John Ashton is the co-author with former Alberta NDP leader Ray Martin of Made in Alberta: The Ray Martin Story. He has served as staff on 26 NDP campaigns. In this guest post, Mr. Ashton argues Alberta’s NDP may not be the first provincial branch of the New Democratic Party to return to Opposition after […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
The game’s afoot in Ottawa as the moment nears for Jason Kenney to implement his ‘revenge platform’
Jason Kenney will be sworn in tomorrow as the 18th premier of Alberta, so we should know very soon if he really meant his oft-repeated pledge to make the repeal of the NDP’s carbon levy the first act of his government or if it was just another campaign whopper. Likewise, with Canada creeping into the […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Vote-anywhere made it easier to cast a vote against the government from, well, anywhere
Well, God bless the NDP, I guess, who could apparently be depended upon to do the right thing, even if it killed them. Alberta’s official vote results are now in and they suggest how the province’s new “vote anywhere” provisions did no favours for the departing government. Elections Alberta published its official election results yesterday, […]
Posted inBestsellers
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is No. 1 on Audreys Books Edmonton Fiction Bestseller List this week
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton during the week ended April 21, 2019. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles 2. Moccasin Square Gardens – Richard Van Camp * […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
When Jason Kenney kills Alberta’s carbon tax and emissions cap, What Will Justin Do?
When it comes to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finds himself on the proverbial horns of a dilemma. There are serious political consequences for his Liberal federal government if he now allows the project to proceed. There are likewise serious political consequences if he doesn’t. Thanks to the work done […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
‘Foreign funded special interests’ and Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party: The ‘New Conspiracism’ comes to Alberta
The new conspiracism has come to Alberta! What is the “New Conspiracism,” you ask, and how is it different from the old conspiracism? “‘Classic’ conspiracy theories … arise in response to real events – the assassination of John F. Kennedy, say, or the terrorist attacks of September 11th,” observed Elizabeth Kolbert in a useful piece on […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Irked by news site’s critical reports, Jason Kenney hints at retaliation as PressProgress fires back
Apparently the stenographic efforts of Postmedia’s Alberta newspapers as a virtual wing of the United Conservative Party campaign team were not enough for the victorious Jason Kenney, Alberta’s premier designate. Journalists and publications that provided less obsequious coverage of the campaign leading up to the April 16 election will be attacked and, by the sound […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Pundits want you to believe negative campaigning hurt the NDP – it likely saved their bacon!
There are plenty of serious mistakes the Alberta NDP made during their four rocky years in power, but one of them wasn’t running a negative campaign that attacked Jason Kenney’s character and the attitudes of many of the candidates and advisors around him. Indeed, it’s said here the NDP’s negative campaigning was the only thing […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Jobs! Pipelines! Help is on the way! Or … maybe not: Election hot takes from Alberta
Tuesday night’s Alberta election results pretty well put paid to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “Grand Bargain” with Alberta on climate change, the terms of which were basically that the province could have a pipeline to tidewater if we play nice and put a price on carbon. Premier-elect Jason Kenney has made it unequivocally clear there […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Moccasin Square Gardens by Richard Van Camp tops Audreys Books’ Edmonton Fiction Bestseller List
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton during the week ended April 14, 2019. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. Moccasin Square Gardens – Richard Van Camp * 2. The Secret Orphan – Glynis Peters 3. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Jason Kenney, having delivered victory to his UCP, sounds like man with his eye on Ottawa
Give Jason Kenney his due: The man delivered a convincing enough victory for his United Conservative Party last night that no one can call him a political flop if at some point soon he wants to make a return trip to Ottawa. And his long-winded victory speech at the Calgary Stampede Centre after the election […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Nearly a third of Alberta’s electorate voted in advance polls – whatever can it mean?
One of the mysteries of the 2019 Alberta election campaign that comes to an end with today’s election is the truly astonishing number of advance ballots cast. Nearly 700,000 Albertans voted in advance polls. That is close to 30 per cent of the electorate. This is unheard of in Alberta, and almost certainly in the […]