Danielle Smith is always the smartest person in any room she’s in, so back in August 2022 when she was running to lead the United Conservative Party, she didn’t need to hesitate even for a moment when she was asked about what to do if hospitals filled up again with
Continue readingTag: Alberta Politics
Alberta Politics: Beware the Ides of March! You might get a subpoena from Elections Alberta!
“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction,” King Solomon is reputed to have said, with the wisdom for which he was renowned. King Solomon, as imagined by Gustave Doré, circa 1866 (Image: Wikimedia Commons). Whether it was Solomon who
Continue readingAlberta Politics: An Alberta police force? Yep, it’s back! You can count on the UCP to never give up on a bad idea
One thing you can count on is that the United Conservative Party never gives up on a bad idea. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). Take the notion of dumping the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and setting up an Alberta provincial police force, for example. Very unpopular. So you
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Naheed Nenshi, Superstar! Do you think you’re what they say you are?
As expected, former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi has joined the contest to replace Rachel Notley as leader of the Alberta NDP, and his arrival yesterday with a slick video, a professional website, highly quotable opening lines, and some high-profile endorsements changes things dramatically. Outgoing NDP Leader Rachel Notley before the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Naheed Nenshi expected to enter Alberta NDP leadership race today – and it’ll be a true stress test for the coalition Rachel Notley built
Today’s the day former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is widely expected to enter the race to lead the Alberta New Democratic Party. Rachel Notley and the other contenders in the 2014 NDP leadership race, David Eggen and Rod Loyola (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). If Mr. Nenshi’s formal leadership campaign begins
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Guy Boots,’ youngest mayor of Fort McMurray, first mayor of Wood Buffalo, PC, Independent and Wildrose MLA, dead at 65
Guy Boutilier, the last mayor of Fort McMurray, the first mayor of the massive Wood Buffalo municipality that now includes the oilsands city, and at various times a Progressive Conservative, Independent and Wildrose MLA for the community, died Friday. He was only 65. Alberta premier Ralph Klein, who gave Mr.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: After five years, RCMP investigation into Kamikaze Affair ends with a whimper, not a bang
After five years, Canada’s national police force has concluded no charges will be laid in the notorious Kamikaze Affair, as allegations of fraud and identity theft in Jason Kenney’s victorious 2017 campaign to lead the newly formed Alberta United Conservative Party came to be known. RCMP Superintendent Rick Jané at
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Tar oil,’ Venezuela, Trump and Trudeau: Something else for Alberta conservatives to complain about!
If United Conservative Party leaders like Premier Danielle Smith are looking for another fight to pick with the Trudeau Government, they could always complain about Canada’s slavish and continuing support for U.S. efforts to get rid of the Venezuelan government of Nicholas Maduro. Former, and possibly future, U.S. president Donald
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Trump to world: ‘I call it tar … it’s not oil … it’s terrible!’ – so where’s the Energy War Room when you need it?
Where’s Jason Kenney’s Alberta Energy War Room when you need it? Jason Kenney, the United Conservative Party premier who invented the Alberta Energy War Room (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). I’m talking about Donald J. Trump’s Super Tuesday victory speech, wherein he “conjures a dark vision” (The New York Times) and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: David Parker, the bad boy of Alberta conservatism, reflects, sort of recants, and promises to be less rude
After reflecting on Premier Danielle Smith’s recent words of chastisement, the bad boy of Alberta conservatism, David Parker, said in a tweet yesterday evening that he’s repented and “will not use personal insults in my public communications going forward.” Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, the last target on X of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Former Herald journalist charts shocking decline of Calgary newspapers’ paid circulation
If the federal government thinks its various subsidies to Canadian newspapers are doing much to uphold democracy, it needs to take a clear-eyed look at Postmedia’s paid circulation numbers. The Calgary Herald’s newsroom before the move, when journalism was still fun and major metropolitan newspapers were still downtown (Photo: Bob
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Guest Post: Michael Janz says sales data indicate suburban sprawl has created profits of $1B for Edmonton developers over a decade
Ward papastew City Councillor Michael Janz (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). In recent months, a lot of ink has been spilled and hot air vented on the housing crisis being experienced everywhere in Canada. Meanwhile, as leaders at every level of government blame others for the crisis, our municipalities continue to
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Sorry, but we’re still on the royalty roller coaster! Budgetary sleight of hand notwithstanding, Alberta is in deficit already
Good morning, Alberta! It’s March 2024, and we’re still on the royalty roller coaster! Premier Danielle Smith congratulates her finance minister in the Legislature yesterday (Photo: Legislative Assembly of Alberta/Flickr). It feels as if we’re easing back into the bust portion of the formula, and it’s still no fun. Well,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Will Take Back Alberta’s sinister supremo meekly submit to the premier’s command to quit tweeting?
Now that he’s been ordered by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith shut the heck up and stop slagging federal Conservative boss Pierre Poilievre and his lovely wife, will Take Back Alberta’s founder and sometime executive director David Parker meekly do as he’s told or will he make like Darth Vader and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: UCP opposition to pharmacare deal encounters stiff headwinds from an unexpected quarter; Edmonton hospital gets put on the shelf
The United Conservative Party’s knee-jerk vow to opt out of the national pharmacare program agreed to by the Liberal and NDP caucuses in Parliament last week is encountering stiff headwinds from an unexpected point of the political compass. Calgary Chamber of Commerce President Deborah Yedlin (Photo: Calgary Chamber of Commerce).
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A national pharmacare program at last? Forget about it, says Alberta’s UCP – just give us the cash!
No sooner did the federal Liberal and New Democratic parties say they’d reached a deal on a national pharmacare program at the end of last week than Alberta’s United Conservative Party Government insisted it wanted no part of the plan. Friends of Medicare Director Chris Gallaway (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Jodi Calihoo Stonehouse and AFL President Gil McGowan join NDP leadership race
Two more high-profile candidates said over the weekend they are joining the NDP leadership race: Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse and Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan. Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan, who says he is joining the race to lead the Alberta NDP (Photo: David J.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Danielle Smith keeps saying she’s going to ‘de-risk’ natural-gas-fired electricity generation – what exactly does she have in mind?
According to the Council of Europe, “de-risking” means “the phenomenon of financial institutions terminating or restricting business relationships with clients or categories of clients to avoid, rather than manage, risk.” Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, pretty much the arch-fiend the way Ms. Smith describes him (Photo: UN Biodiversity, Creative Commons).
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The premier’s speech: A spectre still isn’t haunting Alberta, the spectre of fair taxes
I’ve never actually heard that there’s a ghost in the Premier’s Office at the Alberta Legislative Building, but apparently there’s a dusty old speech that was left in a drawer by some forgotten premier in the distant past, Peter Lougheed, probably. The late premier of Alberta, Peter Lougheed (Photo: Government
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Don’t imagine for a moment the UCP has lost interesting in getting its paws on your pension
Just because Albertans have overwhelmingly rejected the idea, don’t imagine for a moment Alberta’s United Conservative Party Government has lost interest in getting its hands on its citizens’ share of the Canada Pension Plan fund, whatever that may turn out to be. Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland UCP MLA Shane Getson (Photo:
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