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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 The Ranting Canadian, on April 5, 2013, at 6:49 pm Peter Kormos memorial on May 11, 2013 in Thorold, Ontario:
Click on the above link for details, and see my last post for more information about his life, which ended far too soon.
If you see grey boxes above, click on one of them to see photos of Peter.
By The Ranting Canadian, on April 1, 2013, at 11:35 pm
Last weekend, Canada lost a beloved, well-respected, honest, persuasive, gruff-voiced, hard-working, non-conformist, friendly, principled, down-to-earth man of the people who drank and smoked, wore cowboy boots, stood up for the little guy and was re-elected several times.
No, I’m not talking about that asshole Ralph Klein, whose merits and accomplishments are more myth than reality. This is about Peter Kormos, the former Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) MPP for Welland. The larger-than-life rebel, who was serving as a Niagara Region councillor, died at the age of 60 on March 30, 2013.
Unlike many so-called populist politicians, Peter actually did (Read more…)
By The Ranting Canadian, on March 7, 2013, at 9:00 pm
Members of Canada’s centrist New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus sing the Stompin’ Tom Connors song “Bud the Spud”, which is about a character who — unlike the fraudulent Conservative senator Mike Duffy — lives in Prince Edward Island. The guitarists are Charlie Angus and Andrew Cash, who were professional musicians before being elected to parliament.
In response to the death of Connors, our treasonous and hypocritical Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper — a terrible amateur musician and singer — said: “At this key juncture, I hope [Canadian music fans] can now build for themselves a better, brighter future based on
By David Climenhaga, on January 31, 2013, at 12:30 am Premier Alison Redford eyeballs an uninvited visitor to the province’s economic summit. Without the password, you’re not getting in. Below, Premier Redford and Deputy Premier Tom Lukaszuk present their bona fides at the door. Actual Alberta politicians may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below them: The premier’s communications director, Stefan Baranski.
In just 10 days, “Alberta’s leading thinkers, key industry, non-profit and academic leaders, Members of the Legislative Assembly and passionate citizens will gather together for a spirited discussion on Alberta’s future.” You’re not invited.
The government announced yesterday in a terse yet effusive press release that the economic
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: ‘Leading thinkers’ to set Alberta’s new economic course lickety-split – and you’re not invited
By Obert Madondo, on January 4, 2013, at 10:33 pm For immediate release: December 31, 2012, Victoria Island, traditional territory of the Algonquian Peoples: Today is the twenty first day of Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike and the last day of 2012. Yesterday, Chief Spence met with Senators and Members of Parliament from the New Democratic Party, Liberal Party and Parti Quebecois. Noticeably absent was READ MORE
By Micah Goldberg, on January 1, 2013, at 9:07 pm
Murray Can Lead Canada Forward | Chris Wattie, Reuters (via National Post)
For almost seven years, Stephen Harper has been the Prime Minister. Canadian progressives unite in their call that “we can do better” and yet, little is done to meet actions with words. In the New Democratic leadership race, I backed Nathan Cullen for his progressive partnership proposal. It was bold, it was controversial, but it represented real leadership. Mr. Cullen challenged New Democratic progressives, presenting them with an opportunity for real, meaningful change. Mr. Cullen inspired many people with his surprising success, but New Democrats decided to meet
. . . → Read More: centerandleft: Endorsement for Joyce Murray
By David Climenhaga, on December 30, 2012, at 1:34 am 2013 could be a big year for Alberta’s NDP – if they play their cards right. Members of the Alberta NDP caucus and their opponents may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: NDP Leader Brian Mason.
Surely the strategic goal of Alberta’s New Democrats between now and the next provincial election must be to move the NDP from being the fourth party in the Legislature to the second one after 2016.
In other words, although an NDP government in Alberta is simply not in the cards over the medium term, the NDP could form the Opposition in 2016 if the
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: A last thought for 2012: 2013 is bound to be an important year for Alberta’s NDP
By david, on December 21, 2012, at 2:42 am Victor Toews, Canada’s Minister of Public Insecurity and Zombification, rendered by Edmonton artist William Prettie. Below, a shifty looking Mr. Toews as he appears in the halls of Parliament. Pat Martin is a Great Canadian. ™
What a perfect way to throw a little red meat to your gun-nut money machine!
