Tag: Jason Nixon

UCP MLAs treat Forever Canadian’s Thomas Lukaszuk like a hostile witness

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 21, 2026

Before Glubish’s motion and the UCP’s pre-mature press release, MLAs on the committee heard from former Progressive Conservative MLA Thomas Lukaszuk, who headed last year’s successful Forever Canadian citizen initiative petition.

The UCP MLAs on the committee aggressively questioned Lukaszuk as if he were a hostile witness. It was strange to watch.

Lukaszuk’s petition, which asked the question “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” collected the signatures of more than 456,000 Albertans. But Lukaszuk and his legion of pro-Canada of volunteers clashed with the growing separatist-wing of the UCP.

What a gong show! MLA committee chaos crashes UCP separation referendum motion

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 20, 2026

Leduc-Beaumont UCP MLA and and Special Citizen Initiative Proposal Review Committee chair Brandon Lunty (screenshot from assembly.ab.ca)

Trigger-happy UCP misfires with Mission Accomplished press release

Brandon Lunty looked like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin when he found out that the United Conservative Party Caucus sent out a press release announcing the adoption of a motion that hadn’t even been voted on yet.

As chair of the Special Citizen Initiative Proposal Review Committee, Leduc-Beaumont UCP MLA Lunty had one job today: to steer a motion through the committee to recommend the adoption of a referendum question on Alberta separation from Canada.

Alberta Politics

Alberta cabinet shuffle rumoured soon – Nate Horner to be replaced by Jason Nixon

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 19, 2026

With the Legislative spring session ended, there is plenty of speculation that a major cabinet shuffle could happen this week. The changes in this shuffle are expected to reflect which ministers are planning to run for re-election in 2027, with retiring ministers leaving cabinet or moving to more junior positions and MLAs running for re-election appointed to more senior roles.

One of the biggest rumours that has been circulating for weeks is that Nate Horner will step down as Minister of Finance and be replaced by Jason Nixon, who currently serves as Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services.

Calgary-Shaw by-election race heats up as Rebecca Schulz expected to resign any day now

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 19, 2026

Calgary City Councillor Dan McLean announces his candidacy for the UCP nomination in Calgary-Shaw (source: Dan McLean / Facebook)

City Councillor Dan McLean, Mike Derry, and Stewart Jeanes running for UCP nomination

It was one of the worst kept secrets in Calgary political circles that City Councillor Dan McLean was planning to jump into provincial politics and he is now running for United Conservative Party nomination in Calgary-Shaw.

The southwest Calgary riding is expected to become vacant when UCP MLA Rebecca Schulz, who resigned from cabinet last December, steps down as an MLA. Schulz delivered a farewell statement in the Legislature last week and shared a video on social media thanking voters in the riding for choosing her to represent them for the past seven years.

Nenshi’s NDP starts nominating candidates for next Alberta election

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date February 10, 2026

Edmonton-Glenora MLA Sarah Hoffman and NDP leader Naheed Nenshi (source: Sarah Hoffman / Instagram)

Early March candidate meetings scheduled in Calgary and Edmonton ridings

With rumours of an early provincial election circulating since last year, the Alberta NDP looks like it will be the first political party out of the gate to nominate candidates ahead of the next vote.

The NDP website lists candidate nomination meetings scheduled in Edmonton-Glenora on March 3, Calgary-Elbow on March 4, Calgary-Klein on March 5, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview on March 6 and Calgary-Edgemont on March 7.

All five of these ridings are represented by NDP MLAs who will be seeking re-election if they secure their party’s nominations.

Longtime Daveberta readers will know that I am keenly interested in tracking candidate nominations ahead of provincial and federal elections in Alberta, so I am pleased to share with you that I am continuing this tradition as we approach the next election.

