Category: Uncategorized

That’s right. Dr. Michael Ignatieff, MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore had the pleasure of meeting me yesterday afternoon at a reception here in Edmonton. Overall, I think he was fairly impressed with me and my question asking abilities.

Though I wasn’t anywhere near to being blown away, I was fairly impressed with Ignatieff’s performance, though he is very much a podium speaker and needs to work on his non-podium speaking posture.

Like I’ve said before, I don’t necessarily agree with all of his ideas and policies, but I do respect that they are well thought out and that he is able to defend them with academic arguments.

And of course, being the political junkie that I am, I couldn’t leave the event without Chairman Ignatieff to sign one of his little red books for me…

For your Saturday night watching, a great clip from Boston Legal…

(props to Sam for the linkage)

Our good friend Dr. Lyle Oberg is looking for skeletons again. This week, Oberg announced that he was going to hold a press conference while promising the media “blood” with allegations that another candidate was planning “dirty tricks” against poor old Lyle.

It turned out to be a sham. The media showed up. Oberg quickly backed off. Graham Thomson from the Edmonton Journal has a great recap of Oberg’s political tactless press conference yesterday. Here is a clip of it…

Oberg overplayed his hand. He promised us “blood” on Wednesday — but then looked foolish when he said he had evidence of “misconduct” but wouldn’t reveal either the evidence or the candidate.

All he managed to do was smear the other seven campaigns while making himself once again look like a fool (remember his “I know where the skeletons are” comment in March which led to his ejection from government caucus for four months — and he still hasn’t named any government scandals).

He should have cancelled Wednesday news conference until he could give reporters something other than innuendo.

His performance called into question his judgement.

Calling a news conference on Thursday to rehash the affair and release the document (which managed to find its way to the news media anyway on Wednesday) called into question his campaign’s desperation.

BOTTOM LINE
Oberg shot himself in the mouth — where his foot happened to be.

Well put, Graham.

I’m back from a productive three days in Grande Prairie and Peace River!

Lots to comment on, including this from our very soon to be former Tory Premier, Ralph Klein:

Premier Ralph Klein wants projects such as new schools and roads delayed because of spiralling costs, but critics say Alberta’s infrastructure needs to keep pace with rapid growth.

“Costs are escalating at 30 to 40 per cent, so my message is simply to delay,” Klein said. “I know there is a screaming demand for more infrastructure but, folks, the prices are beyond belief.”

After meeting with local community leaders in Grande Prairie and Peace River, I don’t think it would be far off to say that a very large majority of the folks in northwestern Alberta would loudly disagree with the Premier on this.

You pay the price when you don’t have a plan. In this case, it looks like a 30% to 40% cost increase…

I’m gone to Grande Prairie and Peace River for the next couple days, so you all may have to do without me for the next half week or so. I have been able to rangle a digital camera, so my trimphant return may be accompanied by the dazzlement of my photographic artistry.

If you have the chance, check out this fun site (props to nic for the link).

Feel free to take this opportunity to use my comment box to chat amongst yourselves on any topic you see fit…

Alberta PC leadership candidate Lyle Oberg has been taking out near-daily advertizements in the Edmonton Journal. Here’s a picture of one of Dr. Oberg’s Ad’s. I thought it was pretty funny when you look at the Ad below it…

Grow up.

It’s more pathetic than anything else.

Though a 17-point press release titled “Whoppers about Jim Dinning,” Alberta PC leadership frontrunner Jim Dinning has gone on the defensive by attacking some of the allegations facing the Tory Dauphin.

All this Jim Dinning, Jim Dinning, Jim Dinning talk is starting to make me think of another politician…

Ted Morton looks like he is attracting a youthful metrosexual crowd of supporters in Calgary.

Lyle Oberg has come out with a slick looking policy platform. Though it is the most extensive policy platform so far released by the candidates in this race, it still remains fairly vague.

And Dave Hancock is continuing his open-letter writing strategy, this time Hancock has sent an open-letter to Alberta School Trustees…

Really, it was only a matter of time…

Garth Turner suspended from Tory caucus
SCOTT DEVEAU
Globe and Mail Update

Outspoken Conservative MP Garth Turner has been suspended from caucus, after a motion passed citing “confidentiality concerns” on his often-controversial daily blog.

MP Rahim Jaffer, chairman of the Tories’ national caucus, made the announcement Wednesday that the suspension of Mr. Turner, who represents the Ontario riding of Halton, was the result of a unanimous vote made by both the provincial and the federal Tory caucus.

“This is something that has been culminated since Mr. Turner’s election to our caucus,” Mr. Jaffer said Wednesday at a press conference in Ottawa. He said the primary sources of concern were confidentiality matters and attacks on other party members posted on Mr. Turner’s blog.

This just in: Garth Turner may join the Green Party of Canada?

