It’s a hard knock life, Alberta, but it doesn’t have to be
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean It’s politically advantageous to set the narrative but the reality is not so forgiving. After Moody’s Investor Services downgraded Alberta’s credit rating for […]
“We were kids in the Reform Party when we first met”
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean My confirmation bias senses are tingling. In a recent interview with CBC, Stephen Harper’s former campaign director Jenni Byrne spoke about the growing […]
“NO CONFLICT” says Alberta Justice Minister
When the Kenney government dropped Bill 22 on the table last week, some were surprised they decided to relieve the Election Commissioner who has dogged […]
CPC and the politics of choice
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer hasn’t exactly been a beacon of “unity” since the October election although he says his caucus […]
Parents to UCP: Show me the money
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean As Alberta parents brace for increased school fees, Premier Jason Kenney keeps saying his government did not cut education funding. Yet the following […]
Kenney expenses political capital with Bill 22 – to save himself
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean Political capital is the leeway Parties or Party leaders get from voters when they do something their supporters might not agree with. If […]
Alberta’s Bill 207 and a new existential crisis
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean As many have pointed out over the past week since the United Conservative Party introduced Bill 207, the Bill to strengthen conscience rights […]
Former Kenney staffer introduces conscience rights Bill; commentators upset Scheer questioned on religious beliefs
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean Some might say they have nothing to do with the other. I would disagree. Bill 207, the “Conscience Rights Bill” or “Patient Abandonment […]
That’s All, Coach
My parents watched hockey, faithfully. From the basement, I could keep score by the groans/stomping/squealing/screaming upstairs. My grandmother thought Cherry was an ass. I didn’t […]
Alberta government admits its policies are hurting investment
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean Sonya Savage, Alberta’s Minister of Energy held a press conference Friday morning to announce new drilling of conventional oil wells will not be […]
OPINION: Go Right, Green Party
The Green Party of Canada needs a hard-right turn. Not to the extremes that the Conservative Party has taken but they need to drift closer […]
Kenney’s Plan Delivers More Cuts, More Debt and Less Jobs
Those paying attention during the 2015 general election in Alberta would remember Brian Jean’s infamous lines during the leader’s debate; “the Wildrose will not raise […]
Trudeau isn’t Killing Investment in Alberta – Kenney is
On Tuesday, October 22, Husky Energy laid off ‘dozens‘ of staff in their Calgary office. The usual Kenney-media suspects have been silent. Rick Bell said […]
Alberta’s Economy on Track to get Better and Better
“Budgets are political documents.” ~ Trevor Tombe It’s probably one of the most fluffed-up accounting documents we ever get to see. In between the spattering […]
Unintended Consequences are the Worst
It hasn’t even been 48 hours since a Liberal minority government was elected but you may have heard about the burgeoning, or exploding, separation movement […]
Alberta Government Draws Shades to Throw Shade on Albertans
The Alberta government has introduced a number of ways to ignore its citizens; from inserting earplugs during debates to drawing the shades in their offices […]
Canadians Reject Fear – if Polls can be Believed
In post-electoral reform Canada, the numbers are amazing. Andrew Coyne recently tweeted that, in 42 federal elections, the two main parties had never had less […]
CPC Promises to Reduce Spending and Cubicle Space
The Conservative Party of Canada released its platform today announcing $53 billion in decreased spending. On the chopping block are inefficiencies, waste and luxury cubicles. […]
“Let Them Eat Pizza”
“The only thing better than a slice of pizza is my plan to help you get ahead. That’s what I’ll deliver – more money in […]
Federal Party Leaders thankful they can focus on other provinces
Federal party leaders breathed a sigh of relief after a recent EKOS poll confirmed none of them need to bother campaigning in Alberta or Saskatchewan. […]
This Week in Canadian Politics: But Which Party is Most Racist?
