Alberta 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

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Alberta 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.

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Alberta 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

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Alberta 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

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Alberta 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

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Alberta 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

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Alberta 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,

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Alberta 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).

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Alberta 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.

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Alberta 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).

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