Between them, the Alberta Ministry of Energy and Minerals and the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas employ at least a dozen qualified communications professionals easily earning more than a million dollars a year in combined salary and benefits. Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). In addition,
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The Daveberta Podcast: Episode 85: Naheed Nenshi on Calgary in Alberta’s 2023 election
Former Calgary mayor shares his thoughts on Danielle Smith, Rachel Notley and the city he calls home ahead of Alberta’s provincial election. Former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi joins the Daveberta Podcast to talk about provincial politics in Alberta’s largest city, the upcoming election, and The Last of Us and the
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: A Tale of Two Strategies (okay, one strategy and one gong show)
Congratulations to all of you for surviving the Smith government’s first session in the Legislature. It started on Nov 29 and ended on Dec 15 and it felt like an eternity. Smith has been premier for two months. she sat in the Legislature for 15 days and already she’s created
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: What Just Happened?
“…the folks who literally spent seven days telling us that what was written in their bill was not written in their bill [will] determine what is…unconstitutional on the part of the federal government…” Rachel Notley, Hansard, Dec 7, p 235 What happened over the last 7 days in Alberta politics
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ASWAUCA – the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act – is turning into a disaster for Danielle Smith and the UCP
With the thoughts that you’ll be thinkin’You could be another Lincolnif you only had a brain.— Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz OTTAWA Could Danielle Smith have handled introduction of her “Sovereignty Act” better? Answer: Yes. Like the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, though, this would have required that she only had a brain. This
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Danielle Smith’s Victory Speech: Backtracking Big Time
Did anyone catch Danielle Smith’s victory speech? In it she did three things: She started to back away from her key campaign promise, the Sovereignty Act She characterized the UCP as the party that is both fiscally responsible and compassionate (entrepreneurs with a heart and a soul) She repositioned herself
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Voters in Calgary-Elbow have every right to be furious with their treatment by the United Conservative Party
It didn’t take United Conservative Party Leader and premier designate Danielle Smith long to change her story about why there will be no by-election in the Calgary-Elbow riding, which has been without an MLA for two months. Former Calgary-Elbow UCP MLA and Kenney Government cabinet minister Doug Schweitzer (Photo: David
Continue readingAlberta Politics: As volcano spews lava from Spanish island into Atlantic, huge bozo eruption reported in Alberta city north of Calgary
Lava flowing from a volcanic eruption in Spain’s Canary Islands reached the Atlantic Ocean yesterday, raising fears among scientists who study geophysical and geochemical phenomena of dangerous explosions and toxic gases. Meanwhile, in the Canadian province of Alberta, political scientists were tracking a major bozo eruption in the small city
Continue readingAlberta Politics: This just in from washed-up Wildroser: Alberta separation if necessary, but not necessarily separation!
It looks as if Rob Anderson has found a new gig — Alberta separation if necessary, but not necessarily Alberta separation. For those of you scratching your heads and asking the most obvious question — Rob Who? — Mr. Anderson is one of the few Alberta politicians to have crossed
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Happy New Year! What’s Brian Jean up to? Is the former Wildrose leader plotting a comeback?
Happy New Year! So, now that it’s 2019, what’s Brian Jean up to? Maybe it’s just me, but he’s sure acting like a guy who’s thinking about being a political candidate again! You remember Brian Jean, don’t you? He used to be the leader of the Wildrose Party. Indeed, he
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Who might and might not be invited to the Leaders’ Debate in Alberta’s 2019 election?
Photo: Alberta political party leaders – Rachel Notley, Jason Kenney, Stephen Mandel, David Khan, and Derek Fildebrandt. We are now somewhere between seven and ten months away from the next provincial general election in Alberta. For the past seven provincial elections, leaders of the main political parties have participated in
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Paul Hinman’s narrow by-election win in 2009 had a big impact on Alberta politics
Former Wildrose Alliance Party leader Paul Hinman staged an odd and brief reappearance on Alberta’s political stage this week when he announced his plans to run for the leadership of the United Conservative Party. But when the Sept. 12, 2017 deadline for candidates to deposit a $57,500 fee had passed,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Wildrose reaction to proposed raise for front-line health workers illustrates the party’s rightward shift
PHOTOS: Rob Anderson, on the right, the Wildrose Party’s finance critic under Danielle Smith, at a rally supporting public sector workers in 2012. With him are AUPE President Guy Smith, left, and Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann, centre. Below: The Wildrose Party’s intemperate current finance critic, Derek Fildebrandt, Ms. Smith,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Backstory to purloined party list whodunit hints Wildrose civil war may be brewing
PHOTOS: Veterans of the Wildrose Caucus civil wars get together in 2046 to compare their experiences. Actual aged Wildrose MLAs are unlikely to appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean (CBC photo), his party’s finance critic, Derek Fildebrandt, and former Wildrose House leader Rob Anderson reading his confession
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: NDP Bill aims to take Big Money out of Alberta politics
The Alberta NDP are pushing forward with their plans to reform Alberta’s outdated election finance laws. Labour Minister Christina Gray, who also serves as Minister Responsible for Democratic Renewal, introduced the NDP’s latest election finance reforms in the Legislature today… Continue Reading →
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jason Kenney makes it official with fresh-faced extras and unattributed tribute to the Nixon Era
PHOTOS: A screen grab from yesterday’s video feed of Jason Kenney announcing his candidacy for the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party in Calgary. Immediately behind him is Caitlyn Madliner, who has prominently figured in anti-PC…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The Annals of the Alberta Party: A mystery created, a mystery solved
PHOTOS: Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark, the party’s sole MLA in the Alberta Legislature. Below: Then-Wildrose leader Danielle Smith during the campaign leading up to the October 2014 “mini-election” and Alberta Party President Pat Cochrane (phot…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Alberta’s Tories Poised to Sweep Election in Spring 2016
December 17, 2015 By: Dirk Pranter, Provincial Affairs columnist, Calgary Sunherald One year after nearly the entire official opposition crossed the floor to join Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives, the 44 year long governing party is expected…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Are the Wildrosers eyeing public service pensions? It’s worth keeping an eye on what they get up to in Cowtown
ILLUSTRATIONS: Can the Wildrose Party control its Tea Party fringe? We’ll get a sense tomorrow and Saturday when the party considers its members’ policy proposals. Below: Party Leader Brian Jean, at right, in Terminator mode; with Wildrose Finance Critic Derek Fildebrandt in a stunt with big signs inspired by Mr.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Will Wildrose Leader Brian Jean repudiate his Calgary-Foothills candidate’s ‘communist’ characterization of the NDP?
PHOTOS: Part of the Wildrose Chinese-language brochure that compared the NDP to communists. Below: Wildrose Calgary-Foothills candidate Prasad Panda, former Tory education minister Thomas Lukaszuk, NDP candidate Bob Hawkesworth, former Wildrose House leader Rob Anderson and former Wildrose leader Paul Hinman. What words should we use to describe the Chinese-language
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