It’s the age old question, and one that, frankly, we aren’t quite sure why we’re trying to answer in the second millennium. Oh, that’s right; […]
Apologies No Longer Accepted, Says Scheer
Since the Liberals are now in the hot seat for egregious errors in judgement, Scheer has rescinded his pledge to forgive people who apologize. “I […]
Alberta Inquiry Commissioner Begs Albertans to Stop Reporting Jason Kenney
“It has to stop,” Alberta Inquiry Commissioner Steve Allan sobbed. “Why don’t these people understand that there’s ‘good’ foreign investment and ‘bad’ foreign investment?” The […]
Alberta’s Father Figure Warns UofL Not to Squander Science Commons Opportunity
Balloons, music and cake, do not a happy father-figure make. ~unknown The University of Lethbridge was excited. On Friday, after almost a decade of planning, […]
Nothing to See Here, Premier Tells Amnesty International
In a scathing response to Amnesty International, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney used the only thing available to a puffed-up little bully who is justifying the […]
Report an Albertan: Behind the Laughter
Albertans, and Canadians, had some laughs yesterday with the #ReportAnAlbertan hashtag. Underneath the mockery, however, is a very real attack on Canadian citizens. Premier Jason […]
UCP Launches Environmental Practices Snitch Line
It’s not as catchy as the “Barbaric Cultural Practices Hotline” but it’s just as edgy and the UCP wants YOU to share your personal anecdotes, […]
Blue Ribbon Panel Recommends Ending Alberta Advantage
Ralph Klein’s legacy is more than austerity followed by spending like tomorrow was never going to arrive. It’s more than paying down the debt thanks […]
Blue Ribbon Panel Might Make You Blue Too
It’s no surprise the panel tasked with cutting spending found the government spends too much. What’s on the chopping block? Healthcare, K-12 education, post-secondary, the […]
Alberta’s Q1 Fiscal Update Fits in a Nutshell
In the final week before school starts, it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that few people were paying attention to Alberta’s fiscal update. Personally, […]
Third Party Advertiser Shocked it Got What it Paid For
In a tragic case of mistaken capitalism, third Party advertiser, True North Strong and Free, says it does not support the content it collected donations […]
Liberals Admit Carbon is Not Increasing, Or Not; Point: Conservatives
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna denied the carbon tax would increase and then appeared to deny denying it but has since clarified that she denies denying […]
Have we Forgotten?
Social media was abuzz after an Alberta MLA quoted a quote from a Global News article. The MLA in question, Mr. Grant Hunter, deleted the […]
No Offence, Ladies, But…
Five qualified women are going to moderate the English federal Leader’s Debate in October. Yes, there are five, yes, they are qualified and yes, they are […]
Conservatives Hoping to Fight Another Alberta NDP Campaign Strategy
After a video of Andrew Scheer’s anti-same sex marriage speech hit social media this week, Conservative Campaign Manager Hamish Marshall sent Alberta Premier Jason Kenney […]
Why I Support SOGI 123
While I was researching some background information for an interview coming up this week, I happened upon this letter to the editor. It was written […]
Summer of Repeal Segues into Fall of UCP
Alberta Minister Sonya Savage said she was “disappointed” energy companies were not using their tax break to create jobs in the province. Unfortunately, the UCP’s […]
Election Commissioner’s Report Provokes Standard Anti-Business Backlash From Conservatives
Alberta Conservatives are outraged that a non-oil and gas company, who is not headquartered in Calgary, could possibly benefit from government representation. After electing the […]
Charles Adler’s Not Playing Ball
I don’t know Charles Adler personally or professionally. I did, however, ask him for an interview which he politely declined. I pay attention to politics. […]
Tens of Albertans Try to Join Republican Party After Confusing Premier’s Office Twitter for Trump
A few petulant twitter accounts claiming to be from Alberta were saddened to discover they could not become registered Republicans in the United States. It […]
Calgary Pride has Rejected its Roots
The news came down earlier this week that Calgary Pride was not going to allow any political Party to march in the Parade this September. […]
Let’s Talk About Bias
The premise is: I’m biased, you’re biased and so is everyone else; now, we can begin. People get so upset at others pointing out the […]
Spoiler Alert: I’m Racist
All at once, we can be both mortified and introspective about everything the President of the United States says. Granted, it is unlikely the latter […]
Jason Luan, the Face of Mental Health and Addictions Cuts
There’s an interesting debate being sparked in Alberta over safe consumption sites. That debate isn’t about whether we should have them or not. It isn’t […]
True Lies: Alberta’s Premier Edition
All news to be buried shall be released on the Friday afternoon before a long weekend. ~ Government Decree, probably. It is a long-standing tradition […]
Politics Is Not a Team Sport; They Work For Us. Period.
