“She’s taking the same position as Raj Sherman, who’s now -I don’t know what he is now, an Independent? -and I believe David Eggen who is also an NDP candidate (and) is asking for the same.”
“You’d have to ask why she took the position. Obviously, some of the leadership candidates are going to try to differentiate themselves and this is one way of doing it.” – Premier Ed Stelmach (June 7, 2011)
Premier Ed Stelmach took a remarkably partisan pot shot at one of his own party’s leadership candidates, Alison Redford, after she called for a judicial inquiry into accusations of politically influenced queue-jumping made by former Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett.
This is the second time in two weeks that Ms. Redford has taken a public position opposite to the Premier. Last week she publicly rebutted the Premier’s confused statement that teachers were to blame for lay-offs.
It is not difficult to see why Ms. Redford would be trying to distance herself from Premier Stelmach. According to a Angus Reid Vision Critical poll released yesterday, only 27% of Albertans surveyed approved of Premier Stelmach’s job performance (54% of Albertans surveyed disapproved of his job performance).
12 replies on “alison redford distancing herself from premier stelmach.”
While I commend Redford for standing up and calling for the inquiry, doing the right thing, as you rightly point out David, is also a political move for points…it will be much easier to throw Stelmach under the bus now that she sees political gain as a direct result. Everyone else in this race seems to be asleep at the wheel…gaining her some momentum. Redford has been able at least for now to start dictating the pace of this race.
Is it throwing him under the bus if he walks out in front of it?
Raj Sherman is a giant flake. He says he knew about the doctor intimidation but didn’t do anything but avoid it for years. He now says he knew about queue jumping but didn’t say anything about it until now when someone else did. Come clean Raj. Are you hiding anything else or are you just jumping on a bandwagon to advance your own political career? If the liberals aren’t careful sign up thousands of instant Librrals and win.
The Liberals don’t have a clue what they’ve landed. Raj Sherman is the Liberals biggest gift to the PC Party. Another PC majority ahead!
Also, Go Redford!
No matter what else is said, that is a great line Paul.
Sherman is a joke. Say your evidence outside the legislature or shut up already.
This guy wants to be a Liberal in Alberta? Here’s to the Dr. Kevorkian of their party. Or was that Swann? Or Taft?
Sherman is no joke, and though he deserves criticism for having joined with the Tories when he already knew that their cuts had resulted in deaths and coverups, at least he left them before the wheels on the bus all flew off. Alison Redford is clearly smarter than the other Tory candidates. She knows that the public can no longer be fooled about what happened to health under Klein and Stelmach (and perhaps has less to hide than other candidates). So she will allow an inquiry. But what’s more important is what does she intend to change. Her party is now so committed to privatization of medicare that it’s inevitable that the scandals in Alberta medical care are just going to get worse under the next government.
Let’s be honest here. Raj has made the same accusations inside the Leg as outside. It is the Premier and the Ministers responsible who refuse to make their denials when they don’t enjoy parliamentary privilege.
[…] against their government, but there has been one notable exception – leadership candidate Allison Redford, who has joined the call of the opposition parties and editorials for a public […]
Yeah, that was one politically brilliant move. Any caucus support she might have had just said buh-bye. Typical of Alison though, to hit the panic button. No one else except Griffiths (who just wants someone, anyone, to notice him) places any stock in Duckett and thay all know Raj doesn’t have a clue.
[…] victory on September 17. A fellow Calgarian with considerable financial support and an aggressive campaign to distance herself from the unpopular administration of Premier Stelmach, Ms. Redford may […]
My support is solidly behind Ms Redford, she has been the only candidate who has indicated she will improve health care for seniors and in case no one is watching many many of our precious pioneers are in need of proper medical care and housing. I also find her sincere and honest and at 74 years of age I am speaking from experience
God help us if we are stupid enough to vote in a butcher like Mar who openley admitted on Rutherford’s Show he supports abortion.
good luck on the 1st of Oct.
Good on you for caling Mr Stellmack on the issues he seems to think are unimportant .
wish you all the best in the vinal vote.