Brian Jean ← Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: UCP merger kickstarts another summer of politics in Alberta

Jul

25

2017

Photo: Wildrose leader Brian Jean formally launches his campaign to lead the United Conservative Party (source: Facebook) It has been a busy week in Alberta politics, and it is only Tuesday. On Saturday, 95 percent of Wildrose and Progressive Conservative Party members who cast ballots voted in favour of amending their respective parties constitutions and ...

Alberta Politics: Former PC leadership candidate Richard Starke to UCP Mothership: A PC I was elected and a PC I’ll remain!

Jul

25

2017

Photos: Vermilion-Lloydminster Progressive Conservative PC MLA and former Tory cabinet minister Richard Starke. (Photo from Dr. Starke’s Facebook page.) Below: Alberta conservative rivals and temporary co-leaders, Brian Jean and Jason Kenney (Photos: CBC); Wildrose House Leader and interim United Conservative Party Leader Nathan Cooper (Photo: Wikimedia Commons). Richard Starke, it turns out, is not just ...

Susan on the Soapbox: UCP Merger…a message from the this-could-get-ugly department

Jul

23

2017

Jason Kenney is busy ticking off the boxes in his quest to be the next premier of Alberta: Become the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party—check. Maneuver Brian Jean (WR) into accepting a merger proposal—check. Merge the PC and WR parties into the United Conservative Party—check. Become the leader of the UCP—ongoing. Lead the UCP ...

Alberta Politics: Wildrose and PC party members alike vote 95% in favour of Alberta conservative merger

Jul

23

2017

PHOTOS: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, who says he will resign as Alberta Opposition leader to pursue the leadership of the United Conservative Party, creation of which endorsed by members of the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservative in a merger vote yesterday. Below: PC Leader Jason Kenney, who hasn’t yet said when he’ll announce his ...

Alberta Politics: Sounds of PINs dropping audible all over Alberta as Wildrose unity vote descends into farce

Jul

22

2017

PHOTOS: Wildrose Finance Critic Derek Fildebrandt and Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney in a chummy moment (grabbed from Facebook). Below: Wildrose Party President Jeff Callaway and Wildrose Leader Brian Jean (Photos: CBC). You could hear PINs dropping all over Alberta yesterday. With Alberta’s Wildrose Party members scheduled to vote today, and today only, on unity ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Wildrose-PC merger a big deal, but not a silver bullet for 2019

Jul

22

2017

Albertans will find out on July 22 whether members of the Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties have voted to amend their party constitutions in order to abandon their existing parties and form a new party named the United Conservative Party. For the vote to pass, it will need the support of 75 percent of Wildrose ...

Alberta Politics: The race is on … unity voting starts tomorrow and UCP candidates are already at the clubhouse turn

Jul

19

2017

PHOTOS: The race is on and it looks like … “a dangerous leader.” (Old horseracing print with that title found on the Internet, artist unknown.) Below: Would-be United Conservative Party leaders Brian Jean, Jason Kenney, Doug Schweitzer and Derek Fildebrandt. Calling an effort to merge two large mammals into a single beast “a horserace” may ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Another Season of Stampede Politicking in Calgary

Jul

15

2017

Politicians of all stripes descended on Alberta’s largest city this week for the annual Calgary Stampede festivities. Though most of them have probably never ridden a horse or woke up at 5am (or earlier) to start their day on the farm, they were almost all brandishing big shiny belt buckles, wrangler-style shirts and cowboy hats ...

Alberta Politics: The Annals of Conservative Unity: Typhoons, coups, force majeure and the idea of Alberta

Jul

13

2017

PHOTOS: Force Majeure! The Wildrose Party executive committee, like the guys in this Jeep, has a plan. Actual Wildrosers confronting Acts of God may not appear exactly as illustrated. (Photo: Screenshot of Jeep advertisement.) Below: Would-be United Conservative Party leaders Brian Jean and Jason Kenney. Is the Wildrose Party’s Executive Committee planning a coup, or ...

Alberta Politics: Conservative politicians’ reaction to PM’s missing-Alberta gaffe suggests they suffer from world-class insecurity

Jul

4

2017

PHOTOS: Are the hillbillies above what our conservative politicians want the rest of Canada to think of when they hear the word Alberta? They should just stop! Below: Calgary Nose Hill MP Michelle Rempel (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Robert Thivierge), Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean, and Alberta’s grownup premier, Rachel Notley. Bad luck for Prime Minister ...

Susan on the Soapbox: Trudeau forgets Alberta; Alberta flips out

Jul

2

2017

Canada is a special place; but Alberta is a little prickly. The Soapbox family celebrated Canada Day at Olympic Plaza trying to dislodge a Big Red Ball wedged between some girders, admiring children’s art work (our favourite was a mask made by a second grader who said it represented her love of dogs and money), ...

Alberta Politics: Guest Post: Whither Alberta’s NDP in the face of extreme, desperate, chaotic right and resurgent ‘centre’?

Jun

29

2017

PHOTOS: Contingents from the Centre Right, the Far Right and the Further Right mix it up in the Alberta Legislature’s commissary. Actual Alberta conservatives may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Guest post author Barret Weber, Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, Wildrose Finance Critic Derek Fildebrandt and Goldilocks, exiting, pursued by ...

Alberta Politics: Saskatchewan credit rating downgraded for second time by Standard & Poor’s and all we hear are crickets!

