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By David Climenhaga, on May 17, 2013, at 2:46 am Your blogger with CBC investigative reporter Charles Rusnell. Below: Edmonton-Manning MLA Peter Sandhu; Mr. Sandhu with Alison Redford in a Tory Party photo grabbed from the Daveberta.ca blog. The photo-bomber is Calgary-Fort MLA Wayne Cao.
You’d think it would be easy to run a petroleum-soaked, cash-rich jurisdiction like Alberta, but a day seldom seems to pass out here on the western edge of the Great Plains without our governing Progressive Conservative Party suffering another pratfall or embarrassment.
But how many Albertans know that so many of these scandals bedevilling our permanent governing party have been uncovered by the same (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on May 16, 2013, at 1:21 am Just to set the mood, it’s Left-Leaning B.C. Premiers Day on Alberta Diary. Here’s your blogger with some former NDP premiers from that province – Dave Barrett above, Mike Harcourt and Ujjal Dosanjh below.
No one can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the New Democrats in my native British Columbia.
Still, while Tuesday’s upset B.C. election victory by Premier Christy Clark and her un-liberal Liberals is inevitably going to be, well, upsetting to a lot of New Democrats, it is not really bad news for Thomas Mulcair and the federal NDP.
This, we (Read more…)
By daveberta, on May 15, 2013, at 10:06 am TweetEdmonton-Manning MLA Peter Sandhu has resigned from the Progressive Conservative Caucus after a CBC investigation revealed that a company owned by the politician had accumulated a trail of unpaid debt. The report, by investigative reporter Charles Rusnell, also found that Mr. Sandhu made a false statement in a sworn affidavit. It is not uncommon for [...]
By David Climenhaga, on May 14, 2013, at 2:04 am The Alberta government bargaining team on their way to talks with the Alberta Teachers Association in their Model-T, coloured black. Actual Alberta labour relations specialists may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Education Minister Jeff Johnson and industrialist Henry Ford.
In Alberta, it appears you now have more power as the president of a neighbourhood community league than as a duly elected member of a school board!
With province-wide municipal elections scheduled to take place in October, that’s something would-be candidates for school trustee might want to think about.
Albertans had a small but significant demonstration of this axiom yesterday, (Read more…)
By daveberta, on May 14, 2013, at 1:41 am TweetProvincial politicians like school boards. When popular decisions are made, like opening new schools or announcing new funding, the provincial government takes the credit. When unpopular decisions need to be made, like closing schools or cancelling programs, then the provincial politicians are more than happy to let the school board trustees take the blame. As [...]
By David Climenhaga, on May 13, 2013, at 1:50 am The Athabasca University board meets to discuss its vision for the future of the distance-learning institution. Actual visioning board members may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: History Professor Alvin Finkel, AU Faculty Association President Mark McCutcheon.
It took Athabasca University’s rubber-stamp board less than 48 hours to tell the university’s faculty association to forget about its suggestion an interim president be appointed to get the distance-learning institution back on track while a replacement is found for President Frits Pannekoek.
Alert readers will recall that Dr. Pannekoek, the subject of an overwhelming non-confidence motion last year by the university’s faculty (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on May 11, 2013, at 2:32 am Wildcat strike scene, grabbed from AUPE’s website during the strike. Below: AUPE President Guy Smith, Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk.
Advice to anyone who tries to negotiate a deal with Alison Redford, Thomas Lukaszuk or any member or official of their government: take witnesses with you, and make sure you also bring a tape recorder.
You might want to bring a piece of paper, a pen, a Bible and a notary public as well. One-on-one meetings ending in “handshake deals” with these people? I don’t think so!
In what surely is one of the most outrageous Alberta news stories of the (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on May 10, 2013, at 2:06 am Generous corporate donor drops off cash at Tory headquarters. Actual donors, who may not be exactly as illustrated, will be determined later. Below: Parkland Institute researcher Trevor Harrison and Tory Human Services Minister Dave Hancock.
It’s a conundrum!
What should Alberta’s Tories do? A study by the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute released yesterday demonstrates something almost everyone already knew anyway – that most Albertans strongly support limits on election spending.
So not setting limits on donations from corporations and unions, or enforcing the rules about how donations are made – Hey, Daryl Katz, c’mon down! – potentially spells big (Read more…)
By Greg Fingas, on May 8, 2013, at 9:41 am Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.
- Linda McQuaig discusses Stephen Harper’s class war: Canadians don’t like Harper’s anti-worker agenda — when they notice it. That’s why there’s been such a public outcry since the temporary foreign worker program was exposed as a mechanism by which the Harper government has flooded the country with hundreds of thousands of cheap foreign workers, thereby suppressing Canadian wages in the interests of helping corporations.
