Prime Minister Stephen Harper tries just to stifle his worst instincts. Warning: Canadian prime ministers may not be exactly as illustrated. If you’re too young to get this, just don’t worry about it. It’s pretty obscure anyway. Below: Richard…
Continue readingAuthor: David J. Climenhaga
David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Red Deer leadership candidates forum helps illustrate why no Tory collapse is in sight
Rivals: Conservative leadership candidates Ted Morton, left, and Doug Horner, right, (warily?) chat moments before the leadership forum in Red Deer last Thursday. Below: Horner, Morton, Gary Mar, Alison Redford, Doug Griffiths and Rick Orman.Sorry, …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Labour Day warning: If you want your union and your rights in the workplace, you’d better be prepared to fight to keep them
Ideal workers, as seen by the Canadian corporate right. Below: Juan Peron, Catherine Swift.
This Labour Day in Canada, unions and the fundamental right of working people to be represented by them face an existential threat. Elected union leaders seem …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Conservative leadership candidates have high-speed rail line brainwave: All aboard for environmental and financial disaster!
Stand back! A high-sped rail car gets ready for the rocket-ride to Calgary. Below, alternatives models, and leadership candidates Doug Horner and Alison Redford.
RED DEER
Uh oh! The idea of a high-speed passenger rail link between Edmonton and Calgar…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta Tories bask in the glory of their 40th anniversary in power
Masses of marchers spell out “40” to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Alberta’s ruling Conservative Party in Edmonton’s Bitumen Square. Joyous Tories may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: A well-preserved Peter Lougheed.
Alberta Conservat…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The other leadership race: Can the Alberta Liberals survive Raj Sherman as leader?
Your blogger with Dr. Sherman, back in the day. Below: Hugh MacDonald, Laurie Blakeman.
Can the Alberta Liberals survive the election of Raj Sherman as their leader?
This question has to be asked because the probability now seems quite high that Dr. …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Political avian flu update: Will Doug Horner send the AMA’s chickens home to roost?
Dr. Patrick White ponders the future of the Alberta Medical Association under Premier Doug Horner. Noted Alberta physicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Horner, the actual Dr. White (CBC photo).
Will the Alberta Medical Associatio…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Labour law in Alberta: If you want better policies, you’re just going to have to elect better politicians
Alberta labour minister Thomas Lukaszuk gazes toward a heady future in which there is only one official and obedient union. Note that Alberta political leaders may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Another view of Mr. Lukaszuk.
Labour Day …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Remember where you heard it first! Former St. Albert city councillor James Burrows gets Wildrose nomination
Former St. Albert city councillor James Burrows on municipal election night 2010. The TV monitors in the background did not display particularly good news for Mr. Burrows. Now he has the Wildrose Alliance nomination for the St. Albert riding. Below: St…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: What would Jack do? Layton’s hopeful mien should guide our response to Christie Blatchford’s column
Some of the throng that gathered at the Alberta Legislature Wednesday evening to honour and mourn the death of NDP Leader Jack Layton. Postmedia News columnist Christie Blatchford, in a mugshot snatched from the Internet.
The last person I expected to…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The secret to Western success in Afghanistan: NATO must train the Taliban!
Completely untrained Afghan Mujahideen troops, the same people who later became the Taliban, stand atop a Soviet helicopter they downed in 1979. Below, Leonid Brezhnev.
I’ve got it! The way to move toward peace and progress in Afghanistan, that is….
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Looking back to Election Eve, 2008, with happy memories of Layton, Jack
Jack Layton, 1950-2011
Don’t mourn! Organize!
— Joe Hill, Swedish-American union organizer
It’s OK to mourn the loss of Jack Layton, of course, Joe Hill’s wise strategic counsel to social activists notwithstanding.
It’s also OK to take a …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Pottery Barn Rule applies to Libya: We broke it, now we own it…
U.S. Marines board the Barbary Pirates’ gunboat in Tripoli harbour, Feb. 16, 1804, a big night for the United States Marine Corps. Things are more problematic for the United States and its NATO allies in Tripoli tonight. Below: Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
…
David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Stop me before I blog again! Alberta Diary is closed for vacation until Aug. 22
Gone campin’ … NOT!
Alberta Diary is CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
No, really! I promise not to post about the CFIB’s attempt to bring “right to work” legislation to Alberta and ensure even less money is available for the “entrepreneurs” it …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Would the prime minister please shut up: senior Conservative cabinet minister was BQ member for 7+ years
Separatist Conservative cabinet minister Denis Lebel being sworn in while Prime Minister Stephen Harper lovingly gazes on. That was then, from the prime minister’s web page. Is this now? Below: Mr. Lebel’s official mugshot.
This just in! Senior fe…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Canadian Federation of Independent Business: another AstroTurf organization attacking the interests of its own members
Alberta small businesses: not helped by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Below: The CFIB’s Dan Kelly, the CLC’s Ken Georgetti.Why does the so-called Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses push a far-right agenda that benefits…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Perfesser Dave explains the problems with separatists in the Canadian government
Bryan Mulroney having fun with his confidant and Quebec lieutenant Lucien Bouchard, one of many Conservative separatists who have spent time in the House of Commons. Below: Perfesser Dave; Western sovereignist Stephen Harper.Some stories are just too c…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: That secular school for Morinville? It’s still not a done deal!
The sign on a “public” school in the town of Morinville. Below: Religious symbolism on the Morinville High School; St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church, the historic centre of the community; Education Minister David Hancock.Remember the deal str…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: If Stephen Duckett wasn’t fired, why was he paid out in full?
Well, it wasn’t like he didn’t offer to share! Maybe that’s why Stephen Duckett wasn’t fired for the Notorious Cookie Incident ™? Below: Dr. Duckett, AHS Chair Ken Hughes.How do Stephen Duckett, Alberta Health Services and the government of A…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: A half dozen harsh truths about Alberta politics in the summer of 2011
Alberta political analysts discuss the results of the latest Environics poll of voter intentions, although perhaps not exactly as illustrated. Below: Brian Mason, as likely to be Opposition leader as … Danielle Smith (David Cournoyer photo).Now that …
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