Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk in the Rotunda of the Alberta Legislature. Note, in the background at left, Wildrose Opposition Leader Danielle Smith. Below, a recent Twitter message from Mr. Lukaszuk, an inveterate and confrontational Tweeter, who thinks your free speech rights are a matter of LOL and #wink. Last
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Alberta Diary: A challenge for the Redford Government: use Section 33 of the Charter to impose your unconstitutional laws
Queen Elizabeth II signs the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 as a smiling PM Pierre Trudeau looks on. Now null and void in Alberta? Below: The Charter, premiers Peter Lougheed and Ralph Klein from an old news shot found on the Internet, looking suitably appalled. Here’s a
Continue readingAlberta Diary: A serious question for Albertans: Is the Redford Government out of control?
Whose House is it? In Alberta, not yours! Public service union members tried to enter the Alberta Legislature yesterday to protest Bills 45 and 46, and soon found the doors barred. Below: Some more of the 400 or so people who braved the coldest spot in Edmonton for an impromptu
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Redford Government set to impose wage freeze on public employees, blowing winning coalition to smithereens
The state of public service labour relations in Alberta, circa some time this afternoon. Premier Alison Redford, in black, is visible standing at right. Below: Alberta civil servants’ likely response to the government’s plan. Actual events in the near future may not appear exactly as illustrated, especially the part with
Continue readingAlberta Diary: No surprise, Alberta PCs endorse Alison Redford with the traditional 77% Solution
A couple of political pundits try to explain to Alberta Premier Alison Redford, centre, why the 77 Per Cent Solution may not be a good thing after all. Actual Alberta premiers may not appear exactly as illustrated. Note that the previous reference has nothing to do with illegal drugs or
Continue readingAlberta Diary: 70%? 66.9%? 55.9%? 50%+1 good enough for Alison Redford this evocative weekend
Alison Redford, ready for her endorsement vote tomorrow, as rendered by Edmonton artist William Prettie. Below: former Canadian prime minister Joe Clark, late U.S. president John F. Kennedy, both of whom figure in this blog post about Alberta politics for some reason. Was it insularity and tone deafness, or Machiavellian
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Stephen Harper to Canada: ‘It’s not my fault! Now shut up and vote for me’
Trying to change the channel: Unfortunately for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the remote seems to have disappeared under a pillow and the movie stuck on the TV screen stars Mike Duffy, shown above moving toward the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary Friday night. Actual Canadian Senators may not appear exactly
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Disillusioned by Tory hard line, one union’s ad campaign suggests tilt toward Wildrose
“The Alberta Way,” a hard-hitting 30-second TV spot from the province’s largest union, attacks the Redford Government’s broken promises and hard-right policies. It will go into heavy rotation on Monday. Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith; PC Environment Minister Diana McQueen. Never mind for the moment which of Alberta’s right-wing parties
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Tim Hudak’s dissenters get a chance to air their beefs: I get a free meal (no beef tho)
I’ve spoken before about an ongoing bet I’ve had with fellow Liberal blogger Jim Calder over whether or not Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak would either voluntarily resign or voluntarily call for a leadership review before Sept 9 (the day the Ontario legislature is recalled), in the wake of
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: If Tim Hudak goes, who do you pick as Ontario PC leader?
One of my old university political classmates (and still a friend) Michael Taube, who once worked on the staff of Stephen Harper, has a guest op-ed column in the Star this AM, saying Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Hudak needs to resign, as he hasn’t connected with the people of Ontario,
Continue readingThe Progressive Right: All the Hilarious Hypocrite Holyday Memes in One Place! #pcpo #onpoli #HypocriteHolyday #PoorSteveRyan
Before Doug Holyday was officially parachuted in as the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Conservative candidate, we had Steve Ryan, affectionately known as Poor Steve Ryan. The guy found out by Twitter he was no longer the Etobicoke-Lakeshore candidate. Then, the moment everyone was waiting for – Doug Holyday was appointed the candidate for
Continue readingThe Progressive Right: The Ontario Conservative Party’s Hail Mary #pcpo #onpoli
Yesterday, the Conservative Party of Ontario released copies of emails it obtained that showed that Ontario Liberal staffers wanted to pressure the Speaker of the legislature into reversing his decision requiring the release of documents pertaining to the “gas plant scandal” – to suggest using partisan leverage against a non-partisan
Continue readingThe Progressive Right: Today in Awkward Ontario Conservative News #onpoli #pcpo
Ontario PC MPP (and aspiring leader) Lisa MacLeod called elections an affront to democracy. Also, acting leader Tim Hudak’s job is safe even if they fail to win a single seat in upcoming by-elections. I didn’t think it was up to a different MPP to decide that. She’s not even
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The Six-Point-Four-Billion-Dollar Question: will the Redford Tories drop their budget balancing act?
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi talk to reporters with the swollen Bow River and Calgary’s skyline in the background. (Photo from Ms. Redford’s Facebook page.) Below: U.S. Republican contender Mitt Romney; Calgary talk show host Dave Rutherford. It is not unreasonable, in
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Alberta Tories respond to protests by disabled citizens with instinctive diversionary attack
An Albertan protests the Redford Government’s cuts to “persons with developmental disabilities” at the Legislature in Edmonton on Friday. Below: Associate Minister of Services for Persons with Disabilities Frank Oberle. The optics of a government like Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives cutting $42 million from programs designed to help the province’s most
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Evil twins: Alberta Progressive Conservatives assail Wildrosers, and vice versa
This is not a photograph of Alberta Premier Alison Redford and Alberta Opposition Leader Danielle Smith. For one thing, these two are far too friendly with one another. But you get the point I’m trying to make, I’m sure. Below: The real Ms. Redford and the real Ms. Smith. I’ll
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Who leaked the Alberta government’s response to AUPE’s Labour Board complaint, and why?
AUPE President Guy Smith in a characteristic pose. Who leaked the Alberta government’s response to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees’ unfair labour practices complaint to an Edmonton Journal political reporter, and why? This is an important question because at the time the leak took place, the government document questioning
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Negotiating with Alberta’s PC government? Better bring witnesses!
Wildcat strike scene, grabbed from AUPE’s website during the strike. Below: AUPE President Guy Smith, Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk. Advice to anyone who tries to negotiate a deal with Alison Redford, Thomas Lukaszuk or any member or official of their government: take witnesses with you, and make sure you also
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Albertans want election-spending-limit law but are unlikely to get one from Redford PCs
Generous corporate donor drops off cash at Tory headquarters. Actual donors, who may not be exactly as illustrated, will be determined later. Below: Parkland Institute researcher Trevor Harrison and Tory Human Services Minister Dave Hancock. It’s a conundrum! What should Alberta’s Tories do? A study by the University of Alberta’s
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