Danielle Smith: Alberta’s Very Own Liz Truss
In less time than it took Liz Truss to crash and burn, Danielle Smith transformed the United Conservative Party into the Libertarian Populist Party. And that’s why they’ll lose in…
Danielle Smith
Vaccine-skeptical slate sympathetic to Danielle Smith’s public health views captures all 9 contested positions on UCP board
So what happens now that half the 18 elected members of the United Conservative Party board are vaccine-skeptical allies of Premier Danielle Smith? Mount Royal University political science professor Duane…
A tale of two speeches: Rachel Notley and Danielle Smith mark informal start of campaign leading to 2023 election
Members of Alberta’s only two political parties with MLAs in the Legislature met in convention yesterday – the governing United Conservatives in Edmonton and Opposition New Democrats in Calgary –…
The Fortress Of Crazy
Under its new premier, Alberta is fast becoming the Fortress Of Crazy. Kieran Leavitt reports that: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she wants a “blanket amnesty” for residents charged with…
Danielle Smith announces absurdly large cabinet that keeps friends close, some enemies closer, and includes few women
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith named her cabinet yesterday. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (Photo: Jake Wright/Creative Commons). It is absurdly large. Premier Smith named 37 cabinet members – 24 full ministers…
Today’s cabinet choices should cast more light on Premier Danielle Smith’s 2023 election strategy
Danielle Smith announces her Cabinet choices today. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in her broadcasting days (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). So we’re about to see if Alberta’s still-unelected premier meant it…
Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Andre Picard discusses how Canada is unprepared (by choice) for the effects of long COVID, while Jennifer Lee reports on warnings from Alberta…
A big apology by Danielle Smith and a bad poll for the UCP make it look like her government’s already on the ropes
Coming on the heels of two official statements since she was sworn in as Alberta’s premier that attempted to explain or clarify contentious comments, Danielle Smith’s straight-up apology yesterday for…
Meanwhile, In The Land Of The Looney
Danielle Smith cultivates her tribe. H/t de Adder However, those inoculated against her lunacy beg to differ. Anti-vaxxers are wilfully ignorant and uncaring about their responsibilities in society. To my…
Support for Freedom Convoy in Alberta was an inch wide and an inch deep, research for inquiry suggests
Now that the public hearings mandated by law after use of the federal Emergencies Act are under way, we are reminded that Canadian support for the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesters…
A Letter to UCP MLAs
Dear UCP MLAs: I’m a constituent without an MLA because your new leader decided I don’t need one. Apparently urban issues (unlike rural issues) are the same all across the…
Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Melissa Lopez-Martinez reports on the belated effort to get Canadians to resume taking precautions against the spread of COVID-19. And the Guardian…
Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Umair Irfan discusses the importance of getting COVID-19 booster shots – particularly the bivalent versions better targeted toward newer strains – in order…
Wooden-Headedness
Danielle Smith’s first week on the job did not bode well for her future. Gary Mason writes: At what point do Albertans begin to wonder – what just happened? I’m…
Does being premier of Alberta mean never having to say you’re sorry? Let Danielle Smith explain …
Maybe being premier of Alberta means never having to say you’re sorry! The short-lived shot at Ms. Smith from a twitter account formerly controlled by Jason Kenney’s political staff (Image:…
Danielle Smith’s first news conference as premier: Sovereignty, health care changes, succour for the Great Unvaxxed!
Premier Danielle Smith was sworn in yesterday morning and in the afternoon gave her first news conference in Alberta’s top political job, offering so much news it was hard to…
Danielle Smith v. Rachel Notley: One remarkable political comeback sets the stage for another
When Danielle Smith is sworn in today as Alberta’s still-unelected United Conservative Party premier, there can be no doubt she has executed a remarkable comeback. NDP Opposition Leader and former…
Danielle Smith’s Victory Speech: Backtracking Big Time
Did anyone catch Danielle Smith’s victory speech? In it she did three things: She started to back away from her key campaign promise, the Sovereignty Act She characterized the UCP…
Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Dhruv Khullar writes about the likelihood that a continued lack of public health measures will push the vast majority of people toward…
Voters in Calgary-Elbow have every right to be furious with their treatment by the United Conservative Party
It didn’t take United Conservative Party Leader and premier designate Danielle Smith long to change her story about why there will be no by-election in the Calgary-Elbow riding, which has…