daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics and Elections

Being in Donald Trump’s orbit a double-edged sword for Danielle Smith

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date January 14, 2025

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, US President-elect Donald Trump, and celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary (source: Danielle Smith / Facebook)

Smith wants tariff exemptions for oil and gas but Trump might want those jobs for American workers

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith continued her diplomatic charm offensive in the United States with a surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort owned by incoming American President Donald Trump. Trump’s Sunshine State refuge has operated as his White House-in-Waiting until next week’s Presidential Inauguration festivities.

Smith has been a regular guest over the past few weeks on a long list of Fox News shows where she has argued that Trump should to exempt Canadian oil and gas from his threat of tariffs. She also plans to join a crowd of Trump supporters to watch him be sworn-in to office next week in Washington D.C.

Tags 2025 Liberal Party of Canada Leadership Race, Alberta NDP, Alberta Politics, Chrystia Freeland, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Tariff, Jordan Peterson, Justin Trudeau, Kevin O'Leary, Mar-a-Lago, Mark Carney, Naheed Nenshi, Rachel Notley, United Conservative Party

NDP’s Rob Miyashiro wins by-election in Lethbridge-West

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date December 19, 2024

Lethbridge-West NDP candidate Rob Miyashiro was joined by NDP leader Naheed Nenshi at his victory party last night in Lethbridge (source: Alberta NDP / Facebook)

Alberta NDP candidate Rob Miyashiro won the provincial by-election in Lethbridge-West.

Unofficial results from Elections Alberta:

Rob Miyashiro, NDP: 7,239 votes (53.4%)
John Middleton-Hope, UCP: 6,089 votes (44.9%)
Layton Veverka, Alberta Party: 233 votes (1.7%)

Danielle Smith’s charm offensive in Trump’s America

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date December 13, 2024

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith with South Dakota Governor and Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (source: Danielle Smith / Facebook)

More MAGA, Less Ottawa

With the impending electoral defeat of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau growing more likely by the day, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has embarked on her own Team Alberta diplomatic charm offensive in the United States.

Just days after American President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods imported into his country, Smith jetted off to the Western Governors conference in Las Vegas. Smith held a handful of one-on-one meetings with Republican and Democratic governors as part of her pitch to US law-makers to exclude Canadian oil and gas from Trump’s tariff war.

“I am a fan of our biggest trading partner” Smith’s told a Fox News host when she was asked on-air if she was a fan of Trump. In response to Trump’s now frequently repeated threats that Canada should become America’s 51st state if Canadians don’t like the tariffs, Smith said he was “hilarious.”

Janis Irwin voted Best Alberta MLA for fifth year in a row

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date December 3, 2024

Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood MLA Janis Irwin (source: Janis Irwin / Facebook)

Justice Minister Mickey Amery voted Best Cabinet Minister of 2024

With all the votes counted, the winners of the Best of Alberta Politics 2024 Survey have been chosen. The eighth annual survey is all about celebrating the best in Alberta politics. The winners were selected from a week-long vote for the top two choices in each category nominated by Daveberta subscribers.

Read all about the winners on the Daveberta Substack.

Alberta Politics

Vote for the Best of Alberta Politics in 2024!

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date November 26, 2024

The 2024 Best of Alberta Politics finalists. Janis Irwin, Searle Turton, Rakhi Pancholi, Mickey Amery, Todd Loewen, Kathleen Ganley, Jennifer Johnson, Kyle Kasawski (left to right)

Vote for this year’s best MLA, cabinet minister, MLA to watch, municipal leader and more

With hundreds of names submitted to the 2024 Best of Alberta Politics Survey, your nominations have been sorted and the top two choices have been identified in all seven categories.

Voting in the eighth annual survey is now open to the nearly 4,600 Daveberta subscribers (free and paid) until Sunday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, December 3.

