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Cocaine Edmonton-Strathcona Rahim Jaffer

woah, rahim.

Former Edmonton-Strathcona Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer is in some serious hot water:

Rahim Jaffer, husband of Simcoe-Grey MP Helena Guergis, has been charged with drunk driving and possession of cocaine.

Police stopped Jaffer, a 37-year-old Angus resident, on Sept. 11 on Regional Road 50 in Palgrave. Caledon OPP say he was speeding through the village.Jaffer will be in

Orangeville criminal court on Oct. 19 to answer the charges.

Jaffer was elected MP for the Edmonton-Strathcona riding in 1997, a seat he held up until last year’s federal election, when he lost to the NDP candidate.

Audio: Rahim Jaffer’s anti-drug radio ad from the 2008 election. (ht Archie McLean)

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Cathay Wagantall Edmonton-Strathcona Linda Blade Linda Duncan Rahim Jaffer Ryan Hastman

jaffer out of edmonton-strathcona race.

After having declared his intention to seek a rematch against NDP MP Linda Duncan in Edmonton-Strathcona, former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer has bowed out of his party’s nomination race.

Tory nominations drive Jaffer from politics
Former MP gives up on his ambitions after being shut out of Edmonton riding in favour of PMO staffer

JENNIFER DITCHBURN
The Canadian Press
May 7, 2009 at 6:53 PM EDT

OTTAWA — Former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer is giving up on his political ambitions for now, after Tory sources say he was effectively shut out of the nomination process in his Edmonton riding.

A staffer in the Prime Minister’s Office is one of the contestants in that race.

“My understanding is that the party does not want him to run,” said a Conservative source. “The party is doing what the party does.”

Mr. Jaffer, a former caucus chair, told the party in a letter last month that he intended to run in Edmonton-Strathcona to win back the riding he narrowly lost last fall to the NDP. [Read more]

Candidates for the Conservative nomination include Ryan Hastman, Linda Blade, and Cathay Wagantall.

(h/t @MrBWH)

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Alana DeLong Edmonton-Strathcona Linda Duncan Lindsay Blackett Rahim Jaffer Ryan Hastman

rumble in strathcona: ryan hastman vs. rahim jaffer.

Ryan Hastman has launched a website and a facebook page in his bid to win the Conservative Party of Canada nomination in Edmonton-Strathcona. The riding is currently represented by NDP MP Linda Duncan, who defeated four-term Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer in the October 2008 Federal Election. Since his defeat, Jaffer has maintained a candidate-like website and has announced his intentions to seek the nomination.

Two of Hastman’s notable facebook supporters include Calgary-North West MLA & Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett and Calgary-Bow MLA Alana DeLong.

UPDATE: Scott Abbey writes that Cathay Wagantall is also seeking the nomination. Wagantall is the President of the Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont Conservative Association and is MP Mike Lake‘s former Campaign Manager.

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Doug Main Edmonton-Strathcona Linda Duncan Rahim Jaffer Ryan Hastman

rahim jaffer eyes a rematch with linda duncan.

Confirmed on last week’s edition of CBC’s The House, and today’s Edmonton Journal, one of the worst kept secrets in Alberta politics is out of the bag – former MP Rahim Jaffer is gearing up for a third re-match with NDP MP Linda Duncan in Edmonton-Strathcona. After spending 12 years in Ottawa, Jaffer was the only Conservative candidate in Alberta to face defeat in the October 15, 2008 federal election. In a master plan drawn up by the authors of the now-defunct “Canadian Rebels” blog, it now appears that Jaffer’s triumphant return to political-life has been in the works since early this year.

The Journal also reports that former Edmonton-Parkallen PC MLA Doug Main will be supporting Ryan Hastman for the Conservative nod in Edmonton-Strathcona. Hastman currently works for Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a Senior Special Assistant in Ottawa.

Since the October 2008 election, both the Conservatives and NDP have paid a lot of attention to Edmonton-Strathcona. The Conservative Party of Canada has used tax-payer funds to pummel Edmonton-Strathcona voters with pro-Conservative mail pamphlets, and a legion of NDP MPs have paid visits (including Jack Layton, Judy Wasylycia-Leis, and Dennis Bevington).

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David Eggen Edmonton-Strathcona Judy Bethel Judy Wasylycia-Leis Justin Trudeau Linda Duncan Matt Altheim Peter Goldring

a test of the emergency trudeau alert system.

Lock up your daughters and seal the oil wells, Trudeau is coming to Alberta.

On April 26, Justin Trudeau, the Honourable Member for Papineau will be speaking at a fundraiser for delegates to the federal Liberal Convention in Vancouver.

Tonight (April 6), Michael Ignatieff will be speaking at a GRAND EVENING fundraiser in Calgary for the Michael Ignatieff Leadership Campaign (sic).

On April 14, Edmonton-Strathcona MP Linda Duncan will be hosting a Town Hall forum on Health Care with guest speakers David Eggen (Executive Director of the Friends of Medicare & former MLA for Edmonton-Calder) and Winnipeg-North MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis.

On Saturday, April 4, Matt Altheim announced his intention to run for the Conservative Party nomination in Edmonton-East. Current Edmonton-East MP Peter Goldring has spent 12 years in Ottawa since defeating Liberal MP Judy Bethel in 1997.

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Betty Unger Edmonton-Strathcona Linda Duncan

edmonton-strathcona watch.