As we head into a federal election Canadians are being blessed with warnings about political bots and micro-targeting on social media, and as a bonus, […]
“Sponsored Content” Looks a Lot Like Government Lobbying
Albertans may recall at the end of May this year when Post Media hired Jason Kenney’s former chief of staff Nick Koolsbergen to lobby the […]
Maybe the Rest of Canada Could Use Some Ear Plugs Now Too, Premier
For the better part of two years Albertans have been holding rallies across the province in support of the Trans Mountain Expansion. Two years of […]
TMX Gets Green Light but Albertans Aren’t Getting Their Hopes Up
You can’t please everyone but one would have thought there would have been a little bit of happiness in Alberta after Justin Trudeau’s Trans Mountain […]
As an Albertan, As a Canadian, I Want to Say Thank You
Alberta will owe Ottawa precisely nothing – no gratitude, no slavish thanks – if the pipeline reboot is approved. […]
Russell Brand Mistakes Alberta UCP Associate Minister for Addictions Ally
Here for the ratio… ~@fakeezzie Russell Brand could be forgiven for believing he was talking to an ally when he was introduced to the Associate […]
It’s Time to Ask Kenney to Show Us the Money
Alberta’s Minister of Education, Adriana LaGrange, has faced constant questions from the Opposition in the Legislature about funding for the K-12 system. The Calgary Board […]
It’s Not Canada’s Fault Alberta is Broke
Alberta is so hard done by. With the highest wages in the country and the lowest provincial tax rates (on average), and no provincial sales […]
Hold On To Your Short Pants, KenneyMedia Has News For You
The carbon tax hadn’t even been dead for a week when KenneyMedia tossed its latest, and greatest crumb to its salivating-for-public-service-slashing base. And is it […]
GSAs Bite the Dust Under UCP Leadership
The Education Act “also gives teachers, under exceptional circumstances, authority to tell parents if their child is a member” of a GSA. ~ Kim Trynacity […]
Thoughts and Prayers Are Not Actions
“Thoughts and Prayers” became the punchline of a very dark and twisted reality thanks to the number of times Republican representatives have offered them to […]
The Alberta Minister of Justice is a Key Witness in an Ongoing RCMP Investigation
After the election of the United Conservative Party, I referred to Jason Nixon being appointed to Minister of Environment and Parks as Jason Kenney’s greatest […]
Jason Kenney Touts Alberta’s Hot Climate in Toronto
Alberta’s Premier was busily boosting Alberta’s future economy in a second “official” visit to his homeland of Ontario over the weekend. Jason Kenney reportedly regaled […]
Jason Kenney’s Government Has Big Shoes to Fill
Jason Kenney, thanks to his own rhetoric, has very big promises to fulfill. Some are rightfully skeptical about his ability to keep them and for very good reason: if the problem was the NDP government, then Kenney should find success simply by not being an NDP government.
It’s Not a Pro-Life Movement; it’s Forced-Birth
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. Anyone who thinks language doesn’t matter hasn’t been referred to as a […]
“United” Conservatives Will Never Agree to Fund Smaller Parties
There is little incentive for Kenney to offer to fund the three conservative spin-offs from his “unite in spite” project but there is much less incentive to fund the Party that could actually unite Alberta for realzies.
Free Speech or Forced Accommodation of Speech? #ableg #abpoli
Alberta’s new Premier has perhaps shown best how affiliation can damage reputations… he did not attack the right to speak or express but instead attacked those who offered a platform.
Directing Education in Alberta #abed #ableg #abpoli
As of Tuesday, those who were elected to form Alberta’s next government began with a new slate; not a clean slate but a new one. […]
The Fox Guarding Alberta’s House of Justice #ableg #abpoli #
Here in Alberta, we’ve been watching the fallout from the SNC-Lavalin case and the Russian collusion cases from afar but we’re about to get our […]
Day One of a Kenney Government and No Minorities Have Been Oppressed #ableg #abpoli
My continual thanks to Cory Morgan for that quote; after seeing some of the cabinet picks, I truly hope it ages well. On a positive […]
Worried About Fake News? Avoid the Rats #ableg #abpoli
“CBC does another hit piece on Albertans with their new claim of Albertans being a bunch of racists (sic).” ~ random Twitter account For context, […]
Election Hack by the Numbers #ableg #abpoli
Now that we have the numbers, which are still unofficial but slightly more official than we could get before Saturday, we saw something very interesting […]
The Hunt for a Blue October #ableg #abpoli
With a federal election mere months away, conservatives are counting the blue eggs in their basket. As of Wednesday morning, they have five. PEI has […]
Oil And Gas Investment Isn’t Gunning for Alberta Because Jason Kenney has the Wrong Ammunition #ableg #abpoli #abvote
The entire Conservative Party of Canada seems to have lost any grasp of reality and are collectively marching forward with guns blazing against science, common sense and, yes, the oil industry. The problem is, they’re hitting the mark; although it’s not surprising since they have so much practice shooting their own feet.