Vote in the 2024 Best of Alberta Politics Survey

Tags 2024 Alberta NDP Leadership Race, Alberta NDP, Alberta Politics Substack, Best of Alberta Politics, Best of Alberta Politics 2024, Daveberta Substack, Janis Irwin, Jennifer Johnson, Kathleen Ganley, Kyle Kasawski, Mickey Amery, Naheed Nenshi, Rakhi Pancholi, Richard Ireland, Searle Turton, Terry Jessiman, The Strategists Podcast, Todd Loewen, United Conservative Party

Alberta Politics

Lethbridge-West by-election a big test for Naheed Nenshi and Danielle Smith

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date November 22, 2024

NDP leader Naheed Nenshi and Lethbridge-West NDP candidate Rob Miyashiro (source: Naheed Nenshi / Facebook)

Race to replace Shannon Phillips called for December 18

Nearly five months after Alberta NDP MLA Shannon Phillips resigned her seat in the Legislature, a by-election has been called in Lethbridge-West and it’s happening on December 18.

For the past five years, this urban riding located in southwest Alberta has been an electoral anomaly: a lone orange island surrounded by a sea of blue. The riding was one of two won by the NDP in 2023 that was outside of the immediate Edmonton and Calgary areas.

Best of Alberta Politics 2024 Survey

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date November 18, 2024

24 of Alberta’s 87 MLAs (source: Legislative Assembly of Alberta)

Nominate your choice for this year’s best MLA, cabinet minister, up and comer, and more

It’s that time of year again. I am thrilled to launch the eighth annual Daveberta Best of Alberta Politics Survey. It has been a big year in Alberta politics so I am excited to hear from you about the big political players and issues of 2024.

Submit your choices on the Daveberta Substack

Tags Alberta NDP, Alberta Politics Substack, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, Naheed Nenshi, Rachel Notley, United Conservative Party

Alberta Politics

UCP cuts the “length” off arms-length AIMCo

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date November 15, 2024

Minister of Finance Nate Horner and Premier Danielle Smith on February 29, 2024 (photography by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta/Alberta Newsroom)

Alberta’s $160.6 billion investments now under a government controlled cone of silence

Secure in her party’s leadership after earning the support of 91.5 percent of members at the United Conservative Party AGM earlier this month, Premier Danielle Smith isn’t skipping a beat in implementing her government’s political agenda.

The firing of the CEO and the entire board of directors of AIMCo, the arms-length Alberta Investment Management Corporation, was confirmed through a short 9:47 am press release from Finance Minister Nate Horner last Friday.

Read the rest on the Daveberta Substack

Tags AIMco, Airdrie-Cochrane, Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission, Alberta Federal Candidate Nomination Update, Alberta Firewall Letter, Alberta Investment Management Corporation, Alberta Pension Plan, Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund, Alex Williams, Amarjeet Sohi, Avni Soma, Brian Thiessen, Bruce McAllister, Calgary Municipal Election 2025, Canada Pension Plan, Carla Beck, Chris Nielsen, Chrystia Freeland, CUPE Alberta, CUPE Strike in Fort McMurray, Dale McFee, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, Dj Kelly, Edmonton Municipal Election 2025, Edmonton-Decore, Edmonton-Manning, Elliot Weinstein, Evan Siddall, Heather McRae, International Democracy Union, Jeremy Nolais, Jim Dinning, Karen Principe, Kenneth Kroner, Lesley Thompson, Local Authorities Pension Plan, Management Employees Pension Plan, Marlene Puffer, Mary MacDonald, Matt Jones, Mickey Amery, Mike Ellis, Nate Horner, Paul Wynnyk, Peter Sandhu, Postmedia, Public Sector Pensions, Public Service Pension Plan, Ray Gilmour, Rick Bell, Rory Gill, Sarah Zagoda, Stephen Harper, Tim Cartmell, Tony Caterina, United Conservative Party, Ward tastawiyiniwak, Yellowhead

Alberta Politics

On Donald Trump and writing about Alberta politics

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date November 7, 2024

Donald Trump in Reading, Pennsylvania (source: Donald J. Trump / Facebook)

It sometimes feels a little insignificant writing about provincial politics in Alberta in the wake big world changing events.

This week’s election of former president Donald Trump as the next President of the United States of America was not totally unexpected for anyone watching politics south of the 49th parallel, but it is deeply troubling. Trump’s violent rhetoric, threats against his opponents, and harnessing of toxically divisive politics is appalling.

As American politics and culture seeps into Canada and our own politics become much more infused with culture and self-identity, I hope we can avoid the worst of what we see down south.

