Edmonton lawyer Avnish
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Edmonton mayor appears to have been blindsided by city police plan for Christmas roust of eight homeless encampments next week
What is the goal of this week’s intended Christmastime mass roust of downtown Edmonton homeless encampments by city police, and why did they unilaterally spring it on city officials and social agencies while ignoring the city’s encampment response strategy? Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). The EPS plan
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Danielle Smith celebrates her return from COP28 with unhinged attack on federal environment minister
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz celebrated their return from the COP28 United Nations climate change conference in Dubai by accusing federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault of “treachery against our province” in an unhinged rant published yesterday on the government’s official website. Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Battling bovine belches and fighting farmyard flatulence was all very well until Ottawa got involved – now it’s an outrage!
Using the COP28 climate conference in Dubai as a news hook, on Sunday the federal government announced a new draft protocol on reducing enteric methane emissions from beef cattle, which is a fancy way of saying bovine burps and farmyard flatulence. The deceptive image tweeted by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
Continue readingAlberta Politics: LPNs’ application to join Direct Nursing Care bargaining unit summarily dismissed by Alberta Labour Relations Board
An application by a group of Licensed Practical Nurses for their jobs to be reclassified as part of Alberta’s Direct Nursing Care bargaining unit on the not-unreasonable grounds that direct nursing care is what they provide has been summarily dismissed by the Alberta Labour Relations Board. Calgary LPN Quintin Martin
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Pause’ in Smith Government’s Alberta pension plan sales pitch sounds more like a strategic effort to regroup
On Friday, Finance Minister Nate Horner used what was billed an “Alberta Pension Plan engagement update” to announce the United Conservative Party Government will “pause” its effort to persuade Albertans the province should take over more than half the assets of the Canada Pension Plan and use them to set
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Expect Rachel Notley, NDP premier from 2025 to 2019 and current Opposition leader, to step down today
Look for Opposition Leader Rachel Notley, NDP premier of Alberta from 2015 until 2019, to step aside today. After her election victory in May 2015, Ms. Notley proved to be a capable premier in difficult times, offering a steady hand of leadership and presiding over possibly the only time since
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Replacing to Sovereignty Act so soon? Danielle Smith’s belligerent statement vows new attack on federal power
VICTORIA, B.C. – Is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party Government now planning to introduce a new, tougher Sovereignty Act to fight Ottawa’s proposed emissions regulations? Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). As is well known, the plainly unconstitutional Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act has
Continue readingAlberta Politics: United Conservative Party Government tells Alberta nurses: Don’t worry, there’s no list, and you’re not on it!
VICTORIA, B.C. – Are you wondering why Alberta Health Services would threaten nurses with layoffs in the middle of an international nurse shortage and a national health care crisis at the very moment the province’s governing United Conservative Party is trying to reassure everyone things in health care are just
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