TweetVia the Edmonton Journal: Conservative linked to Katz donation named chairman of the Alberta Economic Development Authority BY KAREN KLEISS, EDMONTON JOURNAL JANUARY 30, 2013 EDMONTON – Premier Alison Redford has given a provincial political appointment to a veteran Conservative insider who allegedly brokered a $430,000 donation from Oilers owner
Continue readingTag: Alberta Politics
Alberta Diary: ‘Leading thinkers’ to set Alberta’s new economic course lickety-split – and you’re not invited
Premier Alison Redford eyeballs an uninvited visitor to the province’s economic summit. Without the password, you’re not getting in. Below, Premier Redford and Deputy Premier Tom Lukaszuk present their bona fides at the door. Actual Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below them: The premier’s communications director, Stefan
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Alberta Economic Summit to be held in ten days.
TweetBitumen bubbles and the unpredictable price of oil mentioned in last week’s televised address have led Premier Alison Redford‘s Tory government to hastily called a one-day “Alberta Economic Summit” to continue a “conservation” about our province’s current fiscal woes and potential fiscal future. The summit will bring together ‘leading thinkers,
Continue readingCalgary Grit: You Be The Finance Minister
If Doug Horner can’t get Alberta’s finances under control, he can always look forward to a long career as a Ricky Gervais impersonator. Alberta is facing a bit of a budget crisis, with a deficit which, on a per capita basis, could be as big as Ontario’s. This has forced
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The 10% Delusion: Fraser Institute gins up fake facts about Alberta public sector pay
Women clerical workers, as the Fraser Institute would like to see them. The Fraser Institute didn’t write the book “How to Lie With Statistics,” a guy named Darrell Huff did, but they might as well have! You’ve got to have a little respect for the tireless political lobbyists at the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Redford versus Rutherford on Twitter.
TweetRutherford Show is “our voice” says @kerrytowlemla. So #wrp shouldn’t be surprised when @premier_redford turns down Wildrose Radio #ableg — Alberta PremierComms (@ABPremierComms) January 28, 2013 High-drama took place on Twitter’s #ableg hashtag yesterday morning as Premier Alison Redford‘s online communications team took aim at QR77 talk radio host Dave Rutherford.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Great Plains Politics 101: Why everything new in Alberta’s Legislature must be old again
Perfesser Dave with Gene Zwozdesky, a.k.a. Mr. Speaker, the Speaker of the Alberta Legislature, with that rara avis, a recent Alberta Throne Speech. But not the one for March 5, 2013. Quick quiz: Why is that? Below: Alberta Premier Alison Redford in a screen grab from last week’s “State of
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Preston Manning’s well-funded ideological hobbyhorse takes aim at civic progressives
Calgary City Hall: The next target for former Reform Party leader Preston Manning’s not-very-merry band of far-right ideologues? Below: Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and neoconservative ideological guru Manning back in the day. Is the so-called Manning Centre for Building Democracy preparing to target Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and other progressive
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Alberta’s new federal ridings released.
TweetThe commission responsible for updating Canada’s federal riding boundaries have released their recommendations for redistribution in Alberta. The boundaries make some significant changes in rural areas and create fully-urban ridings in the cities of Calgary and Edmonton (following the 2003 redistribution, many of Edmonton’s ridings were expanded to include surrounding
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Postponing the Day of Reckoning, Alberta-style
Alberta Premier Alison Redford beseeches the Almighty for higher petroleum prices as Wildrose Finance Critic Rob Anderson looks on. Actual Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Social democratic men of God J.S. Woodsworth (Methodist), Tommy Douglas (Baptist) and Stanley Knowles (United). So what’s with the Redford Government’s
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Premier’s fireside chat: No fire, few facts, and no there there
Alberta Premier Alison Redford earnestly explains the “Bitumen Bubble” to TV viewers last night. Is that really a radio on the credenza? Below: Ms. Redford fades to Tory blue. When Alberta Premier Alison Redford’s $55,000 fireside chat wrapped up after eight thoroughly unsatisfactory minutes last night, Albertans didn’t know anything
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Despite bitumen bubble, Alberta is a steady star in turbulent waters, says Redford.
TweetShort on specifics, Premier Alison Redford‘s much-hyped televised address may have ended up leaving more question unanswered. 1) Referring to a “bitumen bubble”, the Premier announced that the provincial government’s revenue shortfall is now projected to be six billion, up from the three billion budget deficit recently projected by Finance Minister Doug Horner. This is
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Will Premier Redford’s TV message address Alberta’s tax dilemma?
Tweet“Our party was elected to keep building Alberta — to focus our spending on the priorities that you told me were important, and that is exactly what we’ll do.” – Premier Alison Redford in an email to Progressive Conservative Party supporters on January 23, 2013 Premier Alison Redford will star
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Uh-oh! Premier Alison Redford wants to have a ‘conversation’ with us
Fireside chats? Alberta Premier Alison Redford as she’ll likely see herself while softening up the province’s citizens for the March 7 Budget Speech on CTV tonight. Below: Ms. Redford as Albertans may see her. Below that: the real Ms. Redford; Conference Board Chief Economist Glen Hodgson. Oh dear. Premier Alison
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Why is Alberta studying seniors’ care at the same time as it’s privatizing it?
Coming soon to seniors’ centres in Alberta, a new model of elder care? Below: Health Minister Fred Horne. On Monday, Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne announced a year-long project to study seniors’ residential centres and figure out the best way to fund and run them. Sounds good, lots of Albertans
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Where in the world are Tory cabinet ministers?
TweetBrussels, Bucharest, and Juneau are three international destinations where Tory MLAs were scheduled to visit during Government of Alberta sponsored trips today. Environment and Sustainable Resources Minister Diana McQueen and Intergovernmental and International Relations Minister Cal Dallas have embarked on a pan-European tour, meeting with business and government leaders in
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Idle No More protests successfully wind up Alberta solicitor general
Alberta Solicitor General and Justice Minister Jonathan Denis, right, reacts to word of an Idle No More road blockade while Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell looks on. Actual Alberta politicians and commentators may not appear precisely as illustrated. Below: the real Denis the Menace before he popped a gasket and
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Inquiry testimony suggests pricey private clinics – nudge-nudge, wink-wink – really can engineer preferential access
Wheeling and dealing: Staff of private clinics use advanced clinical techniques to decide which patients go to the front of the line for quick medical tests. Alberta medical insiders may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Retired judge John Vertes, Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne. What appears to be the
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The Redford Tories’ conundrum: Progressive reason versus Conservative passion
They kissed us once. Will they kiss us again? Alas, in Alberta right now, there’s no way to be cert- cert- certain. Alison Redford chats with a typical Alberta voter last spring – although, Alberta politicians and their supporters may not turn out to be exactly as illustrated. Below: The
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Misleading with statistics: the Fraser Institute on health care and ‘value for money’
This just in! The latest mainstream media news straight from the Vancouver studios of the Fraser Institute, complete with no fact checking! No sooner noted than illuminated – yesterday morning mainstream media was credulously reporting another “Fraser Factoid,” this one a report by the far-right political lobby group purporting to
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