I hope that we can do a better job in offering empathy to our neighbours for the anxieties and stresses they are feeling. And I hope we can work as a community, province, and country to actually fix the big challenges we’re facing. It’s not going to be easy but I have faith that we can tackle this together.

Be kind and be strong,

Dave

Subscribe to the Davebeta Substack

Tags Daveberta Substack, Donald Trump, Writing about Alberta poltiics

Alberta Politics

Can Danielle Smith survive the UCP political circus in Red Deer?

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date October 31, 2024

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (photo: Danielle Smith/Facebook)

Alberta politics is unpredictable and sometimes it’s best to expect the unexpected

The main event of Alberta’s political season is nearly upon us. No, I’m not talking about the return of the Legislature or the impending by-election in Lethbridge-West. I’m talking about the United Conservative Party’s Annual General Meeting and leadership review that is happening this weekend in Red Deer.

With more than 6,000 people expected to attend, it will likely be the biggest single political convention in Alberta’s history. And it is going to be a circus.

Read the rest on the Daveberta Substack.

Tags 1905 Committee, Adriana LaGrange, Airdrie-Cochrane, Alberta Federal Candidate Nomination Update, Alberta First Pension Plan, Alberta NDP, Alberta Prosperity Project, Black Hat Gang, Blaine Higgs, Calgary Crowfoot, Calgary-Lougheed, Chemtrails, COVID-19 Pandemic, Cynthia Moore, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, David Parker, Demetrios Nicolaides, Edmonton-Manning, Elections Alberta, Eric Bouchard, Glen Resler, Gordon McClure, Ian Brodie, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, Jim Prentice, Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, John Middleton-Hope, Joseph Schow, Kathleen Ganley, Lesley Thompson, Lethbridge-West, Lethbridge-West by-election, Mathew Jammaz, Matt Jones, Naheed Nenshi, National Firearms Association, Ralph Klein, Rob Miyashiro, Sarah Hoffman, Scott Moe, Shahnaz Munir, Stephen Harper, Take Back Alberta, Tiffany Nixon, Transgender policy, Transgender Rights in Alberta, Umair Ahad, United Conservative Party, United Conservative Party AGM, United Conservative Party Leadership Review, Wildrose Party

Alberta Politics

That time Alberta tried to invade Saskatchewan

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date October 28, 2024

A political cartoon in The Leader-Post in May 1938 depicting Alberta Premier William Aberhart as a a plague of locusts.

86 years ago, Premier William Aberhart staged an invasion of Saskatchewan politics

It’s Election Day in Saskatchewan and it looks like a close race between the 17-year long governing Saskatchewan Party led by Premier Scott Moe and a revived Sask NDP led by Carla Beck. While I’ll leave the political analysis of tonight’s results and the past four weeks of campaigning to people more familiar with the Land of the Living Skies, I do know a little bit about one particular election in Saskatchewan’s history.

Eighty-six years ago, in 1938, Alberta Premier William Aberhart staged an invasion of Saskatchewan politics by using the Alberta Social Credit Party’s organization and the levers of the Alberta government to try to get the Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan elected as government.

Read the rest on the Daveberta Substack

Alberta Politics

Jennifer Johnson in, Marshall Smith out, Rob Anderson still in

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date October 10, 2024

UCP cabinet minister Jason Nixon and Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson in August 2024 (source: Jennifer Johnson / Facebook)

Jennifer Johnson welcomed into the UCP Caucus, Rob Anderson to replace Marshall Smith as Premier’s Chief of Staff

The leaves are changing, the nights are getting cooler, and the days are getting shorter. It’s fall in Alberta. And while many Albertans are enjoying a fairly pleasant change of seasons as we reluctantly brace ourselves for the inevitable shock of the first snowfall, politics in our province is just starting to heat up.

Government and opposition MLAs will return to the Legislature at the end of this month for what is expected to be a painfully contentious and controversial session. And a rowdy crowd of more than 5,400 partisans are expected to converge on Red Deer for the United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting and leadership review during the first two days of November.

Alberta Politics

Can Nenshi charm the NDP old guard? He’ll need to at this weekend’s Provincial Council meeting

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date October 4, 2024

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi speaks at a healthcare town hall forum in Lethbridge on October 1, 2024 (source: Naheed Nenshi / Instagram)

First, the Lethbridge by-election; then the federal NDP – do they stay or do they go?