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad, Derek Fildebrandt? #ableg #abpoli #abvote
The Leadership debate has been scheduled and there are two notable names missing from the list of attendees: Derek Fildebrandt and Rachel Notley. I’m sure […]
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 10 #ableg #abpoli #abvote
Thursday March 28, 2019 News The United Conservative Party issued a statement that the RCMP was investigating potential voter fraud in the 2017 leadership race. […]
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 9 #ableg #abpoli #abvote
Remember hearing how the NDP didn’t campaign on a carbon tax in 2015? Well, that was the prime. If you don’t hear the NDP campaigning on a sales tax, there’s no reason to believe they won’t implement one anyway.
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 8 #ableg #abpoli #abvote
When reached for comment, Freedom Conservative Party leader Derek Fildebrandt said “the FCP is most certainly not ‘Sharia compliant’. I literally just ate a pork chop with a beer.”
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 7 #ableg #abpoli #abvote
Monday March 25, 2019 It was a day of winning for parents; but I’m not so sure it’s going to translate to winning for kids. […]
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 6 #ableg #abvote #abpoli
Sunday, March 24, 2019 News: Rachel Notley held a rally in Edmonton that looked more like a New Year’s Eve Party than a political rally […]
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 5 #abvote #ableg #abpoli
Saturday, March 23, 2019 The weekends are usually less busy than weekdays during an election period, but they are prime days for door knocking. And […]
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 4 #ableg #abvote #abpoli
Friday March 22, 2019 Interesting opinions: Danielle Smith tries straight talk: Albertans want the spending without the bill. While we have many choices in most […]
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 3 #ableg #abpoli #abvote
Thursday, March 21, 2019 News: The Alberta Independence Party is officially in the race with 47 candidates as of Wednesday. The AIP stands for, you […]
Alberta’s New Carbon Tax Lie #abvote #abpoli
The Alberta government, under the NDP, brought in a carbon tax in 2017 as part of their Climate Leadership Plan. Certainly folks can hardly forget […]
Alberta Votes 2019 Day 2 #ableg #abvote #abpoli
A Daily Summary of Alberta Campaigns, alphabetically. Additional links within. 27 days until Election Day The NDP and UCP began day 2 in southern Alberta, […]
Campaign Season (Officially) Opens #ableg #abpoli #abvote2019 #abvote
28 days. That’s how long the election campaign is in Alberta and we will go to the polls on April 16, 2019. Rachel Notley gave […]
Was Callaway the Only Kamikaze Candidate in UCP Leadership Race? #ableg #abpoli
As we have seen this weekend, Jeff Callaway was not only a kamikaze candidate (a person who had was not campaigning to win), but whose […]
Conservatives Going Wild #ableg #abpoli
Some days are busier than others. The rumour mill has been going for quite some time now about whether Brian Jean will be making a […]
Why Accusations of Voter Fraud in the UCP Leadership Race are a Really Big Deal #ableg #abpoli
After the gong-show that UCP nomination races were last year, I wanted the NDP to hold back on the election. I was not the first. […]
Trans-Mountain Receives NEB Approval and… Crickets #ableg #abpoli
It was a classic love story; the search for the soul mate played out by Alberta seeking the Trans Mountain Expansion approval. And then, against […]
Trudeau Probably Lied About Wilson-Raybould But Not Because of SNC Lavalin #cdnpoli #abpoli
Everyone has a motivation for doing anything; she is neither the first nor last. At the end of the day, political parties have a motivation as well. The government has a responsibility to work on its own priorities.
