official 2007 edmonton municipal election candidates list.

Today was nomination day at City Hall. Here is the final list of candidates for the Edmonton Municipal Election on October 15, 2007. I will be posting profiles of each ward and their candidates over the course of the election.

2007 Edmonton City Council candidates
(* indicates incumbency)

Mayor of Edmonton
(edmonton election 2007: the non-race for mayor)
Dustin Becker
Dave Dowling
Khaled Kheireddine
Don Koziak
Peter Lefaivre
Robert Ligertwood
George Lam
Stephen Mandel*
Bill Whatcott

Edmonton City Council

Ward 1
(edmonton election 2007: ward 1)
Betty Kennedy
Andrew Knack
Karen Leibovici*
Linda Sloan*

Ward 2
(edmonton election 2007: the race for ward 2)
Jabin Caouette
Ron Hayter*
Kerry Hutton
Kim Krushell*
Dave Loken
Mike Sokoluik
Shelley Tupper

Ward 3
(edmonton election 2007: a race in ward 3)
Kyle Balombin
Tony Caterina
Ed Gibbons*
Shiu Wing Mak
Chris Martin
Chris Roehrs
Thomas James Tomilson
Harvey Voogd
(Councillor Janice Melnychuk is not seeking re-election)

Ward 4
(edmonton election 2007: something about ward 4)
Jane Batty*
Nyambura Mia Belcourt
Lewis Cardinal
Judith (Jodi) Flatt
Ben Henderson
Sheila McKay
Brian Patterson
Deborah Peaker
Adil Pirbhai
Hana Razga
Thomas Roberts
Margaret Saunter
Brent Thompson
Brian Wissink
Debbie Yeung
(Councillor Michael Phair is not seeking re-election)

Ward 5
(edmonton election 2007: choice in ward 5)
Bryan Anderson*
Don Iveson
Brent Michalyk
Mike Nickel*

Ward 6
(edmonton election 2007: wrath of ward 6)
Lori Jeffery-Heaney
Chuck McKenna
Chinwe Okelu
Amarjeet Sohi
Dave Thiele*
Thomas Dennis Vasquez
(Councillor Terry Cavanagh is not seeking re-election)

a big day.

It's a big political day today...

- It's the candidate nomination deadline for municipal election candidates in Alberta. After 12 noon, Albertans will know who they will be able to vote for in the October 15 Municipal Elections. I already know who I am voting for in Ward 5.

- Don Koziak has thrown his hat in the ring for Mayor. Koziak's last minute run against current Mayor Stephen Mandel should be an interesting one...

- Today is by-election day in Quebec. With three by-elections set for today, it should be interesting to see which way the political climate in La Belle Provence is shifting.

I was in Outremont back in August and if the amount of signs mean anything, it's Robert Mulcair's to lose. That said, a Mulcair win in Outremont sends a strong signal towards the Harper Tories and Dion Liberals about their growth potential on the vote rich island of Montreal.

political patronage: alberta-style continued...

The Edmonton Journal continued it's two-part feature on political patronage in Progressive Conservative Alberta. Here is a second list that the Journal put together:

SOME PROMINENT TORIES WITH MULTIPLE APPOINTMENTS

- Audrey Luft, organizer of 2007 Alberta PC annual convention: Alberta Foundation for the Arts (chair), NAIT, Alberta Economic Development Authority

- Doug Goss, Edmonton co-chair of Tories' next election campaign: Capital Health, Alberta Economic Development Authority

- Wayne Jacques, former Conservative MLA: Peace Country Health Region, Transportation Safety Board, Law Enforcement Review Board

- Alf Savage, former PC president: Auto Insurance Rate Board (chair), Municipal Government Board

- Wendy Kinsella, losing Edmonton PC candidate in 2001: NorQuest College (chair), Capital Health (vice-chair)

- Marvin Moore, former PC campaign manager and cabinet minister: Peace Country Health (chair), Agriculture Marketing Products Council Appeal Tribunal

- Dale Johnson, president of Whitecourt-Ste. Anne PC association: Aspen Health, Credit Counselling Services of Alberta

- Robert Seidel, lawyer to former treasurer Stockwell Day: Grant MacEwan College, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research

- Skip McDonald, former president of Klein's PC constituency association: Calgary Health, ATB Financial

UPDATE: Calgary-Nose Hill MLA Neil Brown says there's nothing wrong with these appointments.

political patronage: alberta-style.

Kudos to Darcy Henton and Jason Markusoff of the Edmonton Journal for writing a feature article on the deluge of political patronage currently present in Alberta. The Journal also went through and detailed a list of provincially appointed boards and their card carrying Progressive Conservative Party members.

Here are the top 40 boards with the highest percentages of card-carrying Conservatives serving on them.

