daveberta.ca - Alberta Politics and Elections

Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft returned to Alberta yesterday and dispelled rumours that he will be resigning from his Edmonton-Riverview seat. The prospect of a by-election led former Edmonton-Riverview PC candidate Wendy Andrews to marshal of her supporters into a pre-by-election tizzy. In response, Taft told Andrews to take a Valium.

Since it was created in 1997, Edmonton-Riverview has elected two Liberal MLAs. In 1997, Linda Sloan defeated Tory Gwen Harris by over 900 votes. In 2001, Taft defeated City Councillor turned Tory candidate Wendy Kinsella by over 1,500 votes. In 2004, Taft garnered the largest margin of victory in that election after defeated Tory Fred Horne (now Edmonton-Rutherford’s MLA) by over 6,700 votes.

Calgary-Mountain View MLA David Swann is continuing to hold meetings to discuss the creation of a new political movement in Alberta. Notable attendees to the meetings include former Lacombe-Ponoka Green candidate Joe Anglin. After leading central Alberta landowners to a number of EUB hearings, Anglin received over 20% of the vote in Lacombe-Ponoka in the March 3, 2008 election. Gauntlet has some suggestions on how to start from scratch.

Ward 5 City Councillor Don Iveson has made SEE Magazine’s Best of Edmonton in two categories.

Best Local Politician
1. Steven Mandel
2. Don Iveson
3. Rachel Notley

Most Creative Edmontonian
1. Cadence Weapon
2. Ashley Andel / Don Iveson / Nick Kozub / Stewart Lemoine

I was encouraged to hear this week that St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse, the chair of a new sub-committee of the Capital Region Integrated Growth Management Planning Board tasked with creating a public transit plan for the capital region, that this could be the beginnings of a unified regional transit system.

As I’ve written in the past, I think a regional public transit service replacing the three current municipal transit services – Edmonton Transit Services, St. Albert Transit, and Strathcona County Transit – would be a great first step in fostering cooperation, eliminating expensive duplication in services, and could bode well for creating a more efficient transit service for the entire region. With Edmonton, St. Albert, and Strathcona County already proving that they can work together on important issues such as the Universal Bus Pass (U-Pass) for University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan College students, a future regional transit service doesn’t seem that unlikely.

This is just quick note to let you know that daveberta.ca is no longer a member of liblogs.ca.

It has been some time since I withdrew my support for the Liberal Party of Canada, so requesting to leave liblogs.ca was a pretty obvious move on my part. For all of you out there who previously read this blog’s posts through liblogs, you can still find them on the Progressive Bloggers aggregator and of course, through RSS.

With Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft pondering his future abroad and expected to announce his future political intentions in the coming months, those interested in running for the subversive job of Leader of the Official Opposition are starting to gear up (for a potential November 2008 leadership selection). Sources in Calgary have informed me that Calgary-Currie MLA Dave Taylor is rallying his key supporters to prepare for a run. Taylor was first elected in 2004 after unseating high-profile Tory backbencher Jon Lord and was re-elected in 2008 by defeating Tory star candidate Arthur Kent. Before entering elected politics, Taylor was the host of a popular QR77 Radio call-in show.

Among Taylor’s rumoured supporters is longtime Liberal organizer Donn Lovett. Lovett has been involved in Liberal campaigns since the 1980s (including campaigns of Sheldon Chumir, Joe Clark, Dave Taylor, Jennifer Pollock, and Craig Cheffins) but more recently, Lovett caused a bit of a stir after penning a memo to key Liberal organizers on the future of the party, including critiques on post-election MLA critic portfolios and party operations.

As Calgary-Mountain View MLA David Swann is publicly talking about forming a new political party in Alberta, I’ve had many Liberal supporters tell me that they would be more than happy to support a Swann leadership campaign (to also prevent a Taylor coronation). Also rumoured to be interested in a run is former Edmonton-McClung MLA Mo Elsalhy. Elsalhy was elected in 2004 by defeating Ralph Klein-era Economic Development Minister Mark Norris, but was unseated by Tory David Xiao in the 2008 election. Though I haven’t heard any stirrings on the front, I wouldn’t be disappointed if veteran Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman threw her hat into the ring.