The next step in the Alberta NDP’s transformation from Rachel Notley’s NDP to Naheed Nenshi’s NDP takes place this weekend in Calgary.

NDP members from across Alberta will gather in the province’s largest city this weekend for the party’s first meeting of its Provincial Council since Nenshi won his landslide victory in the race to replace Notley.

Nenshi’s 84% win with 62,746 votes means there is no doubt who the vast majority of the party’s membership wanted as leader. But meaningfully connecting with the people in the room this weekend will be Nenshi’s next big step.

Expect a charm offensive.

Tags Alberta Federal Candidate Nomination Update, Alberta NDP, Alberta Pension Plan, Amarjeet Sohi, Black Hat Gang, Blake Desjarlais, Brad Lafortune, Brian Mulroney, Calgary McKnight, Calgary-Buffalo, Calgary-Buffalo by-election, Calgary-Falconridge, Calgary-Foothills, Calgary-Glenmore, Chemtrails, Christina Gray, Court Ellingson, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, David Eggen, David Harrigan, Drew Yewchuk, Edmonton Centre, Edmonton-Ellerslie, Edmonton-Greisbach, Edmonton-Strathcona, Edmonton-Strathcona by-election, Edmonton-Whitemud, Fair Compensation Project, Federal NDP, James Cumming, Joe Ceci, Kelly Cryderman, Lethbridge-West, Lethbridge-West by-election, Lisa Young, Luanne Metz, Malik Ashraf, Max Fawcett, Mitch Sylvestre, Naeem Chaudhry Bhai, Nagwan Al-Guneid, Naheed Nenshi, NAVCAN, NORAD, Parmeet Singh Boparai, Preston Manning, Public Interest Alberta, Rachel Notley, Rakhi Pancholi, Ranbir Singh Parmar, Rob Miyashiro, Rod Loyola, Sarah Hoffman, Sayid Ahmed, Strong and Free: My Journey in Alberta Politics, Tanveer Taj, Ted Morton, The Pentagon, Trisha Estabrooks, United Conservative Party, United Conservative Party Leadership Review, United Nurses of Alberta, Will Tigley

Alberta Politics

Kenneyism in Alberta politics. An interview with Jeremy Appel

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date September 29, 2024

New book delves into the conservative politics of former Premier Jason Kenney

Author and journalist Jeremy Appel helps us launch the 7th season of Daveberta Podcast with an in-depth conversation about his new book, Kenneyism: Jason Kenney’s Pursuit of Power.

In his book, Appel takes one of the first in-depth looks at Jason Kenney’s rise and fall in Canadian politics, and dissects the branches of conservatism and adherence to hierarchical social order that drove the former Premier to become a political animal unlike anything Alberta politics has seen before.

The Daveberta Podcast is hosted by Dave Cournoyer and produced by Adam Rozenhart. This episode was recorded on September 23, 2024 in the offices of Adverb Communications in beautiful downtown Edmonton.

New and recent episodes of the Daveberta Podcast are available exclusively to paid subscribers of the Daveberta Substack.

Kenneyism in Alberta politics. An interview with Jeremy Appel by Dave Cournoyer

New book delves into the conservative politics of former Premier Jason Kenney

Read on Substack

Tags 2019 Alberta Election, Adam Rozenhart, Alberta NDP, Dave Cournoyer, Daveberta Podcast, Daveberta Substack, Jason Kenney, Jeremy Appel, Kenneyism: Jason Kenney's Pursuit of Power, Naheed Nenshi, Rachel Notley, United Conservative Party, United Conservative Party Leadership Review

Alberta Politics

Danielle Smith’s big pre-recorded policy announcements

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date September 26, 2024

Premier Danielle Smith delivered a pre-recorded televised address on September 17 (screenshot source: Your Alberta/YouTube)

Another way for politicians to control the message and avoid facing tough questions

In the span of one week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith released two pre-recorded video messages announcing major changes to the United Conservative Party government’s political agenda.

The first was an 8-minute broadcast online and on television featuring Smith announcing new funding for school construction and taking political jabs at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the federal government’s immigration policies.

A second 3-minute video featured the Premier announcing the rumoured amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights she argued would enshrine protections for people who refuse get vaccinated and people who own firearms and property.