The “chicken ranch” proposed for Calgary back in 2003 by Danielle Smith, now leader of the Wildrose Party, may not have been exactly as illustrated. (You didn’t seriously think I was going to post a picture of a house of ill repute, did you?) Also not exactly as illustrated, below:
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Election 2012 Begins – A real race is expected.
As expected Premier Alison Redford visited the Lieutenant-Governor’s office today and started Alberta’s 2012 general election. She waited until the Alberta legislature passed the budget to get the campaign started in an effort to reinforce the party image as stable competent managers. The strategy seemed sound: pass a fair and
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta election day 1: campaign kick-offs and legalizing prostitution.
Alberta's political leaders are off to a slow start on the first day of the 2012 election. With hours of the election being called yesterday, Premier Alison Redford kicked-off the Progressive Conservative campaign at the campaign office of Edmonton-Glenora MLA Heather Klimchuk. First-term MLA Ms. Klimchuk is facing one of the
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 readingCalgaryGrit: Alberta Votes Day 2: Polls and Prostitutes
We were treated to a pair of Alberta election polls last night – both showing the PCs and Wildrose in a statistical tie. Given previous 2012 polls have shown Redford between 5 and 37 points ahead, this comes as a bit of a shock – though it’s not necessarily bad
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: ‘Everybody’s ready’ for an election call today … but is Alison Redford?
…Get set… GO! How the media sees the Alberta election race, starting today. On the right, Premier Alison Redford. To Ms. Redford’s right, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith. In the background, NDP Leader Brian Mason. Alberta political leaders may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Alison Redford, Danielle Smith, Peter Lougheed.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta’s tories could have already won another election.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford Premier Alison Redford is expected to call a provincial election today. Had Premier Alison Redford‘s Progressive Conservatives followed conventional political wisdom and dropped the writ shortly after tabling the 2012 provincial budget on February 10, they may have already secured their next majority government. Danielle Smith
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Harper-Wildrose alliance: the elephant in Alberta’s conservative room
Stephen Harper and Danielle Smith discuss their infernal electoral machine as the elephant in the room looks on. Loony-right-wing Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Wildrose-Harpercon crossovers Tom Flanagan, Vitor Marciano and Ryan Hastman. There’s an elephant in the room whenever Albertans of a conservative political bent
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: Wildrose on a roll? The auguries may be in the flakes
Bookies take odds on Alison Redford and Danielle Smith. Actual Alberta political observers may not be as willing to put their money where their mouths are. Below: The four similar, but nevertheless questionable, polls. A string of flaky polls augmented by some flaky behaviour by Premier Alison Redford and her
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta politics: stormy waters ahead.
A Sun News Network commissioned poll looks good for the Wildrose Party and bad for the Progressive Conservatives. Global leaders were shocked yesterday when a new poll commissioned by QMI-Sun News Media showed Danielle Smith‘s Wildrose Party has made significant headwaters against the governing Progressive Conservatives. There are serious questions being raised about
Continue readingBlunt Objects: PCs Still Dominate Alberta – For Now
Continuing with 2011’s incumbent-friendly trend, 2012 seems to be pretty incumbent-friendly as well – so far. Nowhere is this more exemplified than Alberta, which will need to go to the polls before May 31st, where the Progressive Conservative’s still dominate the scene and look set for another majority government, at
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta’s long political sitzkrieg gives way today to Tory blitzkrieg
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, second from left, gets ready to take the “air war” to the Wildrose Party’s Calgary stronghold with strongly negative radio ads. Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: former Premier Ed Stelmach as portrayed in 2008’s Albertans for Change campaign; the premier’s chief of
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: tory attack ad tame by all standards.
Alberta's culture of negative attack ads began with this nasty Social Credit Party newspaper ad during the 1971 election. Alberta’s political twitterati were atwitter yesterday after a Progressive Conservative radio advertisement was leaked to the Calgary Herald. The ad defend the new law passed by Premier Alison Redford‘s government that
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta election 2012: counting women candidates.
Women make up the majority of Alberta’s population, but they rarely come even close to being the majority in electoral politics. Alberta’s 2012 election could be notable for many reasons, two of those reasons being that it will be the first where both the incumbent Premier, Alison Redford, and the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: premier redford’s light legislative agenda and half-kept promise.
Premier Alison Redford Six is the number of pieces of legislation that Premier Alison Redford‘s Progressive Conservative government has introduced into Alberta’s Legislative Assembly during the Spring sitting that started in February. Nineteen is the number of pieces of legislation passed by the PC government led by Premier Ed Stelmach
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: 15 races to watch in alberta’s 2012 election.
In the lead up to the Alberta’s 2012 election, I have identified fifteen constituencies across the province that could produce interesting contests and results when the election is called. 15 races to watch in Alberta's 2012 election. 1) Highwood The Wildrose Party has staked their future in the success of
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Forum poll revealed: With an iPhone and a blog, we can now predict poll results before they’re published!
Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith with the voice of Forum Research Inc. She’s smiling because she likes his answers. Alberta pollsters and politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Dave, about to hang up on another poll. ForumPoll3 by djclimenhaga Forum Research Inc. of Toronto was back in the
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