Talk about your awkward family portrait! Brian Jean, the last time he announced he was running to lead the UCP, in 2017 (Photo: Brian Jean/Flickr). Former finance minister Travis Toews, the United Conservative Party establishment’s choice to replace Jason Kenney as Alberta’s premier, lined up with 14 of the party’s
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Alberta Politics: What do you do about a problem like Shane Getson, the UCP MLA whose Facebook post appeared to call for the PM to be lynched?
With apologies to the Sound of Music, what do you do with a problem like Shane Getson? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Photo: Justin Trudeau/Flickr). More specifically, what should the Alberta Legislature do about a member like Shane Getson, the United Conservative Party MLA for the rural riding of Lac Ste.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: For a high-profile minister, UCP’s first official leadership candidate, Travis Toews, has flown under the radar
Despite his high-profile job as Alberta’s finance minister and soaring political ambitions, Travis Toews has kept a remarkably low profile. Mr. Toews schmoozing supporters in the Alberta Legislative Building Rotunda (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). Just look at the uninformative media coverage of the announcement when Mr. Toews, Alberta’s minister of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The UCP’s summers of shrinking ambition: from the Summer of Repeal to the Summer of Resignation via the Best Summer Ever
Do you remember that time Jason Kenney promised a Summer of Repeal? A recent shot of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney during the lead-up to the Summer of Resignation, which will commence soon, one hopes (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). Back in 2017, the night he won the leadership of the United Conservative
Continue readingAlberta Politics: In speech, Rachel Notley vows to put health care on ballot in 2023, reinstate harm-reduction programs, end UCP privatization plans
NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley ripped into the health care policies of the United Conservative Party Government in a campaign-style speech at the annual general meeting of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta yesterday afternoon in Edmonton. Ms. Notley on the big screens at the Edmonton Convention Centre (Photo: David
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Justice Minister Tyler Shandro gives Edmonton City Council two weeks to solve a problem decades in the making
Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro used a provision of the Police Act yesterday to order Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi to come up with a new public safety plan for Alberta’s capital city that would boost the presence of police in the city’s crumbing downtown and on public transit. Downtown Edmonton
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Kenney Government’s persistent habit of advocating U.S.-style gun laws bears repeating, and remembering
On May 17, just three days after the racial-hate-motivated massacre at Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, N.Y., the Kenney Government was publicly complaining about new federal regulations intended to ensure that the increasingly frequent mass shootings in the United States stay south of the world’s longest undefended border. Alberta Premier
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jobs Minister Doug Schweitzer says he won’t seek UCP leadership, and he won’t run for re-election in Calgary-Elbow
In a statement published on social media yesterday, Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer said he’s not going to seek the leadership of the United Conservative Party, and, what’s more, he won’t even be seeking re-election as MLA for Calgary-Elbow. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). Mr. Schwitzer
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Three former Alberta Teachers Association presidents urge teachers to reject mediator’s recommended contract
Three former presidents of the Alberta Teachers Association have written a strongly worded open letter to Alberta public, Catholic and francophone schoolteachers throughout the province urging them to reject an “unacceptable” recommended settlement by a mediator in their current round of contract negotiations. Former ATA president Frank Bruseker, at right,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Heeeeere’s Kenney! Alberta’s premier is back by unpopular demand!
Heeeeere’s Kenney! One night after saying he was quitting, Alberta’s premier is back by unpopular demand. UCP Party Secretary Janice Nett (Photo: Linked-in). You have to admit that, by any yardstick, Jason Kenney’s announcement he would be resigning as leader of the United Conservative Party and premier of Alberta after
Continue readingAlberta Politics: After 51% vote, Jason Kenney announces he’ll quit as UCP leader and Alberta premier – but maybe not just yet …
Short days ago, Jason Kenney boasted to a right-wing podcaster in Washington, D.C., that he’d never lost an election. Likely UCP leadership candidate Brian Jean (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). That changed yesterday with the result of a vote that, ironically, Alberta’s premier technically won by a hair. But while Mr.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Kenney Government seeks ‘a unicorn’ to solve health care crisis – what it needs is more nurses
There was a whiff of desperation in the air at Jason Kenney’s health care news conference yesterday morning, which had been touted in advance to journalists as “an update on priority work to build health system capacity and add more critical care beds for Albertans.” Health Minister Jason Copping at
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Confident Jason Kenney will jet off to Washington the day before UCP says if he gets to keep his job as Alberta premier
It seemed like a strangely bold move yesterday for Jason Kenney to announce he’ll be jetting off to Washington, D.C., to testify to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and National Resources the day before his United Conservative Party announces whether its members have voted to let him stay on
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Alberta premier prematurely celebrates court’s view Ottawa’s environmental assessment law is unconstitutional
Jason Kenney and his allies in the United Conservative Party are noisily celebrating the Alberta Court of Appeal’s opinion yesterday that the federal government’s environmental assessment law is unconstitutional, and who can blame them? Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). The 4-1 opinion in the Alberta government’s reference case
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Possible unpopular opinion: Premier’s communications director should be paid for his COVID isolation expenses
If Premier Jason Kenney’s executive director of communications followed all the rules when he expensed his stay in an Edmonton hotel and claimed meal allowances after a positive COVID test while on a business trip, he shouldn’t have been asked to pay back the $1,400. NDP Opposition Critic Christina Gray
Continue readingAlberta Politics: 4,000 UCP memberships bought with six credit cards? Dodgy practice, legal or not, likely to come back to bite Jason Kenney
It might have seemed like a good idea when the Kenney Government passed legislation last year allowing bulk purchases of party memberships, but it was probably inevitable that an idea that dodgy would cause trouble for the United Conservative Party sooner or later. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr).
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Jason Kenney attempts to show he’s still relevant with risible legal intervention in Emergencies Act challenges
What’s that annoying buzz? Justice Minister Tyler Shandro, the latest occupant of Alberta’s revolving-door justice minister’s office (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). It’s too early in the reluctant Alberta springtime for it to be a fly trapped between the blind and the window. And we’re too far away from Havana for it
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Open Letter from 58 researchers and docs assails safe drug supply study prepared for Alberta Legislature committee
A damning open letter signed by 58 physicians and research scientists assails a study commissioned by an Alberta Legislature committee examining safe supply programs for users of addictive drugs as being of “critically low quality” and rife with omissions and misrepresentations. UCP MLA Jeremy Nixon, chair of the Select Special
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A party divided against itself cannot stand – especially when so many members can’t stand their leader
A house divided against itself cannot stand. That goes for political parties too, I daresay. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). And I’d say the United Conservative Party led by Jason Kenney is getting perilously close to the point it’s so divided against itself that if nothing changes it’ll
Continue readingAlberta Politics: UCP effort to blame NDP for electricity price spike suggests Opposition attacks are hitting the mark
The Opposition’s sustained attacks on the Kenney Government for removing the NDP’s cap on electricity price increases must be hitting the mark with voters worried about the cost of utilities and inflation generally. Opposition NDP Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). How else can we explain the UCP
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