One of the bees in my bonnet has long been the misuse of the term civilian to describe people who are not sworn police officers. I wrote the post below almost a decade ago — as the startling appearance of the then-sitting prime minister in the text as if he were still a PM rather […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Somehow South Tyrolean autonomy doesn’t sound like the best way to sell the Alberta Fair Deal Panel’s dumb ideas
Sure sounds like Jason Kenney has a problem. He’s promised to release his Fair Deal Panel’s report next Monday, but it’s not at all clear Albertans are going to like what they hear. In politics, like the dairy cooler, things come with a best-before date. And the Fair Deal Panel’s has come and gone. Lots […]
Posted inBestsellers
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens tops independent Alberta booksellers fiction bestseller list
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, May 31, 2020. The lists are compiled by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and include sales at Audreys Books in Edmonton and Glass Bookshop in Edmonton. ALBERTA FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. Where […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Despite COVID-19, 15,000 people join Fight for Equity rally against racism at Alberta Legislature
A mostly youthful throng estimated at more than 15,000 people braved the coronavirus pandemic yesterday evening to join the Fight for Equity rally against racism at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton. The rally was organized in response the public murder of George Floyd, an African American man, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Alberta’s Bill 1 is bad law, bad theatre, and an unconstitutional attack on the fundamental rights of citizens
If the passage of Bill 1 by the Alberta Legislature last month demonstrates anything, it’s the contempt in which Premier Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party hold the rule of law. Mr. Kenney and his well-behaved UCP caucus know that Canada’s Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Not that Canadian Conservatives have […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
No need to lose much sleep over yesterday’s firearms ownership announcement by the UCP
If you’re worried by the announcement Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is seeking ways of “respecting law-abiding Albertans’ long history of responsible firearms ownership,” there’s no need to lose much sleep just yet. The premier’s press conference and news release about how he’s setting up a panel of firearms enthusiasts to look after the interests of […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Parole boards! Rodeo! Guns! The U.S. may be in flames while the world goes viral, but Alberta’s legislators cut to the chase!
The great republic to our south is in flames, led by an American Nero and seemingly teetering on the brink of martial law. At the same moment, the world is convulsed by an entirely new disease, the first truly global pandemic in history. So what are Premier Jason Kenney and his United Conservative Party government […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Jason Kenney’s bloviations about medical matters may have found a friendly audience south of the Medicine Line
Stuff UCPers Say! Epidemiologists and other scientific types may not like it very much when Alberta Premier Jason Kenney equates COVID-19 with influenza, but at least Fox News seems to be on side. Last Wednesday in the Legislature in a prepared speech arguing for the government’s understandable desire to get the province’s economy cranked up […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Would you like a nasal swab with your fries, sir? Health care comes to A&W, McDonald’s and Timmy’s in Jason Kenney’s Alberta
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney runs a government deeply committed to erasing the obvious connection between government and the services that are essential to the functioning of society. How else is he going to persuade Albertans to abandon public health care that works for the broken privatization model now destroying our neighbour to the south one […]
Posted inBestsellers
Normal people by Ireland’s Sally Rooney tops independent Alberta bookstores’ fiction bestseller list
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, May 24, 2020. The lists are compiled by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and include sales at Audreys Books in Edmonton and Glass Bookshop in Edmonton. ALBERTA FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. Normal […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Can Kenney’s plans for Albertans’ pensions survive the next round of bad AIMCo news?
Alberta’s Local Authorities Pension Plan was in “the healthiest position in its 58-year history” at the end of 2019, and things are still fine, the president and CEO of LAPP Corp. said in a message Friday to plan members and retirees. It would be going too far to call Chris Brown’s communication cheerful, but it […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Did the premier just forget to tell his Chief Medical Officer of Health he’s about to end Alberta’s public health emergency?
It was a short exchange during Wednesday afternoon’s daily COVID-19 briefing by Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Deena Hinshaw. It carried quite a bit of information, though. Here is my transcription: Disembodied official voice: “Operator, can you put through the next question, please?” Operator: “Next is Michelle Bellefonatine with CBC. Go ahead, Michelle.” Michelle […]