Health boards and regions
- Peace Country Health Region: 13 Tories / 13-member board

- East Central Health: 9 Tories / 12-member board

- Capital Health: 8 Tories / 14-member board

- Calgary Health: 7 Tories / 13-member board

- Aspen Health Region: 11 Tories / 14-member board

- David Thompson Health: 11 Tories / 15-member board

- Chinook Health: 7 Tories / 12-member board

- Northern Lights Health: 7 Tories / 12-member board

- Palliser Health Region: 7 Tories / 13-member board

- Alberta Cancer Board: 5 Tories / 10-member board

- Health Quality Council: 4 Tories / 8-member board

- Public Health Appeal Board: 2 Tories / 4-member board

- Health Facilities Review Board: 8 Tories / 12-member board

Post-secondary Institutions

- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology: 8 Tories / 12-member board

- Portage College: 5 Tories / 7-member board

- Lethbridge College: 4 Tories / 7-member board

- Athabasca University: 6 Tories / 11-member board

- Red Deer College: 3 Tories / 6-member board

- Mount Royal College: 5 Tories / 10-member board

financial

- ATB Financial: 9 Tories / 13-member board

- Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corp.: 4 Tories / 8-member board

addictions and disabilities

- Premier's Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities: 5 Tories / 8-member board

- Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission: 7 Tories / 10-member board

- Crystal Meth Task Force: 7 Tories / 12-member board

- Northwest Alberta Persons with Developmental Disabilities: 6 Tories / 7-member board

Agriculture

- Alberta Grain Commission: 8 Tories / 11-member board

- Agriculture Products Marketing Council: 7 Tories / 11-member board

- Alberta Agriculture Research Institute: 4 Tories / 7-member board

Other

- Seniors Advisory Council: 8 Tories / 10-member board

- Northern Alberta Development Council: 9 Tories / 10-member board

- Worker's Compensation Board: 3 Tories / 4-member board

- Alberta Foundation of the Arts: 6 Tories / 10-member board

- Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission: 6 Tories / 7-member board

- Alberta Economic Development Authority: 29 Tories / 60-member board

- Alberta Order of Excellence Council: 6 Tories / 6-member board

- Social Care Facilities Review Commission: 7 Tories / 11-member board

- Alberta Science and Research Authority: 9 Tories / 19-member board

- Northeast PDD Board: 5 Tories / 7-member board

- Alberta Fatality Review Board: 3 Tories / 3-member board

- Rural Alberta's Development Fund: 6 Tories / 12-member board

Click here to see the list of the 100 provincially appointed Boards and Government agencies stacked with Tory appointees.

Tomorrow, the Edmonton Journal will be profiling the process which allows the Progressive Conservatives to commit this degree of political patronage.

UPDATE: Calgary-Nose Hill MLA Neil Brown says there's nothing wrong with these appointments.

the post-ed stelmach pc poll.

Here are the results from the most recent daveberta poll:

Who will be the next Leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party?

Selection		Votes
Craig Chandler	17%	39
Ray Danyluk	1%	3
Jim Dinning	9%	21
Dave Hancock	14%	33
Ted Morton	33%	75
Mark Norris	3%	7
Lyle Oberg	5%	12
Tom Olsen	17%	40
230 votes total

donna finucane bows out in ward 5.

Ward 5 Edmonton City Council candidate Donna Finucane has officially withdrawn her candidacy in the October 15, 2007 Edmonton municipal election. In 2004, Finucane placed a strong third in Ward 5 behind Bryan Anderson and Mike Nickel.

Donna Finucane's departure from the race leaves a less crowded field in Ward 5 and more room for Smart Growth in Ward 5 - Don Iveson's campaign for City Council!

UPDATE: Don Iveson is quoted in two Edmonton Sun articles from today. You can check them out here and here.

kevin taft on the western tiger.

Earlier this week, Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft delivered a
major policy announcement while speaking to the Calgary Rotary Club. As Premier, Taft said he would call for a meeting of western provinces, with an agenda of turning western Canada into an energy superpower.

You can now watch the speech on YouTube:

Western Tiger Speech Part 1



Western Tiger Speech Part 2



Western Tiger Speech Part 3

the aeub scandal continues.

The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board scandal continues to haunt Ed Stelmach's Tories as it has now been uncovered that the AEUB had hired a private investigation company to monitor a second public hearing in May 2007.

The board is already being investigated by the government for hiring Shepp Johnman to monitor landowners at a hearing in Rimbey who were opposed to a proposed powerline between Calgary and Edmonton.

According to the Canadian Press, "the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board accepts the findings of the privacy commissioner regarding undercover investigators at hearings into a contoversial power line."

And in case you wanted any more evidence of Ed Stelmach's decisive leadership skills, after defending the AEUB's actions in spying on Albertans in June, our Conservative Premier has decided to 'think about it...'

"But Premier Ed Stelmach said he wants to see more evidence about the decision of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board to use private detectives at two hearings since last spring.