With the March 3, 2008 election results fresh in memory, the next leader of the Alberta Liberals will take on the arguably thankless job inheriting a 9-member caucus facing a massive 72-seat 37-year old Tory majority, a party with a massive financial debt, and nearly no support outside the cities of Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge regions. The leadership race will also take place in a new geo-political dynamic in the Liberal caucus now that the majority of the 9-MLA caucus are from southern Alberta (five MLAs from Calgary & one from Lethbridge), rather than the traditional Edmonton base (which now has three MLAs).

Facing these challenges, I think I tend to agree with Swann. With none of Alberta’s political parties successfully engaging Albertans, I would argue that it’s time start from scratch.

Just in case you missed it, David Climenhaga had a pretty insightful column in last week’s Saint City News (from St. Albert) on the new super mega health board centralization that went on last week across Alberta. You can read the column on his blog.

Here’s some fun non-political links for a non-political Saturday afternoon…

– If you’re looking for some good Americana/Country/Indie music, take a listen to Amy Honey. I saw her show at the Black Dog Freehouse a couple of weeks ago and she was some good fun.

– Last week’s Studio 360 podcast was pretty good. The two segments in particular that you should listen to are on the topics of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and What I’d Say to the Martians.

– AGRDT posted on this already, but make sure to check out The World of Isaac.

– If you didn’t get a chance to see it before CBC announced its cancellation (lame), you can now watch the entire series run of jPod online. It’s a really good show.

Thanks to the good folks in Councillor Don Iveson‘s office for passing along this message.

What is the Commuter Challenge? The Commuter Challenge is a national competition between workplaces and cities, encouraging healthier commuting practices by reducing the reliance on single occupancy vehicles for trips to and from the workplace.

Edmonton is competing for the distinction of being a leader in healthier commuting and we need your support. The Commuter Challenge is our chance to show how committed Edmonton is to sustainable transportation and share in some fun during Canadian Environment Week (June 1 to 7) and Clean Air Day (June 4).

All participating organizations in Edmonton will be recognized on the City of Edmonton website as well as the national Commuter Challenge website. Registration is open to organizations and individual Canadians can participate too.

During Canadian Environment week and especially Clean Air Day, employees are encouraged to register and submit their sustainable commute. Each person who walked, ran, cycled, rode transit or carpooled is counted as a healthier commuter. Employees who tele-work are also included. At the end of Canadian Environmental Week, the workplace with the highest percentage of healthier commuters is declared the winner.

Choices made by businesses, communities and individuals can lead to meaningful reductions in air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Become a leader in supporting healthier commuting and make a contribution to cleaner air and a healthier city.

Visit Commuterchallenge.ca and Join the Challenge!

For more information on the Commuter Challenge contact Mary Modrovcic at Mary.Modrovcic@edmonton.ca or telephone 496-4013.

Visit Carpool.ca for information about carpooling and finding potential carpool partners.

At the same time as Qualico Developments is bidding to build Canada’s National Portrait Gallery in Edmonton (which I think is a grand idea), Qualico Communities is asking Edmonton City Council to amend municipal by-laws to allow the excavation of gravel from Edmonton’s River Valley. The proposed gravel pit site, located at the south end of 199th Street, has been designated as a Restricted Development Area by the Alberta government since 1974 and is protected by the City of Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River Valley bylaw, which prohibits natural resource extraction projects that are not deemed “essential.” Approximately 21 times larger than New York City’s Central Park, Edmonton’s River Valley is the largest stretch of urban parkland in North America and one of Edmonton’s greatest treasures.

