On CBC: Alberta MLAs to watch in 2017
In case you missed it, I joined Portia Clark on CBC Edmonton’s Radio Active program last week to talk about my annual list of Alberta MLA’s to watch. The interview…
Alberta Politics
The Top 10 Alberta political news stories of 2016: AlbertaPolitics.ca’s picks
PHOTOS: Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley. Below: Calgary MLA Sandra Jansen, elected as a Progressive Conservative and now a member of the NDP, Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee, and the…
How to put Christ back in Christmas: It starts with Christians pressing ‘Reset’
ILLUSTRATIONS: Santa Claus … not Jesus. Below: Karl Marx (not mentioned in the story) … also not Santa Claus. Jesus Christ (quoted at length) … not Santa Claus either. This…
Merry Christmas to all! Santa is bringing presents for everyone this holiday, regardless of political orientation
PHOTOS: Merry Christmas! Your blogger with a man who can penetrate North American air defences with ease. Russian President Vladimir Putin may not appear exactly as illustrated. (Joke.) Below: Political…
The PC Party’s Christmas gift to the NDP
A defamation lawsuit wrapped with a big bow. Any hope Alberta’s Progressive Conservative Party had of making the story of Sandra Jansen’s harassment go away is long gone as a…
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien tops this week’s Audreys Books Best Sellers List
Here is this week’s list of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton, compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON…
Is veteran Tory’s bid to run as Liberal in by-election to replace ex-PM a sign of sagging Conservative fortunes nationally?
PHOTOS: Veteran Conservative Lee Richardson with Alberta premier Alison Redford, who he served as principal secretary. Below: Prime minister John Diefenbaker, who Mr. Richardson served as executive assistant, and Alberta…
Canada’s Conservatives have taken their greatest strength and bulldozed it to the ground: this will not end well for them
PHOTOS: Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidates Kellie Leitch, Chris Alexander and Brad Trost get ready for their next debate on how best to Make Canada Great Again. Actual CPC…
Tory harassment investigation: Move along please; nothing to see here, folks…
PHOTOS: MLA Sandra Jansen makes an impassioned plea in the Alberta Legislature on Nov. 22, calling out the hate and misogyny she has endured since announcing she was running for…
From the Depths of Hansard: Highways, Hemlock and Marmalade
Combing through Hansard, I frequently come across amusing, witty and interesting transcripts of debates that have occurred in the Alberta Legislature since the record keeping service began 45 years ago.…
Trouble on the ‘Alb-Right’? What are the details of Wildrose Leader Brian Jean’s better way to unite the right?
PHOTOS: Opposition Leader Brian Jean. He says he has a better plan than Jason Kenney’s to unite the right. The only thing is, he won’t say what it is. If…
Vancouver Sun Letter
For what is likely to be my last letter to the editor of 2016, see today’s Vancouver Sun (fourth letter from the top). The gist of my argument is that…
The Great Betrayal, or just a great mistake? Today marks the second anniversary of the Wildrose Party’s mass defection
PHOTOS: Progressive Conservative premier Jim Prentice and Opposition leader turned PC MLA Danielle Smith pose awkwardly on Dec. 17, 2014, in what was supposed to be a political masterstroke, and…
Rogue One, a Right Wing Wars Story: wherein the Wildrose Party’s Derek Fildebrandt slips his leader’s leash
PHOTOS: Wildrose Party Finance Critic Derek Fildebrandt going rogue at Rebel Media’s Calgary anti-everything rally last Sunday (CBC photo). Below: Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Jason Kenney as imagined for this…
Ten Alberta MLAs to watch in 2017
Despite its past reputation, Alberta politics has become extraordinarily unpredictable over the past decade. This makes forecasting the future a very tricky business for political pundits. As is tradition on…
Topp spin: Alberta premier’s departing chief of staff gives his final report to media with an eye to history
PHOTOS: Brian Topp, Premier Rachel Notley’s departing chief of staff. Below: Mr. Topp’s replacement, John Heaney; Jim Rutkowski, appointed Principal Secretary in the premier’s office; he replaces Anne McGrath, who…
Audreys Books Edmonton Best-Seller List to appear here and on Daveberta.ca
Elimination of local arts news coverage in Edmonton newspapers means the Audreys Books weekly bestseller list has found itself without a home. As a result, my colleague Dave Cournoyer at…