H/t The Toronto Star For progressives, it has been a very good week. For Stephen Harper and his adherents, not so much. First, there was the resounding and iconic defeat of the Progressive Conservative dynasty in Alberta. The message to the broader population: change is possible, a message not likely
Continue readingTag: Alberta Election 2015
In This Corner: An open letter to the new NDP MLAs from someone who has been there
Hello, Newbies Democratic Party MLAs! Welcome to the exciting world of provincial politics. No doubt many of you are still on a high (natural or otherwise) after your exciting and unexpected victories on Tuesday. I’m sure the Dippers who recruited you gave you assurances that you wouldn’t win, so you
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Art, Revisited
Somehow, this speaks to me more than the original does. H/t Graeme MacKay Recommend this Post
Continue readingThe Alberta NDP and proportional representation
I never thought I’d live long enough to see the day, but here it is. The NDP have been elected to the government of Alberta. I am ecstatic. Nonetheless, while my emotions soar, my logical self reminds me that they won a majority only because of our corrupt first past
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Monstrous Harper Cons and their New Albertastan
Holy flying monkey. What a difference a day makes. Up until yesterday Alberta was the Con's favourite province, their shiny Oily Oz.But then came Rachel Notley as the new Dorothy, and painted it orange. And now it's their despised Albertastan. Read more »
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Meanwhile, Over The Skies Of Alberta
Strange aerial phenomena are being reported: Others, however, are reporting something quite different: Recommend this Post
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Day the NDP Painted Alberta Orange
It had to be one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen on TV. So beautiful I almost couldn't believe it.I just sat there stunned.But it was true. What once seemed like an impossible dream had actually happened.Rachel Notley and the NDP had crushed the Cons to smithereens, and turned
Continue readingCuriosityCat: NEXT!
Stephen Harper NEXT!!!!
Continue readingCuriosityCat: ALBERTA HAS ITS VERY OWN ARAB SPRING
Congratulations, Alberta! You have shaken off the tyranny of group-think and dared to venture into the public space of democracy, where vigorous debate is expected, minds are changed by reasoning, and politics belongs to the people. To you. To every Albertan. Your provincial and federal leaders have not served you
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Alberta: New Poll Suggests the NDP is Heading for a Blowout Victory
With just a few hours to go before Albertans go to the polls, in what could be a historic election, the excitement continues to mount.And while some experts are still predicting that Jim Prentice's election day machine will allow him to keep his job.A new poll is predicting that Rachel Notley's
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: An Orange Chinook howls in Alberta. Is the PC dynasty at its end?
How badly do the Progressive Conservatives need to mess up for Albertans to want to elect an NDP government? It may sound like a silly question in the context of Alberta politics, but we might find an answer on May 5. Judging… Continue Reading →
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Alberta election: Why is Premier Prentice losing the male vote?
Although taken on April 30, with the election on May 5, this poll shows that the surging NDP has stolen a big whack of male votes from Cowboy Jim Prentice. Is Jim Prentice being out-gunned and out-muscled by Rachel Notley? It seems so, from that poll. Note the huge gap
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Day Jim Prentice’s Fear Campaign Got a Slap in the Face
With just two days to go before the Alberta election the excitement is mounting, and so is the fear campaign.With Jim Prentice and his Big Business posse trying to scare the people of that province into voting for them and not the NDP.And today it was Big Oil's turn to
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Rona Ambrose and the Disgusting Con Fear Campaign in Alberta
Oh no. I can't believe it. She's at it again. Rona Ambrose just can't stop scaring people, and has absolutely no idea of her own limitations. Just a few days ago she was terrorizing the peaceful residents of Vancouver by posing as a Health Minister AND a Justice Minister. And demanding
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Premier Prentice is finding that ignoring The Prince might be fatal
Listen to me, Big Mac said … Premier Prentice is facing an early election next week, with some polls predicting a major upset. Here’s one recent poll result: Duncan said there was also a “fascinating” finding when it came to voters in the 55 years and older demographic.“We’re seeing a
Continue readingcenterandleft: Alberta and Polls: Never Again
The Calgary Flames are preparing to host their first playoff game since 2009 in a matter of days. While the Flames are working hard to even up their series, the politicians are working the doors. The province of Alberta may be preparing to elect a new party to power for
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Brian Jean: WildRose’s Second Lake Of Fire?
Newly minted WildRose party leader Brian Jean is running around the province trying to drum up votes like every other politician in Alberta these days. His latest “fear” seems to be that the PCs are going to start sliming his party. “I think they’ll even claim our ethnic candidates areracist.
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Brian Jean: WildRose’s Second Lake Of Fire?
“I think they’ll even claim our ethnic candidates are
racist. I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The interview is over but a couple minutes later Jean phones back. He wants to add something.
He says the PC run the same kind of playbook as the federal Liberals tried on Stephen Harper. Remember, Jean served in the Harper government, as did Prentice.
“They tried to demonize him. They said we had a secret and hidden agenda. They claimed we were theocrats and racists and bigots and there were going to be soldiers on the streets of Canadian cities.”
“The PCs do this because they have taken over the space of the Liberal Party of Canada in Alberta. The PCs have taken that ground.”
For the record, Jean says he “has no interest whatsoever” in pushing social agenda issues. Gay-straight alliances will stay with Wildrose.
I suspect most Albertans know very little about Mr. Jean, except that his son passed away recently. I certainly hadn’t heard of him before myself.
Scott's DiaTribes: Alberta politics suddenly got unpredictably whacky
So Jim Prentice was a virtual lock to win this election a couple of months ago… at least in the eyes of the pundits, particularly after Danielle Smith and half of her Wild Rose Party defected. Suddenly, after a very unpopular budget.. things look extremely unpredictable: An Alberta election that
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: WRP, The ISS Just Saw Your Reality Cheque Bounce Past Them
When newly minted WildRose leader Brian Jean spoke on the party’s budget plank, he demonstrated just how unrealistic the neoliberal model of government is. “We believe that any Albertan that goes into any government service will see inefficiencies and things they would actually see to change themselves. We are bringing
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