Stephen Harper is not serious about senate reform. Despite his announcement last week that he plans to stop filling vacancies in the upper chamber until the senate is reformed, his track record on the issue is very poor. Stephen Harper, cc: pmwebphotos (Flickr.com) Harper was first elected to parliament in 1993
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Rachel Notley’s Cabinet
Later today at a public celebration on the legislature grounds, Alberta’s new NDP government will be sworn in. With a large number of inexperienced MLAs elected, many are suggesting that the NDP doesn’t have a strong group for cabinet. The announcement earlier this week that the cabinet would only have
Continue readingImportant Races to Watch and My Predictions
It is election day in Alberta and before I have anything else to say, I have this important thing to say: VOTE! It will only take a few minutes but it is fundamentally important to our province. Before the campaign started, many pundits were predicting a strong PC majority and
Continue readingMy MLA? Ol’ Whazhizface?
I have a question for you, dear reader. What factor was the biggest factor that drove your voting decision in the 2012 Alberta election? Did you base your vote on a platform, a leader, a party, a local candidate or was it a combination of two or more factors? The
Continue readingFlat Tax Math Yields a T-Bird
Here’s some interesting math for you. Between 2011 and 2014, Alberta Premier Jim Prentice was a Vice-President for CIBC, with a salary “reportedly over $2 million.” In Ontario, his 2013 provincial income taxes would have been calculated using a progressively increasing tax rate that topped out at 13.16% on income over $509,000. The
Continue reading9 ways Alberta should manage resources better
Sometime toward the end of November, the Alberta government will release their 2nd quarter fiscal update. Finance Minister Robin Campbell will likely tell us that the second quarter was another good quarter but that the good news is coming to an end and the 1st quarter projection of a $3 Billion bonus will be
Continue readingRevisited: 7 things to watch in Alberta byelections
Last week, I wrote about the 7 things to watch in the four October 27th by-elections and now that the results are in, I thought I would revisit the questions. 1. How many ridings will the PCs hold? Premier Jim Prentice (credit: Dave Cournoyer) The PC’s go 4 for 4!
Continue reading7 things to watch in Alberta by-elections
By-elections are being held in four ridings across Alberta on October 27th. This mini-election, of sorts, is needed to elect Premier Jim Prentice and two of his cabinet ministers to the legislative assembly. More importantly, the four races will serve as a weather vane in the rapidly shifting winds of politics
Continue readingWhat’s the Status of the PC’s 2012 Mandate
So, you’re a former capital region mayor, who was popular as mayor, has good progressive credentials and now finds themselves on the inside of provincial government. You might be looking in the mirror today, thinking about the health portfolio and wondering how the world unfolded to put you where you are today. If this
Continue readingSaving for a rainy day
The tragedy of recent historic flooding in Southern Alberta has had a profound impact on us. As an Edmontonian who spends a good deal of time in Calgary, my heart goes out to those who have been affected. Encouragingly, the Alberta spirit lives on and Calgarians will demonstrate resiliency as
Continue readingCabinet Speculation
Hey, I’m awful at predictions, but why not speculate on cabinet postings. Premier Alison Redford has discussed the possibility of some repositioning of portfolios and the possibility of a downsize to cabinet. It is quite likely that we will see 20 ministers in the cabinet including the Premier. As far
Continue readingWildrose Voters got Cold Feet
In the days after Alberta’s engaging general election for the 28th legislature, everyone is talking about the polls – specifically how wrong they were. And while they did not accurately predict the outcome of the election, it is hard to suggest that the methodology was wrong. The polls, regardless of method employed,
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