What more evidence does Ed Stelmach need before heads start to roll on the AEUB Board?

What about using public funds to hire private investigators to spy on Albertans does Ed
Stelmach find acceptable?

take back your city!

A new interactive website has been set up for the municipal elections:

Take Back Your City.ca is your guide and tool for action in municipal politics in Alberta. Read up on the candidates' views, ensure yours are heard, connect with people working on the issues.

2007 edmonton school board election candidates.

Here is the final list of candidates running for election or re-election in the Edmonton Public School Board and Edmonton Catholic School District elections on October 15, 2007.

Edmonton Public School Board
Ward A
Bev Esslinger

Ward B
Wendy Keiver
Ken Shipka

Ward C
Sue Huff
Don Williams

Ward D
Amanda Beisiegel
Dave Colburn

Ward E
Ken Gibson
Neil MacDonald

Ward F
Don Fleming
Susan O'Neil

Ward G
Sheila Clifford-MacKay
Myrna Freeman
Terry McKinnon
George Rice
Marlene Spencer

Ward H
Catherine Ripley
Neil Robblee

Ward I
Judith Axelson
Gerry Gibeault

Edmonton Catholic School District
Ward 1
Debbie Engel

Ward 2
Luigi Esposito
Becky Kallal
Jim Urlacher

Ward 3
Joe Filewych
Cindy Olsen
Jim Shinkaruk

Ward 4
Rudy Arcilla

Ward 5
John Acheson
Marilyn Bergstra

Ward 6
Kara Pelech

the western tiger.

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft made a major policy announcement yesterday while speaking to Calgary's Rotary Club.

Turn West into energy superpower, Taft urges
Upgrade oilsands in western provinces instead of south of border, Liberal leader proposes

CALGARY - Alberta could forfeit a major economic opportunity worth billions of dollars if the province does not do whatever it can to ensure that more oilsands bitumen is processed here at home, Kevin Taft said Tuesday.

In a speech to Calgary's Downtown Rotary Club, the Alberta Liberal opposition leader proposed an inter-provincial strategy to turn Western Canada into what he called an economic "tiger" by attracting more oilsands upgraders to the region.

Though industry officials say 70 per cent of bitumen is already processed in the province, Taft said it's time for Alberta to call a summit of western governments to explore the possibilities of upgrading more bitumen in Western Canada.

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft speaks to members of the Rotary Club during a luncheon meeting at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in downtown Calgary on Tuesday.View Larger Image View Larger Image

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft speaks to members of the Rotary Club during a luncheon meeting at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in downtown Calgary on Tuesday.

He noted estimates project that one million barrels of unprocessed bitumen will be exported for upgrading to the U.S. every day within eight years.

"I believe we now have an opportunity -- an opportunity unlike any other in our history," Taft told his audience. "A once-in-several-lifetimes opportunity to transform ourselves forever."

You can read Kevin Taft's full speech to the Rotary Club here.

getting more than a nickel's worth.

- Right-wing Edmonton City Councillor Mike Nickel launched his pun-filled Ward 5 re-election campaign this week. Nickel's campaign logo is a coffee stain (which accurately reflects his past three years on City Council).

- Tory MLA's Greg Melchin (Calgary-North West) and Denis Ducharme (Bonnyville-Cold Lake) announced their retirements this week. Both Melchin and Ducharme were elected in 1997 after defeating Decore-era Liberal MLA's Frank Bruseker and Leo Vasseur (Bruseker is the current President of the Alberta Teachers' Association).

- The Edmonton City Council Election candidates list has been updated. The nomination deadline is on Monday, September 17, so I will be providing a final list on Monday afternoon (I may actually make a trip down to City Hall to watch who shows up as well). Help spread the word about the October 15 Municipal Election by joining the "I'm voting in the Edmonton Municipal Election on October 15, 2007" facebook group.

- Just in case no one noticed (which is a complete possibility), the Alberta Social Credit Party is looking for a new Leader as Socred stalwart Lavern Alstrom is hanging up his hat.

i’m voting for don iveson in ward 5.

Over the summer, I’ve had the great pleasure of volunteering for the campaign of my friend Don Iveson. Don is running in the October 15, 2007 City Council Elections in the very large Ward 5 (which also happens to be the Ward where I reside).

As I’ve joined Don and other volunteers in doorknocking in neighbourhoods across Ward 5, I’ve been quite surprised by the amount of times I heard people express their desire for change on City Council. While on the doorsteps, it hasn’t been uncommon to hear people say “City Council needs some new blood,” “it’s time for a change on City Council,” or "it's time to get rid of the old guys on Council."

I can’t agree more, and I can hardly think of a more effective person to provide this change than Don Iveson.