Jun

22

2017

PHOTOS: It’s quiet here on Crickets Avenue. Don’t expect a Wildrose of PC press release to come along any time soon. (Photo: Billy Hathorn, Wikimedia Commons) Below: Standard & Poor’s headquarters in New York City (Photo: Uncredited, Wikimedia Commons); Brad Wall, the real leader of Western Canada, or so they say. (Photo: Daniel Paquet, Wikimedia ...

Alberta Politics: Explaining Derek Fildebrandt’s ambitions: Jason Kenney vows to stifle ‘bozo eruptions’ in the UCP

Jun

21

2017

PHOTOS: Alberta Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney. He vows to find ways to ensure there are no bozo eruptions in the ranks of the United Conservative Party. This will not be easy. Below: Frequent eruptor Derek Fildebrandt, who says he’s considering running for the leadership of the UCP himself; former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, ...

Alberta Politics: Opposition focuses its fury on Tzeporah Berman, ignores oilsands advisory group’s consensus recommendations … why?

Jun

20

2017

PHOTOS: Environmentalist Tzeporah Berman. Below: Former Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers president Dave Collyer, who worked successfully with Ms. Berman to produce the recommendations of the Alberta Government’s Oil Sands Advisory Group, and Opposition leaders Jason Kenney of the Progressive Conservative Party and Brian Jean of the Wildrose Party, who relentlessly attacked Ms. Berman. Do ...

Susan on the Soapbox: Susan on the Soapbox 2017-06-18 21:57:30

Jun

18

2017

Unsolicited Advice from a Conservative Pundit This week Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party, offered some advice to the yet to be formed United Conservative Party (or whatever it’s going to call itself after the Wildrose and the Progressive Conservatives merge). A vision of sorts Since neither Brian Jean nor Jason Kenney ...

Alberta Politics: PC-Wildrose merger agreement leaves many unanswered questions for Wildrosers and the rest of us

Jun

16

2017

PHOTOS: Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean and Progressive Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney shake on their merger plan in this Wildrose photo. Below: Lacking anything better to illustrate this story with, here are a couple of party logos. If anything’s clear from trying to make sense of the agreement that outlines the scheme to merge ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Alberta Conservatives now appear less united than they have in years

Jun

14

2017

Progressive Conservative leader Jason Kenney took aim at the New Democratic Party and Alberta’s teachers this week, claiming that both groups are planning to hijack the July 22 vote to fold his party and the Wildrose Party into a new United Conservative Party. Kenney’s claims are unsubstantiated and are likely a distraction from the unity ...

Alberta Politics: Recommendations of independent review of Athabasca University seem unlikely to survive Alberta political reality

Jun

14

2017

PHOTOS: University of Saskatchewan Professor Ken Coates, author of the independent review of Athabasca University released last week. Below: Athabasca U President Neil Fassina, AU Board Chair Vivian Manasc, and Alberta Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt. Recent news reports about the continuing woes of Athabasca University and in particular coverage last week of Professor Ken ...

Alberta Politics: Year after year, about now, Alberta conservatives shoot themselves in the same foot

Jun

12

2017

PHOTOS: Then-Wildrose MLAs Kerry Towle, leader Danielle Smith and Jeff Wilson (in Wildrose T-shirts behind the sign) take part in the August 2014 Calgary Pride parade. Below: Wildrose staffer Cory Johnston, current party leader Brian Jean, former leader Smith (Photo: Dave Cournoyer) and Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley. Bottom: Calgary blogger Susan Wright. Plus ca ...

Susan on the Soapbox: The Wildfire Reports: A political firestorm

Jun

11

2017

Wildrose leader Brian Jean is furious with the NDP government’s response to two reports on the Fort McMurray wildfire. He says the government is attempting to whitewash the reports’ findings and delayed releasing them in a shocking display of arrogance which is “totally unacceptable in any democracy.” He wants a judge-led independent public inquiry into ...

Alberta Politics: Tee times and cowboys trump Pride when jittery Alberta conservative politicians join the parade

Jun

8

2017

PHOTOS: Participants in last year’s Edmonton Pride Parade as it made its way through the leafy streets of Rachel Notley’s Edmonton-Strathcona riding. They don’t look very dangerous, do they? Below: The missing men – Wildrose Leader Brian Jean and Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney (Photo: Wildrose Party), plus Oscar Wilde and a participant in the ...

Alberta Politics: Wildrose to members: Want to break a law? No problem! We’ll just get elected and change it

Jun

6

2017

PHOTOS: The Alberta Legislature, about the best your blogger can do on the road to illustrate this illustration-resistant story (Photo: Wikimedia Commons). Below: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney and Wildrose Treasurer James Cole, every one of them people mentioned in this story of whom photos exist. CALGARY It turns out the ...

daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: David Khan wins leadership of obscure Liberal Party

Jun

4

2017

Photo: Liberal Party executive director Gwyneth Midgley and newly elected party leader David Khan (photo from March 2017). Calgary – In a battle of Calgary lawyers, David Khan defeated Kerry Cundal to become the next leader of the Alberta Liberal Party. Khan earned 54 percent of the vote in the two-person race, though the party has not ...

Alberta Politics: If failure to appear at Pride goeth before a fall, what will Jason Kenney do?

Jun

4

2017

PHOTOS: Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney, back in 2010 when he was a Calgary MP, taking part in the Calgary Stampede Parade. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.) Will he show up for the Edmonton Pride Parade next Saturday as well? Below: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, flanked by Education Minister David Eggen and Economic Development and Trade Minister ...