federal opposition parties putting pressure on the tories in edmonton.

I agree with Blake Robert. Edmontonians that are actually interested in having Albertan MPs other than Conservatives need to look to the winnable options, which are clearly Linda Duncan and Ray Martin. I’m far from the world’s biggest Linda Duncan fan, but even I think your comment that she has been “a ghost” is a gross mischaracterization. Sure she isn’t out at many ribbon cutting ceremonies, but that’s because the Conservatives go out of their way to ensure that only their own MPs are booked to attend such things. The federal Liberal party is dead in this province. I know you like to think the last election was Dion’s fault, Dave, but if you talk to ordinary folks, there is far less interest in Team Iggy than there was for Dion. At least Dion stood for something and pulled those enviro votes from some otherwise Green and NDP voters. Iggy appeals to who exactly?

I’ve heard that rumour too. Ruth Kelly would be a great candidate but running for the Liberals in Alberta is a death wish. Even Bronconnier lost as a Liberal.

My guess is that she and her group of Expo lovers will sit back and raise a ton of $$$$$ for Liberal candidates without actually electing any of them.

Nicole, you should be on Twitter. Discussion of Edmonton’s role in the next federal election occurs under the hashtag of #yegfed. This same topic (Ruth as candidadte) was debated on there last night and Ruth herself appeared and declared that she will not be running for any party, anywhere, in the forthcoming federal election. Twitter’s awesome for real time info like that.

Dang – all my speculation for naught! Thx Neal – I am on twitter, just not very good at it. 🙂

Dave, or others? What exactly would a “local champion” from Edmonton do in Ottawa? Can someone in opposition be a “champion” especially when they mostly focus on hammering the government? Are we just talking delivering pork back home or is there anything else? Isn’t one of the points of our political system that those elected must think about how to best spend the nations resources and not have every MP try to bring home the bacon to their region?
(I’m fully aware that this is in theory and not in practice. I look forward to attending a Nords game in the new Oil Sands Arena sometime soon.)

Gee, I’m out of province for a couple days and I come back to discover that someone has plotted a new career path for me.
While I’m flattered that my name is being brunted about as a candidate, I want to make it very clear that I have no intention of running in the upcoming federal election in any riding. I own and actively operate a business and have no interest in selling my company at this time.
However, I do not subscribe to the mythology that all Conservative seats are ironclad in Alberta – and really wish that we would quit actively reinforcing that perception. Albertans are realizing that this is the most Toronto-centric prime minister that Canada has seen since Louis St. Laurent. Issues like the push to a single, Toronto-based securities regulator, the removal of the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance for the oilsands, the federal restrictions on export markets for Alberta’s energy products, and yes, its shortsighted refusal to celebrate the economic power of the New West through Expo 2017, are creating significant discomfort in the business community. And that translates into an impact upon the fundraising activities of local MPs. As an example, Minister Ambrose sent out an email to her funders the week after the Expo announcement and received sharply pointed criticism back – and an equally sharp drop in financial support.
To Bjorn’s question on the value of a “local champion”, I would suggest the importance of having a diversity of voices is that it does not allow the government to treat its citizens as mindless sheep that will follow them off the cliff. It is not to ensure we can grab our own fatty bits from the pork barrel but rather to ensure that equity and fairness is not sacrificed to political expediency. In the words of Conservative MP, Dean del Mastro, the government should either be pure or be fair. In the example of Expo 2017, the government had already sacrificed purity when it decided to support the Pan-Am Games in Toronto; my expectation therefore was that it would have exercised fairness. I have obviously wrong.
So while I am not running, I am actively involved in ensuring Albertans understand the fullness of the choices they have in the next federal election and encouraging them to exercise their franchise thoughtfully.
On a personal note, I will point out, though, that my great grandparents homesteaded around Stony Plain; I grew up in Spruce Grove; and at any given time, my extended family probably accounts for 10% of the population in Parkland County. So I think I have significant insight into the perspectives held there and believe that Mr. Robert might find their views somewhat surprising.

