PHOTO: Stephen Mandel, would-be uniter of Alberta’s “centre,” when he was a Tory minister. The effort by a group of politicians previously associated with the Progressive Conservative, Liberal and Alberta parties to “unite the centre” suggests divisive social conservative doctrines that increasingly dominate the Wildrose and PC parties are starting
Continue readingTag: Alberta Politics
daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Edmonton City Council Elections Updates
There are 179 days left until Edmontonians cast their votes to choose their next city council. With the spring approaching and prime campaigning weather just around the corner, candidates are beginning to launch their campaigns. Here are some of the latest updates from my list of candidates running in Edmonton’s 2017
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Premier Rachel Notley’s NDP wins Alberta’s first-quarter fund-raising sweepstakes, continuing trend from 2016
ILLUSTRATIONS: Elections Alberta’s icon on a canola-yellow field. Below: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark, just to pluck a couple of names out of the story. Alberta’s New Democratic Party outraised each of the province’s other political parties in the first quarter of 2017, ended March
Continue readingAlberta Politics: One big problem for Alberta’s ‘unite-the-centre’ effort: the NDP already occupies that space
PHOTO: Stephen Mandel, would-be uniter of Alberta’s “centre,” when he was a Tory minister. April 19, 2017 – The effort by a group of politicians previously associated with the Progressive Conservative, Liberal and Alberta parties to “unite the centre” suggests divisive social conservative doctrines that increasingly dominate the Wildrose and
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: First quarter political party fundraising puts NDP in the lead
Elections Alberta released the financial disclosures showing the results of political party fundraising in the first quarter of 2017. Combined party and constituency fundraising results show the governing New Democratic Party in the lead in early 2017, having fundraised $373,060.23 between January 1 and March 31, 2017. The Wildrose Party raised $345,125.06 and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Silence on the right and in the media about NDP role as Alberta adds an impressive 20,000 full-time jobs in March
PHOTOS: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, who is not getting any credit for her economic successes from the Opposition or the media. Below: Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci; Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall; and University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe (CBC photo). Alberta added an impressive 20,000 full-time jobs in March, according
Continue readingAlberta Politics: No redemption for the Wildrose, outed in a Lake of Fire five years ago today, and it’s Eastertime too
PHOTOS: Rev. Allan Hunsperger, whose beliefs about the eternal fate of people who live a gay lifestyle contributed mightily to the downfall of the Wildrose Party. (Wildrose Party photo, circa 2012.) Below: Then Wildrose leader Danielle Smith; Jason Kenney, leader of the Progressive Conservatives today; and former PC premier Alison
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The Week in Review: We know where the Wildrosers are, but where’s Jason?
ILLUSTRATIONS: Where’s Jason? If anyone spots PC Leader Jason Kenney, who doesn’t have to show up in the Legislature because he’s not an MLA, please let a responsible grownup know. Below: Education Minister David Eggen and Opposition Leader Brian Jean. There’s no doubt about where Mr. Jean will be found,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: NDP plan to change funding model for agricultural commissions is unlikely to much help farmers or the government
PHOTOS: Alberta Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier with some of the members, staff and leaders of the province’s agricultural commissions at a sparsely attended news conference in Edmonton yesterday to announce the Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Act 2017. Below: Mr. Carlier, at left, chats with Alberta Beef Producers Chair Bob
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Alberta’s Conservatives are obsessed with Gay-Straight Alliances
Following Progressive Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney’s comments to the Calgary Postmedia editorial board fifteen days ago when he came out in favour of allowing schools to inform parents when students join a student-initiated Gay-Straight Alliance club, Alberta’s conservative politicians have tied themselves in knots over the issue. Gay-Straight Alliances are student-initiated clubs meant
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Cell phone video of Nazi comparison in Red Deer Catholic high school class on abortion should raise political questions
PHOTOS: A screen shot of the video at the moment it makes its controversial comparison. Below: Alberta Education Minister David Eggen, Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney as a young man giving his views on women’s reproductive rights, Red Deer Catholic Regional School Board Chair Guy Pelletier, and U of A
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Big changes coming to academic faculty, graduate student and postdoctoral bargaining rights in Alberta
PHOTOS: Could we someday see scenes like this one at Boston University in 1979 at an Alberta University? The late Howard Zinn, author of the People’s History of the United States (banned in Arkansas), is visible, quite naturally, I suppose, near the front on the left. (Photo from the Boston
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Edmond Croteau and the Battle of Vimy Ridge
This week we mark 100 years since the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Canadian soldiers played a defining role the famous First World War battle, which took place from April 9 to 12, 1917, by taking the ridge at great cost from the German Imperial Army. More than 3,500 Canadians were killed
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Here’s your hat … Jason Kenney’s reconstituted PCs bid farewell to former party president Katherine O’Neill
PHOTOS: Departed Progressive Conservative Party president Katherine O’Neill (CBC photo). Below: PC Leader Jason Kenney and former leadership candidates from the party’s progressive wing, Sandra Jansen and Steve Khan. Katherine O’Neill has departed, smiles and warm sentiments all ’round. Ms. O’Neill was president of the Progressive Conservative Party, the one
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: ‘My Decade at Old Sun, My Lifetime of Hell’ by Arthur Bear Chief tops Audreys Books non-fiction bestseller list
Here is the list of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton for the week ended April 2, 2017, compiled on April 4, 2017, by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. Believing is not the same as Being Saved (Poetry) –
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Alberta’s first woman premier calls for more than talk about the deplorable treatment of women in politics
PHOTOS: Former Progressive Conservative Premier Alison Redford smiles sadly as she leaves Government House in Edmonton on March 13, 2015, the day her Progressive Conservative caucus made the first steps toward firing her. Below: NDP Premier Rachel Notley, CBC morning show host Mark Connelly and NDP Status of Women Minister
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Two by-elections, three probes, and plenty more: All the Alberta political news that’s fit to print
PHOTO: The decision desk at AlbertaPolitics.ca calls it for Conservative candidates Bob Benzen and Stephanie Kusie in two Calgary by-elections yesterday. Actual Alberta political bloggers may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Benzen and Ms. Kusie, former Conservative premier Alison Redford, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Wildrose Opposition Leader
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jason Kenney and the GSA reverse-tip-line brouhaha: Is this conservative turning into the Anita Bryant of Canada?
PHOTOS: Is Jason Kenney turning into Canada’s Anita Bryant? Actual Canadian politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.) Below: The real Jason Kenney, and singer-songwriters k.d. lang and Boy George. Is Jason Kenney turning into the Anita Bryant of Canada? If you’re of a certain age, you
Continue readingAlberta Politics: April Fools jokes? In 2017? Just forget it! The zeitgeist forbids!
PHOTOS: Calgary lawyer David Khan, the only candidate willing to lead the sad-sack Alberta Liberals. Below: Donald Trump in a rare presidential moment; Jason Kenney, the man with a mandate to destroy the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta; and Sheila Gunn Reid, who in real life has nothing whatsoever to
Continue readingAlberta Politics: It’s hard to imagine the Alberta Liberal Party surviving the existential crisis of its past few days
PHOTOS: Is this the new face of the Alberta Liberal Party? Would-be candidate Jacob Huffman, photo grabbed from his Facebook account. Below: Candidates David Khan and Kerry Cundal, plus non-candidate Nolan Crouse. About the kindest thing you can say about the Alberta Liberal Party right now is that it’s facing
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