As you may have gathered Ms Soapbox is still under the weather. I’ve realized that what I miss the most about not writing is not getting your comments. Consequently I’d like to open the Soapbox to you. I’d be interested in your thoughts on all the crazy things that have
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Susan on the Soapbox: HAPPY CANADA DAY!
Everyone in the Soapbox family has or is on the verge of a horrible cold; nevertheless we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day. Canada Day is a day to celebrate all the things we’ve gotten right. Yes, there are things we got wrong and need to fix, but
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Nenshi Wins the NDP Leadership Race
“The purple is an invitation to say: set aside who you are and let’s define ourselves by our common humanity. And I thought to myself: I’ve got no political home. But then I talked to so many of you … my political home is here in the Alberta NDP.”—Naheed Nenshi,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
What I love about Father’s Day (and all the other special days of the year) aside from the fact that it’s an excuse not to write about politics, is it allows us to focus on family. In the Soapbox household we always celebrate special days (except Christmas) on Saturdays. So
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The UCP Goes Over The Top: Bill C-59
It was bound to happen sooner or later. The UCP government’s over the top reactions to anything the federal government does finally pushed it into the looney zone. On May 29, Rebecca Schutz, the Environment Minister, issued a press release railing on about Bill- C-59. Rebecca Schulz, Environment Minister My
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Rachel Notley’s Last Day in the Chair
After an illustrious career in the NDP movement, including 16 years in government, 4 of which were as premier, Rachel Notley is stepping down as party leader. She made her last appearance as the leader of the Opposition in the Legislature on May 29, 2024. Here’s how it went. The
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Taking it to the Streets: the Enough is Enough Rally
“Nothing is real that does not end on the streets. If tyrants feel no consequences for their actions in the three-dimensional world, nothing will change.” – Timothy Snyder, historian. On Saturday Mr and Ms Soapbox joined hundreds of Calgarians at the Enough is Enough rally at City Hall. It was
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The ‘stay-out-of-my-backyard’ (‘no-funds-for-you!’) bill
Ric McIver, the Minister for Municipal Affairs, is the point man on Bill 18, the Provincial Priorities Act or as Danielle Smith like to call it, the ‘stay-out-of-my-backyard’ bill (images of cranky old men shaking their fists at kids cutting across their lawns spring to mind). Bill 18 will force
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: NDP Leadership Candidates’ Slogans: A brief discussion
According to those who know about these things, political slogans, those short pithy statements plastered across websites, banners, and lawn signs, are an important part of a candidate’s brand. The experts say that in addition to being short, slogans should be vague and inspiring. Because it’s not so much
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Happy Easter…
It’s Easter Sunday and the world is a mess. (Cue brief political interlude) Here in Alberta we’ll have an opportunity to improve things…if we don’t get derailed in the run up to the NDP leadership race. We have a lot of policy to debate so let’s not get cross-threaded with
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Some Thoughts on the NDP Leadership Race
Rachel Notley was elected as an NDP MLA in 2008. She became the leader of the NDP in 2014 and will be stepping down as leader in 2024. She led the party through three elections and served as premier from 2015 to 2019. She was a formidable leader and premier
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Budget 2024: Gotcha!
In case you didn’t catch Danielle Smith’s bizzarro Address to the Province last week, the one where she signalled what we could expect in the 2024 Budget, here’s a brief synopsis. (Smith’s comments are edited for tone and appear in bold). Premier Smith’s pre-budget address to the province We need
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Danielle Smith’s Parental Rights Agenda
Last week in pursuit of her “parental rights” agenda, Premier Smith announced a set of policies that limited medical treatment for transgender youth and did a whole lot more. I tried to imagine what it would be like to explain these policies to someone not living in cloud cuckoo land.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Rachel Notley Steps Down
“We didn’t get everything right, but we governed with integrity, an ambitious agenda and an earnest desire to make life better for Albertans.”—Rachel Notley The first time I met Rachel Notley was after she’d won the NDP leadership race. She was hosting a meet-and-greet at a coffee shop in Calgary.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The AESO Emergency Alert
Last night Alberta’s electric system operator (AESO) issued a province-wide emergency alert asking Albertans to immediately reduce their electricity use to minimize the potential for rotating outages across the province. First the good news, Albertans responded to the call. Within minutes usage dropped significantly and rotating power outages were avoided.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Squid Game
The UCP’s “bread and circuses”* approach to government is no longer working. The “bread” (low taxes and high employment) is no compensation for our crumbling healthcare, education, and social services. The “circus” of blaming the federal government for everything is wearing thin. And to make matters worse, the folks at
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Merry Christmas!
Every family has its own holiday traditions. In the Soapbox house on Christmas Eve we play Rummicub and eat ourselves silly (I don’t know what they put in caramel popcorn but I can’t get enough). On Christmas morning we get up early to open presents and enjoy Mr Soapbox’s outstanding
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Guest Blog: An Open Letter from WCPH
I know I said we were taking a break during the month of December but last week I received a copy of a letter written by Lloyd and Linda Lovett on behalf of the Whitemud Citizens for Public Healthcare that eloquently expressed the concerns that many of us have with
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: And Now for Something Completely Different
Politics in Alberta feels like a Monty Python comedy sketch, only not as funny. But that’s not why I’ve used John Cleese’s signature line as the title of today’s blog post. I’ve been thinking a lot about “something completely different” ever since I started French classes last September. It turns
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: We Value Your Feedback
When someone tells you Danielle Smith is a shrewd politician remind them of how she botched the APP consultation process. Last week, the Dinning panel wrapped up the last of its five telephone townhalls. When pressed by the NDP to explain why the UCP refused to hold in-person townhalls
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