Suing the Catholic Church is like throwing Jello at the wall, it’s a mess but not much sticks. Thousands of Canada’s First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Inuvialuit joined in a class action seeking compensation for the abuse they suffered in … Continue reading →
Continue readingAuthor: susanonthesoapbox
Susan on the Soapbox: Notley’s Budget: Myths and Facts
The NDP government unveiled its budget on Thursday. The conservatives reacted as if the government dropped a neutron bomb on the people. Wildrose leader Brian Jean worried that parents driving their kids to hockey practice would end up in the … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: How the Conservatives Spun Murray Edwards and Vicki Kaminski
This week the conservatives spun Murray Edwards’ decision to move to England and Vicki Kaminski’s decision to leave Alberta Health Services for a job in Australia to convince Albertans to ditch the NDP. The spin looked like this: Facts [Edwards/Kaminski … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: It’s Time for the Soapy Awards!
Ms Soapbox was trolling through Hansard searching for signs of intelligent life under the Dome when she discovered (sandwiched between the Wildrose Opposition’s accusation that the Premier appointed a Soviet-era communist to serve as her deputy chief of staff and … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Ghomeshi Verdict: We Deserve Better
“Violence against women is not about the behavior of the women.”–Gillian Hnatiw, lawyer for Lucy DeCoutere By his own admission Jian Ghomeshi likes rough sex. The legal question is whether the three women who met Ghomeshi in 2002 and 2003 … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Let’s Make Alberta Great Again: Elect Donald Trump!
Donald Trump’s scary lead in the Republican nominee race led Ms Soapbox to wonder whether The Donald’s promise to Make America Great Again! with a mishmash of protectionist, racist ideas grafted to a fiscally conservative and socially conservative platform would … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: “Kudatah”: It’s not a joke
Ms Soapbox is deeply troubled by last week’s failed Kudatah. The Kudatah (or “coup d’etat” for those who know how to spell) was George Clark’s attempt to overthrow the NDP government. George blames the NDP for the economic downturn. He … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Justice Abella a.k.a. Rock Star
Rosalie Silberman never wanted to be a judge. But the phone kept ringing. Would she like to be a Family Court judge? She was 29 and pregnant but sure, why not. How about heading up the Royal Commission on Women’s … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Ezra Levant: Once a lawyer always a lawyer?
Ms Soapbox is grateful to Ezra Levant (and that’s not an easy thing to say). Thanks to Ezra she’s discovered that journalism is not a profession (actually she suspected it all along); she’s also learned that “once a lawyer always … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Journalism Redefined
It’s been a disturbing week. Ezra Levant, who swore under oath that he was not a reporter, sued the NDP government for refusing to let him attend (and report, presumably) on government media events. Established journalists fell all over themselves … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: B.C. “attacks” Alberta. Really?
Thirty-six little words. That’s all it took for the media to whip Albertans up into a “how dare you” frenzy. It started with the BC government’s Throne Speech in which Premier Christy Clark took her new election slogan—Say YES—for a … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Trudeau On Pipelines: Maybe
Last week Justin Trudeau walked into the lion’s den—a boardroom filled with the country’s top oilpatch executives—and got it half right. Luckily he had the good sense to take Premier Notley with him. Mr Trudeau, Ms Notley and Big Oil … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Notley’s Royalty Review
Rachel Notley is driving Brian Jean and Ric McIver crazy. Every time they think they’ve backed her into a corner on the energy file she comes out with a creative and pragmatic solution which has the industry’s backing. What’s the … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Down for the count
Ms Soapbox went on a blitz trip to Vancouver Island. She got home late this afternoon and discovered that her brain is capable of nothing more taxing that deciding whether to watch Sherlock: The Abominable Bride or Miss Fisher’s Murder … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Notley’s Approach to Trans Mountain (boys, get with the program)
“Projects like pipelines shouldn’t pit one province against another—they should stimulate conversations that recognize the economic needs and positions of all provinces.”—Alberta premier, Rachel Notley It doesn’t matter what Rachel Notley does to support interprovincial pipelines it’s never enough—at … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Bishop Henry Pontificates on Gay Straight Alliances
On January 13, 2016 The Most Reverend Frederick Bernard Henry, the seventh Catholic Bishop of the diocese of Calgary well and truly lost it. Henry wrote a pastoral letter denouncing Education Minister David Eggen’s “edict” that public, Catholic, French and … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Fly Report: Why TCPL Sued Obama and the US Government
TransCanada Pipelines (TCPL) just announced it is going to sue the US government for $15 billion under NAFTA and while they’re at it sue President Obama for exceeding his power under the US Constitution. Some lawyers say TCPL has a … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Five Resolutions for Rachel Notley
Ms Soapbox’s first round of New Year’s resolutions for a politician (Alison Redford) were ignored, but she’s a persistent soul and will try again. This time she’s prepared five resolutions for Premier Rachel Notley. Stay the course on your climate … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Art of Conversation
The Soapbox family had Christmas dinner at a friend’s house this year. The guests included a former federal cabinet minister, an HR executive, two city planners, a philanthropist, a lawyer, an engineer, an animal lover and a legal assistant. They … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Rules-of-the-Universe-Do-Not-Apply Christmas List
The politicians on a break and so are we… Ms Soapbox is curled up in front of the fire playing with her Christmas List. Like most of us she has pretty much everything her little heart desires—a comfy home, loving … Continue reading →
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