With the announcement of the Freedom Conservative Party’s election platform yesterday, leader Derek Fildebrandt appears to have taken Alberta’s already bizarre case of Trudeau Derangement Syndrome to a new level – one that is actually deranged! To do so, Mr. Fildebrandt had to execute a rare political triple flip-flop. Well, desperate times call for desperate […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
About the cost of operating that truck convoy: Was it a political donation, and was it strictly legal?
I have questions about that massive truck protest convoy in south Edmonton yesterday, the one that tied up commuter traffic and prevented people from reaching Edmonton International Airport and just happened to take place at the same time as a visit to the neighbourhood by federal Opposition leader Andrew Scheer. Some people will think me […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
FAQ: Perfesser Dave returns after a long absence to explain Alberta Politics to the Rest of Canada
Some stories are just too confusing for ordinary bloggers to explain. That’s when we turn to the expert knowledge offered by distinguished academics such as Perfesser Dave, The Answer Guy™, Canada’s No. 1 expert on Alberta politics. As a result of his years of studying Alberta politics, Perfesser Dave knows practically everything there is to […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Athabasca University and its faculty approach an impasse in bargaining; the province drops a hint of what might be next
Is Alberta’s NDP Government getting ready to bring some serious pressure to bear if that’s what it takes to get a contract agreement between Athabasca University’s administration and its faculty association? If I’m right about the meaning of changes to the Athabasca University Regulation ordered by the provincial cabinet last week, it would be a […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
With friends like these … it’s sure depressing to compare Canada in 1979 to the U.S. in 2018
Canadians of a certain vintage will clearly remember “the Canadian Caper,” that dangerous moment in 1979 when our diplomats put their lives on the line to smuggle six of their American colleagues out of revolutionary Iran. Given the situation in Iran – revolutionaries storming the U.S. Embassy, diplomats held hostage, the revolutionary government unable to […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Alberta separation: Are Russian bots messing with our province, or just homegrown right-wing agitators?
Are Russian bots behind the recent busy social media campaign to persuade Albertans they want to separate from Canada, a la Brexit? Or is this just the work of right-wing Canadian agitators using well-tested digital agitprop techniques to undermine the Liberal Government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? You can’t rule out Russian bots entirely, or […]
Posted inBestsellers
Indian Horse by the late Richard Wagamese tops Audreys Books Edmonton Bestseller List for week ended Dec. 9
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton for the week ended Dec. 9, 2018. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. Indian Horse – Richard Wagamese 2. Washington Black – Esi Edugyan 3. Kingdom […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Some personal thoughts on Marie Renaud’s victory at last night’s St. Albert NDP nomination vote
St. Albert, Alberta I hope readers will forgive me if I don’t do my usual newsroom shtick and instead just make a few personal observations about last night’s NDP nomination meeting here in St. Albert, where I live. I won’t keep you in suspense. Marie Renaud, MLA for St. Albert, won the nomination for the […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Defeated in UCP nomination battle, Highwood MLA Wayne Anderson takes complaint to Elections Alberta
Is it just seasonal, or is this the new normal? No, I’m not talking about the weather and climate change. I’m talking about the daily stream of revelations about unsavoury goings on inside Alberta’s United Conservative Party under the leadership of Jason Kenney. Highwood MLA Wayne Anderson has filed a formal complaint with Elections Alberta […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Why is the UCP keeping the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties on life support?
Inquiring minds want to know: Why is Opposition Leader Jason Kenney keeping the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose Parties around? Media generally refer to Mr. Kenney as the United Conservative Party leader. But in reality, he’s the leader of the United Conservative Party, the Progressive Conservative Party and the Wildrose Party, so why not UCP-PC-Wildrose leader? […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Former UCP MLA alleges ‘suspicious donations’ from PAC associated with Jason Kenney used in 2017 to undermine Brian Jean
Calgary-Greenway MLA Prab Gill used the final Question Period of the fall 2018 session of the Alberta Legislature Thursday to allege that “more than $40,000 in very suspicious donations” was given to a United Conservative Party leadership candidate to undermine candidate Brian Jean. Mr. Jean was the former leader of the Wildrose Party. Jason Kenney, […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Think rail cars, guns and Liberals, this stuff will hit the fan!
Having bought Canada a pipeline it may or may not want at considerable expense, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to spend political capital on Alberta as well, now saying the federal government is prepared to help the province finance the purchase of additional railroad tanker cars to raise the volume of crude it can ship […]