Read all about it on the Daveberta Substack

Tags Alberta Election 2026, Alberta Election 2027, Alberta Election Candidate Nominations, Alberta NDP, Alberta Political Party Fundraising, Alberta Politics Substack, Alison Redford, Amarjeet Sohi, Calgary-Edgemont, Calgary-Elbow, Calgary-Klein, Calgary-Mountain View, Calgary-Shaw, Canada Election Substack, Chantelle de Jonge, Cole Sunderman, Corporate Donations, Dale Aalbers, Dale Nally, Dan Williams, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, David Eggen, Deron Bilous, Devin Dreeshen, Doug Schweitzer, Ed Ewasiuk, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview, Edmonton-Glenora, Edmonton-Glenora-Riverview, Edmonton-Riverview, Grant Notley, Greg Clark, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, Jennifer Johnson, Jeremy Nixon, Jordan Walker, Joseph Schow, Julia Hayter, Justin Wright, Kathleen Ganley, Kyle Kasawski, Lizette Tejada, Luke Suvanto, Mark Carney, Mark Miller, Mike Burton, Money in Politics, Naheed Nenshi, Nate Glubish, Nolan Dyck, Peggy Wright, Peter Guthrie, Prasad Panda, Progressive Tory Party of Alberta, Rachel Notley, Ralph Klein, Ray Martin, Raymond Donnelly, Rebecca Schulz, Richard Sigurdson, Rosemarie Falk, Samir Kayande, Sarah Hoffman, Searle Turton, Shannon Stubbs, Sherwood Park, United Conservative Party

Alberta Politics

Health care chaos the most underreported Alberta politics story of the year

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date December 20, 2025

The complete dismantling of Alberta Health Services, which is almost certainly a vendetta for the role the organization played in implementing public health measures meant to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of the most underreported stories of the year.

The province-wide health authority that was created by Premier Ed Stelmach’s Progressive Conservative government in 2008 is being carved into five or six different administrative silos (depending how you count) which will have a real impact on hospitals and health centres from big cities to small rural communities — and health ministers like Adriana LaGrange and Matt Jones haven’t been able to clearly answer the question of how this will make patient care better for Albertans.

Redrawing Alberta’s electoral map

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 22, 2025

Voters only getting 2 more MLAs despite huge population boom

Alberta will have a new electoral map when the next provincial election is called. An Electoral Boundaries Commission has been named and will begin travelling the province next week to collect feedback from Albertans about how new riding boundaries should be drawn to reflect population changes since the last time the map was redrawn in 2017.

Liberals tap Corey Hogan to run against Jeremy Nixon in Calgary Confederation

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date April 4, 2025

Liberals drop former NDP MLA Rod Loyola in Edmonton Gateway

Canada’s federal election is in full-swing and today’s Daveberta newsletter includes a quick update about candidate nominations in Alberta. I will be back early next week with a regular column and more analysis from Alberta in the federal election.

As of this morning, the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, and the Green Party are the only parties with candidates in all 37 ridings in Alberta. The Liberal Party briefly had a full slate but are down one after their candidate in Edmonton Gateway was removed yesterday (more about that below).

The deadline for parties to nominate candidates or for Independent candidates to put their names forward is Monday, April 7 at 2:00 p.m.

Alberta Politics

Danielle Smith’s charm offensive in Trump’s America

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date December 13, 2024

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith with South Dakota Governor and Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (source: Danielle Smith / Facebook)

More MAGA, Less Ottawa

With the impending electoral defeat of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau growing more likely by the day, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has embarked on her own Team Alberta diplomatic charm offensive in the United States.

Just days after American President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods imported into his country, Smith jetted off to the Western Governors conference in Las Vegas. Smith held a handful of one-on-one meetings with Republican and Democratic governors as part of her pitch to US law-makers to exclude Canadian oil and gas from Trump’s tariff war.

“I am a fan of our biggest trading partner” Smith’s told a Fox News host when she was asked on-air if she was a fan of Trump. In response to Trump’s now frequently repeated threats that Canada should become America’s 51st state if Canadians don’t like the tariffs, Smith said he was “hilarious.”

Can Danielle Smith survive the UCP political circus in Red Deer?

