Alberta Politics ← Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

Alberta Politics: Damning ‘carding’ statistics can’t be explained away – they’re evidence of systemic racism

Jun

28

2017

PHOTO: Bashir Mohamed of Black Lives Matter Edmonton speaks in front of the Edmonton Police Service downtown headquarters yesterday. Below: Some powerful charts showing carding practices in Edmonton. It’s too much. The numbers are just too high, the discrepancies in treatment too wide. It’s just too difficult to credit the very high numbers of black ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Social Credit Party renamed the Alberta Pro-Life Political Association

Jun

27

2017

The Alberta Social Credit Party is no more. Taken over by a group of anti-abortion activists in 2016, the party has officially changed its name to the Alberta Pro-Life Political Association. According to Elections Alberta, the name change became official on May 3, 2017. While the Social Credit Party has sat on the conservative fringe of ...

Alberta Politics: Alberta Liberal David Khan’s call for election spending laws to include PACs strikes a chord

Jun

27

2017

PHOTOS: Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan, who is worried about the activities of the province’s Political Action Committees. Former premier Ed Stelmach is visible behind him. Below: Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney, whose party’s activities are supported by PACs, and a United Farmers of Alberta gas station in Lacombe, grabbed from the UFA Archives online. ...

Alberta Politics: With three right-wing political parties now possible instead of one, has Jason Kenney’s roll of the dice crapped out?

Jun

25

2017

PHOTOS: Jason Kenney, as he may see himself, gets ready to roll the unite-the-right dice. Actual Alberta conservative politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. (Photo: Publicity shot for Sky Full of Moon, 1952.) Below: The real Mr. Kenney, plus the real Katherine O’Neill, Greg Clark and Stephen Mandel. Snake eyes? Jason Kenney rolled the ...

Alberta Politics: It’s official: declarations of Cathy Heron and Cam MacKay mean there’ll be a real fight to be mayor of St. Albert this fall

Jun

23

2017

PHOTOS: Cathy Heron announces her plan to run for mayor of St. Albert last night. Below: Mayoral candidate Cam MacKay, retiring Mayor Nolan Crouse, and Morinville Mayor Lisa Holmes. ST. ALBERT, Alberta City Councillor Cathy Heron announced Thursday evening she’ll be running for mayor of St. Albert. Ms. Heron’s widely expected declaration of her intention ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: All roads lead to Red Deer and the Alberta Party for homeless politicos

Jun

22

2017

Red Deer and the Alberta Party are frequent destinations for disaffected politicos in search of a new political home. Katherine O’Neill Led by former Progressive Conservative Party president Katherine O’Neill and backed for former cabinet minister Stephen Mandel, disaffected Tories are booking their flights to the central Alberta city this weekend to discuss bringing centrists “together,” presumably under the banner ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: All roads lead to Red Deer and the Alberta Party for homeless politicos

Jun

22

2017

Red Deer and the Alberta Party are frequent destinations for disaffected politicos in search of a new political home. Led by former Progressive Conservative Party president Katherine O’Neill and backed by former cabinet minister Stephen Mandel, disaffected Tories are booking their trip to the central Alberta city this weekend to discuss bringing centrists “together,” presumably under the ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: 116 days left until Edmonton’s Municipal Elections

Jun

22

2017

There are 116 days left until the October 16, 2017 municipal elections in Edmonton. Here are some of the latest updates to the list of candidates running in Edmonton’s municipal election for City Council and the Edmonton Public School Board: Emerson Mayers is running for City Council in Ward 4. Mayers is a Registered Nurse and a former ...

Alberta Politics: Saskatchewan credit rating downgraded for second time by Standard & Poor’s and all we hear are crickets!

Jun

22

2017

PHOTOS: It’s quiet here on Crickets Avenue. Don’t expect a Wildrose of PC press release to come along any time soon. (Photo: Billy Hathorn, Wikimedia Commons) Below: Standard & Poor’s headquarters in New York City (Photo: Uncredited, Wikimedia Commons); Brad Wall, the real leader of Western Canada, or so they say. (Photo: Daniel Paquet, Wikimedia ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: 116 days left until Edmonton’s Municipal Elections

Jun

22

2017

There are 116 days left until the October 16, 2017 municipal elections in Edmonton. Here are some of the latest updates to the list of candidates running in Edmonton’s municipal election for City Council and the Edmonton Public School Board: Emerson Mayers is running for City Council in Ward 4. Mayers is a Registered Nurse and ...

Alberta Politics: Explaining Derek Fildebrandt’s ambitions: Jason Kenney vows to stifle ‘bozo eruptions’ in the UCP

Jun

21

2017

PHOTOS: Alberta Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney. He vows to find ways to ensure there are no bozo eruptions in the ranks of the United Conservative Party. This will not be easy. Below: Frequent eruptor Derek Fildebrandt, who says he’s considering running for the leadership of the UCP himself; former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, ...

Alberta Politics: Opposition focuses its fury on Tzeporah Berman, ignores oilsands advisory group’s consensus recommendations … why?

Jun

20

2017

PHOTOS: Environmentalist Tzeporah Berman. Below: Former Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers president Dave Collyer, who worked successfully with Ms. Berman to produce the recommendations of the Alberta Government’s Oil Sands Advisory Group, and Opposition leaders Jason Kenney of the Progressive Conservative Party and Brian Jean of the Wildrose Party, who relentlessly attacked Ms. Berman. Do ...

Alberta Politics: The full-court press is now under way to get Canadians ship their tax dollars to right-wing ‘legacy’ media

Jun

19

2017

PHOTOS: Canada’s newspaper publishers are finally getting a grip on how to deal with this new-fangled technology stuff, like that Internet thing. Just pick up the phone and get the federal government to give you money! Below: Postmedia columnist Andrew Coyne, Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey, former Globe and CBC journalist Paul Adams, and Liberal Prime ...