Don Iveson represents a new vision for City Council. Don's campaign revolves around three main principles - Efficiency, Environmental Responsibility, and Vibrant Communities. These three principles tie together ideas on smarter urban planning, revitalizing public transit, reining in urban sprawl, and more.

Don was interviewed in this week’s SEE Magazine’s candidate profile. Don has also received the ringing endorsements of retiring City Councillor Michael Phair, former School Trustee and Alberta Liberal MLA Don Massey, and retiring Edmonton-Strathcona NDP MLA Dr. Raj Pannu. (You can also join the Don Iveson for Ward 5 facebook group...)

I encourage you to take a look at Don's ideas for Smart Growth in Ward 5 and to join me in voting for Don Iveson on October 15, 2007.

oh, craig...

This was in my inbox from a daveberta reader this morning. Thanks for the message...

Hey Dave, [Craig] Chandler keeps on giving - and he wrote some serious falsehoods in the herald today.

So, Chandler wrote an op-ed in the herald today, where he claimed to have written something different on his posting.

he claimed:

"To those of you who have come to our great land from out of province, you need to remember that you came here to our home and we vote conservative. You came here to enjoy our economy, our natural beauty and more. This is our home and if you wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns, or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created." - from Daveberta

was more like:

"To those of you who have come to our great land from out of province, you need to remember that you came here to our home and we vote conservative (meaning Social Credit, Alberta Alliance, Wildrose or the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party.)"

he also changed it on the forum posting:

Firstly, Alberta is growing in a way that was never expected and many of the people coming here do not truly appreciate Alberta or even understand the history of this province or the relationship with small 'c' conservatism. To those of you who have come to our great land from out of province, you need to remember that you came here to our home and we vote conservative (meaning Social Credit, Alberta Alliance, Wildrose or the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party). You came here to enjoy our economy, our natural beauty and more. This is our home and if you wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns, or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created.

The great part is the forum tracks edits to posts. The post is tagged at the end with:
"Last edited by Craig B. Chandler on Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:52 pm; edited 4 times in total."

Craig is being untrue about what he wrote in his forum post.

alberta liberals reach for the TOP.

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft was joined by Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman in lauching the 'Take Our Place' program yesterday. The TOP initiative is geared towards getting more women involved in provincial politics.

From the media release:

The Take Our Place program brings together a mentor team of dynamic women, including current and former Alberta Liberal MLAs, to support and encourage new candidates, as well as to identify barriers to political participation and find ways to eliminate or reduce them. While the program is currently focused on creating opportunities for women in the upcoming election, it will continue in the post-election period.

“There are so many issues important to women and families in Alberta,” Blakeman notes. “Our perspective is critical if real progress is to be made. It’s time we had more women at the decision-making table.”

In 1998, eight of the then-eighteen member Alberta Liberal Caucus were women.

mature neighbourhoods matter.

As the October 15, 2007 Edmonton Municipal election gets closer, many community and public interest groups are preparing to promote important issues to City Council candidates. One of these groups is the Edmonton Mature Neighbourhoods Action Group.

MNAG Edmonton is comprised of 36 member communities of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.

MNAG Edmonton describes its mandate as:

There are many common planning & development issues in mature neighbourhoods and an urgent need for us to act jointly to convey our position on these issues to City Council for appropriate action on behalf of Edmonton residents. This resident up swell has identified major issues broadly across our city including:

1.) DC2 bylaw variations by development officers & misuse by developers;
2.) Limited enforcement of bylaws;
3.) Concerns with the SDAB including the ability to enforce its decisions;
4.) Lack of Area Redevelopment Plans (ARP's) & updating of existing ones as well as the absence of a resident needs driven city wide development & transportation plan;
5.) Problems created by school closures;
6.) An apparent unwillingness on the part of City Council to follow resident approved area plans but rather follow a developer driven ad-hoc planning process;
7.) An apparent lack of appreciation of the currently available knowledge base within communities with the result that there is an "Administration knows best attitude" within the City. Ultimately this will have negative political repercussions.

MNAG Edmonton has also released a list of draft questions for candidates running for Edmonton City Council.

Just one more thing to think about when you enter the ballot booth on October 15, 2007!

leroy = out.

Wetaskiwin-Camrose Tory MLA LeRoy Johnson has officially announced that he will not be seeking re-election under the Ed Stelmach Tory banner.

post-stelmach poll results.

The interim results are tallying up in what is quickly becoming to known as the unofficial 2008 Alberta PC leadership race.

Look on the sidebar to vote (early and often...):

Who will be the next leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party?

Selection Votes
Craig Chandler 22% (20 votes)
Ray Danyluk 1% (1 vote)
Jim Dinning 12% (11 votes)
Dave Hancock 13% (12 votes)
Ted Morton 28% (26 votes)
Mark Norris 2% (2 votes)
Lyle Oberg 8% (7 votes)
Tom Olsen 15% (14 votes)

93 votes total

mr. dithers: alberta edition.

