CALGARY – For those of us used to listening to Alberta politicians on the topic of pipelines, British Columbia Premier John Horgan made for a refreshing change yesterday, sounding remarkably like the grownup as he responded to Premier Jason Kenney’s proclamation into law of the NDP’s unconstitutional bill to shut
Continue readingTag: Jason Kenney
Alberta Politics: It takes all kinds to make a cabinet, not necessarily good news when Jason Kenney’s making the picks
Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party cabinet contains a guy who once went down south to campaign for Donald Trump, a woman who opposes school gay-straight alliances and wrote a university president attacking a professor’s critical commentary on Catholic education, a man who fired a single mom he employed after
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – James Murray highlights what climate protests have accomplished so far, while emphasizing the need to turn activism into policy change over the objections of the Very Serious People determined to dismiss climate action as impractical. And Kate Aronoff, Alyssa Battistoni, Daniel Aldana
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The game’s afoot in Ottawa as the moment nears for Jason Kenney to implement his ‘revenge platform’
Jason Kenney will be sworn in tomorrow as the 18th premier of Alberta, so we should know very soon if he really meant his oft-repeated pledge to make the repeal of the NDP’s carbon levy the first act of his government or if it was just another campaign whopper. Likewise,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Is It Too Late For The Facts?
Where is Sgt Joe Friday when you need him? Sgt Friday is the detective from Dragnet known for saying, “Just the facts, ma’am” when he’s investigating a crime. Why are we talking about facts? Joe “Just the facts, ma’am” Friday Because Jason Kenney has yet to be sworn into office
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: On being liberal in disquieting times.
The word ‘disquieting’ took a while to choose. I have been trying to define the times leading up to the October 21 federal election and it reminds us of flying through clouds. You want to break into the bright sunlight, you know is above you, but that oppressive cotton candy
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Vote-anywhere made it easier to cast a vote against the government from, well, anywhere
Well, God bless the NDP, I guess, who could apparently be depended upon to do the right thing, even if it killed them. Alberta’s official vote results are now in and they suggest how the province’s new “vote anywhere” provisions did no favours for the departing government. Elections Alberta published
Continue readingAlberta Politics: When Jason Kenney kills Alberta’s carbon tax and emissions cap, What Will Justin Do?
When it comes to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finds himself on the proverbial horns of a dilemma. There are serious political consequences for his Liberal federal government if he now allows the project to proceed. There are likewise serious political consequences if he doesn’t.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Foreign funded special interests’ and Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party: The ‘New Conspiracism’ comes to Alberta
The new conspiracism has come to Alberta! What is the “New Conspiracism,” you ask, and how is it different from the old conspiracism? “‘Classic’ conspiracy theories … arise in response to real events – the assassination of John F. Kennedy, say, or the terrorist attacks of September 11th,” observed Elizabeth Kolbert
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On self-serving claims
Others have pointed out a few of the problems with Stuart Thomson’s hagiography of Jason Kenney. But let’s take a look at one part of Kenney’s spin which can be tested against other available evidence – and which highlights just how implausible his claims are. Here’s Kenney on the UCP’s
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: How Trudeau elected Kenney
Last month, I was back home in Calgary to teach at the law school. So, I got together with a couple high school buddies – one a lawyer, one an engineer – at Michael’s on Tenth Avenue. (Michael’s has the best pizza in Canada, by the way. Hands down.) We
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Pundits want you to believe negative campaigning hurt the NDP – it likely saved their bacon!
There are plenty of serious mistakes the Alberta NDP made during their four rocky years in power, but one of them wasn’t running a negative campaign that attacked Jason Kenney’s character and the attitudes of many of the candidates and advisors around him. Indeed, it’s said here the NDP’s negative
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Reflecting on the Election
Now that the election is over and the dust is settling, Ms Soapbox has been reflecting on the results. What do we make of this? The thrust of Mr Kenney’s victory speech was that Albertans value the economy and jobs above all else. (Whether this is a conservative ideal
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Matt McGrath reports on David Attenborough’s warning of an impending climate catastrophe. And Moira Fagan and Christine Huang examine the widespread recognition around the world of the importance of averting a climate breakdown. – Jonathan Watts reports on polling showing half of UK
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Will Jason Kenney Lose His Pipeline War With Justin Trudeau?
Ever since he became the Premier-elect of Alberta, Jason Kenney has wasted no time giving his enemies the finger, and preparing to declare war on them.From "foreign funded" environmental groups, the government and people of British Columbia and First Nations, to union groups, student activists, the liberal media etc etc.And of course
Continue readingThe Daveberta Podcast: Episode 35: The big UCP win, an Alberta Election Recap
The Alberta election is over. In this episode Dave and Ryan discuss the election results, who Jason Kenney might pick for the United Conservative government cabinet, what is next for Rachel Notley and the New Democratic Party in Alberta, if there is a future for the Alberta Party and the Liberal Party, and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Evening Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Katharine Hayhoe offers some suggestions as to how to reach people in talking about climate change. Karine Peloffy writes about the growing mobilization of support for real action to avert climate disaster, while Roy Culpeper comments on the importance of Canada participating
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: This Is What Gives Them Away
A lot of stupid people in Canada have come to think of Athabasca bitumen as “oil.” That is the single most important victory the petro-state has achieved. It’s not oil. It may be turned into oil at a distant refinery, probably in the States but we’re told even in Asia,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, wondering whether Alberta’s lamentable election of Jason Kenney and his gang of regressive Conservatives might have been avoided if Rachel Notley’s NDP had made an effort not to perpetuate the province’s petro-politics. For further reading…– The Alberta NDP’s 2015 platform is here (PDF), and doesn’t so much as hint
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jobs! Pipelines! Help is on the way! Or … maybe not: Election hot takes from Alberta
Tuesday night’s Alberta election results pretty well put paid to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “Grand Bargain” with Alberta on climate change, the terms of which were basically that the province could have a pipeline to tidewater if we play nice and put a price on carbon. Premier-elect Jason Kenney has
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