A video clip of Calgary-Lougheed MLA Eric Bouchard musing about the future of COVID-19 vaccinations on an anti-vaxx video podcast stirred up a storm on social media yesterday among commenters who fear the United Conservative Party may be about to try to ban the what the podcast’s host called “the murder shots.” Mr. Bouchard, as […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Honey! I shrunk the party! UCP membership shrivels as Danielle Smith moves farther into loony MAGA territory
Honey! I shrunk the party! Sharp-eyed denizens of the Twittersphere yesterday noticed a United Conservative party update that, presumably inadvertently, gave away a dramatic drop in party membership since the 2022 UCP leadership contest that put Danielle Smith in Alberta’s top political job. “UCP membership is currently around 54,000,” said some guy calling himself Turkish […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
No shock: UCP freeze on renewable electricity generation projects and resulting uncertainty lead to deep chill on investments
It should come as no shock on the first anniversary of the United Conservative Party Government’s seven-month freeze on the development of renewable electricity projects that the policy has resulted in a deep chill on renewables. That was, of course, the idea. A new analysis by the Pembina Institute released yesterday shows that in the […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith tells Calgary UCP ‘town hall’ that 94% of Alberta parents are not having their kids vaccinated against COVID
According to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, only a small minority of Alberta parents are now agreeing to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19, while the vast majority are not. This seemingly unlikely claim was only one of a number of troubling statements made by Ms. Smith at town hall meeting Tuesday organized by the Calgary-Lougheed […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Guest post: Open meddling by politicians and commercial interests is putting Alberta’s fish and wildlife management at risk
Once upon a time, Alberta led the way in restoring wildlife habitats and rebuilding populations of creatures at risk. Wildlife biological staff, working in the public interest, often in the public sector, with the support of the public, made it happen. Not so much today. Now, writes Professional Biologist Lorne Fitch, professionally trained biologists are […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Ordered to produce documents for Elections Alberta in 21 days or face arrest, David Parker calls it a victory
Being told you have three weeks to comply with the law after being found in civil contempt is not what most of us would call a ringing victory, but you have to give Take Back Alberta founder (or whatever he is) David Parker credit for seeing the bright side of life. Having been told by […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith touts letting loggers cut trees and ranchers graze cattle to help manage fire threat in national parks
Never one to let a good crisis go to waste, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith escalated her criticism of Parks Canada’s approach to fire management in Jasper National Park yesterday, suggesting the province could do it better by paying loggers to clear firebreaks and letting ranchers graze cattle in the parks to keep the breaks clear. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Yes, Alberta, it’s time we had a grown-up talk about wildfires
As flames from the massive forest fire in Jasper National Park ripped into the west side of the town of Jasper Wednesday night, Edmonton broadcaster Courtney Theriault plaintively tweeted that “we should probably have a grown-up talk about wildfires now.” With catastrophic forest fires so big they create their own weather systems increasingly becoming a […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Now that we know about those skybox tickets for UCP insiders, did anyone provide free corporate flights to out-of-province NHL playoff games?
Did UCP ministers or political staffers avail themselves of free flights to B.C. or Florida? If so, who paid?
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith, the Sky Palace, and those Skybox freebies: What a difference a decade makes!
Alberta’s premier on the Sky Palace in 2014: ‘Duplicitous, entitled, completely out of touch’; on her Skybox tickets in 2024: ‘All the rules have been followed.’
Posted inAlberta Politics
Tyler Shandro, controversial former UCP health minister, found not guilty of unprofessional behaviour by Law Society panel
Albertans are within their rights to wonder if it’s OK for any Alberta lawyer to throw a tantrum in their neighbour’s driveway in light of the ruling by the Alberta Law Society yesterday that former United Conservative Party health minister Tyler Shandro was not behaving unprofessionally when he melted down in such circumstances over a […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
What did Danielle Smith say after the shooting at Edmonton City Hall? Precious little! She was too busy chatting with Tucker Carlson!
We could use a little more civility in Canadian politics nowadays, but the irony of Premier Smith’s military-grade gaslighting in Halifax is palpable.