Aren't you glad that Ed Stelmach is speaking for Alberta to the rest of Canada?

"Will there be people without homes? Yes. Will there be some sick people that we can't save, despite all the medical technology that we have? Yes, there will be. But people are continuing to move here because where else are they going to go in Canada?"

this traffic report...

And the Calgary Mayoral race gets more entertaining as candidate Alnoor Kassam is taking on incumbent-Mayor Dave Bronconnier...

updated candidates list.

The 2007 municipal election candidates list and 2007/2008 Alberta provincial election candidates list have both been recently updated...

(Also, thanks to Emerson Mayers, running for the PC nomination in Edmonton-Manning, for the bizarre email...)

nuclealberta.

Calgary-Mountain View Alberta Liberal MLA David Swann has some interesting thoughts on today's Peace River nuclear power plant announcement.

Now, being skeptical about nuclear power is one thing (and another issue that I plan to elaborate further in a future post), but the secrecy surrounding who the plant's largest customer will be is another bizarre story:

Bold plans to bring nuclear power to northern Alberta were unveiled Tuesday, but just exactly who'll be using most of the megawatts remained a mystery even to many in the oilpatch.

It's assumed that Energy Alberta Corp.'s proposed $6.2-billion project to put a Candu twin reactor in the sparsely populated Peace River area in the province's northwestern corner is all about the oilsands, which require an immense amount of energy to squeeze oil from the ground.

The company and its partners said Tuesday that about 70 per cent of the 2,200 megawatts of electricity will be going to "one large, industrial off-taker" but declined to name names.

"At this time we're not going to discuss those arrangements," said Dale Coffin, spokesman for Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., which is teaming up with Energy Alberta to build Canada's first new nuclear power in nearly 25 years.

retirement row.

In what I expect to be a steady stream over the next few months, long-time Tory backbencher Richard Magnus joined the current as he announced that he won't be seeking a fifth term in office.

That brings the official MLA retirement list to eight:

Progressive Conservative MLAs
Victor Doerksen (Red Deer-South)
Clint Dunford (Lethbridge-West)
Carol Haley (Airdrie-Chestermere)
Denis Herard (Calgary-Egmont)
Rob Lougheed (Strathcona)
Richard Magnus (Calgary-North Hill)

Alberta Liberal MLA
Maurice Tougas (Edmonton-Meadowlark)

New Democrat MLA
Raj Pannu (Edmonton-Strathcona)

On the Tory retirements, comments are abound:

"A lot of MLAs see the writing on the wall that people are not happy with the party and the way it's run," says Jim Stevenson, who chaired Alberta Renewal, founded during last fall's leadership race in an effort to reconnect the party with its grassroots.

"There's so many things that need to be changed to bring some democracy back into the party and I don't see that happening."

...

David Taras, a political analyst at the University of Calgary, agrees a number of factors affect the decision whether to run again, but says Stelmach has to wear some of the responsibility.

"There are a lot of factors at work here and some are not the kind of factors the premier likes to talk about," he said. "Klein had enormous coat tails. With those coat tails gone, and the argument that Stelmach has very short coat tails, or none at all, could be a drag on some of these candidates.

"If you do the basic math, some of them could be in tough re-election battles and some could lose."

rick bell on 'kooky craig.'

Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell offers his thoughts on Progressive Conservative nomination candidate 'Kooky' Craig Chandler's recent comments that if new Albertans: "wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns, or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created."

UPDATE: CTV Calgary and the Globe and Mail have both run stories on Mr. Chandler's commments.

Ed Stelmach wouldn't refute Chandler's comments, but would only say that: “This province has welcomed newcomers and we will continue to welcome newcomers.”

Here is the YouTube video (linked from Glen):

craig chandler continued.

Craig Chandler officially announced his intentions to run for the Progressive Conservative nomination in Calgary-Egmont as five-term Tory MLA Denis Herard announced his retirement today.

Chandler recently wrote the bizarre and ridiculous webboard statement that if new Albertans "wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns, or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created.

Chandler's positions are somewhat confusing after you notice some pretty big contradictions between his campaign website and a media release sent out by his campaign today:

Media Release: "Some in our party have become complacent and think we have the natural right to govern because we are conservatives."

Website: "Craig Chandler is seeking the riding nomination for the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. We all know that whoever wins the nomination will surely become your next MLA."

Yep, complacent.

I wonder if Ed Stelmach is starting to regret these best wishes...