With NDP MP Linda Duncan having been the only non-Conservative MP elected in Alberta in the October 2008 election, I expect the Conservatives will pay a lot of attention to Edmonton-Strathcona in 2009.

It may be early, but the rumour mill has already begun generating names of potential Conservative candidates pondering a run in Alberta’s only island of orange. One of the more interesting names I’ve heard mentioned has been Senator-in-waiting Betty Unger.

In 2000, Unger was narrowly defeated by former Liberal MP Anne McLellan when she ran under the Canadian Alliance banner in Edmonton-West. Running a woman candidate with campaign experience in a competitive riding would probably be a good move for the Conservatives as they bid to regain their political monopoly in this province. With Alberta’s next scheduled Senate vacancy until 2011 (when Liberal Senator Tommy Banks turns 75), it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Unger try to jump back into the political arena this early.

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Edmonton-Strathcona

rahim jaffer’s pot attack ad falls flat on flip-flop.

January 2000: Reform Party MP Rahim Jaffer fought for the decriminalization of marijuana at that year’s Reform Party conference:

…MPs such as Keith Martin or Rahim Jaffer say it makes sense to decriminalize the drug, a move that would free up countless hours of expensive police and court time. They plan to rally support for the motion.

October 2008: After 11 years in Ottawa and in a tight race for re-election, Rahim Jaffer‘s campaign launches a series of negative attacks ads against the NDP, accusing them of supporting the legalization of marijuana:

“Jack Layton and the Ottawa NDP have publicly supported the legalization of marijuana. In fact when asked about marijuana Jack Layton called it a wonderful substance which Canadians should be free to smoke at home or in a cafe.

Edmontonians understand how difficult it is to make sure our children make the right choices especially on serious issues like drug use. The Conservative Party supports drug free schools and getting tough with drug dealers who sell illegal drugs to children.

Don’t let our schools go up in smoke… on October 14th vote Conservative. Authorized by the official agent for Rahim Jaffer.”

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Edmonton-Strathcona

they’ve gone neg.

The Conservatives have released a series of negative radio ads as the Edmonton-Strathcona race between Linda Duncan and Rahim Jaffer continues to burn hot four days before the October 14 election.

After spending 11 years in Ottawa, I think it says a lot that Jaffer’s campaign is resorting to negative attacks against his opponents, rather than running on his record in office.

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Edmonton-Strathcona Linda Duncan

i’m voting for linda duncan in edmonton-strathcona.

I was originally going to wait until later this week to post this, but after having being confronted this past weekend by a supporter of the local Liberal candidate, who aggressively and awkwardly accused me of volunteering for the NDP, I have decided that today would be best.

After some long and difficult thinking, I have decided that I will be voting for Edmonton-Strathcona NDP candidate Linda Duncan.

Edmonton-Strathcona is a two-way race and Linda Duncan is the only candidate in a position to defeat the Conservative incumbent. Strategic voting may not be easy for some Liberal, Green, and independent voters, but if you want to change who speaks for you in Ottawa, it is critically important. Recent polls have flagged Edmonton-Strathcona as a tight race and the tracking website DemocraticSPACE has Duncan in a statistical tie with the Conservative incumbent.

I strongly urge all Edmonton-Strathcona voters who want to stop Stephen Harper’s Conservatives from taking Alberta for granted to vote for Linda Duncan on October 14.

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Canadian Politics Edmonton-Strathcona Rahim Jaffer

dear rahim jaffer, mp edmonton-strathcona.


Above is a pamphlet mailed out by my MP, and below is a letter signed and sent by my house mate and I to Rahim Jaffer, the Edmonton-Strathcona Member of Parliament in question.

Rahim Jaffer, M.P.
7516 Gateway Blvd.
Edmonton, AB T6E 6E8

April 6, 2008

Dear Mr. Jaffer,

On April 4, 2008, we received a pamphlet from your office featuring a
graphic of Jack Layton’s giant floating head and a hopelessly out of
scale CN Tower. We were somewhat puzzled as to why our
Conservative MP would be advertizing for the NDP until we noticed the
text, “NDP Opposition: Selling Out Hard-Working Alberta Families.”

As these types of pamphlets seem to be the only type of
correspondence that we receive from your office, we can only assume
that your full-time job as a member of the governing party is not to
govern, but to attack the opposition (which already finds itself in a
weakened position without your help).

As two constituents and voters in Edmonton-Strathcona, we would
much rather see you earn your re-election through hard work rather
than American-style smear tactics which I can only imagine contribute
to the decision of hordes of voters who chose to not participate in our
democracy. As we evaluate our voting options in anticipation of the
next federal election, we hope that you refocus on representing us,
your constituents, rather than the Conservative Party war room.

Govern yourself accordingly,

(The Undersigned)

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2008 Alberta Provincial Election Edmonton-Strathcona

edmonton-strathcona all-candidates forum.

The University of Alberta Students’ Union is hosting an all-candidates forum tonight for the constituency of Edmonton-Strathcona.

Edmonton-Strathcona All-Candidate Forum

Wednesday, February 20, 2008
6:00 p.m.
Myer Horowitz Theatre (2nd Floor, Students’ Union Building)
*RSVP on Facebook

The candidates in Edmonton-Strathcona are:

Alberta Liberal – Tim Vant
Green – Adrian Cole
ND – Rachel Notley
PC – T.J. Keil