I hear, “a gay 19 year old.” Quite clearly. I speak, of course, of Jason Kenney’s notorious cheap shot in Cochrane last Thursday, in which he mischaracterized the NDP’s newly acclaimed candidate in the Airdrie-Cochrane riding for a few laughs. Speaking at a United Conservative Party rally at an upscale
Continue readingTag: 2015 Alberta Election
Alberta Politics: Happy New Year! What’s Brian Jean up to? Is the former Wildrose leader plotting a comeback?
Happy New Year! So, now that it’s 2019, what’s Brian Jean up to? Maybe it’s just me, but he’s sure acting like a guy who’s thinking about being a political candidate again! You remember Brian Jean, don’t you? He used to be the leader of the Wildrose Party. Indeed, he
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Alberta then and now: Marking the third anniversary of the unexpected victory of Rachel Notley and the NDP
CALGARY Three years ago today, Albertans did the unexpected in the province’s 29th general election and elected a majority New Democratic Party government. In truth, despite Albertans having been instructed for generations by those who are supposed to know better that they lived in the most conservative province in Canada,
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Alberta NDP would have won 26 seats if PC and Wildrose merged
The question for the federal scene coming out of the historic NDP wave election in Alberta that saw them jump from four seats to 53, a solid majority, is whether anything close to this is reproducible on the federal scene. The major difference between the two is that federally only
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Alberta NDP would have won 26 seats if PC and Wildrose merged
The question for the federal scene coming out of the historic NDP wave election in Alberta that saw them jump from four seats to 53, a solid majority, is whether anything close to this is reproducible on the federal scene. The major difference between …
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Alberta NDP would have won 26 seats if PC and Wildrose merged
The question for the federal scene coming out of the historic NDP wave election in Alberta that saw them jump from four seats to 53, a solid majority, is whether anything close to this is reproducible on the federal scene. The major difference between the two is that federally only
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Alberta didn’t change – but its image will
The defeat of the PCs seemed unthinkable a few months ago. The notion they could lose to the NDP would have been laughable. But this is how politics in Alberta works. Every 30 or 40 years, a Chinook blows over the mountain and sweeps in a new government who has
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Are Albertans afraid of changing their government?
Four days before Election Day, Progressive Conservative Party leader Jim Prentice stood on a stage in front of hall of supporters who paid $500 per plate to attend the evening fundraiser in downtown Edmonton. Mr. Prentice warned his audience of the… Continue Reading →
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Alberta’s Gilligan’s Island Election
Math is difficult. The most difficult math at the moment is figuring out where Prentice finds the 40 seats he needs for a majority. My latest for the Post: The 2012 clash between Danielle Smith and Alison Redford was an epic battle between two gifted politicians. It was must-see-TV for
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Alberta Politics Explodes
Welcome to Wildrose country A month ago, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek Alberta political primer about Jim Prentice’s inevitable march to a landslide election victory. So how’s that working out for him? The Mainstreet Technologies automated phone survey of 3,121 Alberta voters conducted on April 13 shows the Wildrose and NDP
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Election 2015: Could be more interesting than expected!
Albertans are heading to the polls on May 5, 2015 to elect the next Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Like the past twelve elections since 1971, the May 5 vote will almost certainly result in the re-election of the Progressive Conservative… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Pre-Election 2015: Thursday Candidate Nomination Update
Progressive Conservative activist Jamie Lall was unexpectedly disqualified for unknown reasons before his party’s April 1 nomination meeting in Chestermere-Rockyview, allowing Wildrose PC MLA Bruce McAllister to be acclaimed. After months of campaigning, Mr. Lall lashed out at his party and questioned why he… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Can Wildrose survive Rob Anders? Can floor crossers survive PC Party?
Initially turned away by Wildrose Party officials, controversial Conservative Member of Parliament Rob Anders has asked the Wildrose Party for a “waiver” to run for the party’s leadership. Having lost bids for federal Conservative nominations in Calgary-Signal Hill and Bow River last… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Who will stop the Jim Prentice juggernaut?
The past few months have been a sobering reminder that it foolish to underestimate the staying power of Alberta’s 43-year long governing Progressive Conservatives. A year ago the scandal ridden PC Government appeared to be on the verge of collapse. And now,… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Alberta Election 2015: What We Know versus Speculation
What we know: The last provincial General Election was held 2 years, 9 months and 3 days ago on April 23, 2012. The Election Amendment Act introduced by Wetaskiwin-Camrose Progressive Conservative MLA Verlyn Olson and passed on December 6, 2011 legislated that… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Saturday Morning election nomination updates in Alberta
From Lethbridge to Rimbey and Peace River to Cochrane, here is your Saturday morning candidate nomination update: Airdrie: Mayor of Airdrie Peter Brown announced this week that he will seek the Progressive Conservative nomination. Mr. Brown was first elected Mayor in 2010. The… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Goodbye 4H Club – Horne, Horner, Hughes and Hancock now gone
The announcements this week by former Finance Minister Doug Horner and former Health Minister Fred Horne that they are leaving politics did not come as a surprise to anyone watching politics in Alberta. Once powerful ministers in Premier Alison Redford’s cabinets, the two men were… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Friday morning provincial candidate nomination updates from Alberta
Alberta MLAs will return to the Legislature for a spring sitting on March 10, 2015, the Progressive Conservative Party plans to have candidates nominated in all 87 constituencies by March 15, 2015 and Finance Minister Robin Campbell is expected to introduce… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Will Liberal wild card spoil NDP gains in Edmonton?
TweetTwo polls released in the final weeks of 2014 could give an indication of the direction Alberta political might take in 2015. The polls show Jim Prentice‘s Progressive Conservatives dominating in Calgary and rural Alberta. And with Wildrose Party support in decline across the province, Mr. Prentice could be tempted to call an election
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: What a year 2015 has been in Alberta politics!
TweetDecember 29, 2015 Column by: Dirk Pranter, Provincial Affairs columnist, Edmonton Journal-Sun Tories re-elected for 14th time A snap mid-Summer election returned Jim Prentice’s renamed “Conservative Party of Alberta” to its fourteenth term as government. In an unexpected twist of fate, Finance Minister Danielle Smith was defeated in her home riding by Wildrose Party leader Randy Thorsteinson.
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