Fearing that the site will make convoys of gravel trucks a regular occurrence in their neighbourhood, local residents of the are showing up in person and online to voice their opposition to the proposed development. Though opposition to the gravel pit is clearly a case of NIMBY, I don’t believe (as Edmonton Journal columnist Scott McKeen suggests) that Qualico is the victim in this fight (I also don’t blame residents for not wanting a gravel pit in their backyard). With the community residents mounting a well-organized advocacy campaign…

…campaign handouts, with suggested content for protest letters. They’ve got a printed target list of politicians, civil servants and media outlets. They’ve got financial resources and a fundraising goal of $50,000…

…I’m more interested in seeing whether Qualico’s $5,000 donations to the re-election campaigns of Mayor Stephen Mandel, Ward 1 Councillors Karen Leibovici and Linda Sloan, Ward 2 Councillor Ron Hayter, Ward 3 Councillor Ed Gibbons, and Ward 5 Councillor Bryan Anderson were enough to influence Council to make an exception for Qualico.

The proposal, which will also need approval from Alberta Environment, will be presented to City Council in June 2008. In February 2008, Premier Ed Stelmach announced $50 million for the creation of the River Valley Alliance Park in the Capital Region.

As an open political addict, it’s been hard not to pay attention to the politics and elections gearing up south of the 49th parallel. To get my fix, I usually check out one of my favorite American politics/elections blogs – Swing State Project.

My American politics addiction began in a two-fold manner…

The first was because of the White House of President Josiah Bartlett in The West Wing. I originally watched the first four seasons as they ran on NBC and later finished off Seasons 5-7 after making the wise investment of buying the West Wing Box Set in 2006 (a great investment).

The second was in the Fall of 2006 while I was enrolled in Dr. Greg Anderson‘s American Politics course at the University of Alberta. The main assignment for the course was to research and write a profile/report on one of the election races that were held during the November 2006 U.S. Mid-term elections. I profiled the Missouri Senate race which saw Democrat Claire McCaskill defeat incumbent Republican Senator Jim Talent (it was a lot of fun to watch McCaskill come from behind and knock off Talent on election night).

Also, my friend James L. is a Senior Editor on the Swing State Project and gives some great daily updates on polls, races, etc.

UPDATE: Senator Hillary Clinton may be top dog in the Kentucky Democratic Primary, but Barack Obama beats Clinton and John McCain in Canada… even in Alberta and the West:

Even in the province where Mr. Obama was least popular — Alberta — respondents favoured him by a 28-point margin over McCain. Fifty-one per cent of respondents there supported Mr. Obama, and 23 per cent preferred McCain.

Mr. Obama was most popular in Quebec where 61 per cent of respondents favoured him, and was almost equally popular in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

Brad Wall’s governing Saskatchewan Party has announced that they will be introducing a Bill into that province’s legislature allowing for the election of Senators in that province. Similar elections were held in Alberta in 1989, 1998 and 2004, with only two Senators having been appointed – Stan Waters in 1990 and Bert Brown in 2007. Before I continue, let me preface my comments by stating that it boggles my mind that in 2008 – the 21st century – a 19th century style appointed Upper House of Parliament continues to exist. It also continues to boggle my mind that the Liberal Party of Canada – by their lack of action on an issue of democracy – continues to support the current-Senate style.

With 14 vacant seats in the 105 member Senate (and 29 expected by the end of 2009), the movement towards electing Senators is only one move that I believe should be taken towards reforming the Upper House.

Though some politicians are afraid of the reopening Canadian constitutional debates (something that the Federal Liberals are happy to call for now that they are in opposition), I think it is something that is needed, whether it be now or a decade from now. One only has to read Section 23 of the Constitution Act to see just how politics was done in 1867:

23: Qualifications of Senator

(1) He shall be of the full age of Thirty Years:

(2) He shall be either a natural-born Subject of the Queen, or a Subject of the or a Subject of the Queen naturalized by an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, or of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or of the Legislature of One of the Provinces of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, Canada, Nova Scotia, or New Brunswick, before the Union, or of the Parliament of Canada after the Union

(3) He shall be legally or equitably seised as of Freehold for his own Use and Benefit of Lands or Tenements held in Free and Common Socage, or seised or possessed for his own Use and Benefit of Lands or Tenements held in Franc-alleu or in Roture, within the Province for which he is appointed, of the Value of Four thousand Dollars, over and above all Rents, Dues, Debts, Charges, Mortgages, and Incumbrances due or payable out of or charged on or affecting the same:

(4) His Real and Personal Property shall be together worth Four thousand Dollars over and above his Debts and Liabilities:

(5) He shall be resident in the Province for which he is appointed:

(6) In the Case of Quebec he shall have his Real Property Qualification in the Electoral Division for which he is appointed, or shall be resident in that Division.

