PHOTOS: CNRL Executive Chairperson N. Murray Edwards, a billionaire. (Wikipedia photo). Below: Twitter gadfly Dave Beninger (Facebook grab), Law Professor Catherine Brown (University of Calgary photo), former Alberta Premier Alison Redford and billionaire hockey team owner Daryl Katz. Bottom: A typically fair and balanced story on one of the many front pages of the Edmonton-Calgary-Sun-Journal-Herald-Sun. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Questions without answers: Why are our U.S. allies so ambivalent about ISIS, and what does it mean for Canada?
PHOTOS: U.S. State Department spokesperson Mark Toner. (Screen grab from C-SPAN.) Below: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Conservative interim Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. For all we know, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a fine ophthalmologist with a sympathetic bedside manner. By all accounts, though, he is not a very nice person. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Tory victory in Calgary-Greenway riding turns ‘unite the right’ merger on Wildrose terms into political roadkill
PHOTOS: Progressive Conservative candidate Prabhdeep Gill, centre, celebrates after last night’s results were announced in the Calgary-Greenway by-election. (CBC photo.) Below: The night’s biggest loser, arguably, was Opposition Leader Brian Jean. (Manning Centre photo.) Below Mr. Jean: Conservative Sandra Jansen and former Liberal MLA Hugh McDonald. Last night’s clear victory by Progressive Conservative candidate Prabhdeep […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Whatever the outcome, today’s Calgary-Greenway by-election is sure to be a spinner’s dream
PHOTOS: Some of the candidates in today’s Calgary-Greenway by-election. (CBC photo) Below: Manmeet Bhullar, the PC MLA for the riding killed in a highway crash last November, NDP candidate Roop Rai and PC candidate Prabhdeep Gill. Today is the day of the by-election in Calgary-Greenway, called to replace Progressive Conservative MLA Manmeet Bhullar, who was […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Deplorable Wildrose attack on new government negotiator offers a glimpse of what party leaders really think
PHOTOS: Kevin Davediuk, whose appointment as a senior public sector negotiator by the Alberta Government was announced on March 9. (Screenshot of Global News broadcast.) Below: Recently retired Canadian ambassador to the United States Gary Doer and the late Dennis McDermott, Canadian ambassador to Ireland. The Wildrose Party’s troublingly vicious personal attack on Kevin Davediuk […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Retired journalist’s call to privatize control of Legislature media access unlikely to defuse controversy for NDP
PHOTOS: Former Canadian Press journalist Heather Boyd, author of yesterday’s report on media accreditation and access to the Alberta Legislature. Below: Right-wing Internet commentator Ezra Levant, who started the controversy that led to Ms. Boyd’s appointment by the Notley Government last month, and newsletter author and consultant Paul McLoughlin, the only independent member of the […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Throne Speech suggests Alberta NDP won’t let oil price crisis go completely to waste
PHOTOS: Status of Women Minister Stephanie McLean with her new son, Patrick, in the rotunda of the Alberta Legislature Building after yesterday’s Throne Speech. Below: Royal Canadian Artillery Band conductor Capt. Patrice Arsenault starts the proceedings on the right note; Tourism and Culture Minister Ricardo Miranda, Alberta’s first openly gay cabinet member, poses for a […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Study highlighting large and growing gender income gap makes grim reading on International Women’s Day
PHOTOS: Status of Women Minister Stephanie McLean, at left, announced the NDP Government’s plan to improve gender equality yesterday. (Government of Alberta photo.) Below: Queen’s University Law Professor Kathleen Lahey, the cover design of the Parkland study. Today is International Women’s Day, and it’s more than a little disheartening to learn on this date that […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Deconstructing political discourse in Alberta: Doublethink is alive and well in recessionary Wild Rose Country
PHOTOS: Parson Manning spreads the Gospel of Market Fundamentalism in his days as leader of the Reform Party of Alberta. The actual neoliberal preacher-men of Confederation may not appear exactly as illustrated. Photo grabbed from Elmer Gantry, the movie. Below: Brian Jean, leader of the Wildrose Opposition (from wildrose.ca); the prime minister Trudeau whose policies […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
What’s behind ‘Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation’ campaigns like its stunt calling for rollbacks in Alberta teachers’ pay?
PHOTOS: A typical Canadian Taxpayers Federation stunt, moved from place to place across Canada with the goal of undermining public services and speeding the race to the bottom. The picture at bottom right shows Alberta Wildrose Opposition Finance Critic Derek Fildebrandt in his previous role as CTF Alberta spokesthingy. Below: CTF Board member and anti-union […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Government asks Athabasca University to hold off on financial details; new minister to meet president
PHOTOS: A scene from Athabasca University’s 2015 Convocation ceremony, where the honorary degrees are handed out. Below: Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt, former AU Board chair and award recipient Barry Walker, AU President Peter MacKinnon, Wildrose Finance Critic and Tweeter Derek Fildebrandt, and Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark. What’s shakin’ at Athabasca University? Something is, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
There’s nothing ‘independent’ or ‘blue-ribbon’ about the Wildrose Party’s ‘Equalization Fairness Panel’
PHOTOS: How the Frontier Centre views Canada’s Equalization Program. Oh! Wait! That’s a 19th Century temperance poster. Same difference, basically. Below: The Wildrose Party’s four Frontier-Centre-associated “equalization fairness” panelists: Frank Atkins, Marco Navarro-Genie, David MacKinnon and Ben Eisen. All photos grabbed from right-wing think tank sites except Mr. Navarro-Genie’s, which comes from the CBC. All […]