Your blogger with PC leadership candidate Thomas Lukaszuk. We’re not usually as friendly as this picture makes us look – especially on Twitter. Below: Tory leadership frontrunner Jim Prentice, candidate Ric McIver and the late federal NDP leader Jack Layton. What Alberta’s foundering Progressive Conservative dynasty needs to do now
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daveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Rob Anders to run in new Bow River riding?
TweetSources say that controversial Member of Parliament Rob Anders is preparing to run for the federal Conservative nomination in new rural Bow River riding south east of Calgary. The six-term MP has represented Calgary-West since 1997 but lost a heated Conservative nomination contest in the new Calgary-Signal Hill riding to former Progressive Conservative MLA Ron Liepert. It was previously been
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On greatness
Plenty of commentators have pointed to Dean Beeby’s report on public consultations about Canada’s most inspiring people as evidence that Stephen Harper and his Cons couldn’t be much further from the mark. And that point is fair enough on its own. But it’s worth noting something else as well: respondents
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Clearly Liberalism is Not Dead Though Conservatism May be On Life Support
When Stephen Harper was with the Reformers, promoting an American style conservative movement, he mocked Canada’s historic Conservative Party, because they boasted to be descended from Sir John A. MacDonald. “So what!” he said. Recently the Harper government conducted a poll to determine the top ten Canadians who inspired us.
Continue readingCalgary Grit: 10 Years of Blogging
Happy Trails Back when I first sat down to rant about politics on May 15th 2004, I never expected I’d still be doing this over 3,000 posts later. The blog has outlasted 3 Liberal leaders, been through 4 federal elections, and documented my involvement on a handful of losing leadership
Continue readingAlberta Diary: With friends like these… How much did gun lovers’ aid hurt Rob Anders’ candidacy?
Soon-to-be-former MP Rob Anders with would-be MP Melissa Mathieson. Did this photo help, or hurt, his unsuccessful candidacy? Below: Ron Liepert, the Conservative who beat Mr. Anders in the Calgary Signal Hill riding nomination battle. How big a role did the guns ’n’ ammo crowd play in the defeat Calgary
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Rob Anders loses by a nose in Signal Hill as Cowtown Cons make the best of a bad choice
Lost by a nose … but what a nose! A 22-year-old Rob Anders in 1994, heckling an Oklahoma politician. Below: Calgary Signal Hill nomination victor Ron Liepert; Mr. Anders as he looks today. There was blood in the water of the Bow River as it flowed through Cowtown last night.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Thomas Mulcair reminds me of Stephen Harper
TweetMore than 500 people packed into the lobby of the Winspear Centre yesterday to watch the New Democratic Party of Canada officially nominate Edmonton-Centre‘s Lewis Cardinal as the first candidate for 2015 federal election. The selection of Edmonton-Centre as the NDP’s first nomination demonstrates that party’s desire to turn Edmonton into a
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: He called Nelson Mandela a terrorist, now claims Harper endorsement
by: Obert Madondo Chances are you would never vote for Rob Anders even if you were a hard-core Conservative. The Calgary West MP is one of the most disagreeable politicians in Canada. In 2001, the former Reform Party MP once called South African anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela, a “terrorist“. He prevented the House
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Harper endorses Rob Anders and more nomination updates
TweetWith Dave Hancock being sworn-in as the 15th Premier of Alberta and speculation running rampant about who will replace him in four to six months, I thought now would be a good opportunity to provide a quick update about nominations for federal election candidates in Alberta. Calgary-Signal Hill In what could be
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autistic Children Need Help, Not Delays: Toronto Star Editorial
In Autistic Children Need Help, Not Delays The Toronto Star has spoken out clearly in support of children with autism disorders in Ontario. The Star’s message applies in most jurisdictions across Canada. While the Star focuses on Ontario the same logic applies across Canada. Canadians and some conscientious, concerned political
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Future bleak for Brent Rathgeber’s CBC disclosure bill; perhaps less so for Rex Murphy’s commentaries
Your blogger with CBC commentator Rex Murphy, quite possibly on his way to a speaking engagement with the oil industry. Below: the same blogger with Edmonton-St. Albert Member of Parliament Brent Rathgeber, who has a date with history next week; the controversial Press Progress Rex Murphy info-graphic. ST. ALBERT, Alberta
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Fear & Loathing in Calgary Signal Hill: rumble on the right breaks out in Calgary
Your blogger in 2011 with Ron Liepert, Alberta’s former Worst Provincial Cabinet Minister. Below: Calgary West Member of Parliament Rob Anders, Canada’s worst MP, with his friend and supporter, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Coming soon to the new federal riding of Calgary Signal Hill: fear and loathing on the campaign
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Ron Liepert versus Rob Anders: the next PC-Wildrose proxy war?
TweetWill former provincial cabinet minister Ron Liepert make the jump into federal politics? With the launch of the TimeToDoBetter.ca website today, rumours began to spread that the former two-term Calgary-West Progressive Conservative MLA turned consultant could challenge ultra-conservative Rob Anders for the Conservative Party nomination in the new Calgary Signal
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Bill Moyers offers up a superb summary and reading list on inequality: Inequality in America: How bad is it? In 2011, Mother Jones published a series of charts capturing the depth of inequality in the US, which remains one of the best big-picture looks at the problem
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Alberta politics 2013: The NDP Wildrose alliance
TweetPerhaps one of the most unexpected developments in Alberta politics in 2013 was the emergence of the informal alliance between the New Democratic Party and the Wildrose Official Opposition. It was not uncommon in 2013 to see NDP and Wildrose MLAs working together, or tackling the same issues during Question
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Alison chronicles how the definition of “accountability” has changed since the Cons’ own actions started to come under the microscope, while Paul Wells writes about the three different interests at play in the Cons’ scandal. And Tonda MacCharles explores how the Senate bribery
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Justin Trdeau should run a positive campaign, not run on having a positive campaign
Day in and day out, or so it seems, Justin Trudeau hammers away at one theme above all else: that he is, or so he claims, engaging in positive politics. It isn’t the Senate Scandal that he cites most often, it isn’t big issues like the economy or climate change,
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Mr. Mulcair, you better not pout.
It looks like New Democrat Leader Thomas Mulcair got an early lump of coal from Santa last night. The orange surge in Quebec came up short and Tommy’s star candidate in Toronto did not make it. And it was the Liberals who benefitted from the anger with Prime Minister Harper
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Christmas presents for politicos: Joe Clark and Brad Lavigne launch new books in Edmonton
TweetThe Christmas season is nearly upon us, and what better time than the present to purchase some new reading material for a political junkie or policy wonk dear to your heart. Authors of two new books about Canadian politics will be speaking about their new books and signing copies in
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