Here is Chandler's media release as received by email (how many spelling errors can you spot?):

CRAIG CHANDLER SEEKING TORY NOMINATION FOR CALGARY EGMONT

(Calgary) Craig Chandler, Executive Director of the Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB) and a well known name in conservative political circles is seeking to become the MLA for the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party in Calgary Egmont. Craig Chandler has taken a leave of abscence from the the Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB)

"I feel that we need a strong Alberta a government where we put Alberta first. Some in our party have become complacent and think we have the natural right to govern because we are conservatives. I feel we need to get back to looking at the whites of people eyes on their doorsteps and find out first hand what we are doing well and where we need to improve. I will show up at the door of my constituents at least once a year to find out first hand their concerns. I will be an effective and articulate voice for Calgary Egmont and Calgary as a whole" said Craig Chandler.

The Craig Chandler campaign has been campaigning for over 3 months and has submited a very substantial amount of memberships to the party. Several communities have already been doorknocked and the campaign is working full time with volunteer and paid staff. Craig Chandler has also managed to unite many on the conservative right behind him. Link Byfield of the Wildrose Party has endorsed Craig Chandler. David Crutcher who received 1,657 votes for the Alberta Alliance in Calgary Egmont has joined the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party and is now serving as their President in Calgary Egmont.

"We are taking nothing for granted. We are working very hard and know that it takes a substantial amount of memberships and money to win the nomination. We will always be campaigning like we are 30 votes behind" said Harley Shouldice, Campaign Manager / Whip for the Craig Chandler Campaign.

- 30 -

For More Information contact Harley Shouldice or Craig Chandler at 203-3456

www.craigchandler.ca www.oneridingatatime.com

It also looks like Chandler's PGIB group is going to start hijacking Progressive Conservative nomination meeting through oneridingatatime.com.

poll change.

Old poll...

Who will be elected as the MP for Edmonton Strathcona in the next Federal Election?
Linda Duncan, NDP - 221 votes (69%)
Rahim Jaffer, Conservative - 57 votes (18%)
Claudette Roy, Liberal - 41 votes (13%)
319 votes total

(They look like the 2006 results from my old polling districtin Garneau)

New poll...

Who will be the next leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party?
Craig Chandler
Ray Danyluk
Jim Dinning
Dave Hancock
Ted Morton
Mark Norris
Lyle Oberg
Tom Olsen

Vote early and vote often (and you don't have to adapt to our rules and our voting patterns in this poll).

if you move to alberta – adapt or leave: craig chandler.

Alberta PC nomination candidate Craig Chandler has eloquently declared his feelings towards new Albertans who choose to exercise their constitutional right to vote for a political party other than the 36-year old ruling Progressive Conservative Party of Ed Stelmach.

I wonder which point in Ed Stelmach’s five-priority plan Chander is promoting when he wrote this:

To those of you who have come to our great land from out of province, you need to remember that you came here to our home and we vote conservative. You came here to enjoy our economy, our natural beauty and more. This is our home and if you wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns, or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created.

Considering that Stelmach's Tories haven't been doing too well in Calgary lately, I wonder how excited Ed Stelmach will be with Craig Chandler carring the PC banner in Calgary Egmont?

I know I'm looking forward to the daily entertainment.

danyluk flees alberta.

As the affordable housing crisis rages across Alberta, Tory Minister Ray Danyluk is traveling to New York to "investigate innovative programs to address homelessness and housing."

Now I wouldn't have had a problem with Danyluk traveling to New York had he not appointed an Affordable Housing Task Force to study and hold hearings on this issue across Alberta (which they did quite sucessfully).

The Affordable Housing Task Force, which delivered its final report to Danyluk in March 2007, contains many innovative ideas that have since been largely ignored by the Stelmach Tories.

And even if the Tories didn't like the Task Force's Final Report, there's no shortage of innovative ideas floating around Alberta to look at.

monday mornings...

Just some quick links for your Monday morning reading...

- Sheila Pratt had an interesting article on Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft this weekend.

- It looks like Ken Chapman had the scoop on Red Deer - South Tory MLA Victor Doerksen's retirement.

- I'm not sure how many people saw Stephane Dion's interview on Sunday's CTV Question Period, but it seriously had to be one of the worst media interviews that I've seen any politician do. Dion is leaving a lot to be desired, but obviously has time to work on his communication skills before the next federal election.

- It's an ALL ALBERTA western showdown in Calgary Grit's 'Best Premier' competition. Peter Lougheed v. Ernest Manning.

mandel rising.

Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel has launched his re-election campaign with a new website and billboard campaign...

In 2004, Mandel was first elected after coming from behind in a three-way race between then-Mayor Bill Smith and former City Councillor Robert Noce. Previous to being elected Mayor, Mandel served as a Councillor for Ward 1 from 2001 to 2004.



Here are the 2004 results:

Mayor
Stephen Mandel - 85,887
Bill Smith - 68,767
Robert Noce - 52,640
Tilo Paravalos - 921
Dieter Peske - 905
Dave Dowling - 858
Thomas "Buffalo Terminator" Tomilson - 768
Jean-Paul Noujaim - 390

i support affordable student housing.

