In Alberta, the Redford Government just passed one of the most offensive and blatant attacks on labour that we have ever seen. It is uniquely focused on the civil service unions in the province, but that does little to ameliorate the degree of wrong that Bills 45 and 46 represent
Continue readingTag: Bill 46
Susan on the Soapbox: Redford and Mandela: Hypocrisy and Hope (Part 2)
“He would continually bring people back to the table. That was his greatest strength”—Ms Redford on Nelson Mandela* Sadly, Ms Redford never learned how to bring “people back to the table” here in Alberta. So she resorted to the meat hammer—ramming through Bill 46 for force a “settlement” on the
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Resolving ‘Tobaccogate’ – Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion … but not necessarily in Alberta
Where there’s smoke, ummm…. there’s smoke. Got that? Actual Alberta government tobacco lawyers may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Alberta Ethics Commissioner Neil Wilkinson. The astonishing thing about yesterday’s ruling by Alberta’s Ethics Commissioner exonerating Alison Redford in the “Tobaccogate” affair is not that Neil Wilkinson concluded no wrong
Continue readingAlberta Diary: If the deputy premier wants free speech for Ukraine so badly, why is he attacking it in Alberta?
Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk in the Rotunda of the Alberta Legislature. Note, in the background at left, Wildrose Opposition Leader Danielle Smith. Below, a recent Twitter message from Mr. Lukaszuk, an inveterate and confrontational Tweeter, who thinks your free speech rights are a matter of LOL and #wink. Last
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Hell freezes over in Alberta: Right-wing Wildrose Party sides with unions, sort of, over unconstitutional Tory bills
AUPE President Guy Smith, left, with Alberta Liberal MLA David Swann and Wildrose House Leader Rob Anderson on the steps of the Alberta Legislature last night. Below: Part of the crowd … the pots and pans start to come out. With blizzard conditions prevailing throughout most of Alberta today, it
Continue readingAlberta Diary: A challenge for the Redford Government: use Section 33 of the Charter to impose your unconstitutional laws
Queen Elizabeth II signs the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 as a smiling PM Pierre Trudeau looks on. Now null and void in Alberta? Below: The Charter, premiers Peter Lougheed and Ralph Klein from an old news shot found on the Internet, looking suitably appalled. Here’s a
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Alberta Bills 45 and 46
Others have spoke very eloquently about the problems with Bills 45 and 46. What I want to bring to readers’ attention is how the Redford Government is abusing not just legislative procedure, but democracy itself. It is not unusual for this government to limit debate on bills. What is unusual
Continue readingAlberta Diary: A serious question for Albertans: Is the Redford Government out of control?
Whose House is it? In Alberta, not yours! Public service union members tried to enter the Alberta Legislature yesterday to protest Bills 45 and 46, and soon found the doors barred. Below: Some more of the 400 or so people who braved the coldest spot in Edmonton for an impromptu
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