Needless to say, the range of potential outcomes in the Alberta election (along with the continued flow of news battering the Prentice PCs as they try to regain some type of footing) has made for a fascinating campaign. But it’s worth pointing out that single polls and seat projections may
Continue readingTag: Brian Jean
Calgary Grit: Alberta’s Gilligan’s Island Election
Math is difficult. The most difficult math at the moment is figuring out where Prentice finds the 40 seats he needs for a majority. My latest for the Post: The 2012 clash between Danielle Smith and Alison Redford was an epic battle between two gifted politicians. It was must-see-TV for
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Leaders Debate: Math is Hard, English is Harder
“I know the math is difficult…” Jim Prentice to Rachel Notley during the Leaders Debate Apr 23, 2015 Ms Soapbox doesn’t like math. As a child she thought numbers had personalities. Eights, sixes and nines were nice numbers; fours, fives and twos were sharp and nasty. Math was “difficult” because
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Notley wins the debate. Now it’s time to manage expectations
Last night’s leader’s debate was the biggest opportunity for Progressive Conservative leader Jim Prentice to knock NDP leader Rachel Notley off-balance. Since the start of the campaign, the PC Party has focused most of its attacks on Wildrose leader Brian Jean, who has proven… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: NDP inspired by Lougheed, PCs wage war on Wildrose
Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley released her party’s election platform and fiscal plan over the weekend, with a focus job-creation, a serious review of royalty rates and a reversal of cuts to health care and education included in the Progressive Conservative government’s recent… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Will 2015 be an lucky or unlucky #13 for Alberta’s PC Party?
CALGARY, ALBERTA On May 5, 2015, the Progressive Conservatives will face Alberta voters for the thirteenth time since they first formed government in 1971. Since that election 44 years ago, the PCs have dominated over their opposition. It remains difficult to… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Election 2015: Candidate and Fundraising Updates
As of today, only the New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives are the only parties to have nominated a full slate of candidates in all 87 constituencies across Alberta. Friday, April 17, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. is the deadline for candidates to submit their… Continue Reading →
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Alberta Politics Explodes
Welcome to Wildrose country A month ago, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek Alberta political primer about Jim Prentice’s inevitable march to a landslide election victory. So how’s that working out for him? The Mainstreet Technologies automated phone survey of 3,121 Alberta voters conducted on April 13 shows the Wildrose and NDP
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Brian Jean: WildRose’s Second Lake Of Fire?
“I think they’ll even claim our ethnic candidates are
racist. I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The interview is over but a couple minutes later Jean phones back. He wants to add something.
He says the PC run the same kind of playbook as the federal Liberals tried on Stephen Harper. Remember, Jean served in the Harper government, as did Prentice.
“They tried to demonize him. They said we had a secret and hidden agenda. They claimed we were theocrats and racists and bigots and there were going to be soldiers on the streets of Canadian cities.”
“The PCs do this because they have taken over the space of the Liberal Party of Canada in Alberta. The PCs have taken that ground.”
For the record, Jean says he “has no interest whatsoever” in pushing social agenda issues. Gay-straight alliances will stay with Wildrose.
I suspect most Albertans know very little about Mr. Jean, except that his son passed away recently. I certainly hadn’t heard of him before myself.
The Cracked Crystal Ball II: Brian Jean: WildRose’s Second Lake Of Fire?
Newly minted WildRose party leader Brian Jean is running around the province trying to drum up votes like every other politician in Alberta these days. His latest “fear” seems to be that the PCs are going to start sliming his party. “I think they’ll even claim our ethnic candidates areracist.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Where did Alberta’s party leaders spend the first week of the 2015 election?
With the first full week of Alberta’s 2015 election campaign coming to an end, I took a look at where the leaders of Alberta’s political parties have visited in the last seven days [see the map above]. The day the writ… Continue Reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Prentice Drops the “E” Word on Day One
Extremist: /ɛkˈstriːmɪst/ noun, chiefly derogatory: A person who holds extreme political or religious views, especially one who advocates illegal, violent or other extreme action—Oxford dictionary Hysterical rhetoric Of all the bonehead things Premier Prentice could have said in his campaign kick-off speech, warning Albertans to beware of “extreme ideas or
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Election Week 1: The Economy and Corporate Tax confusion
Recent polls show a three-way contest between the Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic and Wildrose Parties, but with 24 days left in Alberta’s provincial election, a lot can change. Here is a quick review of what the politicians were saying and political… Continue Reading →
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Now we’re just haggling over the price
Others have rightly wondered whether the Wildrose Party’s new promise to make floor-crossing MPs pay a price to the party will be enforceable at all. But it’s also worth examining how it might affect MLAs’ decision-making – with the result potentially being the exact opposite of what Brian Jean intends.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Election 2015: Could be more interesting than expected!
Albertans are heading to the polls on May 5, 2015 to elect the next Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Like the past twelve elections since 1971, the May 5 vote will almost certainly result in the re-election of the Progressive Conservative… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Pre-Election 2015: Thursday Candidate Nomination Update
Progressive Conservative activist Jamie Lall was unexpectedly disqualified for unknown reasons before his party’s April 1 nomination meeting in Chestermere-Rockyview, allowing Wildrose PC MLA Bruce McAllister to be acclaimed. After months of campaigning, Mr. Lall lashed out at his party and questioned why he… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: #abvote Google Hangout with Wildrose leadership candidates
It has been a rough seven months for the Wildrose Party of Alberta. After losing four by-elections in September 2014, the party was decimated when eleven Wildrose MLAs, including leader Danielle Smith, crossed the floor to the governing Progressive Conservatives…. Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Rob Anders still lurking around the Wildrose Party
Twice denied an opportunity to run for the leadership of the Wildrose Party, controversial Conservative Party Member of Parliament Rob Anders is still lurking in the shadows of the deflated Alberta conservative opposition party. As reported by the Medicine Hat News,… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Politics Round-Up: Redford and the Opposition
An investigation into former Premier Alison Redford‘s use of government airplanes has been closed and no charges will be laid, the RCMP announced yesterday. In 2014, Premier Dave Hancock and Justice Minister Jonathan Denis asked the RCMP to investigate findings made… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Top 10 moments in Alberta Politics in 2014
TweetIn my nearly ten years writing about politics in Alberta on this blog, 2014 was easily the most exciting. The sheer number of scandals, controversies, fumbles and resignations made for new content on a daily basis. If I had the time and resources, I could have easily written three or four posts
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