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 […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
In Flanders Fields? It’s time to encourage another generation of school kids to read some better poems from the Great War
A civilization that forgets its poetry is barely worthy of the name. Like fiction and unlike non-fiction, poetry is how a culture’s most profound truths are told. Unlike fiction, poetry does this vital work with great economy of words. That is why all great civilizations honour their great poets. Those that forget their poetry – […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
That office drinking scandal? Just never mind! Jason Kenney launches job program update in Calgary pub
No wonder they call it the Liquor Cabinet! You’d think it might have occurred to someone in the United Conservative Party strategic brain trust to factor former agriculture minister Devin Dreeshen’s very recent, very public troubles with office drinking into the equation when they decided to hold a news conference about a part-time employment wage […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Edmonton officials want another $3-million sole-source advertising deal with Postmedia – they should do better
With the implication there’s no alternative solution, Edmonton’s city administration has asked City Council’s Executive Committee to ratify a $3-million sole-source contract with Postmedia tomorrow to provide print and digital advertising to the city for another three years. After all, says the administration’s report, we’ve been putting ads in the Edmonton Journal for 20 years, […]
Posted inBestsellers
Edmonton author Theresa Shea’s The Shade Tree tops Alberta independent bookshops’ bestseller list for week ended Oct. 31
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, Oct. 31, 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. The Shade Tree – Theresa Shea […]