In a blistering broadside on social media yesterday, prominent B.C. environmentalist Tzeporah Berman fired back at Opposition Leader Jason Kenney for his continuing effort to reduce her to a figure of hatred, ridicule and contempt as a way to undermine Alberta’s NDP government. “You keep simplifying what I am saying to foment fear and anger […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Inside baseball: The ‘newsroom’ returns to Alberta, sort of, in government press secretary office consolidation
In one way, the Alberta NDP Government’s reorganization of its political communications staff is pure inside baseball. It’s interesting just the same, because it undoubtedly reflects the declining importance of mainstream media as an election campaign battlefield in this province, not to mention the structure of corporate news departments as they have tried, mostly unsuccessfully, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
UCP in damage control mode, its troll farm busy, in face of Edmonton Public School Board budget cuts analysis
Alberta’s United Conservative Party Opposition was in furious damage control mode yesterday after Edmonton Public Schools’ release of “hypothetical” estimates of four budget scenarios for what anticipated UCP cuts could mean for students, parents and teachers. The scenarios were based on past hints UCP Leader Jason Kenney has dropped about the size of cuts he […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
UCP leader discovers there’s no affliction more persistent than an outbreak political theatrics in India
Jason Kenney’s mid-September sojourn to India with a couple of his United Conservative Party sidekicks was pure political theatre, likely aimed as much at the Alberta Opposition leader’s real main enemy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as at Alberta’s NDP premier, Rachel Notley. Still, lots of Albertans were wondering last week how three Opposition stooges from […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Another weekend in Alberta politics: A new chapter for an Orange politician, and a Green one too
A new chapter? Using those words as a headline, Michael Connolly, the youthful NDP representative for Calgary-Hawkwood and one of the few openly gay MLAs in the provincial Legislature, announced Saturday in a Facebook post he’ll be quietly stepping out of politics when a provincial election is called next year. In his graceful farewell, Mr. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
The furious denunciations of Tzeporah Berman in Alberta are unprecedented, hypocritical and dangerous
Orthodoxy means not thinking – not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. — George Orwell, 1984 + + + The stream of vituperation directed at B.C. environmentalist Tzeporah Berman for her consistent opposition to Alberta’s pipeline demands is unprecedented, hypocritical and dangerous. I am not just talking about the death threats and obscenities sent to Ms. […]
Posted inBestsellers
Bob Woodward’s Fear leads Edmonton non-fiction bestseller list; Ellen Keith’s The Dutch Wife returns to top of fiction list
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton for the week ended Sept. 16, 2018. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. The Dutch Wife – Ellen Keith* 2. Amma’s Daughters – Meenal Shrivastava *+ […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
As Edmonton and Ottawa awake to Jason Kenney’s (un)diplomatic funny business, stuff starts hitting the fan
Alberta Opposition Leader Jason Kenney and two of his MLAs are running around India again today acting as if they are representatives of the governments of both Canada and Alberta. Officials of the provincial government in Edmonton and the federal government in Ottawa appear to have been so nonplussed by the United Conservative Party leader’s […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Yesterday’s floor crossing won’t make much difference, but at least the Tories are getting their drama lessons
One way or another, as of yesterday at least 143 politicians have crossed the floor of the House of Commons or a Canadian legislature since Confederation. If you can’t name any or many of them offhand, there’s a good reason. A successful floor crossing usually generates a bit of excitement for a day or two […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Jason Kenney’s Passage to India is nothing more than a nice fall holiday with two friends
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney and UCP MLAs Prasad Panda and Devin Dreeshen took off for India yesterday. The main problem with the UCP passage to India is that, no matter how Mr. Kenney describes it, the six-day visit is really nothing more than a nice fall vacation in the company of friends, subsidized […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Thank you, Doug Ford, for making it clear our Constitution isn’t worth the paper it’s written on!
By making use of the Canadian Constitution’s Notwithstanding Clause to wreak petty vengeance on his old adversaries at Toronto City Hall, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has actually done Canadians a favour. After 36 years of delusional complacency, we have now had confirmed what anyone who was really paying attention knew from the get-go in 1982. […]
Posted inBestsellers
Kids’ book by Edmonton singer-songwriter Ben Sures tops Audreys fiction bestseller list
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton for the week ended Sept. 9, 2018. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. The Boy Who Walked Backwards – Ben Sures * 2. Outlying Voice – […]