The Graduate Students' Association at the University of Alberta has taken the initiative and started a public campaign - I Support Affordable Student Housing - calling for solutions to solve the student end of the affordable housing crisis in Edmonton.

The campaign website also provides a list of options for students still looking for affordable housing with September fast approaching.

friday morning roundup.

- Longtime Tory MLA Clint Dunford has officially announced that he won't be seeking re-election in Lethbridge West. Dunford, a former Klein Minister, has held the hotly contested seat since 1993.

- The controversy surrounding the awarding of a post-election contract to defeated Edmonton Meadowlark Tory MLA Bob Maskell continues with charges of favoritism and overbilling being launched at the Tories.

- The AEUB scandal continues as investigators south of the border in the State of Montana are shocked about the public board's spying activities:

A scandal that has plagued Alberta's energy regulator has become an international incident, with the Montana government wanting to know whether its citizens were spied on by an arms-length agency of the Alberta government.

Ken Toole of Montana's Public Service Commission said Wednesday that while he doesn't have full information on the issue, what he has heard about the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board is troubling.

"It is of great concern to me if any citizen group is being monitored by government agencies because they oppose a power line or a power plant or oil well or —whatever," he said.

"I believe in civil liberties, and I don't think it's appropriate that government agencies monitor citizens who are protesting something they don't like, as long as they're lawful."

can't buy me love.

Yesterday: Polls released showing Ed Stelmach's Tories dropping 22-percent in support over the past 7 months from 54% in January to 32% in August. A stunningly large 36% of Albertans polled fell into the 'undecided' pool.

Today: Stelmach's Tories announce $350 million in government building upgrades. Can you smell a desperate reaction?

To the 22-point plunge, Stelmach's spokesperson, the lovey Tom Olsen responded...

The reason the dramatic plunge is "believable," according to Olsen, is that "hundreds of thousands of new Albertans don't know the history of Progressive Conservative governments in this province and are spending their time assessing what they see."

Well, I'm not going to spend much time pointing out the hilariousness of Tom Olsen's response. I'll defer to Dan for that.

(Also, click here to see CTV's news report on the story - click on "Kirk Heuser reports")

and the floodgates burst open.

I've updated the Edmonton Municipal Election candidates list based on updated information from this website.

Newly listed candidates include:

- Peter Lefaivre for Mayor
- Kyle Balombin in Ward 3
- Chris Martin in Ward 3
- Judith (Jodi) Flatt in Ward 4
- Brian Wissink in Ward 4
- Brent Michalyk in Ward 5
- Lori Jeffery-Heaney in Ward 6
- Joani Linder in Ward 6
- Thomas Dennis Vasquez in Ward 6

albertans going shopping.

A poll released today by Cameron Strategy Group shows Ed Stelmach’s Tories dropping 22 points in the past 7 months to 32% support across Alberta (down from 54% in January 2007).

The poll also shows Stelmach’s Calgary approval ratings dropping from 52% in January to 38% in August (his disapproval rating in Calgary is 40%). Stelmach has also dropped from a January high of 58% to an August 45% in Edmonton, and a 59% to 50% drop in the other regions of Alberta (his disapproval ratings in Edmonton and other Alberta regions are 39% and 26%).

But what is most interesting is the dramatic increase of undecided voters from 18% to 36% in 7 months (with 39% of Calgarians and 36% of Edmontonians falling in the unsure or won't vote category). From the report:

“The increase in undecided voters in the past 3 months in Alberta is unprecedented. A huge swath of the Alberta electorate is now without a firm voting intention, which means that dramatic changes in the electoral landscape are possible. The key question remains to be answered in the next 6 months is who will be successful in luring these newly undecided voters: the PC’s, who need to bring them back to the fold, or the Liberals, who have not yet shown signs of growth in voter support.”

Here are the regional breakdowns:

Provincial Voting Intentions (January support in brackets)
Province-wide
PC – 32% (54%)
Liberal – 16% (16%)
NDP – 11% (9%)
Alliance – 5% (3%)
Unsure/Won’t vote – 36% (18%)

Calgary
PC – 30% (59%)
Liberal – 17% (14%)
NDP – 8% (8%)
Alliance – 5% (2%)
Unsure/Won’t vote – 39% (16%)

Edmonton
PC – 27% (50%)
Liberal – 17% (16%)
NDP – 16% (12%)
Alliance – 5% (2%)
Unsure/Won’t vote – 36% (19%)

Other Alberta
PC – 41% (52%)
Liberal – 13% (18%)
NDP – 7% (6%)
Alliance – 7% (4%)
Unsure/Won’t vote – 31% (20%)

Another poll released by Cameron Strategy Group asked the question “Is the Stelmach Government Leading Alberta in the right direction?”