Apart from this clumsy fiasco, the Harperites have been adroit at keeping their anti-worker bias under the radar. Instead, they’ve directed their attacks against unions, portraying them as undemocratic (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on May 8, 2013, at 1:03 am How Albertans should see Progressive Conservative and Wildrose policies and procedures. Below: The clever Wildrose Facebook attack on PC Premier Alison Redford’s faintly unsavoury taxpayer-funded mail out, which makes it look a little worse than it really is.
Am I the only one who sees irony in the leader of Alberta’s ultra-conservative Wildrose Party working up a full head of steam because the merely very conservative government of Premier Alison Redford plans to mail a colourful budget brochure to every household in the province – at taxpayer expense, of course?
After all, the Wildrose Party of Danielle Smith is effectively (Read more…)
By Obert Madondo, on May 5, 2013, at 9:11 pm By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: Over 30 environmental, landowner, labour, rights and First Nation groups have written to Alberta Premier Alison Redford demanding the immediate removal of Gerry Protti, the new chair of the Alberta Energy Regulator. The groups argue that Protti “is not an appropriate choice to head the Alberta government’s Provincial energy regulator.” [...]
The post 30 groups demand removal of Alberta Energy Regulator chair Gerry Protti appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
By Obert Madondo, on May 5, 2013, at 9:11 pm By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: Over 30 environmental, landowner, labour, rights and First Nation groups have written to Alberta Premier Alison Redford demanding the immediate removal of Gerry Protti, the new chair of the Alberta Energy Regulator. The groups argue that Protti “is not an appropriate choice to head the Alberta government’s Provincial energy regulator.” [...]
The post 30 groups demand removal of Alberta Energy Regulator chair Gerry Protti appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
By James Calder, on May 4, 2013, at 2:53 pm Canada’s Conservative Party abandoned Premier Alison Redford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta during Alberta’s last provincial election – they chose instead to support Alberta’s far-right Wildrose Alliance Party.
Now, Justin Trudeau seeks to build bridges with Albertans and their government; all the while pushing for sustainable and environmentally-sound development for Canada’s oil industry.
Said it before, and I’ll say it again – Tories underestimate Trudeau at their own peril.
National Post, Trudeau praises Redford for Keystone XL efforts, slams Harper for not pushing ‘critical’ project:
Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has praised Alberta Premier Alison Redford for (Read more…)
By daveberta, on May 3, 2013, at 2:05 pm TweetPremier Alison Redford was criticized this week after she harshly denounced her opposition in a campaign-style speech to a group of school children in Calgary. In response to the Premier’s fiery words, book publishers jumped on the opportunity to reach impressionable young minds by releasing a series of children’s books about Alberta politics. Both Premier [...]
By David Climenhaga, on May 3, 2013, at 1:52 am Alberta Premier Alison Redford, right, meets Opposition Leader Danielle Smith, left, while on her way to announcing a new school opening. Actual Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Premier Redford, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees President Guy Smith.
Once upon a time, while Alberta’s premier was telling fairy tales to impressionable children, some of her senior officials were spinning fairy stories of their own.
Actually, this all happened yesterday.
The premier told a group of Grade 1 students at an Edmonton school library a story about a good princess named Alison, who built schools (Read more…)
By daveberta, on May 2, 2013, at 9:34 am TweetThe billionaire walks… There was little surprise among the cynical pundit class yesterday as Elections Alberta announced that it had found billionaire Daryl Katz and his Katz Group broke no laws when the company delivered a donation in the form of a $430,000 bank draft to Premier Alison Redford‘s Progressive Conservative Party during last year’s [...]
By David Climenhaga, on May 2, 2013, at 2:51 am “’Ave you got a leesence for your minkey?” An investigator for Elections Alberta pauses momentarily in his probe of political donations made to the Progressive Conservative Party by seeing-eye monkeys. If you don’t get it, I can’t help you. Actual Elections Alberta investigators by now have likely been transferred back to plain clothes. Below: Justice Minister Jonathan Denis, retired Chief Elections Officer O. Brian Fjeldheim and drugstore billionaire Daryl Katz.
In Alberta, lawbreakers must be punished, and they will be punished – unless, of course, they happen to be supporters of the ruling Progressive Conservative Party.
So, the government (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on May 1, 2013, at 2:36 am The picket line during the five-day strike by Alberta Correctional Peace Officers, which ended last night. Below: Another scene from the strike; Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk; AUPE President Guy Smith.
