Who Let the Monsters Out?
To paraphrase Mayor Nenshi, we must never forget how easy it is for a narcissist with a microphone to open the closet door and let the monsters out. Donald Trump,…
Politics and Government
Jason Kenney Takes a Page from the Donald Trump Playbook
Last night the Progressive Conservatives kicked off their leadership race in earnest. As expected Jason Kenney urged party members to “unite Alberta” (ie destroy the PCs by merging them with…
Ten Things We Learned from Trump’s Presidential Campaign
Barring a catastrophe Donald Trump will not become the 45th president of the United States. At the risk of tempting fate Ms Soapbox would like to present a top 10…
Sandra Jansen is right, there are Progressive Conservatives in Alberta
Yippee! Sandra Jansen just confirmed she’s running for the leadership of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party. This is good news because her campaign will test Jason Kenney’s assertion that there’s no…
“Post-truth” Politics in Alberta
Albertans can learn a lot about the importance of truth in politics from the Trump/Clinton presidential race. Political lies have moved beyond “misstatements” for which politicians “take full responsibility” and…
Air Horn Politics
“We’re all seriously suffering from a kind of Trump derangement syndrome…he uses up so much of the oxygen and it’s like having…a big air horn installed in your head and…
Another Fine Mess: Thanks Stevie
It turns out the famous Laurel and Hardy phrase “here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten us into” is a misquote. What Oliver Hardy really said to the hapless Stan Laurel…
Who should govern in times of significant disruption?
Chris Kutarna says this is the best time in history to be alive. We’re healthier, wealthier and better educated than at any other time in history…so why are we so…
Brian Jean Makes a Joke
Two things happened this week that reflect very poorly on the judgment of Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean and his supporters. The first was The Joke. The second was his…
Trump and the Nukes
We’re so focused on Donald Trump’s race-baiting rhetoric that we’ve almost forgotten that if elected this man will have the nuclear codes at the tips of his stubby little fingers.…
The K-Bro Linen Flap
Would someone snap a wet towel at the Opposition please? The Opposition is upset because Sarah Hoffman, the Health Minister, wants to see a business case on alternatives before she…
PPAs and the Master Narrative in Alberta
The American Press Institute (API) describes pack journalism,” now known as “the master narrative,” as a story line the press corps en masse is telling or repeating. The API warns…
The NDP’s Power Play: Myths and Facts
Alberta’s NDP government wants to save Albertans $2 billion and the Wildrose, the Progressive Conservatives and the media are churning up a dust storm of misinformation trying to stop them.…
Jason Kenney: Alberta’s Very Own Music Man
Like the Music Man, Jason Kenney blew into town with a message: We’ve got trouble folks! Trouble with a capital “T” that rhymes with “P” and that stands for “Progressive!”…
Brexit and Trump: It’s All Your Fault
Ms Soapbox was just getting her head around the fact that Donald Trump was her fault when they blamed her for Brexit. Wait, what? Political philosophers and journalists on both…
Four Things We Learned From Brexit
What was he thinking? The UK, with or without Scotland and Northern Ireland, is leaving the EU, but first it has to slog through two harrowing years extricating itself from…
Responding to Orlando
Can we talk about that which cannot be named? On June 12 forty-nine people were massacred at a nightclub in Orlando. Alberta’s political leaders expressed their horror at the senseless…
Rachel Notley and the Wonder Women
Anyone who thinks women are too emotional and unpredictable for a life in politics hasn’t met Rachel Notley and the Wonder Women. Ms Soapbox had the pleasure of meeting some…
The Wildrose and PCs Weigh In On Medically Assisted Dying
We’ve seen a lot of fireworks in the Alberta Legislature but nothing can match the rhetoric and misinformation that characterized the response of the Wildrose (and to a lesser extent…
The Wildrose Vision (such as it is)
Brian Jean, leader of the Wildrose party, has a vision for uniting Alberta’s conservatives. It’s based on “the best elements” of Peter Lougheed and Ralph Klein’s legacies and rejects the…