Back in January 2019, observers of the Alberta political scene wondered if the $6,000 administrative penalty levied against the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for failing to register as a third-party advertiser under Alberta’s election financing law would result in a long-overdue recognition of the partisan role the self-described “tax watchdog” clearly
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Alberta Politics: The Horror! Danielle Smith’s news conference is interrupted for about 50 seconds by 3 mild-mannered protesters!
So, let me see if I’ve got this straight … Trucks block the streets of Ottawa in February 2022 (Photo: Maksim Sokolov/Creative Commons). The people who vociferously supported the occupation of downtown Ottawa by truckers and others blasting air horns 24/7 and spewing filth on the streets of the nation’s
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Alberta NDP’s $7.1-million fund-raising total in 2022 speaks to deep dissatisfaction among many voters with Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP
It is remarkable by any measure that the Alberta New Democratic Party raised $7.1 million in 2022, not to mention that $3.2 million of that sum was donated during the fourth quarter, and more than a quarter million dollars on the last night of the year. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Elections Alberta contributions report shows NDP leading first-quarter fund-raising with more than $1M raised
Albertans donated just over a million dollars to the New Democratic Party Opposition in the first quarter of 2022, according to contribution records released yesterday by Elections Alberta. Contributions of $1,037,511.32 placed the NDP well ahead of the governing United Conservative Party’s fund-raising total of $887,974.49 as reported by the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: UCP bill will allow big money and dark money back into election financing, restrict free speech rights, NDP Opposition says
Alberta’s United Conservative Party introduced new election financing legislation yesterday that appears likely to allow big money and dark money to start flowing back into provincial politics as well as restricting the free speech rights of groups that disagree with the government. So it seems on brand for the UCP
Continue readingAlberta Politics: RCMP investigation of ‘Kamikaze Campaign’ moves into new phase; what it means remains to be seen
“Soon, we will find out if breaking the law is illegal.” The line is Stephen Colbert’s and, no, he wasn’t talking about Alberta. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). The well-known American comedian and TV personality, of course, was referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Is Alberta’s ‘Yes to TMX’ campaign a sly tax-funded attack on the Trudeau Liberals?
Things are certainly different on the pipeline front now that Jason Kenney and his United Conservative Party are in power in Alberta! Yesterday, the airwaves were full of reports Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage had announced an advertising campaign urging Parliamentarians to say “Yes to TMX.” (We’ll get back to
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Stephen Mandel, as impudent as ever, pleads for public subsidy for his Alberta Party
Hello, Alberta! Stephen Mandel here! My Alberta Party didn’t manage to elect a single MLA last month, but we’re good guys and we got 9.1 per cent of the vote. How about you give us some money? That wasn’t really Stephen Mandel saying that, of course. It was me, your
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Will Canadian Taxpayers Federation credibility suffer from fine for failing to register as third-party election advertiser?
The $6,000 administrative penalty levied against the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for failing to register as a third-party advertiser under Alberta’s election financing law is a long-overdue official recognition of the true role the self-described “tax watchdog” plays in Canadian politics. The CTF has been disproportionately influential in Canadian political discourse
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Backstory from 2014 explains why Alberta car dealers might want to unseat the NDP
Many Albertans were shocked to learn last week that Opposition Leader Jason Kenney had promised an auto dealers association pouring money into a political action committee supporting his United Conservative Party that if elected he would hand enforcement of vehicle sale consumer protection back to the dealers. Twenty-six Alberta car
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Wondering about Jason Kenney: Would you buy a used truck from this man?
So, who’re ya gonna believe? Jason Kenney? Or Alberta’s used car dealers? I’m sure readers will agree that this is a very tough question. Nevertheless, with the publication of third-quarter political donor data by Elections Alberta, the attention of the public has fallen on the significant fund-raising effort for the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: As the year runs out, here are AlbertaPolitics.ca’s Top Ten developing Alberta political news stories of 2017
PHOTOS: As time runs out on 2017, here are AlbertaPolitics.ca’s Top Ten developing new stories for the year. Below: Opposition UCP Leader Jason Kenney, NDP Premier Rachel Notley, serial conservative screw-up Derek Fildebrandt and Labour Minister Christina Gray. It’s easy to pick list of news stories that caused a big
Continue readingAlberta Politics: NDP set to introduce legislation to control ‘Political Action Committees’ today in wake of Liberal private member’s bill
PHOTOS: Liberal Leader David Khan, left, and former leader and sole MLA David Swann in front of the Alberta Legislature last week. Below: NDP Labour and Democratic Renewal Minister Christina Gray, Alberta Chief Electoral Officer Glen Resler (Photo: Elections Alberta), Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley, and ethics and accountability committee chair
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Wildrose to members: Want to break a law? No problem! We’ll just get elected and change it
PHOTOS: The Alberta Legislature, about the best your blogger can do on the road to illustrate this illustration-resistant story (Photo: Wikimedia Commons). Below: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney and Wildrose Treasurer James Cole, every one of them people mentioned in this story of whom photos exist.
Continue readingWe Pivot: The BC Liberals are Now Bankrolling their 2021 Election Campaign
In September, 2016, Minister of Everything, Rich Coleman bragged that the 2017 election is fully funded, but don’t let that stop you from funding them. In case somehow they are forced to bring in some kind of campaign finance limits, … [Read more]
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Rachel Notley offers a dignified argument for healing and acknowledgement of past wrongs against First Nations citizens
PHOTOS: The damage done by residential schools is part of every Canadian’s legacy and the sooner we acknowledge that, the better off we all will be. Below: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, B.C. Premier Christy Cark, singer Raffi Cavoukian, Opposition Leader Brian Jean and Tory MLA Sandra Jansen. VICTORIA, B.C. From
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Banning corporate and union election cash: not just the right thing for the NDP to do, but the smart thing too
PHOTOS: A group of Albertans studies the effects of corporate cash on the conservative domination of North American politics. Actual Albertans may not appear exactly as illustrated. Regardless, Alberta’s NDP government may be about to try to fix this problem. Below: Parkland Institute charts showing the percentage of election campaign
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Liberal Leader Raj Sherman may have scored ‘own goal’ as Elections Alberta investigates donations to his party by firms he owns
If this is your own goal, there may be something wrong with your game! Below: Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman and Edmonton billionaire Daryl Katz. Call it the Alberta Political Advantage. Reports of illegal and questionable political donations have dogged Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government for years. These included contributions made
Continue readingAlberta Diary: There’s no better time than right now for non-union employees of the City of St. Albert to look for union protection
St. Albert’s 2013 civic election campaign was pretty dirty, as the illustration above, grabbed from an anonymous blog during the campaign, illustrates. Since those kind of tactics seemed to work, the next one, in October 2017, is likely to be dirtier still. Below: St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse, Spruce Grove-St.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Say what? After 36 years, secret Alberta Tory slush fund comes to light
Senior Alberta Progressive Conservative Party officials and guards remove election campaign funds from the vaults of the “Tapcal Trust.” Actual PC party officials may not appear exactly as illustrated: Below: PC Party Executive Director Kelley Charlebois; Public Interest Alberta Executive Director Bill Moore-Kilgannon. So, there’s this law in Alberta that
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