It remains to be seen what Prime Minister Stephen Harper will do with his new “anti-terror legislation,” announced in the emotional aftermath of the shooting on Parliament Hill as the story of the murderous rampage in Paris was still unfolding. My guess is Harper himself doesn’t fully know yet because the legislation is likely still […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Terror as wedge issue: anticipating PM Stephen Harper’s ‘anti-terror’ legislation
PHOTOS: Prime minister Pierre Trudeau on the steps of Parliament in 1970 when the country was in a state of “apprehended insurrection.” Below: Prime Minister Stephen Harper; Japanese Canadians arrive at internment camps in British Columbia’s Interior in 1942. So, what is Mr. Harper’s Conservative government pondering in its “anti-terror” legislation? It remains to be […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
A message from the Lone Star State to the Lone Tar Province: Assignment of blame is everything
PHOTOS: Greetings from Texas! You’re going to need a haircut, Albertans, plus a few more holes in your belt. Below: Alberta Premier Jim Prentice stops off at the State Fair of Texas. Actual visitors to the Lone Star State from the Lone Tar Province may not appear exactly as illustrated. Calgary Sun Political columnist Rick […]
Posted inUncategorized
Prentice sales tax balloon has Albertans taking note — and potshots
Give Premier Jim Prentice his due, by floating his balloon about a sales tax in Canada’s only remaining sales-tax-free zone he really has Albertans sitting up and taking notice. Read more at AlbertaPolitics.ca.
Posted inAlberta Politics
Prentice sales tax balloon has Albertans taking note – and potshots
PHOTOS: One moment, please. One of our technicians is calculating your Alberta provincial sales tax and will be with you in a moment. Below: Alberta Progressive Conservative Premier Jim Prentice; former PC finance minister Ted Morton; Alberta NDP Treasury Board Critic Brian Mason. Give Premier Jim Prentice his due, by floating his balloon about a […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
As Albertans debate tax increases, why are we giving away our resources?
PHOTOS: Beach metaphors, Alberta style. What happens when the tide goes out may not be pretty! Below: PC Premiers Jim Prentice and Peter Lougheed. At this rare moment in history when Alberta’s provincial government actually seems prepared to concede for the first time in memory there is a revenue side as well as a spending […]
Posted inUncategorized
More lives than a movie zombie: ‘Canada’s Worst MP’ Rob Anders is back, eyeing Wildrose leadership
Just when we’d despaired of ever hearing again from Rob Anders, the man who will be Canada’s worst Member of Parliament only a little longer, he announced “a sense of mission and duty” has made him contemplate a run at the leadership of Alberta’s foundering Wildrose Party. To read more, visit AlbertaPolitics.ca.
Posted inAlberta Politics
More lives than a movie zombie: ‘Canada’s Worst MP’ Rob Anders is back, eyeing Wildrose leadership
PHOTOS: Rob Anders, who once said he has taken a vow of chastity, presumably as he sees himself. Is he about to embark on a crusade to lead the Wildrose Party? Below: Derek Fildebrandt, also touted as a possible Wildrose leader, and former Alberta PC cabinet minister Ron Liepert. Mr. Anders, looking manly with one […]
Posted inUncategorized
It’s not spring in Alberta yet, but there are hints of a spring election in the air
There were two hints yesterday that Alberta Premier Jim Prentice is edging closer to calling an early election this spring, maybe three if you’re of a particularly conspiratorial turn of mind. To read more, go to AlbertaPolitics.ca.
Posted inAlberta Politics
It’s not spring in Alberta yet, but there are hints of a spring election in the air
PHOTOS: It may not be spring yet, as in this photo, but the clock is ticking down on a spring 2015 election. Below: Bridget Pastoor, the former Liberal floor-crosser who served a term as a Progressive Conservative MLA before announcing she’s retiring, and former Tory finance minister Ted Morton, who’s now calling for a sales […]
Posted inUncategorized
Cheap oil’s the disaster it is for Alberta because our province is so badly run
The decline in oil prices to the sub-$50-per-barrel level may not be a pleasant experience for those of us here in Alberta, especially the Progressive Conservative rulers of our province, but it does offer the potential for what might be called a useful teaching and learning moment for other Canadians. Read more at AlbertaPolitics.ca.
Posted inUncategorized
Peace, order and good government: Pondering John A. Macdonald’s legacy on his 200th birthday
Today, or possibly yesterday, is the 200th anniversary of the birth of John Macdonald, first prime minister of Canada, arguably the person most responsible for the creation of our country and surely the one who deserves the most credit for it surviving as long as it has. Read more at AlbertaPolitics.ca.