Ah, politics. It has the potential to inspire, and an even greater potential to inspire derisive laughter or fits of rage. Here, for your reading and enraging enjoyment, are my choices for the top 10 political blunders of 2012, local edition. 1. Allan Hunsperger and the ‘lake of fire’ In
Continue readingTag: Alberta Politics
daveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Scandal, controversy, and electoral fortunes? What does 2013 hold for Alberta politics?
TweetWhat does 2013 hold for Alberta’s political leaders? Do their performances in 2012 shed any light on how the next year will play out? Saved from defeat by controversial comments made by social conservative elements of the Wildrose Party, Premier Alison Redford led the Progressive Conservative Party to its 12th
Continue readingAlberta Diary: A last thought for 2012: 2013 is bound to be an important year for Alberta’s NDP
2013 could be a big year for Alberta’s NDP – if they play their cards right. Members of the Alberta NDP caucus and their opponents may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: NDP Leader Brian Mason. Surely the strategic goal of Alberta’s New Democrats between now and the next provincial
Continue readingCalgary Grit: 2012 in Pictures
Mitt Romney tries to humanize himself by going shopping. I think most people feel the same way when they hear Paul Ryan speak Stephen Harper signs a deal with China, expressly to try and win the “cutest photo op of the year” award. Danielle Smith sees your cute animal and
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Guest Post: The State of the Alberta Liberal Party
As one might imagine, the Alberta Liberal Party has been doing some soul searching in the wake of a difficult election earlier this year. In the past month, controversy has swirled around MLA Kent Hehr over his efforts to reach out to the NDP and discuss merger. This prompted a
Continue readingCalgary Grit: 2012 Woman of the Year
Every December, I like to name a “Person of the Year” – the individual who left their mark on Canadian politics over the past year. The only rules are that the PM is too obvious a choice, and that lame picks (“You!”) are strictly verboten. The Person of the Year
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The Alberta Apocalypto: The world as you know it is about to end! Again…
Alberta Finance Minister Doug Horner gets ready to make a sacrifice to placate the mighty and angry Deficit God. Alberta politicians, not to mention the Legislative complex, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Mr. Horner. Oh my God! The world is coming to an end! I’m not
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The Stephen Harper model for Wildrose power: promise free votes and deliver the Borg Hive
Singing along: What we were promised by the Reform-Conservative platform. Below: What we got. Alberta’s Wildrose Party blossomed at the edges of the same muddy spring whence sprang the federal Reform Party of Preston Manning and Stephen Harper. As is well known, the Reform Party went on to engineer the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Edmonton Mayor takes swipes at NDP, Wildrose over Katz arena funding.
Tweet“Danielle Smith will probably yell and scream. Brian Mason will yell and scream. They really don’t care about the City of Edmonton, I guess, but I would hope they would be wise enough to see it’s about Edmonton.” – Mayor Stephen Mandel (December 18, 2012) Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel took
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Pollster’s take on Alberta leaders’ popularity sets stage for long Prairie slug-fest
Shades of things to come? Alison Redford, Canada’s second most popular premier, gets ready to break a board with Opposition Leader Danielle Smith’s face on it. Situations Alberta politicians find themselves in may not be exactly as described. Below: Ms. Smith. Alison Redford remains Canada’s second most popular premier behind
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Attack on Kent Hehr highlights deepening fissures in Alberta Liberal ranks
Calgary-Buffalo MLA Kent Hehr with a crowd of Liberalberta supporters in the background. (Bad joke. I apologize.) Below: Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman. An angry and public attack last week on Liberal MLA Kent Hehr by Alberta Liberal Party President Todd Van Vliet suggests the party’s caucus is splintering under
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Time to move on from old Alberta Health Services expense claims? Not just yet, thanks, says Allaudin Merali
Will the wheels fall off the Alberta Health Services case for not paying severance to former CFO Allaudin Merali? At any rate, it sounds as if Mr. Merali, in blurry photograph below, hasn’t given up the fight. Former Alberta Health Services Chief Financial Officer Allaudin Merali today issued a stout
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Who are Alberta’s top MLAs of 2012?
TweetIt has become tradition on this blog that near the end of each year I publish a list of Members of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly who have been the best, worst, or most notable of the past year. Each year’s list has taken a different form and focus (see 2010 and
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Scenes from an Inquiry: No fireworks as Ron Liepert and Lynn Redford testify
Lynn Redford, the Alberta Premier’s sister, stars in Scenes from an Inquiry, directed by Ingmar Bergman, or someone with a similarly Nordic directorial touch. Below: Former Alberta health minister Ron Liepert chooses his colour for a game of chess with retired justice John Vertes. Actual inquiry participants may or may
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Liberalberta Party president attacks Alberta Liberal MLA in worst news release ever.
TweetI really cannot improve on this media release sent today from Liberalberta Party president Todd Van Vliet, so I have posted it in its entirety. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A response from Alberta Liberal Party President, Todd Van Vliet, regarding merger (EDMONTON, AB) A merger of the Alberta Liberals and the NDP?
Continue readingAlberta Diary: What’s wrong with the Alberta Medical Association’s message? A technical primer
The executive of the Alberta Medical Association, shown here, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: the offending advertisement. With contract talks between the Alberta Medical Association and the provincial government back on again, after a fashion, a polling firm is out there now trolling to see how voters are
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: Harper hates me, Harper hates you, Harper hates all of…
Harper hates me, Harper hates you, Harper hates all of us Stephen Harper hates Albertans. That statement may shock and confuse many of you, but the longer that Harper has been prime minister of Canada, the more obvious it becomes. I’m not sure if I’m the first to suggest that,
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Well, somebody thought there was queue jumping, that’s for sure!
Your blogger with Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman, the former Conservative Parliamentary Secretary for Health. Below: Former Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett. In other medical news, Alberta seems to be suffering an epidemic of mild memory loss. Not just Alberta, either. The problem has cropped up Down Under as
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Docs call health minister liar, liar, scrubs on fire, but their ad fails to persuade
The docs’ advertisement. Below: AMA President Dr. Michael Giuffre. The Alberta Medical Association, the province’s most powerful trade union, has gone back to the familiar ground of buying newspaper advertisements to call Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne and the Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Alison Redford a bunch of
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Progressives need a crash course in basic electoral math, writes MLA.
TweetBy Kent Hehr Like many progressives, I watched the Calgary Centre by-election with great interest. Although I was hopeful that one of three outstanding candidates who represented the center/center-left side of the spectrum would win, Joan Crockett…
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