I’m not sure what’s more bizarre, BC Premier John Horgan’s rationale for asking the BC Supreme Court to rule on whether BC can limit the amount of diluted bitumen flowing on Trans Mountain or Jason Kenney’s reaction to Horgan’s decision to take the issue to court. Magical molecules Horgan defended
Continue readingTag: Energy & Natural Resources
Susan on the Soapbox: Jason Kenney’s Non-Partisan Request
This just in from “the train-has-left-the-station” department. Let’s see, how should Alberta respond to BC’s announcement that it will limit bitumen shipments from Alberta until it completes consultation on more spill response studies? Well, the Notley government could impose a boycott of BC wines and create a Market Access Task
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Huffing and Puffing “Leadership”
Last week BC Premier John Horgan said BC would ban any increase in shipments of diluted bitumen (dilbit) to BC until a scientific advisory panel determined whether shippers can adequately prevent and clean up dilbit spills. If the panel decides this isn’t possible, the ban on increased dilbit shipments will
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Thank You Alberta Party!
When Greg Clark stepped down as the leader of the Alberta Party Ms Soapbox wondered whether the party had lost its mind. When Rick Fraser and Stephen Mandel, two former Progressive Conservatives, entered the AP leadership race, Ms Soapbox wondered whether the party had been taken over by the Progressive
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: When They Go Low: the Kenney by-election debate
On Sunday afternoon Mr and Ms Soapbox were jammed into an overheated community hall listening to five politicians explain why they were the best choice to represent the good citizens of Calgary-Lougheed in the by-election triggered when Dave Rodney stepped down to give UCP leader Jason Kenney a seat in
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Politics and the Debate Club
I know, I know, you’d rather watch the Grey Cup game, so I’ll make this quick. Yesterday, Ms Soapbox and a friend judged the final round in the Sir Winston Churchill High School Debate Competition. The competition was hosted by the Alberta Debate and Speech Association and The Winston Churchill
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Question Period? Really?
How much longer do we have to put up with this nonsense? The Alberta Legislature has been in session for eight days and the UCP is using Question Period to test-drive political slogans. Jason Kenney UCP leader Ms Soapbox’s personal favourite is the UCP’s claim: “We lead, they follow”. The
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Who will fight a bear for you?
The forces at play in the upcoming 2019 provincial election are reflected in how you react to this banner. The banner is a part of Calgary’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters. Some people loved its edgy, self-deprecating message, others didn’t get it…at all. Okay, hold that thought while Ms Soapbox
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: How Truth Dies
The UCP leadership race just began and already we’re being asked to choose between two conflicting versions of the truth. Jason Kenney says Brian Jean is a poor financial manager because Jean created a $337,000 deficit in the UCP caucus budget–apparently Jean embarked on a “massive hiring spree” to run
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Trudeau forgets Alberta; Alberta flips out
Canada is a special place; but Alberta is a little prickly. The Soapbox family celebrated Canada Day at Olympic Plaza trying to dislodge a Big Red Ball wedged between some girders, admiring children’s art work (our favourite was a mask made by a second grader who said it represented her
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Susan on the Soapbox 2017-06-18 21:57:30
Unsolicited Advice from a Conservative Pundit This week Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party, offered some advice to the yet to be formed United Conservative Party (or whatever it’s going to call itself after the Wildrose and the Progressive Conservatives merge). A vision of sorts Since neither
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: What Would the Romans Do?
It’s a pity Wildrose MLA Derek Fildebrandt hadn’t read Jane Jacobs’ Dark Age Ahead before he launched into his description of how the ancient Romans dealt with governments that were, in his words, “beyond redemption”. Fildebrandt said the NDP’s “scorched earth policy of hyperregulation, waste of tax dollars and
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: “Phasing Out” the Oilsands
At a recent town hall meeting Mr Trudeau reiterated his position on climate change. He said: “You can’t make a choice between what’s good for the environment and what’s good for the economy. We can’t shut down the oilsands tomorrow. We need to phase them out. We need to manage
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Lessons From Rex Tillerson*
If Rex Tillerson, the former head of ExxonMobil and Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, taught a class on pipeline strategy Brian Jean would be stuck at the front of the room wearing a dunce cap and Rachel Notley would be excused because she already knows this stuff. Conservative
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Two Pipelines Approved: The Opposition Reacts (badly)
Do you have a headache? Are you an Alberta conservative wondering how to react to Trudeau approving the Trans Mountain and Line 3 pipelines and, horrors, singling out Notley’s Climate Leadership Plan as being vital to getting to yes? If so, your conservative leadership team has prepared a carefully considered,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Jason Kenney Takes a Page from the Donald Trump Playbook
Last night the Progressive Conservatives kicked off their leadership race in earnest. As expected Jason Kenney urged party members to “unite Alberta” (ie destroy the PCs by merging them with the rebranded Wildrose party) while the other five candidates reassured attendees that the PC party could rise from the ashes.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Sandra Jansen is right, there are Progressive Conservatives in Alberta
Yippee! Sandra Jansen just confirmed she’s running for the leadership of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party. This is good news because her campaign will test Jason Kenney’s assertion that there’s no such thing as a progressive conservative. Kenney is peddling the line that there are only two kinds of people in
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: “Post-truth” Politics in Alberta
Albertans can learn a lot about the importance of truth in politics from the Trump/Clinton presidential race. Political lies have moved beyond “misstatements” for which politicians “take full responsibility” and (sort of) apologize, to “truthiness”, a term coined by Stephen Colbert for a lie that appeals to a voter’s feelings,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Another Fine Mess: Thanks Stevie
It turns out the famous Laurel and Hardy phrase “here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten us into” is a misquote. What Oliver Hardy really said to the hapless Stan Laurel was “here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten us into”. At … Continue reading →
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Who should govern in times of significant disruption?
Chris Kutarna says this is the best time in history to be alive. We’re healthier, wealthier and better educated than at any other time in history…so why are we so miserable? Kutarna is a Fellow at the Oxford Martin School … Continue reading →
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