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date October 31, 2024

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (photo: Danielle Smith/Facebook)

Alberta politics is unpredictable and sometimes it’s best to expect the unexpected

The main event of Alberta’s political season is nearly upon us. No, I’m not talking about the return of the Legislature or the impending by-election in Lethbridge-West. I’m talking about the United Conservative Party’s Annual General Meeting and leadership review that is happening this weekend in Red Deer.

With more than 6,000 people expected to attend, it will likely be the biggest single political convention in Alberta’s history. And it is going to be a circus.

Read the rest on the Daveberta Substack.

Tags 1905 Committee, Adriana LaGrange, Airdrie-Cochrane, Alberta Federal Candidate Nomination Update, Alberta First Pension Plan, Alberta NDP, Alberta Prosperity Project, Black Hat Gang, Blaine Higgs, Calgary Crowfoot, Calgary-Lougheed, Chemtrails, COVID-19 Pandemic, Cynthia Moore, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, David Parker, Demetrios Nicolaides, Edmonton-Manning, Elections Alberta, Eric Bouchard, Glen Resler, Gordon McClure, Ian Brodie, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, Jim Prentice, Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, John Middleton-Hope, Joseph Schow, Kathleen Ganley, Lesley Thompson, Lethbridge-West, Lethbridge-West by-election, Mathew Jammaz, Matt Jones, Naheed Nenshi, National Firearms Association, Ralph Klein, Rob Miyashiro, Sarah Hoffman, Scott Moe, Shahnaz Munir, Stephen Harper, Take Back Alberta, Tiffany Nixon, Transgender policy, Transgender Rights in Alberta, Umair Ahad, United Conservative Party, United Conservative Party AGM, United Conservative Party Leadership Review, Wildrose Party

Alberta Politics

Jennifer Johnson in, Marshall Smith out, Rob Anderson still in

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date October 10, 2024

UCP cabinet minister Jason Nixon and Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson in August 2024 (source: Jennifer Johnson / Facebook)

Jennifer Johnson welcomed into the UCP Caucus, Rob Anderson to replace Marshall Smith as Premier’s Chief of Staff

The leaves are changing, the nights are getting cooler, and the days are getting shorter. It’s fall in Alberta. And while many Albertans are enjoying a fairly pleasant change of seasons as we reluctantly brace ourselves for the inevitable shock of the first snowfall, politics in our province is just starting to heat up.

Government and opposition MLAs will return to the Legislature at the end of this month for what is expected to be a painfully contentious and controversial session. And a rowdy crowd of more than 5,400 partisans are expected to converge on Red Deer for the United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting and leadership review during the first two days of November.

Alberta Politics

Danielle Smith’s big pre-recorded policy announcements

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date September 26, 2024

Premier Danielle Smith delivered a pre-recorded televised address on September 17 (screenshot source: Your Alberta/YouTube)

Another way for politicians to control the message and avoid facing tough questions

In the span of one week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith released two pre-recorded video messages announcing major changes to the United Conservative Party government’s political agenda.

The first was an 8-minute broadcast online and on television featuring Smith announcing new funding for school construction and taking political jabs at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the federal government’s immigration policies.

A second 3-minute video featured the Premier announcing the rumoured amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights she argued would enshrine protections for people who refuse get vaccinated and people who own firearms and property.

NDP to announce new leader and Conservatives vote in Calgary Signal Hill

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date June 20, 2024

The view from the inside of the Wonderland Sculpture outside The Bow tower in downtown Calgary (source: Dave Cournoyer)

Calgary is in the headlines a lot these days, but today’s Daveberta newsletter doesn’t have anything to do with the busted water main that is threatening the city’s water supply (but I do hope to write more about that later).

Today’s newsletter focuses on two big political events happening in Alberta’s largest city this weekend: the announcement of the NDP leadership vote and the federal Conservative nomination vote in Calgary Signal Hill.

Controlling Everything Everywhere All At Once

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 14, 2024

Sherwood Park MLA Kyle Kasawski (source: Kyle Kasawski / Facebook)

NDP’s Oscar-winning film inspired catch phrase captures the UCP moment in Alberta politics

“Danielle Smith wants to control everything, everywhere, all at once…”

In the middle of the weekly chaos of Alberta politics, a catch phrase inspired by an Academy Award winning film has captured one of the driving themes of Alberta politics today.

