Smith’s Demands
“She’s playing with fire with a foreign adversary.” Political scientist, Duane Bratt in an interview with Mark Hislop This week Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, gave Canadians another reason not to…
Politics and Government
Happy (Canadian) Family Day
On the third Monday in February eight Canadian provinces will celebrate a special day. Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan call it Family Day. Manitoba celebrates Louis Riel Day;…
The Captain Goes Down with the Ship
“This isn’t mismanagement—it’s a scandal”—Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association. Calling for an independent investigation into the Alberta Surgical Initiative (a $400 Mill effort to outsource surgeries to…
The Captain Must Go Down with the Ship
“This isn’t mismanagement—it’s a scandal”—Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association, calling for an independent investigation into the Alberta Surgical Initiative (a $400 Mill effort to outsource surgeries to…
Trump’s Tariffs: “What Does He Want?”
“I know Canadians are famous for being nice. Thoughtful. Decent. Those are great qualities in human beings. But in a knife fight with Donald Trump, none of them matters”—Bradley Tusk,…
What Is She Thinking?
Last November Danielle Smith said she wasn’t worried about tariffs on oil and gas products (at that time Trump was threatening a 10 to 20% tariff on Canadian goods). Last…
Chaos and the Importance of Community
“In the most dangerous of times, those who escape and survive generally know people whom they can trust. Having old friends is the politics of last resort. And making new…
Do The Math
I swore I was going to put politics aside in the run up to Christmas, but when the latest screed from Free Alberta Strategy dropped into my inbox, I had…
The Alberta Sovereignty Act Rises Again
Alberta moved one step closer to becoming a banana republic this week. Premier Smith announced she will use the Sovereignty Act to combat the federal government’s cap on emissions by…
A Harsh Reality
The election of Donald Trump on Nov 5 left me feeling numb. Why? Because it confirmed my worst fears about the majority of Americans. Over the coming weeks we’ll see…
Bill 20: Another Bill No One Asked For
” are good for municipalities, good for voters, good for Albertans.” – Ric McIver, minister of Municipal Affairs with respect to Bill 20. How do they do it? How can…
Alberta’s Healthcare System is on Life Support
Mr. Soapbox’s timing couldn’t have been worse. A couple of days before my husband experienced chest pains that landed him in the cardio unit at Foothills Hospital, Dr Paul Parks,…
Premier Smith Closes the Door on Asylum Claimants
On Sept 12, the day after The Trump/Harris debate, Premier Smith told the federal government that Alberta has closed its doors to any more asylum seekers. Here’s what she said:…
Happy Labour Day
Yesterday Premier Danielle Smith issued a statement celebrating Alberta Day—a non-stat holiday created by her predecessor Jason Kenney to commemorate the day Alberta became a province—without once mentioning Confederation. Today…
Happy Alberta Day
I just finished reading Premier Smith’s statement celebrating Alberta Day and wondered how I would explain it to someone who knows nothing about Alberta’s history. I suspect the conversation would…
Nenshi Visits Calgary-Elbow
Naheed Nenshi has been busy visiting NDP constituencies across the province. This afternoon he came to the Calgary-Elbow Constituency BBQ. After a (very) enthusiastic introduction from NDP MLA Samir Kayande,…
May I Make a Suggestion?
Where’s our news? I ask because I’ve noticed that the UCP is adept at flooding the media with good news stories about what they’re going to do to help Albertans…
Nenshi Wins the NDP Leadership Race
“The purple is an invitation to say: set aside who you are and let’s define ourselves by our common humanity. And I thought to myself: I’ve got no political home.…
The UCP Goes Over The Top: Bill C-59
It was bound to happen sooner or later. The UCP government’s over the top reactions to anything the federal government does finally pushed it into the looney zone. On May…
Rachel Notley’s Last Day in the Chair
After an illustrious career in the NDP movement, including 16 years in government, 4 of which were as premier, Rachel Notley is stepping down as party leader. She made her…