Alberta Politics: Engaged citizens need to take it seriously when UCP leaders start talking about mass purges in health care and education

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

Continue reading

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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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 reading

Alberta 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

Continue reading