First of all, the idea that qualifications to being appointed to the Senate include owning property and being over the age of Thirty hurts my brain. What implications will this have for those running in Senate elections? As someone who is under Thirty Years old and doesn’t hold over four thousand dollars of personal property, would I be excluded from participating as a candidate?

I support the move by Stephen Harper’s Conservatives to allow for more elected Senators, but there is a broader discussion that is needed to be had. Does the constitution need to be reopened? Absolutely. The Canadian Constitution is a living document. This discussion should include discussing what purpose the Senate actually serves. Will an Upper House of elected politicians be any more effective than an Upper House of appointed politicians? (a cursory glance at the House of Commons would certainly have most Canadians asking this question). Is abolishing the Senate a more effective use of taxpayers dollars? Is there really a need for an Upper House?

How about the effectiveness of our current Parliamentary Democratic system of government? Would a change in the electoral system good enough? What sense does it make to still have the British Monarch as our Head of State? Does the Governor General actually serve a modern purpose? I’m not going to oppose current reforms, but as someone who sees an array of problems in the current political system, I’m having a hard time believing that anything less than a complete overhaul is actually going to make a real difference in the long run.

UPDATE: For more thoughts on the Senate debate, check out AGRDT, ES, and Wells.

A bit of Corb for the long weekend Monday.

I thought this was pretty neat.

(From Le Monde via Azeem Azar on twitter, via Tim O’Reilly’s blog and found on BoingBoing)

Centralization seems to be the word of the day as Tory Health Minister Ron Liepert has disolved Alberta’s nine-regional health authorities, as well as the Alberta Cancer Board, Alberta Mental Health Board and Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, into one super mega health board – the Alberta Health Services Board.

What does this mean? Other than having a lot of former Tory patronage appointees looking for new jobs, it probably won’t change a lot for most Albertans. The new interim board will be made up of six new appointees including former Tory MP Ken Hughes and Klein-era Minister Jack Ady.

I have a three mains thoughts on move:

– This mega superboard could potentially ease the flow of medical information across Alberta, making it easier for Albertans in rural areas to access medical facilities in urban areas and vice-versa.

– By removing regional authority over decision making, decisions affecting local health care provision could be affected by a far-removed board that may not be in touch with local needs.

– Having not been mentioned anywhere in the Alberta PC election platform two months ago, you really have to wonder kind of mandate the Tories think Albertans gave them for the next four years. 72 seats = blank cheque.

In the medium-term, I don’t think this will produce any large changes for Albertans who need access to the health care system. By dissolving the regional boards, the provincial government looks like it’s taking some direct responsibility over health care, rather than hiding behind the decisions of hand-picked appointed boards.

See AGRDT and the Edmonton Journal for more.

UPDATE: Bill Given has some thoughts on how this change could affect cities like Grande Prairie.

Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell shows-off his superior skills as a political writer in this debate with veteran reporter Mike McCourt on CityTV Calgary:

Watch out Craig Oliver and Mike Duffy! Rick Bell is gunning for your jobs!

UPDATE: Someone with far superior political observation skills than I suggested that you take the following into consideration as you watch this video:

1. Rick Bell’s superior use of “air quotes” every “two seconds”

2. Rick Bell quoting some guy who was pr obably drunk and pissed off on election night as representative of the Alberta Liberal Party.

3. Rick Bell claiming he was “proven right” when he was equally critical of Stelmach. It’s easy to be “proven right” when you make every prediction possible.