Open Invitation
Nation, Alberta’s 2 biggest political parties – the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta and the Wildrose Alliance Party – are holding their Annual General Meetings this month. The PC AGM…
Enlightened Savage
Zero to Hero
Nation, by now most of you are no doubt aware of the story of Edmonton high school teacher Lynden Dorval, who was fired for violating the “no zeroes” policy set…
Motivations
Politics is a show. I think, by now, that’s something we all know. At least, those of us who are engaged enough to pay attention between elections – which is…
Thank-you, Peter.
Edgar Peter Lougheed – husband, father, Premier, statesman, Calgarian, Albertan and proud Canadian, has died at age 84. Few people living today were so responsible for crafting the world in…
Inexcusable
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I have no patience whatsoever for the politics of the separatist Parti Quebecois. Their success is an affront to the country…
Who’s Running Against Nenshi?
On October 21st, 2013, Calgarians will elect a new City Council. That’s 414 days from now. There will, no doubt, be some new faces on council. Some new titles, too:…
The Leaders We Deserve
French diplomat Joseph de Maistre once famously opined that “in a democracy, people get the leaders they deserve.” Taken alongside the more esoteric “decisions are made by those who bother…
Fresh Air
Hello, Nation. I have to confess, I don’t really know how I want to begin this blog post. After all, I’m a little out of practice. The provincial election was…
Thank-you for calling Redford Cabinetry, Alison speaking…"
Nation, with every reason to believe that the new provincial cabinet will be announced this coming Monday or Tuesday, it’s a good time to take a look at how Premier…
The Race for Calgary-Greenway
Calgary Greenway is a new constituency formed in the redistribution, from sections of the former Calgary-Montrose as well as slices of Calgary-Cross and Calgary-McCall. It includes Applewood, Taradale, Coral Springs……
The Race for Calgary-Fort
Created in 1997, Calgary-Fort has only ever been represented by one man: Wayne Cao, of the PC Party. A largely industrial part of the city, residents of this section of…
Free Votes
Nation, I love the idea of free votes. I think every vote in the Legislature should be a free vote – if a bill or motion can’t pass on its…
The Race for Calgary-Elbow
First formed in 1971, Calgary-Elbow has had 4 MLAs in the past 40 years – and 2 of them became Premier. One other became Deputy Premier. Pretty good odds, by…
The Race for Calgary-East
Calgary-East, not to be confused with the federal constituency of the same name, was formed in 1993 (a previous riding named Calgary East had been around in the 60’s). It…
Alberta Leaders’ Debate Drinking Game
Every time there is a political Leaders’ Debate, the minuscule minority that is the “politically engaged all-the-time” populace jokes that there should be a drinking game associated with the debate.…
Just Say "No", Danielle…
Nation, as you’ve no doubt heard by now, Danielle Smith is getting a bit of flack over past positions she and her party have expressed. This shouldn’t come as a…
The Race for Calgary-Buffalo
Created in 1971, Calgary-Buffalo is a classic “downtown urban” constituency – high-density housing, demanding campaigns that think outside-the-box in terms of contact with voters, and a committed self-interest that makes…
The Race for Banff-Cochrane
Banff-Cochrane has existed in one form or another as a constituency since 1940. Long a bastion for independent thinkers, the voters here have never been scared to buck the trend…
The Race for Airdrie
A new constituency built from the former Airdrie-Chestermere, this riding includes not just its namesake community but also the areas north and west. Rob Anderson was elected here as a…
Hamilton Bows Down To Special Interests in Calgary-Elbow
Nation, I’ve never made a big secret of my distaste for the way that well-funded special interests can buy their way into the democratic process. Sure enough, not even the…