Your blogger with Dave Taylor, back in 2010. Below: Glenn Taylor, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Chima Nkemdirim. While it’s true former Alberta Party MLA Dave Taylor never crossed a bridge he couldn’t burn, the political experiment he was part of is likely finished all on its own without his
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David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The 100th Calgary Stampede: real men don’t kill horses for fun
A chuckwagon race in 1924 – then and now, unquestionably exiting and unquestionably cruel. Time for it to stop. Below: Alberta Premier Alison Redford and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, both looking fashionably butch in their cowboy duds. There’s no doubt about it: chuckwagon races are as exciting as hell. There’s
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Zwozdesky’s in, Kowalski’s out and all’s right with the Tory universe
Gene Zwozdesky, Alberta’s new Speaker, with your blogger and a Speech from the Throne … though not today’s. This compliment may come out sounding a little more backhanded than intended, but the Alberta Legislature could have done a lot worse than choose someone like Gene Zwozdesky to wear the Speaker’s
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta MLAs get down to work – sort of – later today
Bill 1? It’s a secret! Alberta MLAs may not be exactly as illustrated. It’s great work if you can find it! The first session of the 28th Legislature of Alberta opens later today and will sit for … hold onto your hats, people … all of six days. In their
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Tories train their intellectual big guns on Tom Mulcair: if Rex Murphy fails, there’s always Don Cherry!
Prime Minister Stephen Harper (clutching the balloon, centre) sets off his attack on Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair, who is illustrated standing in the background. Beep-beep! Actual federal politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Tory big guns Rex Murphy and Don Cherry, plus former Tory big gun Norman Spector,
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Add ‘Dutch Disease’ to climate change as real phenomena denied by Stephen Harper’s neo-Conmen
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, above right, presents his petroleum-development policy package to members of his oil patch caucus. Industry-financed Western politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: the real Mr. Harper and Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair. If the Alberta and federal governments’ mismanagement of oil sands development were not
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Opportunistic Conservative attack on green charities highlights tax abuses by Tory cronies
Charity: Right-wing think tanks and Ducks Unlimited are most certainly not exactly as illustrated. Below: Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and National Revenue Minister Gail Shea. Supporters of the Harper Government’s campaign to use tax laws to de-fund its opponents need to be careful what they wish for. They might just
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Rx for high Alberta health care costs: Not what the doctors ordered!
Alberta ponders how to increase physician productivity – house calls? Below: Health Minister Fred Horne, Alberta Medical Association President Linda Slocombe. Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne’s musings he just might join Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty in declaring war on physicians’ fees is proof the chickens continue to come home to
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel channels Henny Youngman: ‘Take my Opposition leader … Please!’
Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel and your blogger at a much warmer meeting than the one Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith had with His Honour yesterday. The guy with the cigarette may be one of the new Wildrose MLAs. Below right: Mayor Mandel after his meeting with Ms. Smith, not exactly
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: What kind of message will Alison Redford send Stephen Harper in the next federal election?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Calgary West MP Rob Anders plot the destruction of Alberta Premier Alison Redford and her Progressive Conservative Party. Warning: neo-Con Alberta politicians may not have been scheming when this photo was taken. Then again… Below: a very creepy CP picture of Rob and Steve all
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The other shoe: Why the Globe’s ‘temporary leaves’ are likely to become permanent for some
One of the Globe and Mail’s senior copy editors writes a headline while a Pagemasters NA trainee looks on. Globe editors may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Globe Publisher Phillip Crawley. In the 21st Century, corporate bosses aren’t opposed to journalists making a fortune – as long as they
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: A leaky paywall won’t keep the Globe and Mail afloat
Newspaper readers like these guys just don’t exist any more. Below: Globe and Mail Publisher Phillip Crawley, a typical Globe reader, who may not be exactly as illustrated. According to the publisher of Canada’s National Toronto Newspaper, the Globe and Mail will now try to make its readers to pay
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: From the Annals of Diplomacy: Stephen Harper fires a Cannon at the Parisians
Prime Minister Stephen Harper fires a Cannon at the Parisians. Defeated Canadian politicians on their way to cushy appointments abroad may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Lawrence Cannon, François Hollande, Richard Nixon. If you didn’t think Prime Minister Stephen Harper really despised social democrats, then consider for a moment
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta: Confederation’s biggest kid starts whining at first hint of opposition
“Put ’em up, put ’em up! I’ll fight you with one paw tied behind my back,” former Alberta premier Ed Stelmach tells Dalton McGuinty and Thomas Mulcair as Alberta Premier Alison Redford looks on. Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: The villainous Mr. Mulcair eyes our oil;
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Everything new is old again in Alison Redford’s first post-election cabinet
Where’s Waldo? Yesterday’s official cabinet swearing-in photo. Who is missing? With roughly 40 per cent of its members new to a cabinet role – and 15 per cent of them brand new to Alberta’s 87-seat Legislature – Premier Alison Redford’s new cabinet announced yesterday should have given the impression of
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Today’s cabinet appointments likely to disappoint Alberta’s ‘strategic’ voters
“What was I thinking?” A progressive Alberta elector contemplates what he’s wrought by voting “strategically” for the Redford Conservatives. Alberta voters may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Premier Redford. Later today, Alberta Premier Alison Redford will announce whom she has picked to fill her cabinet. As a consequence, today
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Black is the new Red: Why Stephen & Jason love Conrad more than they love Canadians
Powerful symbolism, no matter how you look at it: Lord and Lady Black. Below: Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Let’s be honest with ourselves, Canadians. Did any of us ever truly doubt – even for an instant – that the “Conservative” government of Stephen Harper would not welcome Conrad Black back
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: An Open Letter about Rob Ford to the City of Toronto, from the Rest of Canada
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, a political figure so big he has his own gravitational field! Toronto politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Dear Toronto: It’s time we had a frank talk about that Chief Magistrate of yours. We are speaking of course about Rob Ford, the big guy who
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Parks Canada carnage sideswipes Jasper with nary a peep from local Tory MP
Will the last person to leave Jasper please turn out the lights? A view of Beauvert Lake, near the Jasper townsite, as the sun sets. Below: Anchors Aweigh! There’ll be nothing at all like this for the good people of Jasper from their Conservative MP, Rob Merrifield. Rob who? Where’s
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Jack Major’s wise counsel too sensible to be adopted in neo-conned Alberta
Premier Alison Redford contemplates Justice Jack Major’s recommendations on MLA compensation. Actual Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Justice Jack Major. Former Supreme Court Justice Jack Major’s long-awaited report on Alberta MLA compensation doesn’t stand much chance of doing anything more than serving as a 327-page doorstop
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