Alberta Politics: Environmentalist Tzeporah Berman, who gave as good as she got, leaves Alberta oilsands advisory role

Jun

17

2017

PHOTOS: Former Oil Sands Advisory Group member Tzeporah Berman. Below: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, Progressive Conservative Legislative Caucus Leader Ric McIver, and Environment Minister Shannon Phillips. Tzeporah Berman, the high-profile environmentalist who became a lightning rod for right-wing fury at Alberta’s NDP, is no longer advising Premier Rachel Notley’s Government. A Canadian Press story yesterday ...

Alberta Politics: PC-Wildrose merger agreement leaves many unanswered questions for Wildrosers and the rest of us

Jun

16

2017

PHOTOS: Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean and Progressive Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney shake on their merger plan in this Wildrose photo. Below: Lacking anything better to illustrate this story with, here are a couple of party logos. If anything’s clear from trying to make sense of the agreement that outlines the scheme to merge ...

Alberta Politics: Alberta Green Party leader stepping down; party plans fall leadership contest

Jun

15

2017

PHOTOS: Outgoing Green Party of Alberta Leader Janet Keeping. Below: Leadership candidate Romy Tittel. Janet Keeping, leader of Alberta’s tiny Green Party, is stepping down and the Greens will embark on a leadership contest this fall. With most of our attention focused on the antics of the major parties in the Legislature – especially the ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Alberta Conservatives now appear less united than they have in years

Jun

14

2017

Progressive Conservative leader Jason Kenney took aim at the New Democratic Party and Alberta’s teachers this week, claiming that both groups are planning to hijack the July 22 vote to fold his party and the Wildrose Party into a new United Conservative Party. Kenney’s claims are unsubstantiated and are likely a distraction from the unity ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: There are 124 days left until Edmonton’s Municipal Elections

Jun

14

2017

There are 124 days left until the October 2017 municipal elections in Edmonton. Here are some of the latest updates to the list of candidates running in Edmonton’s municipal election for City Council: Alex McFarlane is running in Ward 5. Kirsten Goa and James Kowosan are running in Ward 8. Goa is the Advisory Committee Community ...

Alberta Politics: Recommendations of independent review of Athabasca University seem unlikely to survive Alberta political reality

Jun

14

2017

PHOTOS: University of Saskatchewan Professor Ken Coates, author of the independent review of Athabasca University released last week. Below: Athabasca U President Neil Fassina, AU Board Chair Vivian Manasc, and Alberta Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt. Recent news reports about the continuing woes of Athabasca University and in particular coverage last week of Professor Ken ...

Alberta Politics: With 588 invalid signatures, petition to St. Albert City Council opposing borrowing bylaw for library ruled invalid

Jun

13

2017

PHOTOS: Supporters of the St. Albert Public Library gathered for a reception in the crowded downtown facility in 2015. Below: St. Albert City Councillors Bob Russell (Photo: City of St. Albert), Cathy Heron (Photo: Twitter) and Cam MacKay. ST. ALBERT, Alberta Surely St. Albert City Council should get the city’s branch library project back on ...

Alberta Politics: Year after year, about now, Alberta conservatives shoot themselves in the same foot

Jun

12

2017

PHOTOS: Then-Wildrose MLAs Kerry Towle, leader Danielle Smith and Jeff Wilson (in Wildrose T-shirts behind the sign) take part in the August 2014 Calgary Pride parade. Below: Wildrose staffer Cory Johnston, current party leader Brian Jean, former leader Smith (Photo: Dave Cournoyer) and Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley. Bottom: Calgary blogger Susan Wright. Plus ca ...

Alberta Politics: Tee times and cowboys trump Pride when jittery Alberta conservative politicians join the parade

Jun

8

2017

PHOTOS: Participants in last year’s Edmonton Pride Parade as it made its way through the leafy streets of Rachel Notley’s Edmonton-Strathcona riding. They don’t look very dangerous, do they? Below: The missing men – Wildrose Leader Brian Jean and Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney (Photo: Wildrose Party), plus Oscar Wilde and a participant in the ...

Alberta Politics: Mapping the ‘Kleintastrophe’ – veteran journalist and researcher tracks energy policies of past Alberta PC governments

Jun

8

2017

PHOTOS: Alberta premier Ralph Klein at the start of the Kleintastrophe in 1992. (Screenshot of CBC broadcast.) Below: Calgary journalist and researcher Gillian Steward, former Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft, the best premier Alberta never had, and would-be United Conservative Party leadership candidate Doug Schweitzer. As the years Ralph Klein headed Alberta’s government recede into ...

Alberta Politics: Finally, early in the 21st Century, NDP braves Opposition outrage to drag Alberta labour law into the late 20th Century

Jun

7

2017

PHOTOS: Alberta Labour Minister Christina Gray. Below: Opposition MLAs Greg Clark and Richard Starke, who contributed amends to the act passed in the wee hours of yesterday morning. In the wee hours of yesterday morning, the NDP MLAs in the Alberta Legislature dragged the province’s labour laws into the late 20th Century – with MLAs ...

Alberta Politics: Wildrose to members: Want to break a law? No problem! We’ll just get elected and change it

Jun

6

2017

PHOTOS: The Alberta Legislature, about the best your blogger can do on the road to illustrate this illustration-resistant story (Photo: Wikimedia Commons). Below: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney and Wildrose Treasurer James Cole, every one of them people mentioned in this story of whom photos exist. CALGARY It turns out the ...