I think Dave’s hit the nail on the head in that the NDP are on the brink of becoming Albertan’s second choice in federal politics. It appears to me as though the Liberal brand has become a poison pill across the province, which leaves room for growth. Unfortunately for the NDP, these new found votes could actually result in a reduction in seats.

I’ve spent a significant amount of time in Edmonton-Strathcona and many people feel as though they’ve been snookered by Ms. Duncan. She had a genuine opportunity to define what it means to be an opposition member, but she has spoiled that opportunity by being a one-issue MP who seems to have an intense hate for the livelihood of many residents in her riding. The environment is important to many residents, but it is by no means their only issue. Many are concerned about crime in their neighbourhoods, a slow economic recovery, and taxes eating away at their hard-earned incomes. These are issues that Ms. Duncan has spent little to no time addressing. In fact, I would argue she’s been counterproductive.

I don’t think its any secret that Ryan Hastman is young by political standards, but he has a successful small business and a political resume that is more extensive than many politicos twice his age. I’ve gotten to know Ryan over the past few years and can say that there are few people who have such a strong understanding of the issues in the riding. I think his “youth” only strengthens his chances in a riding that is looking for someone who will champion their issues rather than those of districts thousands of miles away.

As for Edmonton-Centre and Edmonton-East, I suspect the NDP to finish second in both. Strong candidates will build on past support, but it will be difficult to unseat the incumbents. This is particularly true in Edmonton-Centre, where its my view that most residents are happy with the tireless effort put in by Laurie Hawn. Even those who don’t agree with him on every issue tend to respect his dedication to the role and consider themselves to be well-represented.

So, Dave/Lou/Joel… I guess we will have to wait to see how the spring unfolds to see which prediction is more accurate.

A couple of things to respond to here.

I appreciate Neal’s points on Strathcona and certainly didnt want to give the impression that I think she’s dead in the water. But I think Neal exposes an NDP weakness when he talks about the average Strathcona voter walking down Whyte Ave. I dont think you’ll find the average Strathcona voter wandering down Whyte Ave, you’ll find them in Ottewell or Malmo or the like. Those are the kinds of neighbourhoods that got Rahim elected so many times and, unfortunately, the ones who stayed home in 2008. What they do in the next election is anyone’s guess, but I think suggesting that Garneau will be deciding what happens to Edmonton-Strathcona might be misguided.

As for the Ruth Kelly rumours for Edmonton-Spruce Grove, I appreciate her honesty and forthrightness in dispelling the rumour. The logic behind thinking Ruth was going to run, though, was sound. There was much buzz before Christmas that the Mayor and his group of boosters were going to run a high-profile candidate against Rona Ambrose to “make a point” about the decision not to fund Expo 2017. Given the outburst from this group when the decision was made, I took the suggestion seriously. Given that Ruth is very much a high-profile Edmontonian, and was also making a lot of noise of behalf of the Mayor and, subsequently, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, you can see how the notion of Ruth carrying the Liberal banner in the west-end riding was quite plausible.

The choice not to run is a sound one on her part, though, because I will gladly put money on the Liberal in Edmonton-Spruce Grove getting less than half the votes secured by Ms. Ambrose.

To get into the argument that Alberta isn’t doing well by the Conservative government is a bit laughable. More seats at cabinet, more investment (although not in the Expo pet project/party), and staunch defence of Alberta’s oilsands while the Ignatieff Liberals are voting against projects that will help diversify markets for our product (BC tanker traffic). I’ll take Stephen Harper and Edmonton’s Conservative MPs any day.

As an aside, I’m not sure how loosely one defines extended family these days, but I guess it’s an impressive claim to be related to 10% of a Parkland County. You would normally expect those kinds of figures in a place like PEI.

Anyway, a good discussion here as Dave is so often able to stimulate.