In a typical provincial election in Alberta, the televised Leaders’ debate is a mere formality in a process that would inevitably lead to the election of another massive Progressive Conservative majority government. Even when the perceived winner of the debate is from an opposition party, the effects only . In
Continue readingTag: Brian Mason
David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Ambiguous Wildrose abortion statements emerge as NDP support jumps in Edmonton
Wildrose Apocalypse? Abortion chatter sparks new fears about Wildrose as poll shows NDP mini-surge in Edmonton. Below: NDP Leader Brian Mason. Are residents of the Edmonton region, as disgusted with the antics of the long-ruling Progressive Conservatives as other Albertans, starting to have second thoughts about far-right Wildrose Party’s largely
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Wildrose leader openly lays out plan for privatizing health care
Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith in Promises, Promises, the Medical Comedy. The trouble is, it’s not funny. Real Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Ms. Smith as she really, really appears. There’s not much need for scare tactics by supporters of public medicare: Yesterday the Wildrose Party laid
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Be careful what you wish for: Wildrose may be on cusp of victory in Alberta campaign
Alberta PC campaign tactician Stephen Carter, left, illustrates for Premier Alison Redford and Deputy Premier Doug Horner how he plans to counter recent Wildrose Party gains. Alberta political operatives and their bosses may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: the real Premier Redford, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith and Wildrose strategist
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: who should be invited to the televised leaders’ debate?
PC leader Premier Alison Redford, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, NDP leader Brian Mason, and Liberal leader Raj Sherman. The televised Leaders’ debate for Alberta’s 2012 election will be aired on April 12 at 6:30pm to 8:00pm on Global Television. The debate will include Progressive Conservative leader Premier Alison Redford, Liberal
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta election day 2: health care, balanced budgets, and benitomania.
Premier Alison Redford with PC candidates John Barlow and Evan Berger (photo from Alison4Premier Facebook Page). Campaigning in the same constituency yesterday, it is interesting to wonder what Premier Alison Redford and Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith would have said to each other if their paths had intersected. Close polls,
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: Alberta Votes
The writ has been dropped, and Albertans will go to the polls on April 23. The past few years have been wildly turbulent, with shocking municipal votes, the rise of the Wildrose, parties desanctioned and founded, leadership races in nearly every party (2 for the Liberals), and floor crosings aplenty.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta election called for april 23, 2012.
Alberta’s provincial election will be held on April 23, 2012. In this election, the number of constituencies are increasing from 83 to 87 (the first time increase in seats since the 1986 election). As of today, the Progressive Conservatives, NDP, and Wildrose Party are the only parties to have nominated
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: pimp my ride: alberta election wheels.
With an election call expected in the next week, Alberta’s political parties are loading up their campaign vehicles and hitting the road. Here is a look at some of their sweet rides: Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith is featured prominently on her party's election campaign bus. Wildrose Party: The first
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Is Alberta’s most entertaining political season in a lifetime drawing to a close? Gosh I hope not!
Get me Wildrose, Rewrite! Your blogger, who many not be exactly as illustrated but used to have a typewriter just like that, pounds out a last plea for a poll showing Alberta Conservative fortunes in decline before heading off to Okinawa. No soap! According to the Edmonton Journal’s political columnist
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta budget 2012: keep calm and carry on voting tory.
Alberta's 2012 pre-election budget. Judging by past performance, not rocking the boat is a difficult thing for Finance Minister Ron Liepert, who managed to table a budget yesterday that will rock Albertans to sleep before it rocks them into a riot. Reminding Albertans of just how good their forty-year government
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta tidbits: Can market-fundamentalist Wildrose Party be trusted to pull plug on high electricity costs?
Contemplating Alberta electricity prices, consumers are usually not as cheerful looking as illustrated. Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith; Edmonton-Mill Woods MLA Carl Benito, former premier Ed Stelmach. Now that the far-right Wildrose Party is poaching Alberta NDP policy, could we trust them to carry it out?Doubtful, but you can hardly
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta tories holding a packed nomination week.
I have updated the list of nominated Alberta election candidates to include the following three Progressive Conservative nominees: Edmonton-Centre: Young lawyer Akash Khokhar defeated Nicole Martel to win the PC nomination. In the next election, Mr. Khokhar will face Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman, who has represented the constituency since 1997.
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Latest Alberta poll shows Redford Conservatives with commanding lead
Say it ain’t so! Giant Redford Tory electoral machine crushes everything in its path! Even the ship of state! (Stephen Carter’s electoral schemes may not be exactly as illustrated.) Below: Alison Redford, Tom “Firewall” Flanagan. As predicted more than once in this space, a methodologically trustworthy public opinion poll has
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Will only NDP and Wildrose mount full slates to challenge Alison Redford this spring?
Alison Redford: Why is this woman smiling? Why not? Below: NDP Leader Brian Mason: the next leader of the Opposition? Even with Alberta Premier Alison Redford in a mood to tarry just a little and not call an election until after her government has passed its first budget, only one
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: what to make of alison redford’s budget before election strategy.
Premier Alison Redford Premier Alison Redford has told reporters that her government will approve Alberta’s 2012/2013 budget before the next provincial general election is called. The budget is expected to be introduced shortly after MLAs return to the Assembly on February 7, 2012. The election must take place between March 1 and
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Re-regulating electricity – a great issue for the Alberta New Democrats
An Alberta voter contemplates what’s likely to happen to electricity prices if “deregulation” continues. Below: Brian Mason, Dilbert. Don’t feel guilty if you don’t understand Alberta’s shocking electricity prices. You’re not supposed to. Sales of electricity in Alberta are now managed through what Dilbert calls a “confusopoly.” It’s a system
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: looking back at 2011: alberta mla’s who made a difference.
Each year around this time, I compile a list of a handful of Members of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly who I believe deserve mentioning following their political performance over the past year. This is just my list, so please feel free to agree, disagree, or make your own suggestions in the
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: National Post poll bad news for Alberta Tories … in the unlikely event it’s right
A word of advice, boys: don’t bet all your kibbles on the results of a one-day demon-dialer poll! Alberta political analysts or the chances they take may not be exactly as illustrated. Toronto’s National Post – or, as I prefer to think of it, the National Pest – states in
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: conzilla and the opposition robots.
Each year, the political parties represented in Alberta’s Legislative Assembly produce short videos for the Press Gallery Christmas Party. Typically funny, though not always very good, the videos are always best when they are self-depricating (everyone likes politicians that can make fun of themselves). At this year’s party, the tiny
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