It’s not just Alberta’s premiers who get their portraits hung in the dingy halls of the provincial Legislature Building in Edmonton, but the Assembly’s Speakers too. Let it be said here first that the portrait of Bob Wanner, the most recent Speaker to depart that role, unveiled at the Legislature
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Alberta Politics: UCP video of MLA and NDP advisor is certainly creepy – but is it ethical or even legal?
There’s no question the thought of United Conservative Party operatives skulking around inside an important provincial government office building making videos of people coming and going is unsavoury, not to mention downright creepy. But is this ethical? Is it even legal? Is it appropriate behaviour for a political party that
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Unveiling of portrait of Jim Prentice, premier of Alberta, accompanied by warm words and a non-partisan moment
A dignified official portrait of Jim Prentice, last Progressive Conservative premier of Alberta, was unveiled in the Alberta Legislature yesterday. It’s a very nice piece of official portraiture that does justice to the beautiful third-floor hallway of the Alberta Legislature’s Rotunda where portraits of the province’s former premiers hang. Its
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Blown off by Jason Kenney’s UCP last fall, former Wildrose MLA Rick Strankman heads for the Independent benches
When this blog’s entirely fictional Vegas oddsmaker Jimmy “The Geek” Porcospino celebrated the first birthday of the United Conservative Party last summer by setting the next year’s resignation odds for each of the party’s remaining caucus members, he gave Drumheller-Stettler MLA Rick Strankman only 20-1 odds of heading for the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Death of Gene Zwozdesky, the mellifluous smoothie of Alberta politics, an apt symbol of the end of the Progressive Conservative Era
The death Sunday of Gene Zwozdesky – first elected as a Liberal but for many years afterward a Conservative, a cabinet minister who could be counted on to smooth over messes made by others, and eventually Speaker of the Legislature – can be said to mark the symbolic end of
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Alberta Candidate Nomination Update: Pitt bests Millions in Airdrie-East, Michael Connolly moves to Calgary-Varsity, and more.
Photo: Calgary-West MLA Mike Ellis and Airdrie MLA Angela Pitt were greeting party members outside the nomination voting station in the Town and Country Centre in Airdrie on July 20, 2018. (Source: Dave Cournoyer) Despite indications of a dogfight in Airdrie-East, United Conservative Party members voted overwhelmingly to choose incumbent
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Will the Alberta Together takeover turn the Alberta Party into PC 2.0?
Photo: Alberta Party leader Greg Clark on the campaign trail in Calgary-Elbow in 2014. Source: Twitter. In the latest shakeup in Alberta politics, Greg Clark announced last Friday that he would resign as leader of the Alberta Party at the party’s upcoming annual general meeting on November 18, 2017. Clark
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Derek Fildebrandt has a very, very bad week.
Photo: In happier times, as Derek Fildebrandt campaigned alongside Wildrose leader Brian Jean in Strathmore-Brooks on the first day of the 2015 election. (Photo from Brian Jean’s Facebook Page). Over the course of eight days, Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt went from being a potential leadership candidate to stepping down from the United
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Wildrose and PC party members alike vote 95% in favour of Alberta conservative merger
PHOTOS: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, who says he will resign as Alberta Opposition leader to pursue the leadership of the United Conservative Party, creation of which endorsed by members of the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservative in a merger vote yesterday. Below: PC Leader Jason Kenney, who hasn’t yet
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Portrait unveiling stands in for the fond official farewell former premier Dave Hancock never had from his PCs
PHOTOS: Former Alberta Premier Dave Hancock in a typical pose, as he addresses the crowd at the unveiling of his official portrait yesterday. Below: The portrait, by artist Tom Menczel, former Tory cabinet ministers Doug Horner and Richard Starke. The unveiling of Dave Hancock’s portrait in the Legislature yesterday may
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The blogger as art critic: If we’re paying the piper, we should get to call the tune!
PHOTOS: A detail from Liela Chan’s just unveiled portrait of Alison Redford: Below: Ms. Chan’s full portrait, as it now hangs in the Legislature; what we could have had if Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) had been around to paint Ms. Redford; what the still unrevealed portrait of Dave Hancock really ought to look like, with apologies […]
The post The blogger as art critic: If we’re paying the piper, we should get to call the tune! appeared first on Alberta Politics.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: 40 days until the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner by-election needs to be called
Conservative Glen Motz and Libertarian Sheldon Johnston appear to be the only two candidates to so far step up to run in the upcoming federal by-election in Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner. The by-election has not been called yet but it will be… Continu…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: A Timeline of Derek Fildebrandt’s “suspension” from Wildrose
The Wildrose Party was not one big happy family this week. Albertans might be confused about what exactly happened between Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean and Finance critic Derek Fildebrandt. It might be one of the most bizarre political stories o…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Questions, questions, questions about tomorrow’s Public Accounts Committee meeting chaired by … Derek Fildebrandt?
PHOTO: Derek Fildebrandt, a (former?) Wildrose Opposition MLA and as of right now chair of the Legislature’s Public Accounts Committee. (Photo © David Climenhaga, just sayin’.) Tomorrow morning, the Alberta Legislature’s Standing Committee on Pu…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Ric McIver’s tantrum and return to the House explained: In Alberta, being a Tory means never having to say you’re sorry!
PHOTOS: Interim Tory Leader Ric McIver, mid tantrum, tells Alberta Speaker Bob Wanner he’s not sitting down until he gets his way! Below: Mr. Wanner, looking appropriately annoyed; the notorious Dr. Benjamin Spock; and an advertisement for Brylcreem,…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Motion demanding public support for private and charter schools backfires on Alberta Tory Leader
PHOTOS: Interim Alberta Tory Leader Ric McIver and another PC are ejected from the Legislature yesterday by the Sergeant at Arms. Actual Alberta MLAs may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The Real Ric McIver and Edmonton Public School Board Cha…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Is the sky blue? A Conservative win in Southern Alberta by-election a certainty
Following the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Jim Hillyer on March 23, 2016, Elections Canada has announced that a by-election must be called in the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner electoral district before September 26, 2016. The earlies…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Inside baseball: Legislature picks Speaker; Albertans to get first glimpse of NDP policy Monday
PHOTOS: Opposition Leader Brian Jean, at left, and Premier Rachel Notley, far right, drag the new Speaker, Medicine Hat MLA Bob Wanner, to his chair, a tradition dating to the days when chairing the Legislature wasn’t as desirable a job as it is today. Below: Another shot of Mr. Wanner,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Notley’s Crew: Alberta’s First NDP Cabinet
Thousands of Albertans packed the Legislature Grounds for the swearing-in ceremony of Premier Rachel Notley and Alberta’s first NDP Cabinet. This marked the first time in 44 years that a party other than the Progressive Conservatives were sworn-in to office… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: It’s still hard to believe the NDP won Alberta’s election
Two days later it is still hard to believe. The New Democratic Party won an election in Alberta? The NDP won a majority government in Alberta? Rachel Notley is the next Premier of Alberta? Get used to it, because Albertans have spoken. A change in… Continue Reading →
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