Jason Kenney actually had some good news to impart yesterday – that the rollout of Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine will commence in Alberta on Friday. Instead, Alberta’s premier spent most of his time at the microphone at an afternoon news conference about the vaccine delivering an unhinged diatribe about environmentalist David Suzuki, whom Mr. Kenney […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
What is it about environmentalist and scholar David Suzuki that makes Alberta Conservatives lose their minds?
What is it about David Suzuki that makes Alberta’s Conservatives lose their minds? On Saturday, the high-profile Vancouver-based scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster spoke at a protest in Victoria where he warned of the possibility of violence if politicians keep failing to act against climate change. During the “funeral for the future,” Dr. Suzuki gave a […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Alberta’s UCP may not be all that united, but Jason Kenney’s position is more secure than it was a week ago
The agenda for the final day of the United Conservative Party annual general meeting yesterday showed “Catholic and Protestant Service” at 9 a.m., followed by election readiness training for the rest of the day. Presumably delegates who took part in the devotions prayed hard for providence to smile on their troubled party at least one […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Jason Kenney’s keynote didn’t amount to much beyond the usual bromides and braggadocio
Jason Kenney’s keynote speech at the United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting yesterday didn’t amount to much more than the usual Conservative bromides, empty promises, and unjustified braggadocio. Typical headlines for the day’s efforts emphasized the unity theme: “Alberta premier urges unity among UCP members ahead of April leadership review,” said the CBC. Under the […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Interesting times for Jason Kenney: Premier’s loyalists fail to defang rebel constituency associations
The motion that would have quickly solved Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s most pressing political problem failed to pass last night at the United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting near Calgary. The constitutional amendment proposed by the Edmonton-North West UCP constituency association, which is headed by Premier Kenney’s communications manager, would have raised the number of […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Expecting a battle royale over Jason Kenney’s fate at this weekend’s UCP annual general meeting? Don’t bet on it!
Whatever happens to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in the weeks and months ahead, the smart money’s on him winning every fight at the United Conservative Party annual general meeting that starts tonight near Calgary. So don’t get your hopes up that the AGM will turn into a battle royale that’ll make the great Canadian Liberal […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Does spat between once-simpatico columnist and Jason Kenney signal the end of the road for Alberta’s premier?
Et tu, Brute? Was political columnist Rick Bell’s news conference question yesterday about allegations of cash being funnelled from political action committees to Jason Kenney’s supporters in advance of this weekend’s United Conservative Party annual general meeting a sign the end is near for Alberta’s increasingly unpopular premier? Or was it, and the sharp response […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Former Conservative PM Stephen Harper reported planning ‘activist fund’ with protégé of ‘Evil Captain Kirk’
Stephen Harper, the former Canadian Conservative Prime Minister, plans to team up with a protégé of Carl Icahn, the notorious vulture capitalist and destroyer of American jobs. Mr. Harper and Courtney Mather will launch an “activist fund,” Bloomberg News reported, based on information from an unidentified person said to have knowledge of the matter. Bloomberg […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Alberta signs on to federal child care deal its premier once mocked as ‘9-to-5, urban, government and union-run institutional daycare’
Premier Jason Kenney didn’t look all that cheerful at yesterday’s announcement Alberta had finally signed on to participate in the Trudeau Government’s national $10-a-day-child-care program. While the premier fidgeted in the background, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the other federal Liberal politicians at the morning news conference in Edmonton seemed genuinely delighted that $3.8 billion […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Rest in Peace, ‘Grassroots Guarantee’ – Jason Kenney’s famous promise is gone with the wind
You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but, as Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have observed, you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Back in the summer of 2017, when he stood up in the parking lot of […]
Posted inBestsellers
Joshua Whitehead’s Jonny Appleseed is back atop independent booksellers’ fiction bestseller list for week ended Nov. 7
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. The lists are compiled by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and include sales at Audreys Books and Glass Bookshop in Edmonton. ALBERTA FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. Jonny Appleseed – Joshua Whitehead (Arsenal […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Brian Jean, the Bonnie Prince Charlie of the Alberta conservative movement, takes up residence in Jason Kenney’s head
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney insists his former leadership rival Brian Jean’s planned palace coup to snatch away the crown of the United Conservative Party isn’t about to distract him from his duty to restore Alberta’s swagger. But despite tweeting his agreement Wednesday with a fatuous National Post article claiming “Alberta’s swagger is back,” Mr. Kenney […]