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Don B. 9 days ago
What an odd new sight - the stubborn Stelmach government suddenly throwing the gears into reverse, trying to look responsive and even mildly apologetic. Premier Ed (so he’s called in new social media pitches) now says he’s ordered a review of MLAs’ pay. This comes after the cabinet, meeting in secret, awarded itself pay increases of up to 34 per cent last year. It comes after the premier has said, time and again, that he has some influence over cabinet pay, but no say in general pay for MLAs. So now he does have some influence, it seems. Now he can order a review of all pay. Now he wants Alberta politicians to be “in the middle” rather than the best-paid politicians (and premier) in Canada. And he does all this just as the Wildrose Alliance is launching a public citizens’ task force into MLAs’ pay and perks - an extremely dangerous move for the Tories. But the premier’s review of pay will be entirely an inside job. A report will be prepared for Speaker Ken ...
Don B. 22 days ago
Most of Premier Ed Stelmach's ministers and caucus members are wandering the halls of the Tory convention with their fingers crossed, at least figuratively. They've hitched their wagon to Ed and want him to win big when the leadership results are announced at 7 pm. One of of Stelmach's unacknowledged achievements, in fact, has been his ability to keep the loyalty of his caucus in the difficult weeks before the leadership review. There are plenty of doubts among ministers and MLAs, but most part have made their call; they rise or fall with Ed. There's still a blind spot with many of them, though - they think they're doing almost everything right but the public just doesn't get it. Stelmach believes that too. If they keep imagining that, their troubles are just starting.
Don B. 23 days ago
6:30 pm Nov. 6 After complaints about numbered ballots for Premier Ed Stelmach's leadership test on Saturday, party officials are now using a punch to obliterate the numbers. Tory party executive director Jim Campbell is furious about charges from some delegates that the numbers would allow the party to identify Stelmach's opponents. "We've always done it this way," he says. "The numbers are strictly so we know how many ballots we've put out. The numbers are not linked with names in any way." "Delegates are free to tear off the corners or white out the numbers or do whatever they want." Some delegates are proudly showing off ballots with several punch holes in the numbers.
Don B. 23 days ago
The premier''s office e-mailed a private list of talking points to Conservative MLAs immediately after the latest dismal poll came out Thursday. Happily, it leaked in this direction. The list included some high explosive - almost literally - just as MLAs prepared to go to Red Deer for the weekend vote on Premier Ed Stelmach's leadership. First came advice to repreat obvious mantras like "the only poll that really counts is the one on election day" and "party will come out of the convention unified and ready to take on the challenges Alberta faces." But at the end, the writer added "a little historical note." "On this day (Nov. 5) in 1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the British Parliament buildings at Westminster by stashing tons of explosive in the basement. "He was captured before he could light the fuse. To this day Brits celebrate his failure by throwing effigies of him onto a bonfire. "The moral being - those who try ...
Don B. 32 days ago
If politicians and public health officials said what they’re really thinking, it would be “Stop whining and get your damned swine flu shot.” I had mine Wednesday at the Richmond Road clinic. It wasn’t so bad - in fact, I was through in little more than two hours (see more in Thursday’s column.) The waits can be trying, especially for families with young kids. But emergency room waits are even harder. Most of us would rather avoid that, thank you. The province’s top public health doctors could care less about the temporary inconvenience. Their job is to get masses of people poked in the arm. And they’re doing it better than any other province. Only Alberta and Manitoba, in fact, have started general inoculation. The result is a bit like the Deerfoot. Backups are inevitable when you shove so many units into a narrow channel. People will complain. But they also have to get home - or vaccinated. There haven’t been province-wide lineups like this since Alberta kids ...
