While announcing his plans to run for re-election in the new Taber-Warner district, United Conservative Party MLA Grant Hunter is reported to have compared the New Democratic Party’s 2015 election win to the 2004 Tsunami that ravaged southeast Asia and is estimated to have killed upwards of 280,000 people. Hunter offered
Continue readingTag: Greg Clark
daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: MLA Karen McPherson to endorse Rick Fraser in Alberta Party leadership race, sources confirm
Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill MLA Karen McPherson is expected to endorse Alberta Party leadership candidate Rick Fraser on the morning of Feb. 13, 2018, campaign sources confirm. McPherson represents one third of the party’s caucus in the Legislative Assembly. She was first elected as a New Democratic Party MLA in 2015 and joined
Continue readingKen Chapman: What Do We Do Now?
The Political Paradox that is Alberta The political paradox for Alberta is that, while we have had majority governments since 1971 we have had unstable governance since about 2004. In that election year Ralph Klein kept a majority government but was loosing popular support. He gave up 12 seats that
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 readingAlberta Politics: Stephen Mandel, past his best-before date but still politically sexy to media, declares Alberta Party leadership bid
PHOTOS: Stephen Mandel makes his Alberta Party leadership campaign announcement yesterday in Edmonton (Photo: Twitter). Below: Mr. Mandel back in the day with premier Jim Prentice, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, former Alberta Party leader Greg Clark, and United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney. Stephen Mandel’s political strategists would like you
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: It’s an Alberta Party leadership race: Kara Levis, Rick Fraser… Stephen Mandel
Photo: Former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel when he announced his plans to retire from municipal politics in 2013. The rumours have been circulating for weeks, and they now appear to be confirmed. Stephen Mandel is jumping back into provincial politics by launching a campaign for the leadership of the Alberta
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Episode 3: Best of Alberta Politics 2017
In the latest episode of The Daveberta Podcast, Ryan and I discuss Kara Levis‘ entry into the Alberta Party leadership race, the results of the Calgary-Lougheed by-election, Conservative MPs being challenged for their nominations, and we reveal the winners of the Best of Alberta Politics 2017 Survey. With more than
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Derek Fildebrandt’s hit-&-run fine is only $402 but the political tariff is likely to be much steeper
PHOTOS: Derek Fildebrandt in a pose evocative of his next legal challenge, hunting without permission on private land. Below: Mr. Fildebrandt famously loading jerry cans full of gasoline in his now-notorious big red pickup truck the night before the NDP’s carbon levy took effect on the first day of 2017.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Vote in the Best of Alberta Politics 2017 Survey (Round 2!)
In our most recent episode of The Daveberta Podcast, Ryan and I asked you to help us shape our final episode of 2017 by voting in the Best of Alberta Politics 2017 Survey. More than 300 of you responded to the survey last week with your choices for the biggest
Continue readingAlberta Politics: As expected, UCP Leader Jason Kenney chalks up another convincing win in Calgary-Lougheed by-election
PHOTOS: UCP Leader Jason Kenney celebrates his victory in the Calgary-Lougheed by-election last night (Photo: CBC). Below: NDP candidate Phillip van der Merwe, Liberal leader and candidate David Khan, and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, all their photos grabbed for simplicity’s sake from Twitter. Never mind Surrey and Alabama. Jason Kenney
Continue readingAlberta Politics: In Bill 32, NDP’s latest tweaks to Alberta election financing laws, Notley Government takes aim at PACs
PHOTOS: Democratic Renewal (and Labour) Minister Christina Gray. Below: Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan and Alberta Party MLA Greg Clark. The most controversial omission in new Alberta legislation restricting the activities of so-called political action committees released yesterday afternoon by the NDP Government of Premier Rachel Notley will likely be
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: NDP expands Third Party Advertiser law to cover ‘Political Action Committee’ activities
Photo: Labour Minister Christina Gray. (Photo from premierofalberta on Flickr) Labour Minister Christina Gray , who is responsible for the Alberta NDP government’s democratic renewal initiatives, introduced Bill 32: An Act to Strengthen and Protect Democracy in Alberta into the Legislative Assembly on December 4, 2017. The bill pulls ‘Political Action Committees’
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Did the Alberta Party, the political party about nothing, just have a Seinfeld coup?
PHOTOS: Former Alberta Party leader – and current Alberta Party House Leader, I guess, maybe even interim Alberta Party leader – Greg Clark. Below: Former NDP MLA Karen McPherson, now the second member of the Alberta Party Caucus, former St. Albert PC MLA Steve Khan, who says he won’t be
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Daveberta Pod Episode 1: Don’t Stop Believin’
The Calgary-Lougheed by-election, the Alberta Party leadership race, a new ThinkHQ poll, Rachel Notley as Canada’s Pipeline Paladin, and changing electoral boundaries are just some of the topics covered in the latest episode of the Daveberta Podcast with Dave Cournoyer and Ryan Hastman (recorded on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017). Listen and
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Week 1 Update from the Calgary-Lougheed by-election
Photo: Former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. The Calgary-Lougheed electoral district is named after Lougheed. It has been one week since the Calgary-Lougheed by-election was called. The by-election is being held on Dec. 14, 2017, but voters in this district also have the option of voting in advance polls on Dec. 6,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: When the going gets tough, the Alberta Party doesn’t run
PHOTOS: Departing Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark because, in a story about the party … Why not? Below: Seatless Alberta political party leaders, Calgary-Lougheed candidates and convenient excuses for the Alberta Party to ride the pine: Jason Kenney, UCP; David Khan, Alberta Liberals; and Romy Tittel, Alberta Greens (Photo: Green
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Calgary-Lougheed by-election set for December 14, 2017
Photo: Calgary-Lougheed NDP candidate Phillip van der Merwe. (Photo source: YouTube) A provincial by-election will be held in Calgary-Lougheed on Thursday, December 14, 2017. The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of United Conservative Party MLA Dave Rodney on October 30, 2017 to allow his party’s new leader, Jason Kenney, to seek
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Counting up the Alberta Party’s leadership candidates, real and imagined, so far: a partial list, no doubt
PHOTOS: Former Morinville mayor Lisa Holmes. Below: Doug Griffiths, Thomas Lukaszuk, Stephen Khan and Chima Nkemdirim. These photos were chosen completely arbitrarily, mainly because they came from the author’s own collection and hadn’t been used a bunch of times before. If it weren’t for the takeover of the once-rather-liberal Alberta
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Will the Alberta Together takeover turn the Alberta Party into PC 2.0?
Photo: Alberta Party leader Greg Clark on the campaign trail in Calgary-Elbow in 2014. Source: Twitter. In the latest shakeup in Alberta politics, Greg Clark announced last Friday that he would resign as leader of the Alberta Party at the party’s upcoming annual general meeting on November 18, 2017. Clark
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Who benefits more from the PC takeover of the Alberta Party – the governing NDP or the Opposition UCP?
PHOTOS: Opposition members in the Alberta Legislature as seen by many of their critics. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.) Actual UCP Caucus members may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Outgoing Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark, Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley, and UCP Leader Jason Kenney. Having been the victims of Jason
Continue reading