Photo: Rick Strankman and Jason Kenney (source: Facebook) Rick Strankman is the first incumbent MLA to lose his party’s nomination in this election cycle as he went down to defeat at the hands of Pollockville rancher and political family scion Nate Horner in last weekend’s United Conservative Party nomination contest
Continue readingTag: Pat Stier
Alberta Politics: Odds-on favourites for disaster … ‘Jimmy the Geek’ sets Vegas odds for the UCP MLAs most likely to resign next
Now that Alberta’s Opposition United Conservative Party has been around for a year – it’s first anniversary was on Sunday – we note that the right-wing party has seen the resignation of no fewer than six of its MLAs for various reasons in its first year of operation. In fairness,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Alberta Candidate Nomination Updates: 2 NDP cabinet ministers announce re-election and 3 more UCP MLAs plan to retire.
Photo: Oneil Carlier, Shannon Phillips, Sonya Savage, and Tyler Shandro. Nominations are picking up speed. Three more United Conservative Party MLAs have announced their plans to retire when the next election is called. Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale, Livingstone-Macleod MLA Pat Stier and Little Bow MLA David Schneider will not seek re-election
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jason Kenney assigns United Conservative Party caucus critic roles; Brian Jean is so far out he’s practically in orbit!
PHOTOS: Brian Jean, looking as if he’s contemplating his future. Truth be told, your blogger has no idea what Mr. Jean was thinking about in this photo grabbed from his still-functioning Facebook page. Below: United Conservative Party House Leader Jason Nixon, Deputy UCP Leader Leela Aheer, and former interim UCP
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Tracking MLA endorsements in the UCP leadership race
Members of the United Conservative Party will be selecting the party’s first permanent leader on October 28, 2017. After of this week’s fee payment deadline, four candidates will be listed on the ballot: Brian Jean, Jason Kenney, Doug Schweitzer and Jeff Callaway. Of the 28 UCP MLAs represented in Alberta’s
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: The Revolution starts at the Hyatt Regency
Premier Rachel Notley received an endorsement from 97.8 percent of New Democratic Party delegates at this past weekend’s convention at the fancy Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Calgary. The event was attended by more than 850 delegates who debated…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A Tale of Two Parties: NDP stages slick post-victory convention while Wildrose Opposition tears itself to pieces
PHOTOS: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley addresses the provincial NDP Convention in Calgary yesterday. (Photo from Ms. Notley’s Facebook page.) Below: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, his supporter, MLA Pat Stier, and NDP party first VP candidates Ann Wilson…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Can Alberta’s Tories Navigate their way back to relevance?
As most Albertans head to work tomorrow morning, the Tory-connected public relations firm Navigator will host an invite-only session for clients in downtown Edmonton titled “Alberta’s New Government: What to Expect.” The session is being hosted by former Ottawa television… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Who will be the next leader of the Wildrose Party?
TweetAfter 11 of the party’s 16 MLAs crossed the floor to the Progressive Conservatives in November and December 2014, the Wildrose Party has been thrown into chaos. Left without its most public faces, most notably former leader Danielle Smith, the party will choose its next permanent leader sometime in the next
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Could the Wildrose collapse mean an early 2015 election?
TweetThis week’s defection of nine Wildrose MLAs to the Progressive Conservative Caucus has drastically impacted Alberta’s electoral map. The governing PCs now hold 72 of 87 electoral constituencies with the remaining opposition consisting of 5 Wildrose MLAs, 5 Liberal MLAs, 4 New Democrats and 1 Independent MLA. The mass-floor crossing could
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: A by-election in Cowboy Country. Conservatives line up in Macleod
TweetFour candidates have stepped forward to duel for the yet to be scheduled Conservative Party nomination in southern Alberta’s Macleod riding following the resignation of Member of Parliament Ted Menzies. A by-election is expected to be held in the eastern slopes of Alberta’s cowboy country the next six months. John Barlow,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Wildrose MLA accused of slate-building in Airdrie civic election
TweetOutgoing mayor of Cochrane Truper McBride has raised questions about the involvement of Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson in the ‘Team Airdrie United’ slate of candidates running in the October municipal elections. Mayor McBride alleged that Mr. Anderson’s involvement stems from his opposition to density requirements for new development bring implemented by the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: tory strategy leaves wildrose looking rookie green and bruised pink.
TweetLearning how to be an effective opposition MLA in Alberta includes a very steep learning curve and the constant challenge of facing a governing party that despises opposition. As any observer of Alberta politics can point out, the Progressive Conservatives have not sustained 41 uninterrupted years in government by being
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The Annals of Law Enforcement: Yeah, Alberta’s Tories are sleazy, but now and then they get it right anyway
Just a year ago, it seemed likely police recruits like these would soon be lounging around the dusty streets of Fort Macleod, where not much has changed since the Mounties pounded in their first tent pegs in 1874. Alas, it shall not be. Below: Col. James Macleod; former MLA Evan
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,
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