“Danielle Smith wants to control everything. Pensions, police, health care, schools, local councils. Any dollar spent anywhere in the province, and any decision made by anyone. Everything,” NDP MLA Kyle Kasawski first said in an April 29 press release.

Kasawski is the rookie MLA from Sherwood Park who became the opposition’s sole Municipal Affairs critic when co-critic Sarah Hoffman joined the NDP leadership race earlier this year.

While Municipal Affairs can sometimes be a sleepy file, on both the ministerial and critic side, it has been front and centre over the past month as Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Ric McIver rein in municipal and university funding agreements with the federal government and expand the provincial cabinet’s power to fire locally elected officials and overturn municipal bylaws.

Tags 2024 Alberta NDP Leadership Race, Airdrie-East, Alberta Federal Candidate Nomination Update, Alberta Health Services, Alberta NDP, Alberta Pension Plan, An Injection of Truth, Angela Pitt, Bill 18: Provincial Priorities Act, Bill 20: Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, Calgary-Bhullar-McCall, Calgary-Lougheed, Calgary-Mountain View, Canada Pension Plan, Conservative Party of Canada, COVID-19 Pandemic, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, David Bhatti, Don Braid, Edmonton Centre, Edmonton Gateway, Edmonton Southeast, Edmonton-Manning, Edmonton-Mill Woods, Edmonton-Riverview, Eric Bouchard, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Foothills, Gil McGowan, Hotel Pacifico Podcast, Irfan Sabir, J.S. Mahal, Jason Copping, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, Jaspreet Saggu, Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, John Barlow, Kathleen Ganley, Kyle Kasawski, Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland, Marshall Smith, Naheed Nenshi, Pamela Rath, Rachel Notley, Recovery Alberta, Ric McIver, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, Rob Smith, Sarah Hoffman, Shane Getson, Shawn McLeod, Sherwood Park, Steve Overguard, Take Back Alberta, Tim Hoven, Tim Uppal, Trisha Estabrooks, Tyler Gandam, United Conservative Party, Zane Novak, Ziad Aboultaif

Alberta Politics

Danielle Smith hosts Alberta’s largest call-in talk show: the United Conservative Party

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date November 7, 2023

Premier Danielle Smith speaks to delegates at the 2023 United Conservative Party annual general meeting in Calgary (source: Danielle Smith / Facebook)

Any good talk radio host understands that the show doesn’t belong to the host, it belongs to the listeners. And if this past weekend’s annual general meeting is any indication, talk radio host-turned-Premier Danielle Smith might be taking a similar approach as leader of the United Conservative Party.

Aside from a nod to protecting parental rights during her keynote speech, Smith largely stood out of the way as more than 3,700 delegates packed into Calgary’s BMO Centre to vote on party policy and elect a new executive board. It was an impressive crowd and probably the largest provincial political convention in Alberta’s history.

Read the rest on the Daveberta Substack.

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Tags Albert Biel, Alberta NDP, Alberta Prosperity Project, Calgary-Fish Creek, Central Peace-Notley, Chantelle de Jonge, Chestermere-Strathmore, Chris Scott, Dahlia Mostafa, Danielle Smith, Daveberta Substack, David Parker, Don Braid, Innsifail-Sylvan Lake, Irma Roberts, Jack Redekop, Jagmeet Singh, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, Jason Stephan, Jessica Arsenault, Jim Prentice, Joanny Liu, John Roggeveen, John Williams, Lake of Fire, Lisa Young, Morinville-St. Albert, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, Rachel Notley, Rajan Sawhney, Ranjit Bath, Red Deer-South, Rick Orman, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, Rob Smith, Samantha Steinke, Sara-Lyn Quist, Sonia Egy-Samu, Strathcona-Sherwood Park, Take Back Alberta, Tim Hoven, Todd Loewen, Trisha Estabrooks, United Conservative Party, United Conservative Party AGM, Valerie Boese, Vicki Kozmak-LeFrense, Wildrose Party