Here’s somewhat of an Alberta political roundup….
– Kevin Taft‘s Alberta Liberals e-Bay adventure is continuing with the current bid at $1,400 on the Liberal Health Care book that Ralph Klein threw at a Legislative Page. All money raised will go to the Edmonton Emergency Youth Shelter.
– Crazy right-wing Tory backbencher Ted Morton launched his campaign for the Alberta PC leadership this week. In his opening speech, Morton attacked front-runner establishment candidate Jim Dinning – saying that Dinning’s under-30 taxbreak idea will not only:
“bankrupt the province, but it would lead to the kind of top-down policy process that has produced some of the worst public policies since joining caucus — polices like the Interim Metis Harvesting Agreement and the prosperity bonus cheques.”
Morton also thinks that Albertans should be beware of Stephen Harper and his Ottawa Conservatives…
Alberta Tory leadership candidate Ted Morton says he fears Alberta’s wealth will be used to appease Quebec despite the change to a Conservative government at the federal level.
– Speaking of Jim Dinning…. yesterday, he declared he didn’t believe in Private Health Care. Sure, Jim, and in the 1992 PC leadership race you didn’t believe in Ralph Klein either… it still didn’t stop you from being his Finance Minister for 4 years…
– Former Advanced Education Minister Dave Hancock launched his leadership campaign this week with his K-12 platform which includes innovative ideas such as “Government should walk the talk” and “Aggressively attack illicit drug use and sales in and near schools.”
Though Hancock’s policies remain somewhat vague, I do like this one: “Deal with the unfunded liability issue for teachers’ pensions.” But then again, I’d like to know his definition of “deal with.“