Friday, January 28, 2011

What A Week in Alberta Politics

Wow, who said politics in Alberta was boring?  Well it used to be until lately. It's actually starting to get quite exciting.  With the start up of the Wildrose Alliance Party with an intelligent, articulate leader in Danielle Smith already competitive with the Progressive Conservatives. 

This last week alone has been almost like a soap opera.  Monday, you had Calgary Currie MLA Dave Taylor who had left the Liberals to sit as an Independent join the new left wing Alberta Party.  Taylor had left the Liberals over leadership.  He had run for the position but lost to David Swann who he had problems with.

Tuesday Premier Ed Stelmach surprised everyone announcing he was  resigning.It spurred a flurry of rumors that the PC caucus was divided that was later downplayed and denied. 
Yesterday Finance Minister Ted Morton announced he was resigning from cabinet to be a backbencher so he that he could persue  the leadership.

What a week!  Don Braid from the Calgary Herald reported that there was turmoil in the PC caucus over the budget.
Even though the party is denying any rift within the caucus, I don't believe it.  I think there is more than the eye can see.  The timing seems for all this is bizarre to me. We will for sure have a lame duck Premier,with a lame duck government, in a lame duck legislative session this spring. Until there is a new leader, an election to clear the air, no one will really be minding the store. 

One thing you can say is Alberta politics is not boring anymore.  It's not over yet, stay tuned!

6 comments:

  1. It lookls like the PCs are going to keep the same dumb rules for selecting their leader that they used last time, and ended up with Ed.

    The lefties are going to AGAIN buy memberships for $10 in the PC Party, and vote heavily for the weakest candidate still standing against Ted Morton.

    It's going to be "Groundhog Day" for this Party.

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  2. They just don't get it do they CJ? They haven't learned from the last time around. They should not allow memberships to be sold right up to the vote especially the second vote. There should have not been any memberships sold. That's how we got Ed!
    My husband and I bought our memberships months before the first vote. We allowed them to lapse and have since then joined Wildrose and have not regretted it. The PCs are a mess and on their way out.

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  3. 2 leadership battles in BC, one in AB and one in NFLD, several provincial elections this year, and possibly one in AB, this should be an interesting few months.
    Ted Morton is finished, we who voted for him last time will not vote for him this time. But, if it turns out he is low man on the totem poll, maybe all those last minute members will vote for him.
    The coalition group should not get their hope up that this will deter us from voting for PMSH next election.
    I just hope that the PC party elects a real Conservative as leader, the last two we had were liberals in disguise. But, that doesn't work at the Federal level. We vote out turncoats at the first opportunity, think Horner and Olsen.
    I can't believe they would use the same rules that gave us Ed.
    Wonder who will present the budget, can a leader who is quitting appoint ministers. Ed should have done as Danny did, I quit, and leave the next day.

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  4. OT, but the teachers union has said no to cancelling their pay raise of 4.5%
    Remember how they cried when they took a 5% rollback, or when they went on strike.
    That roll back gave them more take home pay in the long run as all their deductions were also reduced. And after their strike, they found out that they gained 1.50 per day. I had great fun doing some of their taxes and pointing this out.
    Let them go on strike, home schooling will take off, and as a parent gets x number of dollars for this, it is a win win.

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  5. Ted Morton is finished, we who voted for him last time will not vote for him this time.

    I think you're right MaryT. Ted has lost all credibility. I agree too that Ed should have made resignation effective immediately,a clean break,named his deputy Premier as interim Premier and allowed the party to go forward. With Ed hanging on,it doesn't help the PCs or the province.

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  6. The conservative brand could be a lot stronger provincially in this country, I find PC's to be little more than rebranded Liberals myself. (real conservative)

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