Ian Donovan, Alberta Premier Jim Prentice and Kerry Towle at yesterday afternoon’s floor-crossing news conference in the Legislature Building. (Ici Radio-Canada photo.) Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith and quotable former prime ministers Harold Wilson, Brian Mulroney and Winston Churchill. There was the cruelest sort of irony in the battering suffered
Continue readingTag: Heather Forsyth
daveberta.ca - Alberta politics: As 2 more Wildrose MLAs leave, can Danielle Smith’s leadership survive?
TweetLast week, the wheels were falling off the Wildrose bus. This week, the passengers have flung open the emergency exits and started leaping out into traffic. The Wildrose Official Opposition started the month of November with 17 MLAs and might be ending it with only fourteen. Today, Progressive Conservative leader Jim
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Are the wheels falling off the Wildrose bus?
TweetA short few months ago, it almost felt inevitable that the Wildrose Party would sweep into a majority government at the next election. They were up in the polls and the long-time governing Progressive Conservatives looked corrupt, broken and battered. But over the past few weeks, it appears the Official Opposition
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: What Civil War? Wildrose MLAs rally behind Danielle Smith
TweetIn a move designed to quash any further internal party dissent, Wildrose MLAs rallied around their leader yesterday by unanimously requesting their party’s executive committee cancel a leadership review that Danielle Smith requested last week. The sign of caucus unity came shortly after Sundre-Rocky Mountain House-Rimbey MLA Joe Anglin announced he was leaving the Official
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Wildrose to PC MLAs: It’s not your fault, your party left you. Come on over.
Tweet The Wildrose Caucus has released a flashy new YouTube video encouraging Progressive Conservative MLAs to join the Official Opposition. The video begins with two former PC MLAs making the pitch to cross the floor. “I was nervous when I first did I, but I have to tell you, it
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Ceremonial Speech to Chamber starts session, sitting or whatever: Some Honourable Members, ‘Arf! Arf!’
Heather Forsyth, who after years in the Alberta Legislature has suffered significant hearing loss, and Quill, the topic of the most interesting Alberta news story of the day. Tout le monde Alberta news media were busily explaining yesterday afternoon that a new session of the Alberta Legislature had commenced at
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Smith vs Mason Debate: An Enlightening Evening
“Tonight we will witness a debate of Epic Proportions! “In the Right Corner, the Freedom Fighter—Danielle Smith!!! In the Left Corner, the Protector of the People—Brian Mason!!!” Mount Royal University was hosting the ninth and final debate between Wildrose leader, Danielle Smith, and NDP leader, Brian Mason. We expected to
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Tories versus Wildrose: Year One in Alberta’s new political game.
TweetOn April 23, 2012, Alberta’s most hotly contested election in decades culminated with the re-election of the twelfth consecutive Progressive Conservative majority government since 1971. Despite holding the large majority elected MLAs, the popular vote showed Albertans were closely divided between Alison Redford‘s Tories who finished with 44% compared to
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Docs call health minister liar, liar, scrubs on fire, but their ad fails to persuade
The docs’ advertisement. Below: AMA President Dr. Michael Giuffre. The Alberta Medical Association, the province’s most powerful trade union, has gone back to the familiar ground of buying newspaper advertisements to call Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne and the Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Alison Redford a bunch of
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Disappointed Wildrosers sit outside as Redford Tories abandon Klein-era financing.
TweetAlberta’s opposition parties are traditionally notorious for being unforgiving towards leaders who fail to meet or beat electoral expectations. Take for example former Edmonton Mayor Laurence Decore, who after leading his Liberal Party to it…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Beyond Question Period: Debating Bill 1.
TweetIf you pay attention to political pundits or follow the #ableg hashtag on Twitter, you will have read about how nasty and partisan the fall sitting of the Legislative Assembly has been. But if you logout of Twitter for a bit and ignore the embarrassing theatrics of Question Period, you will
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: assembly housekeeping: new staff, new speaker, & new public accounts committee chair.
Tweet As the Opposition Caucuses and Parties reorganize following electoral changes caused as a results of the April 23 election, there will be a number of staff and role changes in Assembly. The new Assembly will convene for the first time to elect a new Speaker on May 23, 2012
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Rx for high Alberta health care costs: Not what the doctors ordered!
Alberta ponders how to increase physician productivity – house calls? Below: Health Minister Fred Horne, Alberta Medical Association President Linda Slocombe. Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne’s musings he just might join Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty in declaring war on physicians’ fees is proof the chickens continue to come home to
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: who are they? meet alberta’s wildrose official opposition.
When Alberta’s Legislative Assembly reconvenes in the next few months, for the first time since 1982 the title of Official Opposition will given to a caucus of MLA’s representing a party other than the New Democrats or the Liberals. Following the April 23 general election, seventeen Wildrose Party MLA’s were elected,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: the day after: alberta election analysis.
Alberta Election Results 2012 What was expected to be the most exciting provincial election in history of our province turned out to be a continuation of the 41-year old Progressive Conservative dynasty. The pollsters, the media, and the pundits (including this blogger) appear to have completely misjudged the electoral climate
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: who should be invited to the televised leaders’ debate?
PC leader Premier Alison Redford, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, NDP leader Brian Mason, and Liberal leader Raj Sherman. The televised Leaders’ debate for Alberta’s 2012 election will be aired on April 12 at 6:30pm to 8:00pm on Global Television. The debate will include Progressive Conservative leader Premier Alison Redford, Liberal
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: tories scramble into damage control mode over no-work committee pay.
Alberta MLA's are scrambling to control the monster that has become the "Pay for No Work Committee." Scrambling to balance damage control with party unity on the eve of an election call, MLA’s in Premier Alison Redford‘s Tory caucus are returning pay earned over the past six months from the Standing
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: more on alberta mla extra pay and the privileges & elections committee.
Alberta MLA's at a meeting of the Privileges and Elections Committee. More information has been relvealed about controversial $1,000 monthly payments made to Alberta MLA’s for being members of a committee that has not met for three years. Retiring Edmonton-Gold Bar Liberal MLA Hugh MacDonald revealed late last week that
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta’s super saturday – tories voting in hotly contested nomination races today.
Supporters of Joey Oberhoffner, who is running for the Progressive Conservative nomination in Calgary-Fish Creek, rap for their candidate in this YouTube video. Mr. Oberhoffner is facing former Mount Royal University Dean of Business Wendelin Fraser in today’s nomination vote. Fish Creek is currently represented by Heather Forsyth, who joined
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Cozy Ties: Astroturf ‘Ethical Oil’ and Conservative Alliance to Promote Tar Sands Expansion
hamish marshall and stephen harper.jpg As the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project Joint Review Panel begins hearing over 4,000 comments submitted by community members, First Nations, governments, and environmental groups, the tar sands front group EthicalOil.org has launched its latest PR offensive in support of the pipeline. OurDecision.ca, the new astroturf ad
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