Even without last night’s deal with the Alberta government, Alberta’s defiant jail guards would have been entitled to declare a victory in their illegal five-day wildcat strike.
And that was before the illegally striking guards reached the agreement to end their walkout largely on their terms.
The agreement came last night after negotiations between the government and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees – politely termed discussions to allow the (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on April 30, 2013, at 11:53 pm Supporters and striking Alberta jail guards on the picket line yesterday.
Illegally striking Alberta Union of Provincial Employees jail guards have reached an agreement with the government of Premier Alison Redford in “discussions” that Deputy Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said would never happen.
AUPE announced five minutes ago that it had reached ago a deal with the provincial government that includes no retribution for any AUPE member who walked off the job and a full occupational health and safety review of all issues raised by the Correctional Peace officers in the new Edmonton Remand Centre.
The guards walked off the job (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on April 29, 2013, at 1:57 am The scene on the darkened lane that runs past Edmonton’s giant new Remand Centre has resembled the set for an apocalyptic movie the past couple of nights, with striking jail guards’ huge-wheeled four-by-fours crowding the ditches, AUPE banners flapping in the dark and strikers gathered around burn barrels.
With Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk at the helm, the stalemate in Alberta’s provincial jails continued through the night with wildcatting Correctional Peace Officers still manning picket lines and the government making dubious claims guards were returning to work.
The dispute started months ago over occupational health and safety concerns about Edmonton’s just (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on April 28, 2013, at 3:25 am Wildcatting Correctional Officers on the picket line at the Edmonton Remand Centre just before midnight last night, long after the government’s ultimatum ordering them back to work. Below: Trade unionists occupy an Alberta Labour Relations Board boardroom yesterday afternoon in support of the striking guards. Below that: Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk as he appeared during a post-news-conference visit last night to the Edmonton Beerfest.
“You know what a tense, sensitive and dangerous situation like an illegal strike at a prison needs? Thomas Lukaszuk.”
So Tweeted well-known Edmonton New Democrat Lou Arab yesterday, the self-described political geek, Internet junkie, father, (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on April 26, 2013, at 1:38 am Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan, right, speaks to yesterday’s AFL news conference at the Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre. Your faithful blogger can be glimpsed at the far right. Beside him, the CBC’s Charles Rusnell. Below: Rusnell, Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason.
Back in the summer of 2011, as Ed Stelmach’s reign as premier of Alberta ground toward its inevitable terminal moment, then-employment-minister Thomas Lukaszuk sent around a letter advising stakeholders he was about to commence a review of the Alberta Labour Code.
It had to be done, said the minister responsible for the province’s labour portfolio, “to ensure (Read more…)
By daveberta, on April 25, 2013, at 9:28 am TweetWhile too much media attention was focused this week on the fate of a statue of a hockey player who left Edmonton twenty-five years ago for sunny southern California (and piles of money), City Council desperately tried to draw up a Plan B (or Plan C) to fund the proposed downtown arena. The unrealistic Plan A, a [...]
By David Climenhaga, on April 25, 2013, at 1:16 am
Justin Trudeau’s riposte to the first blast of the Tory Slime Machine. So far, it looks like Mr. Trudeau is winning. Below: Mr. Trudeau with fake tattoo gets ready to punch out a Tory, for real; Calgary developer Cal Wenzel.
Round One in the fight started with Justin Trudeau by the Tory Slime Machine pretty clearly went to Mr. Trudeau – well, to Mr. Trudeau and the Canadian Liver Foundation.
Now, Round Two, Mr. Trudeau’s riposte, a 30-second video ad released by the Liberal Party yesterday, seems to have gone his way too.
I am speaking here as a (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on April 24, 2013, at 2:10 am “Post-secondary collective bargaining,” Alberta style. Advanced Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk and a post-secondary employer negotiator rig the deck, foreground, while a faculty association negotiators ponder what’s just happened. Actual Alberta bargaining teams may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The real Mr. Lukaszuk, former advanced ed minister Steve Khan.
As is well known, Advanced Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk has sent a letter to the boards of all of Alberta post-secondary institutions instructing them on what their bargaining position and final wage offer must be in negotiations with their faculty associations and staff unions.
The position can be summed up in (Read more…) phrase, now frequently heard on college and university campuses throughout the province, “Zero, zero, zero.”
Oh, wait – and I mean that literally – after three years of nothing you can ask nicely for a 2-per-cent raise. If you’re lucky, and unlike Athabasca University your institution’s . . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Has Alberta pioneered an unlegislated ban on collective bargaining?
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