O Tempora! O Mores! In the great scheme of things, the fact a United Conservative Party cabinet minister referred to one of her constituents in a private conversation with an office staffer as a “motherfucker” is of nearly total insignificance. Public discourse in Alberta, and generally throughout North America in the age of Donald Trump, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Desperate to hide what they’ve become, UCP goes to court to stop MLAs from calling themselves ‘progressive conservatives’
All the words of our magnificent English language have meanings, and those words and their meanings belong to all of us who speak and write in English. Which is to say I can declare myself to be a progressive conservative if I wish, and those of you who read this column are free to debate […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Are Mark Carney and Danielle Smith playing Grey Cup football footsie about that bitumen pipeline scheme?
Is it just me, or are Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suddenly acting like a couple of kids from rival high schools who’ve noticed they both think the other one is kinda cute? Or are they just being cute with the rest of us and putting off their much anticipated […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Devin Dreeshen, UCP transportation minister, has a plan to make Alberta’s highways even more dangerous
There’s no question Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen will make Alberta’s highways deadlier with his plan to raise speed limits in several locations. He’s already made them more dangerous with his half-baked decision to eliminate photo radar on provincial highways and restrict its use at intersections, a policy that took effect, appropriately, on April Fool’s Day. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Asymmetrical political warfare comes to Alberta in the form of recall campaigns targeting UCP politicians
Trying to challenge the United Conservative Party Government’s misuse of the Charter’s notorious Notwithstanding Clause may be a waste of time and money, but using the UCP’s ridiculous recall legislation as a strategy against the perpetrators is clearly rattling Premier Danielle Smith and her ministers and MLAs. This is an example of asymmetrical political warfare […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Brouhaha over N.S. MP’s floor crossing descends into he-said/they-said story … who to believe?
The brouhaha over the departure of Acadie-Annapolis MP Chris d’Entremont from the Opposition benches in the House of Commons to the government side has now descended into a he-said/they-said story. Mr. d’Entrement says Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer and Whip Chris Warkentin barged into his office last Tuesday, nearly bowling over his assistant, proceeded to […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
MP Matt Jeneroux: a harbinger of Conservative leadership crises?
If, as seems likely, Edmonton Riverbend MP Matt Jeneroux’s announcement he’s departing federal politics next spring is a harbinger of a leadership crisis within the Conservative Party of Canada, the circumstances have a feeling of déjà vu. After all, Mr. Jeneroux has done this kind of thing before, back when he was a one-term Progressive […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
With sides ‘very far apart,’ AUPE health care workers vote 98% for strike if there’s no deal soon
Last week and over the weekend, Licensed Practical Nurses, Health Care Aides and many other health care workers represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees at public facilities throughout the province voted 98 per cent in favour of striking if a collective agreement can’t be reached in mediation. The vote result must still be […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Sounds as if the UCP will soon pull the plug on its recall election, now that government MLAs are on the receiving end
It sure sounds as if Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party will soon rip a page from the Book of Depression era Social Credit premier William Aberhart and repeal the province’s recall legislation as soon as possible, now that it’s being used against UCP MLAs. Leastways, in an Oct. 31 social media post with a strong […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Albertans may eventually suffer from petition fatigue – but not just yet!
Sooner or later, Albertans are probably going to start to suffer from petition fatigue. But not just yet. Too many of us are having too much fun with the understanding that, sometimes, turn about really can be fair play. Last month, Elections Alberta approved a petition in the Calgary-Bow riding to recall United Conservative Party […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Donald Trump’s regime change plan for Venezuela spells bad news for Alberta’s oilsands
Now that Premier Danielle Smith’s favourite foreign autocrat appears to be on the brink of transforming himself from a successful “peace candidate” into a war president, it would behoove folks here in Wild Rose Country to remember why American-imposed regime change in Venezuela is bad news for Alberta. Anyone who has paid even casual attention […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Forever Canadian campaign delivers petition forms signed by 456,365 citizens to Elections Alberta
When Thomas Lukaszuk said he could bring Elections Alberta pro-Canada petition forms signed by 300,000 Albertans in the three months allowed by the United Conservative Party’s “citizen initiative” legislation, there were many who said it couldn’t be done. Premier Danielle Smith’s openly separatist political allies laughed at the former Progressive Conservative deputy premier and called […]