Curse of the Blue Sign #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli
This time, it’s personal. In the grand scheme of things, I’m new here. I started following politics in 2015 and I wasn’t overly involved in […]
Opposition Leader Threatens Businesses Entering Contracts with Alberta Government #ableg #abpoli
On Tuesday, Premier Notley announced the government of Alberta had signed contracts with both Canadian National Rail and Canadian Pacific Rail to lease over 4,000 […]
Undermining Human Rights is Not a New Strategy for Kenney #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli
When Jason Kenney suggested young people and those with “modest human capital” should be paid less than others, it resonated with some. When he said […]
Jason Kenney Pitches (W)age Discrimination to Encourage Businesses to Hire Less Qualified Workers #ableg #abpoli #satire
Prior to the minimum wage increase, businesses hired young people out of the goodness of their hearts. That changed last October when the minimum wage […]
What if the Alberta Party Leader Lost His Appeal? #ableg #abpoli
As Stephen Mandel awaits his day in court to appeal the five-year ban on running that was handed down from Elections Alberta, people are talking about […]
Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel Ineligible to Run in 2019 And Maybe More? #ableg #abpoli
It was another Friday night news drop when Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel announced he and other candidates had been notified they would be ineligible […]
About That $440 Million Dollar Loan Premier Notley Announced
There’s a Rebel Media “exclusive” circling on Facebook about a government loan promised to a company that’s insolvent. It even links to a page that clearly […]
The UCP is Hauling a Trojan Horse of Anti-Choice Policy
A friend of mine jumped into a a discussion on Facebook one day and I was surprised when he took the position that he supported […]
Beyond the Bozo Eruptions
That the UCP would even consider attempting to verify the allegations themselves without notifying the proper authorities is not only arrogant but a grave disservice to the member of the public who brought it to their attention.
Resurrecting the Hits to Charities: It Must Be an Election Year in Alberta
There’s nothing wrong with choosing where to spend your own money; just don’t use the old “I’m too broke to donate to charities but my political donations are safe” routine.
We Shouldn’t Have to Choose Between Partisanship and Competence
Being partisan is a tough job. Researchers at the University of Calgary tracked the perspectives of over 700 individuals in the Calgary area at the […]
Investigations, Allegations, and Denials; Oh My.
There are a lot of things that bother people about politics: lying politicians, cronyism and corruption are the top complaints (or at least the oldest) […]
Help People in Positions of Authority From Being Victimized By Their Underlings
Jason Kenney, long-term MP, Minister of Immigration, Employment and Defence, and the Prime Minister’s number two, may simply have been the unwilling victim of an accommodating staffer.
Kenney’s Retirement Residence; Day… five?
If Kenney’s claim cannot be independently verified through lease agreements or visitor logs, the idea that Jason Kenney may have fraudulently claimed a subsidy he had no right to during his mother’s residency at Lake Bonavista will throw shade on whether he should have been eligible prior to that as well. Canadians will wonder. Albertans will as well; and this election season isn’t long enough for them to forget.
Everybody’s Talking About Kenney
You’ve probably read the articles and heard on the news: Jason Kenney is under fire for receiving a $10,000 a year subsidy for his Ottawa […]
Will the Real “Champion of the Taxpayers” Please Stand Up
Park your partisanship for one moment and ask yourself if you would accept this explanation from Justin Trudeau. Something tells me the incessant outrage would be intense – and led by Jason Kenney, “Champion of the Taxpayer”.
Not Angry, Alberta
Albertans are strong. Albertans are free. Albertans choose to stay in Alberta rather than go where the equalization flows… because life is better here.
Guest Post: The UCP’s Paper (Membership) Tiger
Paper Tiger – A person or thing that appears threatening but is ineffectual[1] Part of the UCP’s narrative about merging the two conservative parties is […]
Don’t Hate the Player; Hate the Game
People often say, “don’t hate the player, hate the game”. As Albertans, we should already be painfully aware governance has consequences that extend well beyond the allotted playing time.
Business-Friendly Alberta? I Think Not
I answered no; businesses should not be solely responsible for an emissions tax.
And then came the rallies. Albertans didn’t like that they had to shore up for their emissions.
Campaign 2019: Don’t Get Your Hopes Up?
Duane Bratt, a political science Professor and Chair in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University, wrote a fantastic article […]
Canada’s Yellow Vests Should Look Beyond the Tax
The Yellow Vest movement has surfaced in Canada to protest the Liberal government’s carbon tax but few have looked beyond the vest. Yes, the movement […]
The “Kamikaze Candidate” Plot Thickens
Rumour has it Jeff Callaway was not the first person requested to be the Kamikaze Candidate whose sole purpose was to bring the heat on […]
Did You Hear About the One Where Jeff Callaway Entered the UCP Leadership Race Solely to Sink Brian Jean?
Earlier today a video was being passed around from YouTube. It had no picture but purported to be Wendy Adam speaking with someone from the […]
Alberta’s Growing Bunches of “Sour Grapes”
“Sour grapes” usually refers to someone who suddenly finds something undesirable because they cannot have it. This week, Prab Gill, MLA for Calgary-Greenway, was accused […]
