While Albertans have been in flap over the state of the province’s oilsands industry, the Big Five Oilsands extraction corporations have been raking in billions. “Despite the 2014 oil price crash and the ongoing hand-wringing over pipelines and the price differential, the reality is the Big Five oilsands producers have remained incredibly profitable corporations,” says […]
Posted inBestsellers
Translating Air, poetry by Edmonton’s Kath MacLean, tops Audreys Books Edmonton Fiction Bestseller List
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton for the week ended Nov. 4, 2018. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. Translating Air – Kath MacLean * 2. A Season Among Psychics – Elizabeth […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Even with Democrats controlling the House, Trumpism is the new normal – probably in Canada, too
American Republicans mostly hitched their wagons to Donald Trump’s dark star in this year’s U.S. mid-term elections, and notwithstanding passage of control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats it has worked remarkably well for them. If you imagine this lesson is lost on Canadian movement conservatives, think again. The politics of Trumpism were […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Disillusioned with discipline, MLA from Calgary vows not to sit in Legislature, is swiftly ejected from NDP caucus
Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian aphorist and theoretician of war, famously observed that “war is the continuation of politics by other means.” Something like the opposite – that politics is the prosecution of war by other means, or darn close anyway – is likely true as well. I hope I offend no gentle readers by […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
‘Son of a rich farmer’ outrage fails to trump embarrassing questions for Jason Kenney about UCP candidate attitudes
When Alberta Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt was tossed out of the Legislature Wednesday morning for supposedly insulting an Opposition MLA, the kerfuffle that resulted obviously came as welcome relief to United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney. In recent weeks, Mr. Kenney has often been on the run, sometimes almost literally, from questions by journalists […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Which is better, hate crimes or war crimes? The Beaverton nailed the Munk Debate two months ago
For what was supposed to be a fresh news story, an old report from the Beaverton circulating on social media yesterday actually came closest to accurately describing what went on in the so-called debate last night between alt-right U.S. political agitator Stephen Bannon and the neoliberal propagandist David Frum. The Beaverton is a Canadian news-satire […]
Posted inBestsellers
For the Changing Moon, poems and songs by Anna Marie Sewell, tops Audreys Edmonton bestsellers fiction list this week
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton for the week ended Oct. 28, 2018. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and provided by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. EDMONTON FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. For the Changing Moon (poetry) – Anna Marie Sewell * 2. Want – […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Want to know how to deal with Steve Bannon? Oddly enough, Jason Kenney has the answer!
Want to know how to deal with the irresponsible refusal by the organizers of the so-called Munk Debate to cancel their invitation to former Trump election strategist Steve Bannon to come to Canada and spew his racist dreck around our country? Follow the example of Jason Kenney! In most circumstances, the last thing a sane […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
NDP introduces to post-secondary tuition-fee setting a measure of fairness for students
Alberta’s Legislature returned to work yesterday as Rachel Notley’s NDP Government got the ball rolling with a bill that will keep a lid on post-secondary tuition and ensure foreign students don’t get stuck with unscheduled tuition increases part way through their studies. This may be a long way from what’s really needed to strengthen our […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
No apologies: Rachel Notley sure didn’t sound as if she were conceding anything at campaign-style speech Sunday
In what was probably the first speech of the 2019 Alberta provincial election campaign, if not quite officially, Premier Rachel Notley was comfortable, confident, funny, hopeful, energized, charismatic, fiery and, yes, inspiring. She sounded, in other words, like a winner. By any measure, it was a terrific speech. And the racket from the packed ballroom […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Former NDP leader Brian Mason says farewell with words of wisdom and warning
Former Alberta New Democratic Party leader Brian Mason has been a gale force presence in Alberta politics for so long it’s hard to imagine the place without him. Yet there he was yesterday at lunchtime, on stage in the ballroom of Edmonton’s Westin Hotel, saying farewell to politics, the NDP he led in the provincial […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Backstory from 2014 explains why Alberta car dealers might want to unseat the NDP
Many Albertans were shocked to learn last week that Opposition Leader Jason Kenney had promised an auto dealers association pouring money into a political action committee supporting his United Conservative Party that if elected he would hand enforcement of vehicle sale consumer protection back to the dealers. Twenty-six Alberta car and truck dealerships are reported […]