TweetA generational shift in Edmonton Framed as a lacklustre and uneventful campaign, local media and many mainstream pundits missed one of the most important stories of this year’s mayoral election in Edmonton. The city’s crusty local establishment has lamented for years about the constant stream of locally-raised young talent choosing
Continue readingTag: Ken Hughes
daveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Alberta politics this week
TweetA new provincial cabinet was sworn-in this morning, one a week after the cabinet shuffle was announced. The original announcement, made by press release at the unusual time of 4:45pm on Friday, December 6, was typical of a tactic used by government when it wants a story to be underreported.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Redford’s Christmas cabinet shuffle
TweetAs reported yesterday on this blog, rumours that Ms. Redford would shuffle her cabinet before the Christmas break began to intensify this week. Today, those rumours proved to be true. Built around the government’s “Building Alberta” slogan, today’s Government of Alberta press release boasts a new cabinet that will focus on
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: A Christmas cabinet shuffle in Alberta?
TweetWith the Legislative Assembly’s fall sitting coming to an end, can some Progressive Conservative MLAs expect an early Christmas present from their leader, Premier Alison Redford? Nearly half-way through the PC Party’s twelfth term in office and fresh from a leadership review victory, it is expected that Ms. Redford could choose
Continue readingAlberta Diary: More chaos at top of Alberta Health Services: CEO out after 1 month; 2-headed replacement found
Is this the management model in the Alberta Health Services executive suite? Actual Alberta health ministers or AHS administrators may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: AHS Administrator John Cowell, ex CEO Duncan Campbell, new co-CEO Brenda Huband and new co-CEO Rick Trimp (no relation). This just in! Alberta Government
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Who’s the boss? Fred Horne and Stephen Lockwood spar over AHS performance pay.
Tweet“Regardless of how people feel about the decision of the AHS board, I don’t think anybody would want me or a colleague to interfere with the terms of their employment they’ve agreed to. It’s a decision for the AHS board.” – Health Minister Fred Horne on Alberta Health Services performance
Continue readingAlberta Diary: AHS Chair Stephen Lockwood to Health Minister Horne on executive bonuses: ‘Drop dead, Fred!’
Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne: it’s hard to imagine how he can come out of this fight with Alberta Health Services Chair Stephen Lockwood not looking foolish or weak. Below: Mr. Lockwood in a screen grab from his first news conference as AHS chair. Whatever happens next, it seems certain
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Ironies abound in Alberta’s agitated politics as Alison Redford cranks up the postage meter
How Albertans should see Progressive Conservative and Wildrose policies and procedures. Below: The clever Wildrose Facebook attack on PC Premier Alison Redford’s faintly unsavoury taxpayer-funded mail out, which makes it look a little worse than it really is. Am I the only one who sees irony in the leader of
Continue readingAlberta Diary: AHS chair to politicians: Do as I say, not as I do!
10-4 Good Buddy! Why is Stephen Lockwood, above, getting to drive this truck, while Chris Eagle’s got the airbrakes ticket? Just wondering. Senior Alberta Health Services officials may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Stephen Lockwood; Stephen Duckett, with his politically fatal cookie. The newish chairman of the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: J’accuse! Thomas Mulcair’s treason and the Keystone XL Pipeline.
TweetThe rhetoric is running high this week with President Barack Obama expected to soon decide the fate of the controversial TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. In Washington D.C. last week, federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair criticized the pipeline that would ship bitumen from Alberta’s oilsands to refineries in Texas. Mr. Mulcair also
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Controversial Ottawa Tory operative now working for Wildrose Opposition.
TweetThe westward migration of Central Canada-based political operatives continues. Controversial former Ottawa Conservative staffer Sébastien Togneri is now employed as the Caucus Whip Coordinator for Danielle Smith‘s Wildrose Official Opposition. Political watchers may remember Mr. Togneri as the aide to federal Conservative cabinet minister Christian Paradis who, in 2010, resigned over his alleged meddling in
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The real reason upgrading bitumen in Alberta ‘doesn’t make sense’
A bitumen processing plant near Fort McMurray, back in the day. Below: An actual bitumen bubble. The government of Alberta is “desperate” to get the province’s bitumen resources to market, as its media echo chamber relentlessly informs us. And it says it’s equally desperate to pop the “Bitumen Bubble,” the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Three investigations kick-off 2013 in Alberta politics.
TweetDespite winning a large majority in last spring’s provincial election, Alberta’s long-governing Progressive Conservatives had a rough ride in the media and on the floor of the Assembly last year. If Tory MLAs hoped for a reprieve in 2013, they may have to wait for a few months. Starting off
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The Alberta Apocalypto: The world as you know it is about to end! Again…
Alberta Finance Minister Doug Horner gets ready to make a sacrifice to placate the mighty and angry Deficit God. Alberta politicians, not to mention the Legislative complex, may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Mr. Horner. Oh my God! The world is coming to an end! I’m not
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: new alberta health services chairperson’s tory and wildrose connections.
TweetThe President and Co-CEO of a billion dollar oil and gas transportation and trucking company headquartered in Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith‘s Highwood constituency has been appointed as the new chairperson of Alberta Health Services. The previous board chair, Ken Hughes is now Energy Minister and the Progressive Conservative MLA
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: big money spent in alberta’s 2012 election.
Tweet Elections Alberta has released the financial disclosure forms submitted by candidates who ran in the April 2012 provincial election and some of the disclosure forms reveal some interesting information about how much money was fundraised and spent during the campaign. The money spent by candidates and political parties in
Continue readingAlberta Diary: It’s semi-official… the Enbridge Northern Gateway project is kaput!
Enbridge Inc., as seen and described by the U.S. National Transportation Board. Below: Federal Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, Alberta Opposition Leader Danielle Smith and B.C. Opposition Leader Christie Clark. No! Wait! Ms. Clark’s still the premier! If you thought NDP Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair was mistaken – or, worse, just
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: albertans in the dark after rolling power blackouts.
TweetRolling power blackouts yesterday across Alberta have some politicians raising questions about the accountability of privately-operated electrical utility companies. The blackouts also reignited the long-standing debate over the construction of controversial new electrical transmission lines in rural Alberta. A total of four power generating plants went down across the province causing electrical
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: What kind of message will Alison Redford send Stephen Harper in the next federal election?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Calgary West MP Rob Anders plot the destruction of Alberta Premier Alison Redford and her Progressive Conservative Party. Warning: neo-Con Alberta politicians may not have been scheming when this photo was taken. Then again… Below: a very creepy CP picture of Rob and Steve all
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Everything new is old again in Alison Redford’s first post-election cabinet
Where’s Waldo? Yesterday’s official cabinet swearing-in photo. Who is missing? With roughly 40 per cent of its members new to a cabinet role – and 15 per cent of them brand new to Alberta’s 87-seat Legislature – Premier Alison Redford’s new cabinet announced yesterday should have given the impression of
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