Posted inAlberta Politics

Math is difficult; electoral calculus for Alberta’s Tories is getting harder by the day

PHOTOS: Tough, skeptical questions from the crowd in St. Albert, top and bottom. In the middle: NDP candidate Marie Renaud, PC MLA Steve Khan, Wildrose candidate Shelley Biermanski, all running in St. Albert, and Spruce Grove-St. Albert Alberta Party candidate Gary Hanna. ST. ALBERT, Alberta Math is difficult. Who would have thought a churlish reply […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

The Brian Jean Story: we’ve heard about the rags … why not the riches?

PHOTOS: Brian Jean in a screen grab taken during last Thursday’s Alberta leaders’ TV debate. Below: Mr. Jean with his mother, successful Fort McMurray businesswoman Frances Jean (grabbed from Fort McMurray Rotary Club webpage), former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer (CBC Photo), and former Parliamentary special assistant Kimberly Michelutti (Linked-in). If some recent news reports are […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Lurching Tory election machine hits new potholes as phone bills come due and justice minister ordered to quit

PHOTOS: Former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis. Below: Former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk. Eeeeew! Saturday was not a good day for Premier Jim Prentice’s sputtering Progressive Conservative election machine, which all of a sudden sounds as if it’s running on about three of eight cylinders. Tous le monde political Alberta was still abuzz with that […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Why the Tory premier attacked the NDP leader: The simplest explanation is the best

PHOTOS: Alberta Premier Jim Prentice and NDP Leader Rachel Notley face off during Thursday evening’s televised leader’s debate. (CBC photo) Below: Pollster Lorne Bozinoff. The principle is well understood that the simplest explanation is usually the right one. That’s why the reason Premier Jim Prentice focused his attack on NDP Leader Rachel Notley during Thursday […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

The Alberta leaders’ TV debate: Rachel Notley wins; Jim Prentice survives; Brian Jean loses …

NDP Leader Rachel Notley in a screenshot from last night’s televised Alberta leaders’ debate. Why does this woman look so cheerful? And why don’t the men? Below: Progressive Conservative Premier Jim Prentice, Wildrose Leader Brian Jean and Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann. Let me get this off my chest first: There were no knockouts. The […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Deconstructing tonight’s TV debate in advance: knockouts unlikely, but you just never know

ILLUSTRATIONS: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, who “most Albertans would have a hard time picking out of a police lineup of Leprechauns,” has the most incentive to try something wild and crazy tonight. Actual Alberta political leaders may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Premier Jim Prentice, NDP Leader Rachel Notley, Mr. Jean and […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Two Austerity Parties, One Guv’nor: In 2015, the only way to protect health care is to vote NDP

ILLUSTRATIONS: A typical Alberta voter considers the developing Wildrose and Tory positions on private health care. Below: Well-known Twitterist Danielle Smith, Wildrose Leader Brian Jean and PC Health Minister Stephen Mandel. In case you missed it amidst all the excitement over Progressive Conservative Premier Jim Prentice’s literal bus wreck of a campaign, the leader of […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Prentice PCs’ flip-flop on charity tax credit cut shows early-election justification was pure baloney

PHOTOS: Alberta Premier Jim Prentice demonstrates his solid stance on his PC Party’s ‘transformative’ budget as fascinated Alberta voters look on. Actual Prentice maneuvers may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Mr. Prentice (iconic Dave Cournoyer photo, used with permission) just passin’ through … Have I got this right? Jim Prentice, who had […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

There’s plenty of opposition to Alberta’s PCs – the question is, which way will it break?

PHOTOS: With the NDP generating plenty of excitement, Leader Rachel Notley announces her party’s fiscal plan to a large gathering of journalists at Sunday afternoon’s news conference. Below: Ms. Notley during the short meeting, Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean (grabbed from the Wildrose website). Judging from the polls we’ve seen, not to mention the behaviour […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

NDP gains traction, Wildrose comes close to full slate, but don’t count PCs out yet, promising polls notwithstanding

PHOTOS: NDP Leader Rachel Notley commands the attention of delegates today at the Alberta Federation of Labour’s biennial convention in Calgary (Olav Rokne photo). Below: Ms. Notley again, at a recent event in Edmonton; political strategist Stephen Carter; former Alberta premier Ed Stelmach, the guy who may have had no plan but won anyway. According […]