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s so-called Conservatives – of whom it cannot be said too many times are radicals bent on remaking Canada in the image of the worst aspects of the United States – managed to hit on a moment of worldwide horror at the slaughter of 20 small
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Toews an ill-timed Johnny-on-the-spot justifying imposition of U.S.-style gun-show anarchy
By The Ranting Canadian, on December 11, 2012, at 10:38 pm
The Honourable Charlie Angus, New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay, recognizes the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion’s contribution to the fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s.
The Mac-Paps volunteered to fight the fascist forces of Spain, Italy and Germany as part of the International Brigades, without any support from Canada’s government. The Liberal Party government of the time literally treated them like criminals instead of the heroes that they actually were.
If Canada and the other western democratic nations had put their full support behind the anti-fascists in Spain, perhaps the Holocaust and
By david, on November 27, 2012, at 1:28 am Joan Crockatt, the first pest past the post, flanked by Calgary MPs Rob Anders and Jason Kenney, gives her victory speech in Calgary last night. Actual victorious Alberta Conservatives may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: The unsuccessful Liberal, Green and NDP candidates; the real Ms. Crockatt. Oh, how very depressing. Progressive voters outnumbered Conservatives, … . . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Go back to sleep everyone: another Tory win in Calgary
By The Ranting Canadian, on November 24, 2012, at 2:07 am The below updated lyrics to the Phil Ochs classic “Love Me I’m a Liberal” (click on the Justin Bieber — I mean Trudeau — photo for a Youtube video of the original song) were inspired by recent stories about Liberal Party wrongdoings in Canad… . . . → Read More: The Ranting Canadian: The below updated lyrics to the Phil Ochs classic “Love Me…
By EclecticLip, on November 13, 2012, at 2:07 pm Note: for non-Canadian readers (or, indeed for Canadian readers who don’t follow politics) Stephane Dion was the milquetoast who led the Liberal Party of Canada to its then-worst-ever federal election result in 2008. He ran on a campaign of a carbon tax shift (“The Green Shift“), for which the Conservative Party mocked and savaged him. We’ll [...] . . . → Read More: Eclectic Lip: Newsflash: Canadian PM’s American Idol supports Stephane Dion-esque carbon tax shift
By david, on October 16, 2012, at 1:29 am 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 real Mr. Trudeau.
With the federal Liberals suddenly looking as if they have a little momentum courtesy of the media’s incipient relapse of Trudeaumania, perhaps there’s the vaguest possibility of a horserace in the eventual Calgary Centre by-election.
At any rate, the Liberals have a respectable Calgary Centre candidate in
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: By-election watch: Calgary Centre Grits hope to benefit from Justin Trudeau’s reflected glow
By Simon, on October 11, 2012, at 2:09 am I'm not quite sure what to think about this latest attack ad from the NDP. I suppose I should be grateful that somebody put out a video calling the Cons Lying Liars. I'm sure that somewhere out there, some people who get their news only from YouTube, must be saying "Who knew eh?"And it certainly was sneaky to put out an attack ad that only quotes some scribblers from the MSM. So the NDP can say we didn't bad mouth the Cons, Andrew Coyne did.Read more »
By Mark Crowley, on October 10, 2012, at 10:21 am Here’s a short survey from the Liberal Party on foreign ownership rules for natural resources. There are two interesting things about this. First, foreign ownership of our natural resources, especially by state corporations of other nations, is an important issue Canadians need to talk about more. I’m not especially knowledgable about it so I won’t say any more, feel free to discuss in the comments though and educate me though.
The second, meta-issue here is openness and political party policy. The Liberals are trying to argue that they are the party which is really consulting people and casting both the (Read more…)
By david, on September 23, 2012, at 3:19 am Free of his moustache, Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason addresses his party’s 50th annual convention in Edmonton yesterday. Below: Federal NDP Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, who also spoke yesterday; former Alberta Conservative Premier Peter Lougheed.
Freshly shorn of his trademark moustache, Alberta New Democratic Party Leader Brian Mason made the implicit explicit yesterday at the party’s 50th annual convention in Edmonton.
To wit: he stated outright what a lot of us have been thinking, that the policies advocated by today’s Alberta New Democrats have more in common with the managerial legacy of Peter Lougheed, who died in Calgary on Thursday
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Alberta NDP’s Brian Mason lays claim to Tory Peter Lougheed’s legacy
By david, on September 4, 2012, at 1:22 am 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 candidate elected in Calgary Centre? Just asking…
A few days ago a website appeared called 1CalgaryCentre.ca that asks voters in the central Calgary federal riding where there will soon be a by-election to take part in an “innovative and evolutionary approach to democracy.”
