Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) is set to take another step Monday towards replacing outgoing Leader Rachel Notley as membership sales close and the party’s membership list will begin being finalized. The end of the day marks the last chance for candidates to sell memberships. Tuesday will mark the start of the “persuasion period” where the prospective leaders will pitch their platforms to those members, including through three debates in the weeks to come .... CLICK HERE for the full story

Alberta’s unlikely alternative government – the NDP – is about to find out what its future looks like without its greatest asset, Rachel Notley. The former premier announced last week that she is stepping aside as the party’s leader. The decisions party members make in the coming weeks will determine whether it remains a political force in the western province that has made “conservatism” its brand or whether it will slowly slide into obscurity. Reframing Alberta’s right-wing-on-steroids image is no small trick ... CLICK HERE for the full story

It would be an understatement to say 2023 has not been kind to Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley. She began the year as the odds-on favourite to win May’s provincial election. Instead, here she is at year’s end in an interview with The Tyee explaining what went wrong. Notley lost, not to someone she would consider a worthy foe but to Danielle Smith, a divisive politician with a history of spouting crackpot ideas who once described herself as “unelectable" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The NDP can flourish without Rachel Notley, but it will need a policy book makeover. Many NDP policies were fresh in 2015 when Notley led her party to victory. But the New Democrats have now suffered two straight electoral losses, not because a great many Albertans didn’t trust and admire Notley, but because many of the party’s policies are as stale as week-old bread ... CLICK HERE for the full story

To be blunt, if the national NDP is going to survive, it needs a leader stronger than Jagmeet Singh.   So what’s next for Rachel Notley?    The buzz grows louder by the day that, sooner than later, Notley is going to move on from her present role as Alberta’s Opposition leader.     Gossip is hinting at sometime early in the new year, possibly January.     As for Notley herself and her inner circle, they’re playing it close to their vests. For now.     It’s unusual for a party leader who has just lost an election on which many supporters had pinned their hopes. But there is no clamour within the NDP Caucus or most of the party for Notley to go.     Oh sure, there are few cranky voices, mostly associated with the leftward reaches of the party, nowadays a definite minority, who express bitterness about the strategy the NDP adopted in the 2023 election campaign.    But really, caucus members and part...

“The Province of Alberta is united in its determination to protect our economic interests and be treated fairly within the Canadian federation” stated Kenney. Our province expressed that unity in a May 17 letter to each senator signed by the leaders of Alberta’s four major political parties. The letter insists that Ottawa respect Albertans’ ongoing concerns on matter before the Senate. Leading off, in the letter to the Canadian Senate, the elected representatives remarked; “ We are writing on behalf of the Government, Official Opposition, and the third and four parties.   Collectively, our four parties received 98% on the votes in the recent Alberta election. Despite our many differences on matters of policy, our four parties are unified in our profound concern about Bills C-48 and C-69, which are before the Senate of Canada ” Speaking to his statement, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney was clear in his judgement: “ This week, the Senate transpo...

There is so much energy in Alberta right now. It feels like change is in the air. So today I say to all those who have been struggling, to those who have lost their jobs and are barely hanging on, to the young folks who can’t find work, to the small business owners who struggle every day, to our wonderful public servants who are frustrated with a bureaucracy that doesn’t let them do their jobs - to all of them - we send this message: Help is on the way and hope is on the horizon. The NDP is finishing this campaign the way they started it: with fear and smear, U.S. style attack ads and the politics of personal destruction. And the United Conservatives are finishing the campaign the way we started it. With positive solutions on how to create jobs, grow our economy, get pipelines built and to fight for a fair deal for Alberta. That is why we are offering the most positive and detailed platform in Alberta’s history. And if we ar...

Yesterday, in a post I wrote about the Throne Speech by the Alberta government, I stated: While many are expecting to hear a call for a provincial election in Alberta – likely in the month of May, Premier Rachael Notley’s Throne Speech today sounded more like an election rally, and call to members to prepare campaign teams in all ridings across the province. It also highlighted how the Alberta NDP government had been building long-term beds, diversifying the economy, and been constructing new schools.  And those of course are what voters like and want to hear. I also quoted Premier Rachael Notley stating, “ Our government has kept the promises we made to Albertans over the last four years, fighting for what matters to everyday workers and families – good jobs, pipelines, a more diversified economy and strong schools and hospitals. There is more work to do , and this year’s throne speech lays out the work ahead .” Very much the start of a campaign ...

While many are expecting to hear a call for a provincial election in Alberta – likely in the month of May, Premier Rachael Notley’s Throne Speech today sounded more like an election rally, and call to members to prepare campaign teams in all riding's across the province. It also highlighted how the Alberta NDP government had been building long-term beds, diversifying the economy, and been constructing new schools.  And those of course are what voters like and want to hear. Premier Rachael Notley stated, “ Our government has kept the promises we made to Albertans over the last four years, fighting for what matters to everyday workers and families – good jobs, pipelines, a more diversified economy and strong schools and hospitals. There is more work to do, and this year’s throne speech lays out the work ahead .” The 2019 throne speech details how the government: built 2,000 new long-term care and dementia-care beds   helped diversify the eco...