PHOTOS: Rick Fraser in a screenshot from the Legislature of Alberta. Below: Legislative loners Greg Clark, David Swann and Richard Starke, Calgary MP Kent Hehr, and environmentalist and former Green Party candidate Chris Turner. Let’s cut to the chase about what Calgary MLA Rick Fraser’s decision to quit the United
Continue readingTag: Lee Richardson
Alberta Politics: ‘Foreign influence’ had nothing to do with Tory Joan Crockatt’s Calgary Centre election defeat in 2015
PHOTOS: Joan Crockatt, during her brief spell as Conservative Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre. Below: Liberal Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr, who beat Ms. Crockatt in 2015; environmentalist Chris Turner who ran against her for the Greens in 2012 and did very well; and environmentalist Harvey Locke, who ran
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Updates: Calgary-Heritage and Calgary-Midnapore by-elections
A quick update on the upcoming federal by-elections in Calgary-Heritage and Calgary-Midnapore: – Former Conservative MP Lee Richardson will not run for the Liberal nomination in Calgary-Heritage, but three other candidates – Scott Forsyth, Steven Turner and Kanwar Gill – will run. Forsyth is a family physician who holds both
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Is veteran Tory’s bid to run as Liberal in by-election to replace ex-PM a sign of sagging Conservative fortunes nationally?
PHOTOS: Veteran Conservative Lee Richardson with Alberta premier Alison Redford, who he served as principal secretary. Below: Prime minister John Diefenbaker, who Mr. Richardson served as executive assistant, and Alberta premier Peter Lougheed, for whom he was chief of staff. Understanding history requires a long view, and the picture that
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta Politics: Wednesday night candidate nomination update in Alberta
I have made the following updates to the list of nominees and nomination candidates planning to run in Alberta’s next provincial election. Please email david.cournoyer [at] gmail.com if you have additions to the list. Thank you. Bonnyville-Cold Lake: City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland… Continue Reading →
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Source: MLA Kent Hehr to run for Trudeau Liberals in Calgary-Centre
TweetPolitical Calgary is abuzz with rumours that popular MLA Kent Hehr will seek the Liberal nomination in the federal riding of Calgary-Centre. Reliable sources say that Mr. Hehr has gone so far as to request nomination forms to become an official nomination candidate for the federal Liberals. Mr. Hehr would be
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Alberta politics takes a negative turn online.
TweetMLA pay remains an uncomfortable issue for Alberta’s political leaders. Yesterday, MLA’s sitting on the Member Services Committee voted to freeze the annual cost-of-living increase to their salary and housing allowance ahead of provincial budget release on March 7, 2013. “The rationale is clearly we want to lead by example,”
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Big turnover in Premier’s communications office.
TweetAfter staff departures, Ontarians hold two top roles in Alberta Premier’s Office. Last week it was announced that Jay O’Neill is departing his job as Director Communications under Premier Alison Redford‘s. Although Mr. O’Neill only joined the Premier’s office in late 2011, it is not uncommon for individuals to only fill these types
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Alison Redford’s revenue problem will define 2013 budget fight.
TweetThe low price of oil and natural gas and an election promise of “no new taxes, no service cuts” has put Alberta’s Tories in an unenviable political bind and set the tone for this year’s provincial budget debate. This week, Lee Richardson, Principal Secretary to Premier Alison Redford, released a
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Right-wing Sun News tries to rescue Conservative fortunes in Calgary-Centre.
TweetJust when it seems like Conservative candidate Joan Crockatt was losing ground and a tight three-way contest in the Calgary-Centre by-election, right-wing cable channel Sun News swooped in with news that will stir up the anti-Liberal sentiments …
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Guest Post: Yes, Calgary-Centre Can Elect a Progressive MP.
TweetBy Jeremy Barretto Like anyone who arrived in Calgary Centre after 1968, I’ve never witnessed a Liberal, NDP or Green candidate win an election. It’s understandable that some progressives feel that their vote does not count. Over the past four…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: IT’S A RACE! New poll shows emerging three-way race in Calgary-Centre by-election.
TweetA new survey conducted by Forum Research shows a three-way race in the Calgary-Centre by-election between Conservative Joan Crockatt, Liberal Harvey Locke, and Green Chris Turner. As reported by the Globe & Mail, the November survey of 376 ran…
Continue readingcalgaryliberal.com: By-Election Update: Tories Flipping to Liberals in Calgary-Centre
There’s a split in Calgary in the conservatives. And it’s about principles. Calgary Herald: Provincial rift spreads to federal realm Calgary Herald: “Pat Moore says she doesn’t like the way the Conservative nomination was controlle…
Continue readingAlberta Diary: By-election watch: Calgary Centre Grits hope to benefit from Justin Trudeau’s reflected glow
Justin Trudeau passes through the Calgary Centre riding, as seen by the media. Actual Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Conservative Party candidate Joan Crockatt, still the front-runner in the by-election that hasn’t been called yet; Liberal candidate Harvey Locke looking outdoorsy; the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: How Alberta’s federal politicians voted on Motion 312.
TweetThis week, Members of Parliament in Ottawa voted on Motion 312, which if passed could have re-opened a divisive debate about a woman’s right to make decisions concerning her own body. Thankfully, Motion 312 was defeated 203-91 votes, but it remains disappointing that in this modern age one-third of federal MPs stood
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: a dash of transparency over here, a pinch less over there.
TweetSurrounded by dozens of Tory MLAs at a late-afternoon press conference, Premier Alison Redford announced plans to make the expense claims of all cabinet ministers, MLAs, and government officials publicly available on the internet. After a summer of scandals and embarrassing revelations, ranging from the overflowing expense accounts of former
Continue readingAlberta Diary: ‘Crowdsourcing our confidence’? Don’t bet on 1CalgaryCentre, whoever’s behind it, having much impact
A crowd: They have wine and balloons, and they’re all dressed in white. Does this make them progressives? Have they been crowdsourced? Alberta Diary is not certain and you shouldn’t be either. Below: Calgary pollster Brian Singh, Calgary Centre Conservative candidate Joan Crockatt. “Crowdsourcing our confidence” will get a progressive
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Hurricane Isaac makes landfall in New Orleans; Hurricane Joan hits Calgary
A prophet laments the unwillingness of the people to heed warnings from on high. Alberta political bloggers may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Nominated federal Tory candidate “Hurricane Joan” Crockatt. At the risk of going all Old Testament on readers, when Hurricane Isaac slammed into New Orleans last night,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: calgary-centre conservatives and liberals choosing their by-election candidates.
TweetOn Saturday, August 25, Conservative Party members in the riding of Calgary-Centre will choose a candidate to carry their party’s banner in an upcoming and yet-to-be called by-election. Six candidates are contesting the nomination. The Conservative candidate is widely expected to win the by-election in this moderate conservative voting downtown
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Departed MP’s endorsement, big donations by candidate’s firm, complicate complicated Conservative nomination race
Candidates for the Conservative Party’s nomination in the Calgary Centre constituency prepare for next Saturday’s vote. Below: Candidates Greg McLean, Joan Crockatt and Jon Lord. Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to … get elected. The contest to find a federal Conservative candidate to replace
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