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Thursday, April 08, 2010

video: premier ed stelmach at the university of alberta.

Premier Ed Stelmach spoke to an audience of over 300 staff and students at the University of Alberta this afternoon at an event hosted by the Campus Conservative Club. I have seen Premier Stelmach speak on a number of occasions, and though public speaking is not his gift, this afternoon was not his best performance. I have to admit that even as I was video recording the Premier's speech, my mind wandered to other things like, what should I eat for lunch this afternoon?

It was a fairly unremarkable twenty minute speech and Premier Stelmach used most of his time justifying decisions that his party has made in government over the past three years. He did make some interesting comments, including criticizing the Province of Quebec for the amount of transfer payments that they collect and their low university tuition (see the third video). The Premier also made an interesting comment made about "the previous Premier" when referring to former Premier and gameshow host Ralph Klein.

Feel free to watch the videos, and if you are able to get through the entire twenty minutes, let me know what you think.

13 comments:

Gene Zwosdesky's Cheap Cologne said...

Dave!

Challenging your loyal readers to watch these vids is like challenging us to walk on broken glass or to listen to 20 minutes of blackboard fingernails.

Nope. Not falling for it. Didn't watch even a second of it as even the thought of the cringing I would experience was enough to make me squeeze my eyes shut and violently shake my head to banish the images out of my mind. Even looking at the photos sends cold and clammy waves of horror and revulsion through me.

Instead, I shall watch some far more interesting videos of some Hungarian professors debating railroad setback policies with respect to fence lines and hedgerows. Its in Hungarian but still very worthwhile viewing and enough to cleanse my mental palate after your contamination.

Robin Campbell's stiff bench back said...

That Hungarian set back policy video sounds exciting, can you provide a link?

Rachel Notley's sense of entitlement said...

Yawn. I fell asleep in the first 2 minutes.......

Indira Samarasekera's Lost Lieutenant Governor said...

By special request of RCSBB, may I present a worthwhile alternative diversion to the aforeposted splatus.

http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/

Anonymous said...

Wow. Brutal.

jerrymacgp said...

A politician who is a poor public speaker is about as useful as a surgeon who can't stand the sight of blood. Effective communication of ideas is a core skill for anyone aspiring to public office, and Stelmach doesn't have this skill. I can't believe he was ever a Reeve, let alone elected to be Premier. What a joke!

Berry Farmer said...

I watched the whole speech and what I couldn't figure out is why he spent so much time speaking about what most reasonably well-informed Albertans already know about the province's economy and present the situation.

Did he think the Campus Conservatives were that unaware?

At any rate, Ed inspired me....

... to go out and hold a Big Listen for the Alberta Party:

Sunday, April 11... 3:30
New Sarepta Market Cafe in New Sarepta... just a half hour outside Edmonton... south on Hwy. 21.

Everyone welcome!

I know that was cheap of Dave's blog, but... there you go.

Will

Berry Farmer said...

At least he admitted that we are going to run out of oil and gas one day.

Leza Evant said...

Ted Morton ::: Your time is near.

Amalanchier Alnifonian Entomosporidium Nemesis said...

Hey everyone, the Alberta party has attracted a voter!

The Latin title is merely to confer a sense of reverence and status upon an otherwise lame response to a lamer post about whatever remains there are of the Alberta Party.

Berry Farmer said...

Better amelanchier alnifolia than Vaccinium Angustifolium, I always say... at least here in Alberta... and never... never entomosporidium.

You must be a grower, too... or someone adept at searching out irrelevant Latin on the Internet in order to put down someone who you have never met.

Hope to see you out buying our delicious local Alberta fruit this summer... or perhaps you Latin speakers are just too good for us country bumpkins.

Vaccinium Rex's Alliterative Idiocy said...

Actually BF, I am rather partial to Hemlock.

Well, that and Vaccinium myrtilloides, the native blueberry of Alberta. As a Saint Albert bigot, I extend my intolerance to include the angustifolium interlopers from the east. Damn them all. May they and their ilk shrivel.

And while I am sympathetic to the Amelanchier, they do not have the antioxidant properties of Vaccinium and so therefore must remain inferior. But being as the vulgar vast verily are vacant and vacuous, they venally vend their pseudo-vaccinial vines prevaricating all vascular values.

Berry Farmer said...

Better check the U of Vic studies on the relative properties of saskatoons and blueberries; they found that the noble Amelanchier surpasses the Vaccinium in antioxidants... and in all other nutrients, except for vitamin C.

While you may not have any interest in the Big Listen... you might want to come to New Sarepta in the autumn for our 1st annual poetry/prose/music dinner. Your alliterative avenue awaits adjudication, Angel.