Part 4 of underlooked Stephen Harper quotes. Part one, two and three here. One party dictatorship and our fleeting Parliamentary democracy There’s a semi-famous paper written by Stephen Harper and Tom Flanagan when they were younger floating around the progressive pointing out, quite eloquently and accurately describing one of the biggest
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daveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: did jason kenney deepen the conservative divide in calgary-centre?
Tweet In light of yesterday’s embarrassing missive by federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney about Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, the race to become the Conservative Party candidate in the yet to be called Calgary-Centre by-election may get more interesting. Suggestions that the by-election could be defined by the deep schism between
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel channels Henny Youngman: ‘Take my Opposition leader … Please!’
Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel and your blogger at a much warmer meeting than the one Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith had with His Honour yesterday. The guy with the cigarette may be one of the new Wildrose MLAs. Below right: Mayor Mandel after his meeting with Ms. Smith, not exactly
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Why the Wildrose Party is not long for this world
The Wildrose Party Whip gets ready to get the Opposition caucus under control. Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Danielle Smith, Tom Flanagan, Joe Anglin, Dr. Gilles Tourette. The Wildrose phenomenon will disappear from the Alberta political scene almost as quickly as the party’s leader took a
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Wild Hog Gang and the New Alberta
Wow. What a dramatic finish. The rednecks were squealing with anticipation. The beer was on ice.The Big Oil Barbie was so sure she would win. But in the end the old wild hog couldn't make it up the hill of its own excrement and bigotry.Read more »
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Top Ten Losers and Winners of the Alberta Election
Danielle Smith, leader of the upstart Wildrose Party celebrates her… Wait! That’s not Danielle! That’s Alison Redford! (Reuters Photo, snatched from the Internet.) Remember: Alberta political winners may not always be exactly as illustrated by the media and the pollsters. Below: The real Danielle Smith. ’Tis late and the CBC’s
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: It’s election day and Alison Redford’s hole card is all she has left: Is it an ace or is it junk?
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, not exactly as illustrated notwithstanding the Stetsons, has only one good card left to play. Is it an ace, or is it junk? We’ll find out tonight. Below: The real Ms. Redford and Danielle Smith. As Albertans head to the polls today with large numbers of
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alberta campaign ends with all-party disobedience of Fourth Commandment
Just stepped off an interstellar Greyhound from Alpha Centauri, AB? Alberta Diary is here to help. Toronto media here to cover the campaign may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Tom Flanagan. As the 2012 Alberta election campaign moves through its final 24 hours this Sabbath day, all party leaders
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: Alberta Votes Day 24: Sleeping Arrangements at Minority Motel
Above: Preview of post-election Cabinet meetings? Despite a lackluster debate performance by Alison Redford, a pair of post-debate polls show the Wildrose margin down to 7 points. With daily controversies dogging Danielle Smith, there’s no guarantee that lead will hold and, even if it does, it’s impossible to accurately project
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Be thankful for our Canadian Charter of Rights, 30 years old today, and remember who hates it
April 17, 1982: The Queen signs the Constitution as Pierre Elliott Trudeau, then Canada’s prime minister, looks on, apparently bemused. Below: The Charter; a sterner Mr. Trudeau. CALGARY Today is the 30th anniversary of our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. On April 17, 1982, Queen Elizabeth signed our new
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Cold cash enforces Wildrose’s Oilfields Omerta – but not well enough, apparently
Shhhhhhh! The Wildrose campaign team reminds unsuccessful nomination seekers of the Manyberries Mafia’s Code of Silence. Vitor Marciano and Tom Flanagan may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Mr. Marciano, Pastor Allan Hunsperger. Every Wildrose Party news release ends with the following words: “Wildrose stands for free enterprise,
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: What Danielle Smith thinks and why Alison Redford’s Tories aren’t fear mongering about it
Typical Albertans react to fear mongering by … well, by anyone, really. We frighten extremely easily out here on the Great Plains. Typical Albertans may not be exactly as illustrated – then again, according to the Wildrose Party, they may be. Below: Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith, “Progressive” Conservative Leader Alison
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: the reform-conservative family feud continues in alberta’s election.
Wildrose is under attack! The same people that caused the Liberal Party of Canada to be in power for 13 uninterrupted years now have Wildrose in their crosshairs. They want nothing more than to see the Redford PCs re-elected to impose their big government knows best, ivory tower views on
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Danielle Smith can’t toss the abortion furor under the bus along with Jeffrey Trynchy
The crew of the Wildrose lays smoke to obscure their exact position. Below: Jane Cawthorne (Writers Guild of Alberta photo). Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith can pass off reports of her party’s (half) hidden abortion agenda as scare mongering, and she can try to throw the party official who apparently accidentally
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Be careful what you wish for: Wildrose may be on cusp of victory in Alberta campaign
Alberta PC campaign tactician Stephen Carter, left, illustrates for Premier Alison Redford and Deputy Premier Doug Horner how he plans to counter recent Wildrose Party gains. Alberta political operatives and their bosses may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: the real Premier Redford, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith and Wildrose strategist
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: alberta’s tories could have already won another election.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford Premier Alison Redford is expected to call a provincial election today. Had Premier Alison Redford‘s Progressive Conservatives followed conventional political wisdom and dropped the writ shortly after tabling the 2012 provincial budget on February 10, they may have already secured their next majority government. Danielle Smith
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Harper-Wildrose alliance: the elephant in Alberta’s conservative room
Stephen Harper and Danielle Smith discuss their infernal electoral machine as the elephant in the room looks on. Loony-right-wing Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Wildrose-Harpercon crossovers Tom Flanagan, Vitor Marciano and Ryan Hastman. There’s an elephant in the room whenever Albertans of a conservative political bent
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Lesson from Alberta: the need to cultivate the ‘professionally dirty mind,’ uh, clearly illustrated
Um… Nice hubcaps! Below: Proof that it could have been a lot worse! And why is Officer Annette smiling? To do one’s job properly, I have for years told my earnest journalism and public relations students, anyone who works with words and images must cultivate a “professionally dirty mind.”This does
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The need to cultivate the ‘professionally dirty mind,’ uh, clearly illustrated
Um… Nice hubcaps! Below: Proof that it could have been a lot worse! And why is Officer Annette smiling? To do one’s job properly, I have for years told my earnest journalism and public relations students, anyone who works with words and images must cultivate a “professionally dirty mind.”This does
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Notwithstanding Dean Del Mastro’s wonderment, the robo-call dots are easy to connect
Dean Del Mastro on those robo-calls: Maybe a giant did it! Unnamed conservative voter-suppression operatives may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The credulous Mr. Del Maestro. Conservative robo-calls point man Dean Del Mastro prompted a lot of rude repartee in the Twittersphere yesterday when he suggested we should all
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