PC Party opts for a short and expensive leadership campaign
TweetIn 2006, it was $15,000, in 2011, it was $40,000, and in 2011, the fee to become a candidate in the Progressive Conservative leadership race is $50,000. Senior officials from…
Alison Redford
Harper endorses Rob Anders and more nomination updates
TweetWith Dave Hancock being sworn-in as the 15th Premier of Alberta and speculation running rampant about who will replace him in four to six months, I thought now would be…
Lorne Gunter On Alberta Politics: A Brief Note
The Alta. Tories will replace Alison Redford with a monkey in a suit. The monkey will win the next provincial election. A year later, the Alta. Tories will grow tired…
Redford has no one to blame but herself
. No one, least of all politicians, likes to admit just how big a role outside forces play in one’s political success – and failure. Strong MPs are defeated when…
8 candidates who could run for the leadership of the Alberta PC Party
TweetWith yesterday’s announcement by Premier Alison Redford that she will resign on March 23, 2014, the Progressive Conservative caucus will need to select an interim premier and the PC Party…
The aftermath of a week of resignations
Yesterday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty resigned. I speculated on which political players that the Mr. Harper might appoint to replace him, and I was flat-out wrong. Stephen Harper’s choice for…
A very Albertan coup: Alison Redford fell victim to her own hubris, as well as that of her Progressive Conservative Party
Alison Redford announces her resignation moments after 6 p.m. yesterday while Deputy Premier Dave Hancock looks on grimly in the background. Below: Mr. Hancock, the man thought most likely to…
It was only a matter of time. Ruthless Tories force Redford to quit.
TweetIt was only a matter of time. After a short 898 days as Premier of Alberta, Alison Redford announced today that she plans to resign as premier and leader of…
Electoral math is calculus, not arithmetic, so 15 more Tory defectors won’t necessarily bring down Alison Redford’s shaky government
Alberta Premier Alison Redford and her crack team of Tory political strategists consult the Billion Dollar Brainiac, the Alberta government’s carbon- and vote-capture supercomputer, to figure out how many members…
4 ways out of the PC leadership crisis
Tweet The increasingly public struggle between Premier Alison Redford and a group of disgruntled MLAs in the Progressive Conservative Party continues this week. Following Monday’s announcement by Calgary-Varsity PC MLA…
Alison Redford will go down with the ship
Alberta politics is all a-twitter these days about the future of the Princess Premier, Alison Redford. Two MLAs have resigned, bringing simmering discontent to the surface. Len Webber quit last…
That sinking feeling. More problems for the Redford Tories
TweetBlasting the culture of entitlement that has engulfed the 43-year governing Progressive Conservative Party, Calgary-Varsity MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans announced today she was leaving the government caucus to sit as an…
If Alison Redford won’t voluntarily step aside, Alberta’s Tories are likely finished
Alberta Premier Cruella de Vil brings some of her rebellious MLAs to heel. Actual Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: High-profile caucus rebel Donna Kennedy-Glans; Stephen Mandel,…
Worst political strategy ever: Alison Redford put on probation by Tory party big shots
Alberta Premier Alison Redford, as her party used to see her. (In the background, an ecstatic Thomas Lukaszuk.) Sad to say, this is another example of actual politicians not appearing…
Allaudin Merali files suit against Fred Horne, Alberta Health Services for breach of contract, defamation
Health Minister Fred Horne: target of defamation, breach of trust, loss of income suit by former Alberta Health Services CFO. Below: Allaudin Merali. Allaudin Merali filed a statement of claim…
Tory caucus rebellion threatens Alberta premier? Nobody here but us chickens!
Alberta Premier Alison Redford departs Government House in Edmonton at 11:32 yesterday morning, all alone. No one else came out and the door quietly closed behind her. Then her security…
Anti-Redford coup fails to materialize at PC MLA meeting
TweetA rumoured coup d’etat within Alberta’s Progressive Conservative caucus failed to materialize yesterday as government MLAs gathered at Government House to discuss Premier Alison Redford‘s future. Cancelling all public appearances…
$45000 trip has serious political costs for Redford
TweetAfter spending two months avoiding having to pay the costs of her $45,000 trip to South Africa, Premier Alison Redford called a press conference late yesterday to announce she would…
Payment of $45,000 travel bill by Alberta Premier raises as many questions as it answers
There will be no more scenes like this aboard Government of Alberta aircraft, thank you very much! Actual Alberta cabinet ministers and cabin crew may not appear exactly as illustrated.…