Premier Alison Redford Premier Alison Redford has told reporters that her government will approve Alberta’s 2012/2013 budget before the next provincial general election is called. The budget is expected to be introduced shortly after MLAs return to the Assembly on February 7, 2012. The election must take place between March 1 and
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daveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: rookie photos of alberta mla’s retiring in 2012.
With an election expected to be held in the next few months and a new Premier setting a new tone, many long-time and not-so-long-time Members of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly have decided that now is time to retire or look for greener pastures. The nineteen MLAs not seeking re-election are former
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: With a record like his, how could Alberta Health Services Chair Ken Hughes not run for office?
Ken Hughes on the night of Alison Redford’s victory. No idea what that passerby is looking at. Your blogger, perhaps. Behind her, former health minister Gene Zwozdesky tries to butter up Calgary Sun columnist Rick “Not The Dinger Any More” Bell. Well, of course he’s running for office. With a
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Despite Alison Redford’s rhetoric, not much has changed on seniors’ care
Old folks at home: things are changing in Alberta, and not necessarily for the better. Below: Ed Stelmach, Guy Boutilier, Raj Sherman. Does anybody remember the brouhaha in 2009 that was semi-officially designated The Trouble in Strathmore? The trouble actually started a year earlier, in February 2008, when then premier
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta political TV ad battle: Round 1 to the Wildrose Party
The Alison Redford Party’s first ad from the 2012 election season. Below: Hubby in the headlights. Maybe he’s just seen what’s on that to-do list. Or maybe he just feels strange wearing a sports coat in his kitchen at 7 in the morning. Yesterday, Alberta’s mighty Tory dynasty released its
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta election candidate update – december 2011 (part 2)
The list of candidates nominated to stand in the next provincial general election continues to grow. Nominated Alberta election candidates by region. December 15, 2011 Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock: Westlock Town Councillor David Truckey is the first candidate to enter the Progressive Conservative nomination contest in the constituency being vacated by long-time MLA
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: ken kowalski chooses retirement over death in office.
Retiring Speaker Ken Kowalski He once told Albertans that he would “die in office” rather than retire and collect his gold plated severance package, but this week Speaker Ken Kowalski opted for retirement instead of the afterlife. The long-time MLA announced yesterday in a letter to the Progressive Conservative Party
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Premier Alison Redford enforces generational change in Alberta government
Alberta Speaker Ken Kowalski and other former PC ministers line up to wait for their transition allowances. Tory politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Kowalski, former Premier Ed Stelmach, Iris Evans, Lloyd Snelgrove. Civilization as we know it in Alberta has ended. Ken Kowalski, 66, is stepping
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta election candidate update – december 2011.
The list of candidates nominated across the province continues to grow as we get closer to an expected Spring 2012 election. Nominated Alberta election candidates by region. December 8, 2011 The sudden burst of retirement announcements by Stelmach-era cabinet ministers has prompted a flurry of nomination activity in constituencies that could be
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: the cast of alberta politics: the motion picture.
Politics in Alberta is not always easy for outsiders to understand. Forty years of uninterrupted Progressive Conservative majority governments have given the province a reputation of being a politically homogenous monolith. The myth of Alberta as a western frontier where tarsands-rich oilmen and rugged cowboys rule the plains, perpetrated by an
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: the battle begins on alberta’s energy beach: don scott seeks pc nomination in fort mcmurray-conklin.
One might think that the battle to build Oil Sands pipelines or the struggle to fight climate change would be the hottest conflicts on Alberta’s energy beach, but with a provincial election approaching the local political scene is heating up. Everybody loves trees: Don Scott and Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta Tory trifecta: Sales tax si! Yankee no! Plus a car chase
Alberta Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk, above left, assists the St. Albert Mounties with controlling a mob of the town’s toughest customers. Public-spirited Alberta Conservatives, not to mention St. Albert citizens, may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: “Mr. T” as he appeared in the local press. What’s the deal with
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta to balance budget, cure cancer, put men on Mars by 2013
Members of the 2013 Alberta Mars Mission solemnly mark Peter Lougheed’s birthday with cupcakes, non-alcoholic soda and a spacewalk. The Alberta Space Ship Wild Rose can be observed lower right. Alberta political promises may not turn out to be exactl…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: ‘budget dialogue’ survey really an online monologue.
In the pantheon of poorly written and meaningless online surveys, the Government of Alberta’s new ‘Budget Dialogue’ online survey now rests upon a high pedestal (other recent polls belong in their own pantheon). If you were not so lucky to have been invited to join Premier Alison Redford, Finance Minister Ron Liepert, or Treasury Board President […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The plan to give more power to the Alberta Health Quality Council is just a broken promise with attitude
All rise! The Health Quality Council of Alberta is now in session! Independent and impartial commissions of inquiry in Alberta may not be exactly as illustrated … or as promised. Below: Fred Horne, Alison Redford.Back on June 7 when she was running f…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: redford’s ‘change from within’ is a nice slogan, but when you take a closer look…
Despite the narrative of “change from within” that was made popular after the October 1 leadership vote, the wave of change has not spilled far into the Progressive Conservative ranks since Alison Redford was elected into her new role one month ago. – The Globe & Mail is reporting that the controversial Kelley Charlebois is […]
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta’s 48 hour legislative lightning round
The two-day sitting of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly has come and gone with little fan fare. Despite the continental shift in the Assembly seating plan – the entire back row of the Tory caucus was sitting in the front bench this time last year – little appears to have actually changed over the past 48 hours. […]
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: In case you were wondering: a primer on how things still work in Alberta
Choice in seniors’ accommodation that suits your income, lifestyle and family structure. Below: Brian Mason, Fred Horne.Former Alberta energy minister Ron Liepert, who is now Premier Alison Redford’s minister of finance, this morning denied Opposit…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Flippity flop flip… has Alison Redford’s government ‘jumped the shark’ already?
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, immediately after ‘jumping the shark.’ Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Whaaaaaaaaat?! Below: The quotable LBJ.Is this the worst start ever, or what?Barely sworn in as Progressive Conservati…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: fall legislative sitting: scheduled, cancelled, restored, and now broken up.
After cancelling and restoring the already scheduled fall sitting of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly only days after becoming Premier, Alison Redford and Government House leader Dave Hancock defended a decision yesterday to hold a two day sitting on October 24 and 25 and then break to reconvene for a longer sitting later in November. This rescheduling will allow Premier […]
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