Too busy to blog much today. As a concession, I turn it over to Steve and his post on the U.S. Mid-term coming up on November 7…

Some of my favorite US Mid-term 2006 websites include…

Swing State Project
Politics1
New York Times Election Site
The Caucus

I only thought this was somewhat interesting…

McPherson promises to scrap GST (12:20 p.m.)
Alberta advantage would include an end to the six-per-cent federal tax

Jason Markusoff, edmontonjournal.com
Published: Monday, October 16, 2006

The “Alberta Advantage” should include an end to paying Goods and Services Tax in the province, says Conservative leadership hopeful Gary McPherson.

And even though it’s a federal sales tax, it can be done, he insisted today.

Instead of Albertans paying the six-per-cent GST at the cash register, the Alberta treasury would cover it all through additional cash transfers to Ottawa, according to McPherson’s plan.

“One of the best ways to maintain a vibrant economy in all sectors is to put more money in the pockets of consumers,” he said in a news release.

My question is: isn’t this just paying Albertans contribution to the GST through Albertans taxes? So aren’t Albertans still paying?

Instead of sending these tax dollars to Ottawa why not make an investment in Alberta itself? There are so many better things that the provincial government could do with that amount of taxpayers dollars. Premier Gary McPherson would be smarter to reinvest that money into Alberta’s Post-Secondary Education system and fulfill the Tory Government’s promise to give Alberta the most affordable tuition in Canada.

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Red Deer and Calgary. I would just like to give a big shout out to my family who made it to my cousin’s wedding on Saturday – it was great to see you all!

Everytime I head off to Calgary, I’m blown away at how fast that city is growing. It’s crazy.

Other than the suburbs, it seems that Calgary may be growing “up” as well. EnCana has announced that they will be building the Bow Tower, which is not only massive, but will block out most of the Calgary Tower… (here are the before and after shots…). Following this announcement, it seems like we have a “my johnson is bigger than your johnson” competition going on between EnCana and Imperial Oil, who also want to build a big town in Calgary…

And to end the post on a relative theme, I leave you with this…

Nihilist: We believe in nothing, Lebowski. Nothing. And tomorrow we come back and we cut off your chonson.
The Dude: Excuse me?
Nihilist: I said
[shouting]
Nihilist: “We’ll cut off your johnson”!
Nihilist: Just you think about that, Lebowski.
Nihilist: Yeah, your wiggly penis, Lebowski.
Nihilist: Yeah and maybe we stomp on it and squoosh it, Lebowski.

Though it’s really not fair to compare The Dude to EnCana or Imperial Oil, I can’t help but remember the pictures of all those tarped-up half-built office towers in downtown Calgary following the last oil bust and economic recession in Alberta the 1980’s.

I guess the economy is a nihilist.

Yesterday morning at 7:30am, I attended the 21st Annual Person’s Day Breakfast put on by the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). It was a really well attended event with what I would guess as over 200 guests.

The Guest Speaker was former Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan and the topic was “why aren’t more women running for elected office.” It was a really interesting talk about the societal, cultural, and structural reasons why women can’t seem to break the 20%-25% involvement in electoral politics in Canada, along with some solutions on how to change this.

Other notable folks in attendance include blogging-types Sam, Nicole Martel, Ken Chapman, and many political types including Liberal MLA’s Laurie Blakeman (Edmonton Centre), Dan Backs (Edmonton Manning), Bill Bonko (Edmonton Decore), Tory MLA Dave Hancock (Edmonton Whitemud), and NDP MLA want-to-be Rachel Notley (candidate in Edmonton Strathcona). City Councillors Jane Batty, Michael Phair, Karen Leibovici, and Linda Sloan were also in attendance.

…is from a different party. Alberta Alliance leader and MLA Paul Hinman (Cardston-Taber-Warner) is endorsing Ted Morton (Foothills-Rockyview) in the Alberta PC leadership race…

Alliance brass back Morton – Morton, Alliance share aim to unite the right in Alberta

UPDATE…

And almost as fast as Ted Morton gains an MLA endorsement, Alberta PC leadership candidate Alana DeLong (Calgary Bow) drops out of the race and endorses front-runner Jim Dinning…

That gives Jim Dinning 34 Alberta PC MLA endorsements… see the full endorsement list here.

Though it is clear that Yukon electoral politics are more personality than party based, it is interesting to see the seeming decline of support for the NDP in the Yukon. Though this immediately be tied to the unfortunate situation with NDP leader Todd Hardy undergoing cancer treatment in Vancouver (hence, his inability to campaign full-time during this election period). The shift from NDP Governments (1985-1992 & 1996-2000) to Pat Duncan‘s Liberals (2000-2002) and then Dennis Fentie‘s Yukon Party Government (2002-present) is interesting. The Yukon NDP’s decline from government to Official Opposition to Third Party status may signify something deeper than a mere decline in seat count.

*Archie Lang’s twin brother, Kent Lang, was MLA for Porter Creek East from 1978-1992.