Now that he’s unintentionally appointed himself Calgary Public Transit Czar, Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen is starting to sound as if he’d really prefer to shed the responsibility. Too bad, though, as we’ve already explained, it’s that pesky Pottery Barn Rule: If you break it, you own it. Readers will recall that on Sept. 3, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
In surprise announcement, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith lurches toward big spending on new schools
Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Government must have received one hell of a blast from parents about the appalling crowding in Alberta’s schools when classes started two weeks ago, judging from the policy lurch Alberta’s premier revealed last night in a hastily cobbled together TV announcement. In her 10-minute pre-recorded remarks – her little video was […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith muses about the CPP; Brian Jean ponders a well-cleanup bailout; is there a line between those dots?
Is it just me, or are other Albertans unnerved by how soon it was after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was publicly musing about how hard it is for the United Conservative Party to get its paws on our Canada Pension Plan funds that her energy minister was ruminating in public about how Alberta’s highly profitable […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Dan Williams heads out today on a junket to Washington D.C. – not much is likely to be accomplished
Addiction and Mental Health Minister Dan Williams jets off to Washington D.C. today to, by the sound of it, attend a gala reception at the chichi Mayflower Hotel tomorrow night. Yes, the Alberta Government’s news release Friday said the purpose of Mr. Williams’ junket is “to meet with elected officials, community leaders, lawmakers and practitioners […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith: Alberta welcomes newcomers, but only if they ‘possess our shared values’
“Alberta has always welcomed newcomers who possess our shared values,” Premier Danielle Smith says in a statement published on the Government’s official web page yesterday. “Who possess our shared values!” What values would those be, pray? I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a louder dog-whistle from an elected official […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
How long have we waited to see a candidate in a televised debate open a can of whoop-ass on an opponent like Kamala Harris did?
In modern politics, televised debates are usually unenlightening, uninteresting and undermine democracy. If they are even mildly entertaining, with one participant or the other landing a light punch, it is only rarely. At worst, they are stultifying, with a couple of seasoned pros probing each other’s defences, dodging and weaving, and playing rope-a-dope without ever […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Smith complains to feds about looming Air Canada strike, never mind that other airline
Perhaps feeling as if she’d enjoyed a little success yelling at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about last month’s national rail lockout, Danielle Smith was back at it this week, demanding on social media that the feds do something to end the possibility of a strike by Air Canada pilots. Maybe she’s persuaded it was her […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Former Alberta health minister Tyler Shandro pops up again as ‘senior advisor’ to health consulting company
Former Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro has resurfaced (re-resurfaced, actually) as a “senior advisor” to a company called Santis Health. And what is Santis Health, you ask? Well, according to the Toronto-based company, it’s “a public affairs, strategic advisory, public policy, marketing and communication consultancy that is dedicated to providing first-class counsel and support for […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Transportation minister’s sudden defunding of Calgary’s Green Line LRT project triggers ‘Pottery Barn Rule’
When Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen sent his letter to Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek last Tuesday telling her the province was pulling its promised $1.53-billion contribution to the Green Line light rail transit project, he triggered the Pottery Barn Rule. If you break it, you own it. Mr. Dreeshen, Premier Danielle Smith, and the rest […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Shannon Phillips, former NDP environment minister, teams up with well-known Conservative and Liberal strategists
Former Alberta NDP environment minister Shannon Phillips announced on social media today she is joining a policy advisory firm with Conservative political advisor Ken Boessenkool and his Liberal equivalent Tyler Meredith. The firm is to be called Meredith, Boessenkool & Phillips. All three are smart policy-oriented political operators with lots of experience, so they’ll probably […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Breaking UCP promise, Devin Dreeshen pulls plug on $1.5B provincial grant to Calgary Green Line
Let’s try to figure this out: On July 29, Calgary’s $6.3-billion Green Line light rail transit extension project was worthwhile enough for Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen to assure Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek in a letter that the promised $1.53-billion grant from the province “will not be reduced or pro-rated” as long as the project […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Hope y’all had a great Labour Day/Labor Day, fellow Albertans, while our premier popped up in Texas
While Albertans celebrated the traditional final long weekend of the summer amid unseasonable heat, Premier Danielle Smith popped up in Texas, all but ignoring the occasion. This is pretty much standard operating procedure for the United Conservative Party anyway, Labour Day being too much associated with organized labour for their ideological comfort. Last Friday, an […]