Hastily prepared in the final months of Premier Ed Stelmach‘s term in office, the construction of the new Royal Alberta Museum had political legacy project written all over it. This is why it should not come as such a shock that the funding for the project is in jeopardy since Mr. Stelmach left office in […]
Continue readingTag: Ed Stelmach
daveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: tick tick tick… defusing ed stelmach’s tory time-bomb.
Restoring $107 million into the provincial Education budget, committing to hold an inquiry into the intimidation of doctors, promising increased consultations on water management, and halting (after some fumbling) the approval of two controversial electrical transmission line projects through rural Alberta, Premier Alison Redford is quickly moving to defuse the electoral time bomb of unpopular […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The jury’s out – or it should be, anyway – on the Calgary Herald’s latest pro-Redford poll
Premier Alison Redford of the Popular Conservatives is really popular with these guys, you can just tell!Wow! This just in! Alison Redford is so popular….How popular is she?Alberta’s new premier is so popular she’s more popular that her popular p…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Flippity flop flip… has Alison Redford’s government ‘jumped the shark’ already?
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, immediately after ‘jumping the shark.’ Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Whaaaaaaaaat?! Below: The quotable LBJ.Is this the worst start ever, or what?Barely sworn in as Progressive Conservati…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: OK, Premier Redford’s a flip-flopper … but does she have a plan?
Flip flops. Plenty of ’em. Below: Alberta Premier Alison Redford.Flip. Flop. …Is Alberta getting to be like a cheap rooming house? You know, the tenant upstairs just got home from the beach. And we’re all waiting for the other flip to flop?Just a…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Redford’s Rocky Mountain Cabinet Horror Show: We’re doing the time warp again!
Premier Alison Redford and members of her new cabinet in a Transylvanian Tory Time Warp. Ron Liepert is at right. Alberta premiers and their cabinets may not be exactly as illustrated, here or during their campaigns. Below left: Ms. Redford, centre, at…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alison redford appoints gary mar’s cabinet.
Do you think Gary Mar left a draft cabinet list in the Premier’s Office when he was measuring the drapes? Because Premier Alison Redford found it. We were told to expect big changes, that many “household names” would be dropped from cabinet, but as they enter their new jobs, Premier Alison Redford‘s cabinet looks like […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alison Redford’s premiership wrong-footed on Day 2 by brutal Calgary Sun story
The Calgary Sun’s front page Saturday morning. Below: Sun columnist Rick Bell; Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi; a technician demonstrates the proper procedure for handling a typical Sun story.Has former Alberta premier Ed Stelmach’s bad luck rubbed off…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alison Redford sworn in as premier and … uh … that’s all for now
Alison Redford, the 14th premier of Alberta, raises her right hand and promises to be different from the last Conservative premier. Below, she greets well-wishers as she leaves the Legislature with her family.Now that Alison Redford has been safely swo…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Creepy Wildrose attack ads set the tone as Alison Redford prepares to be sworn in as Alberta premier
Wildrose Integrity? The Wildrose Party’s creepy video attack on premier-designate Alison Redford.Honeymoon? What honeymoon?Alison Redford was elected leader of Alberta’s governing Progressive Conservative Party in a vote announced in the wee hours …
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta candidate nomination updates – october 2011.
I have made the following updates to the list of declared and nominated candidates preparing to stand in the next provincial general election, now expected in 2012: Airdrie: Bryan Young is seeking the NDP nomination on October 13. Calgary-Acadia: Nick Lepora is seeking the NDP nomination on October 13. Calgary-Bow: Jason Nishiyama is seeking the […]
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: premier alison redford’s challenge to change her party and alberta’s government.
Alberta politics became a little more exiting in the early hours of Sunday, October 2, 2011 when the sharp-minded former Justice Minister and human rights lawyer Alison Redford defied critics, but not readers of this blog, by defeating front-runner Gary Mar in the PC leadership contest. Ms. Redford will become Alberta’s first woman Premier when […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Six lessons to draw from Alison Redford’s victory
Alison Redford surrounded by media and supporters in the wee hours of this morning. Below: Gar Mar gives his concession speech, AHS Chair Ken Hughes.Alison Redford’s victory this morning in the race to lead the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party …
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta could do much worse than have Alison Redford as premier – and tomorrow it probably will
Alison Redford during Thursday’s TV debate. (Edmonton Journal photo.) Below: The other Iron Lady.If television debates mattered, Alison Redford would win the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership vote tomorrow hands down.She certainly turned in…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Will Gary Mar reinvent the Alberta Tories? Fat chance!
Gary Mar at the wheel of the new, improved, “reinvented” Alberta Conservative Party. Alberta politicians and the parties they lead may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Mar, Ralph Klein and a Tory electoral strategist speaking with an A…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: splitting the ukrainian-canadian vote in alberta.
Supporters of Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Gary Mar are tapping into the large group of Ukrainian-Canadians who helped Ed Stelmach win his party’s leadership in 2006. Elaine Kalynchuk, a prominent member of the Ukrainian-Canadian community in Edmonton and VP Membership of the Edmonton-Whitemud PC Association, sent this email in support of Mr. Mar over […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Where will Gary run? A good question to ask on the campaign trail…
Conservative front-runner Gary Mar may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Mar announcing his plans to run for Tory leader on March 17 in Edmonton; Ron Liepert, looking very much as if he didn’t want to be photographed, at Mr. Mar’s annou…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Alberta Tory leadership race, Round 2: Still close … but not too close to call
The final moments of the Progressive Conservative leadership race: politically engaged Albertans may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Remaining candidates Gary Mar, Alison Redford and Doug Horner.With two weeks of electioneering to go until th…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Tomorrow’s episode of Alberta’s Next Top Premier will see someone voted off the island!
A crowd of Albertans solemnly awaits word of the outcome of the first ballot in the Tory leadership race. Typical Albertans may not always appear as illustrated. Then again, maybe they will… Below: Ted Morton, Doug Horner and Alison Redford. Where’…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Strange Case of Dr. Morton and Mr. Lee … not to mention that of Mr. Sparrow
Dr. Morton and Mr. Lee. Note that Alberta political aspirants may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Ryan Sparrow with some guy on a plane; the real Freddy Lee.Having been accused of getting up to something with a real government of Alberta email ac…
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