Hiding From the Fourth Estate
Last week Danielle Smith announced her new “one question, no follow up” rule for journalists asking questions at her press conferences. She said the “one question” rule would apply to…
Danielle Smith
Message to Alberta’s media: Danielle Smith has neither the authority nor the power to restrict you to one question – ignore her decree!
It’s in Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s nature never to admit she’s wrong, so it was no surprise after her announcement Friday that she wouldn’t allow reporters at a government news…
The victim of her own repeated blunders, Danielle Smith decrees a limit on reporters’ questions
It looks like Alberta’s going to need a Sam Donaldson in this election campaign. Former ABC White House Correspondent Sam Donaldson in 1995 (Photo: John Matthew Smith via Wikipedia). You…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Alex Fulton discusses the lessons we should be learning from the response to COVID-19 in preparing for the next pandemic. Richard Payerchin highlights…
Danielle Smith versus Danielle Smith on public health care: Methinks the premier doth protest too much!
Danielle Smith renounced and denounced Danielle Smith’s health care policy objectives at a United Conservative Party at a press conference yesterday in the Edmonton suburb of Sherwood Park. Former Alberta…
Ethics Commissioner says she’ll investigate Smith’s conversation with rebel pastor; Premier’s Office clams up
In a terse statement this morning, the office of Danielle Smith said Alberta’s premier “was recently contacted by the Ethics Commissioner, who is undertaking an investigation into whether or not…
Premier changes Pastorgate story again, claiming she thought preacher facing charges just wanted to talk politics
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has changed her story again about her controversially congenial telephone conservation with street preacher Artur Pawlowski about the criminal charges against him. Controversial street preacher Artur…
Happy Easter! Danielle Smith doesn’t apologize, but she certainly does explain!
Happy Easter! Canadian Press reporter Dean Bennett in a typical pose in 2018 (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). Astonishingly, a full week after the CBC broke the story, the brouhaha continues…
Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Lisa Schnirring reports on new research showing how infection with COVID-19 tends to lead to extended sick leave, while Helen Twohig et…
Embarrassed by premier’s telephone tête-à-tête with extremist facing criminal charges, UCP retreats to its safe space: Law ’n’ Order rhetoric
Sounding a mite panicked by the negative public response to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s willingness to bend rules to help political allies in trouble with the law, the United Conservative…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – IOS Press discusses new research showing that COVID-19 accelerates the cognitive decline in people already living with dementia. F. Perry Wilson examines how…
On Monday Danielle Smith quoted government lawyers; now Alberta’s premier says the UCP is paying for her to sue the CBC
Can you imagine the almighty hoo-ha that would break out across this country if the Alberta NDP ponied up the dough for its leader to sue Postmedia or the Western…
Alberta premier hides behind lawsuit that hasn’t happened to dodge reporters’ difficult questions
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hid behind a lawsuit that doesn’t exist yesterday to avoid answering reporters’ questions about her sympathetic telephone chat with an unsavoury political ally facing criminal charges.…
Last week wasn’t a good one for Alberta’s UCP – this week holds the promise of more … snow
They say a week is a long time in politics, but last week must have felt like eternity to the United Conservative Party brain trust. Deputy Premier Kaycee Madu (Photo:…
Smith’s 11 Minute Phone Call with the Pastor
“That’s an astounding thing to say from the Premier of the province.” – Law prof Eric Adams On May 29 Danielle Smith issued a press statement to pre-empt a CBC…
Premier threatens CBC for reporting her own words in phone conversation with anti-vaxx pastor facing criminal charges
It may not be Lake of Fire 2.0, but you wouldn’t think Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s blustering response yesterday to the CBC’s release of a recording of her telling an…
So what kind of UCP candidates will replace Finance Minister Travis Toews and Environment Minister Sonya Savage?
Friday’s revelation that neither Finance Minister Travis Toews nor Environment Minister Sonya Savage would be running for re-election in the expected May 29 provincial vote quickly gave way to speculation…
Who Do You Trust?
In less than 70 days Albertans will decide whether Daniel Smith’s UCP or Rachel Notley’s NDP will form the next government. Political junkies like me have pretty much made up…
Budget ’23: The Same Old Razzle Dazzle (with sprinkles on top)*
I’m not sure what Trevor Tombe did that caused Danielle Smith to say he was becoming one of her favourite economists, but it certainly wasn’t this. In a recent article…
Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Lucky Tran offers a reminder not to take seriously the anti-science cranks determined to claim that COVID-19 mitigation measures (including masking) should…