At the end of their exertions, even the reliable team of neoliberal apparatchiks assembled by Premier Danielle Smith’s favourite economist last June couldn’t come up with a “scenario” in which Alberta separation could be made to look like a good idea. The final report on the cost of Alberta separating from Canada by the “independent […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Modest success of the Progressive Tory Party candidate in Calgary-Shaw may be bad omen for UCP
On the day of the Calgary-Shaw by-election, a photo began to appear on social media of United Conservative Party candidate Mike Derry’s campaign manager, Craig Chandler, planting signs begging Conservatives not to split their vote in the riding. “Don’t split the vote! Vote UCP!” urged the message, which showed up close to official signs encouraging […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
NDP wins Calgary-Shaw by-election in closely fought contest
Alberta NDP candidate Kyle Campbell won the Calgary-Shaw by-election last night, beating the United Conservative Party’s Mike Derry in a contest that looked too close for comfort most of the evening as vote numbers trickled onto Elections Alberta’s website. But the final unofficial result – 7,461 votes for Mr. Campbell to 6,879 for Mr. Derry […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Tomorrow is by-election day in Calgary-Shaw; voters there have an opportunity to spank the UPC – but will they?
Tomorrow is by-election day in Calgary-Shaw. Voters in that riding in the city’s far south will have an opportunity not just to spank the United Conservative Party of Premier Danielle Smith for its devotion to private health care, open-pit coal mining, AI data centres and questionable ethics, but to send a message to Donald Trump […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Despite UCP scheme to fuel AI data centres, there’s nothing wrong with Crown corporations
Admittedly, the revelation by The Narwhal yesterday that Alberta’s United Conservative Party Government is seriously pondering a scheme to create public corporations to build and operate pipelines to carry natural gas to a multitude of AI data centres across the province, and to force private companies to invest in the project, comes as a shocker. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
The lies Alberta separatists tell: A Top Ten List
There’s a substantial and growing body of economic research that separation would be a catastrophe for Alberta and Albertans, especially working people. As economist Jim Stanford observed in his Aug. 31 report on the false promises made by Alberta’s separatists and the grave risks their scheme presents, “economists are unanimous that the costs of establishing […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Blame Ottawa? Most of Alberta’s economic discontent has roots in policies cooked up right here at home
Conventional wisdom in Canadian political and media circles seems to be that Albertans are almost to a man and woman deeply discontented with their relationship with the rest of Canada. Yet recent polling about the divisive and deceptively worded separation referendum foisted on Albertans by their province’s now separatist dominated United Conservative Party Government strongly […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Separatist ‘transition plan’ is propaganda intended to create a sense of reassurance and inevitability
On Thursday, a mostly anonymous group of some 47 individuals identifying themselves as “the Alberta Transition Council” dropped a document they called “The Alberta Transition Plan, a Practical Analysis of Alberta’s Transition from Province to an Independent Country.” Only two authors are named in the document, St. Albert lawyer Keith Wilson, a leader of the […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
UCP slaps ‘punitive tax’ on solar panels, opening new front in its War on Renewable Energy
Never let it be said that the Alberta’s United Conservative Party government isn’t in favour of recycling stuff – at least as long as that can be used to create higher costs and more red tape to help strangle the development of renewable energy. Yesterday, the UCP opened a new front in its War on […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith’s official message kept changing yesterday – what the heck was that about?
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith marked the “Alberta Day” moment in time with a couple of significantly different official messages and an apocalyptic prophecy. Yesterday morning at 10 o’clock, an email from the government showed up in journalists’ email accounts bearing Ms. Smith’s official Alberta Day message. This was obviously considered important enough to be reproduced […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Good morning, my fellow Albertans! Happy Alberta Day!
Good morning, my fellow Albertans! Happy Alberta Day! (Such as it is.) No, you can’t sleep in. Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney’s lame celebration is a “recognized commemorative day.” So, no day off for you. And no overtime either. Better get crackin’! The legal holiday is next Monday. You know, Labour Day, a national holiday. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Impact of Meta AI data centre could add up to $460 a year to the typical Albertan’s electricity bill: Pembina Institute
Oddly, Alberta media seem to have had very little to say about the new analysis by the Pembina Institute that the $13-billion Artificial Intelligence data centre planned by Meta Platforms Inc. in Sturgeon County could add from $270 to $460 a year to Albertans’ electricity bills once the hyperscale installation has powered up. “At the […]