Posted inAlberta Politics

No threats to the Prentice PCs will be tolerated so MLA steps aside, NDP shut out of TV studio

Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, at right, prepares to deliver his solemn message to the people of Alberta this evening, while his voice coach from Navigator Inc. looks on. Actual PC politicians and their advisors may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Departing Tory MLA Naresh Bhardwaj (Edmonton Sun photo), NDP Leader Rachel Notley and one […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

When is a reorganization not a reorganization? When it’s at Alberta Health Services

PHOTOS: The scene in a typical rural Alberta hospital. (Actual rural Alberta health care facilities may not appear exactly as illustrated.) More health care decisions will be made locally when Alberta Health Services switches from zones to districts on July 1, or so they say. Below: Ambulance services, however, will be centralized even more. Below […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Forget tough talk on public sector salaries for now, another legislative pillar of the Redford Government topples

PHOTO: Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, flanked by Finance Minister Robin Campbell and Labour Minister Ric McIver, lays out the reasons he’d dumping the Redford Government’s Bill 45 at a news conference in Government House yesterday. Below: Thomas Lukaszuk and Dave Hancock. Flanked by Finance Minister Robin Campbell and Labour Minister Ric McIver, Alberta Premier Jim […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Passage of Bill 10 is not likely to be the end of the story for school gay-straight alliances

The surprising turnaround by the Prentice Government on gay-straight alliances in publicly funded schools is certainly a victory for common sense and the common decency of most Albertans. But the government’s unexpected decision to permit the passage on March 10 of legislation requiring all schools to let GSAs operate on school property if students felt […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Call the cops and clear the air: the PC Party cannot investigate accusations of criminality against its own member

PHOTOS: It’s time to pick up the phone and call in the cops. Below: Former Prentice cabinet member Naresh Bhardwaj, former Alberta premier Alison Redford, former Calgary Police chief Rick Hanson. Sorry, but it’s time to call in the police to investigate the bribery accusations against an MLA who was until last Friday a junior […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Guest Post: 44 years and counting … Alvin Finkel asks, Can Alberta’s Tories be stopped?

ILLUSTRATIONS: Election time in Alberta. Actual Progressive Conservative strategists and Alberta voters may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Retired Athabasca University history professor Alvin Finkel. A few months ago, I offered Alvin Finkel and a few other folks I respect the opportunity to write guest posts from time to time on what was then […]

Posted inCanadian Politics

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander delivers a troubling speech on Ukraine

PHOTOS: Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander begins his address to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in Toronto on Feb. 22 (Screenshot from Youtube video). Below: Andriy Parubiy, deputy chairperson of the Ukrainian parliament, meets Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson in Ottawa; retired Canadian diplomats Paul Heinbecker and Jeremy Kinsman. One of the principal talking […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Will it take a miracle to elect New Democrat Marie Renaud as St. Albert’s MLA? Maybe, but you just never can tell …

PHOTOS: NDP candidate Marie Renaud at yesterday’s St. Albert constituency association meeting. Below: Constituency association president Andrew Traynor and St. Albert Progressive Conservative MLA Stephen Khan. ST. ALBERT, Alberta Miracles do happen, or something close to them, Marie Renaud said Saturday at a remarkably well-attended Alberta New Democratic Party meeting in St. Albert’s community recreation […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Prentice had little choice but to skid cabinet member accused of bribery for now

PHOTOS: Edmonton-Ellerslie MLA Naresh Bhardwaj has left the Prentice cabinet while the party investigates accusations he offered a $10,000 bribe to a challenger for his riding’s PC nomination. Below: NDP Leader Rachel Notley and departing Wildrose MLA Shayne Saskiw. Under the circumstances, Premier Jim Prentice had little choice Friday but to ask Naresh Bhardwaj, associate […]

Posted inAlberta Politics

Unite-the-left pot starts to boil in Alberta, whether progressive parties like it or not

PHOTOS: Edmonton-Centre Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman holds up a mirror to the Progressive Conservative Party’s cracked austerity policies at a recent demonstration. Yesterday she announced she’d be running for three parties at the same time. BELOW: Brian Singh of 1abvote.ca, Calgary Centre Conservative MP Joan Crockatt and her federal Liberal challenger, Kent Hehr. Efforts to […]