Old folks at home: things are changing in Alberta, and not necessarily for the better. Below: Ed Stelmach, Guy Boutilier, Raj Sherman. Does anybody remember the brouhaha in 2009 that was semi-officially designated The Trouble in Strathmore? The trouble actually started a year earlier, in February 2008, when then premier
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David 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 readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta political TV ad battle: Round 1 to the Wildrose Party
The Alison Redford Party’s first ad from the 2012 election season. Below: Hubby in the headlights. Maybe he’s just seen what’s on that to-do list. Or maybe he just feels strange wearing a sports coat in his kitchen at 7 in the morning. Yesterday, Alberta’s mighty Tory dynasty released its
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Prognosis looks bleak for faltering Alberta Party
Chima Nkemdirim: his decision to work for Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi was a serious loss for the Alberta Party. Below: Mr. Nenshi, Alberta Premier Alison Redford and Alberta Party Leader Glenn Taylor. The two worst things that have happened to the Alberta Party are, in this order, Naheed Nenshi and
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Premier Alison Redford enforces generational change in Alberta government
Alberta Speaker Ken Kowalski and other former PC ministers line up to wait for their transition allowances. Tory politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Kowalski, former Premier Ed Stelmach, Iris Evans, Lloyd Snelgrove. Civilization as we know it in Alberta has ended. Ken Kowalski, 66, is stepping
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Bad Danielle Smith & Good Danielle Smith: the Wildrose Party campaign begins to unfold
Good Danielle, above, softens you up while Bad Danielle waits just outside the door. Bad Danielle is going to slap you around a bit now for even thinking about voting for Alberta Premier Alison Redford. Then maybe she’ll step out of the room for a smoke. While she’s gone, Good
Continue readingFive of Five: Alberta Legislature: Scumbags, Holodomor and Property Rights
There was a debate in the Legislature today (29 Nov 2011) regarding landowner property rights. There is no doubt that at least 4 of the bills passed in the Stelmach era went too far by removing basic landowner rights, eliminating public consultation and removing the appeal process. Wildrose MLA Paul
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: the battle begins on alberta’s energy beach: don scott seeks pc nomination in fort mcmurray-conklin.
One might think that the battle to build Oil Sands pipelines or the struggle to fight climate change would be the hottest conflicts on Alberta’s energy beach, but with a provincial election approaching the local political scene is heating up. Everybody loves trees: Don Scott and Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Fixed election periods? Take your pick: hypocritical, cynical, impractical or all of the above
An Alberta monogamist with his many wives and children. Alberta’s “fixed election dates will be flexible.” Do we speak English here any more? Almost anything in Alberta may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Government House Leader Dave Hancock. Premier Alison Redford’s unfixed-fixed election dates bill is touted as a
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Wildrose Party’s Redford Files: Not nearly as funny as the first time…
The Redford Files website: evidence the Wildrose Alliance is on the ropes. Below, an image grabbed from the site. If “the Redford Files” really are “authorized by the Wildrose Party,” as the blog-style attack website that appeared on the Internet a few days ago indicates, it is the best evidence
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta Liberals hit by defection as implosion continues; new poll suggests NDP potential for growth
Bridget Pastoor, still a Liberal to the party’s missing webmaster. Below: Raj Sherman. No one can say the Alberta Liberals don’t have movement. The trouble is, it’s all down hill. That the slow-motion implosion of the Alberta Liberal Party is gathering speed was evident on two fronts yesterday, as one
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Never mind non-disclosure claims or Bill 24: Albertans still deserve an independent judge-run health inquiry
Zipp it! You have a non-disclosure agreement. Below: Premier Alison Redford; Dr. John Cowell of the Alberta Health Quality Council. Albertans who want to see a judicial inquiry into allegations of intimidation and bullying against physicians, line jumping and political meddling in the Alberta health care system are being subjected
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Never mind the Fight on Alberta’s Right; think about the Scramble for Position Among the Opposition!
Post No. 711Quick! What’s the name of Alberta’s No. 2 political party based on popular support?The Wildrose Party, right?That’s certainly what the headline implied in the Edmonton Journal on Friday – “Elections Alberta arms for X day, when ma…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta to balance budget, cure cancer, put men on Mars by 2013
Members of the 2013 Alberta Mars Mission solemnly mark Peter Lougheed’s birthday with cupcakes, non-alcoholic soda and a spacewalk. The Alberta Space Ship Wild Rose can be observed lower right. Alberta political promises may not turn out to be exactl…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Too many non-union managers, not union members, drive up Alberta government costs
A typical Alberta civil servant, who apparently can’t be trusted to work alone, helps his manager doff his coat. Actual unionized Alberta public employees may not be exactly as illustrated, but the manager is probably depicted pretty accurately. Belo…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: in alberta politics, what was once old is new again.
Premier Alison Redford is expected to introduce new fixed-election date legislation in the postponed fall sitting of the Assembly, expected to sit in late November. In 2009, I wrote: “In April 2008, St. Albert PC MLA Ken Allred introduced a Private Member’s Bill, Bill 203: Election Statutes (Fixed Election Dates), in the Legislative Assembly of […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The plan to give more power to the Alberta Health Quality Council is just a broken promise with attitude
All rise! The Health Quality Council of Alberta is now in session! Independent and impartial commissions of inquiry in Alberta may not be exactly as illustrated … or as promised. Below: Fred Horne, Alison Redford.Back on June 7 when she was running f…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: former fort saskatchewan mayor jim sheasgreen seeking pc nomination.
Jim Sheasgreen, former Mayor of the City of Fort Saskatchewan, has announced his intention to seek the Progressive Conservative nomination in the Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville constituency. Mr. Sheasgreen served as Mayor from 2004 until 2010 and on City Council from 2001 until 2004. In 2010, Mr. Sheasgreen was defeated by current Mayor Gale Katchur. Also seeking […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Happy Halloween: The Mystery of the Missing Museum and what Edmonton needs to tell the Tories
Looking for the money: The typical Albertan, and the Albertosaurus, above, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Federal Tories never offered more than $30 million to Edmonton museum project, says MP Laurie Hawn … whoops, the latest Conservative …
Continue readingCalgaryLiberal: Nothing has changed with Allison Redford. Just more of the tired Tories, political hackery, broken promises, and failed leadership.
Nothing has changed with Allison Redford. There has been no change: just more the same tired Tories. Raj Sherman has been proved right by an independent report by the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Doctor intimidation, threats against careers, and …
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