The by-election, whenever Prime Minister
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: ‘Crowdsourcing our confidence’? Don’t bet on 1CalgaryCentre, whoever’s behind it, having much impact
By david, on August 29, 2012, at 2:31 am 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, it could be taken as a warning to North Americans on both sides of the 49th Parallel that You-Know-Who doesn’t want us electing any more far-right governments on this continent.
If this warning from on high is ignored, well, you’ve got to know what happens next, as surely as Lamentations
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Hurricane Isaac makes landfall in New Orleans; Hurricane Joan hits Calgary
By Richard Hughes, on August 23, 2012, at 10:13 pm James Laxer is an economist and Political Scientist, one of the founders of the “Waffle Movement”that attemped to pull the New Democratic Party left and controlling our natural resources nationally as a great many other countries had done. Although Laxer gained support from 37 percent at the 1972 convention the party power brokers moved the NDP towards the centre left of the political spectrum.
James Laxer
The Harper government’s Big Idea for the future of the Canadian economy is that Canada should become an “energy superpower.” What will make it so is the gargantuan development of the Alberta tar . . . → Read More: Cowichan Conversations: Why the Tar Sands are Bad News for Canada
By david, on August 5, 2012, at 2:29 am Members of the Calgary Centre Conservative Constituency Association puzzle over nomination papers presented by would-be candidates. Alberta political insiders may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: CPC Candidates Joan Crockatt, Joe Soares, Jon Lord and Richard Billington.
Wherever are the Conservative Party of Canada’s Calgary Centre candidates?
Or, more to the point, whoever are they?
Nominations closed Thursday afternoon. According to a report published that day by the Calgary Herald, party officials indicated they expected their internal vetting process could take until this week to figure out who could officially join the race to replace former MP Lee Richardson,
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Problems with their papers? No word yet on Conservative candidates for Calgary Centre
By david, on August 1, 2012, at 1:16 am Your blogger with David Swann: Remember, when the author of this blog appears in a picture with a politician, it does not necessarily imply an endorsement. (That’s enough photos with politicians for one week, thanks – ed.) Below: Likely Conservative winner Joan Crockatt, Edmonton Strathcona NDP MP Linda Duncan and successful political strategist Stephen Carter.
At least as far as the opposition parties’ chances go in the Calgary Centre by-election, successful political strategist Stephen Carter called it bang on in a recent Calgary Herald story: “Everything depends on the candidate.”
So the question of the day
. . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Mystery story: is there an opposition candidate who can win the Calgary Centre by-election?
By Obert Madondo, on June 19, 2012, at 10:58 pm Last week’s 24-hour House of Commons vote on Stephen Harper‘s draconian budget Bill C-38, the “Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act”, ended in a dramatic fashion. The New Democratic Party (NDP), the Official Opposition, concluded the vote with a spontaneous: Deux mille quinze! Deux mille quinze! Deux mille quinze! chant. That’s French for 2015! But why the celebration, after a grueling marathon vote where the Conservative majority torpedoed every single one of the combined opposition’s 800 progressive amendments?
The answer: 2015. The year we’ve pinned our hopes of ridding ourselves of Harper. Through the ballot. NDP House leader Nathan Cullen
. . . → Read More: CANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: With new NDP shadow cabinet, Mulcair plots Harper’s 2015 defeat
By Obert Madondo, on June 14, 2012, at 8:42 am Understanding the Canadian prime minister’s war against our democratic institutions, freedoms and legitimate dissent
Editor’s Note: In June 1997, Stephen Harper addressed a Montreal meeting of the Council for National Policy (CNP), a right-wing U.S. think tank. His speech unequivocally foreshadowed his ongoing war against Canadian democracy. Harper described Canada as “a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term” with “a standard of living substantially lower” than that of the U.S. On our cherished bilingualism he said “the important point is that Canada is not a bilingual country.” The Senate then was a
. . . → Read More: CANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Harper v. Canada: Stephen Harper Addresses Right Wing U.S. Think Tank
By Simon, on May 28, 2012, at 1:51 pm The Cons and their stooges in the right-wing media have gone after him like a pack of rabid hyenas.
They have attacked the man, claiming he was too angry and divisive to be a leader.
They have mocked him for pointing out the dangers of the Dutch Disease, that is ripping the guts out of our manufacturing sector and hollowing out our country, just to make Alberta rich.Read more »
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