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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

peter milliken visits alberta legislature. enjoys bipartisan brew.

- House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken stopped by Edmonton yesterday as part of a Canada-wide Legislative tour where he met with Speaker Ken Kowalski and MLAs. I haven't heard whether Milliken discussed Kowalski's recent ban of online social media during Question Period (Milliken allows the use of blackberries, laptops during Question Period in the House of Commons). The Kingston Liberal MP also stopped by the U of A Conservative Club Pub Night for bipartisan beer and pictures.

- Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw's private members motion to dissolve Provincial Achievement Tests for Grade 3 students passed in the Alberta Legislature. After a vigorous debate, Lewskiw's motion passed 29 to 18, but did not gain the support of Education Minister Dave Hancock, or most members of the PC Cabinet.

- The Conservative Party of Canada is changing their nomination rules, effectively protecting incumbent MPs from nomination challenges. These rule changes may abort Donna Kennedy-Glans nascent nomination challenge in Calgary-West. Kennedy-Glans had recently announced her intentions to challenge sitting Conservative MP Rob Anders.

- National Defence Minister Peter Mackay was in Edmonton yesterday to announce plans to spend $40 million on much needed infrastructure upgrades for Armed Forces bases in Alberta. Mackay announced $21 million to CFB Edmonton for housing and training facilities, $11 million to CFB Wainwright for water treatment upgrades, and $8 million for CFB Cold Lake.

- Two Alberta newspapers recently closed their doors. In what can be described as a really bad year to own a newspaper, Quebecor's Jasper Booster and Morinville Town & Country Examiner (formerly the Morinville Mirror) shut down this week.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I disagree with your take on the federal Conservative nomination process. It's a compromise, but it's certainly not a bad one.

And once again Ford is out there getting fallacies printed in the paper...do some homework/editing writers...geez