26% responded the 'right' direction, 30% responded the 'wrong' direction, and 44% were 'unsure.' When you compare these numbers to January 2007 when 54% responded ‘right,’ 10% responded ‘wrong,’ and 36% responded ‘undecided’ you can see a pretty substantial shift.

Though these numbers clearly don't benifit any specific political party, the growing undecided pool of voters leaking from the Tory support hints that a fall 2007 election may start to look more likely (before the S.S. Stelmach sinks any further).

It also means that the Liberals and Tories are going to have to put in extra effort to woo the growing undecided vote in the run up to the next election.

it's cozy in there.

If you haven't already, read Sheila Pratt's column from Sunday's Edmonton Journal. It's a great article that takes Ed Stelmach to task for hiring Suncor VP Heather Kennedy as an assistant deputy minister in the Tory Governments oilsands development secretariat. Pratt hits it right on the mark:

"This stinks so badly it makes the toxic lakes on the oilsands mines smell like garden ponds. The worst is that the government doesn't seem to get the potential conflicts staring it in the face.

Something about the fox and the henhouse quickly comes to mind when the job of coming up with public policy to best manage growth around the oilsands is handed over to a current oilpatch executive, even temporarily.

Would you hire agriculture biotech giant Monsanto, purveyor of GM seeds, to run the agriculture department's crop improvement program? Or hire Greenpeace to run the environment department? No, the captains of industry and active lobbyists have their own agendas and it's not always the public agenda.

...

The treasury department did consult the ethics commissioner about Kennedy's appointment, which is a signal it had a few qualms. Too bad Alberta's ethics report is off limits to the public -- even though it involved a public servant.

Maybe Stelmach doesn't understand the mood in post-Klein Alberta.

People voted for him -- and against Jim Dinning -- partly because they were unhappy about the cosy relationship between business and government, because they thought the oilpatch had too much influence and they wanted a change.

Well, now they've got the oilpatch in the senior civil service.

This controversy was totally unnecessary if the government had thought for one moment about it.

There's no lack of smart people in this province to do the jobs. But there's shortage of good political judgement in Stelmach's cabinet.

Kennedy's appointment comes on the heels of another business cozy controversy in Stelmach's Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville riding. The Fort Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce attempted to organize a $300 per person fundraiser where half the funds would go to Stelmach's Constituency Association. The breaks were put on the fundraiser only after a frontpage story and editorial in the Sturgeon Creek Post called on the Chamber to halt its partisan hackery. Dave Truscott is the editor of the Sturgeon Creek Post:

"...there is a time and place for political support, and the Chamber of Commerce is not that place. As a long time member and support of the Chamber I must protest..."

"...to support a whole party or a candidate would be a mistake even if it were not against the bylaws. Governments and candidates come and go. The Chamber of Commerce represents something more enduring. It must be prepared to deal with whoever is in office."

"I have to add that there is also something very wrong with paying so high a fee to get the ear of our premier. This smacks very much of bribery..."

Chamber of Commerce by-laws are supposed to assure that all Chambers are apolitical, non-partisan, and are not to support any political candidates.

It looks like Ed's making Jim happy.

elect me, please.

One more candidate has been added to the 2007 Edmonton Municipal Election Candidates List:

- Jabin Caouette in Ward 2

edmonton in august.

Two notes for a Sunday night...

- The 26th Annual Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival began last week. I was there for the opening ceremonies and I'm looking forward to checking out some shows over the next week. Two shows I'm planning to check out are Hooked and The Diary Project.

- The revitalization of 118th Avenue (aka Alberta Avenue) is picking up steam through the hard work of the volunteers from Arts on the Ave and The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse. A good friend of mine was involved in helping The Carrot and I'm hoping to get there at somepoint before the end of summer.

melchin poll continued...

The hilarious saga of Greg Melchin's website poll continues as the votes continue to rise this morning in a dramatic seesaw of shifts between 'excellent' and 'below average.' As of 12:11PM today there have been over 1200 more votes than yesterday morning (I'm betting it's only 2 or 3 people actually voting)...

Survey of the Month
How would you rate Premier Stelmach's first session?

Excellent 50.0%
Below Average 37.8%
Satisfactory 10.5%
Average 1.6%
Total Votes: 1395

UPDATE: 1:38PM... 1250 votes later...

Survey of the Month
How would you rate Premier Stelmach's first session?

Excellent 44.9%
Below Average 35.8%
Satisfactory 18.4%
Average 0.9%
Total Votes: 2645

the beauty of online polls.

The downside of putting up online polls on your website is that you don't always get the response you'd like. Take this poll from Calgary North West PC MLA Greg Melchin's website...

Survey of the Month
How would you rate Premier Stelmach's first session?

Below Average 87.2%
Average 8.1%
Satisfactory 3.5%
Excellent 1.2%
Total Votes: 86

Online polls. Easy to have fun with...

UPDATE! It's 3:40PM and it looks like Greg Melchin's Constituency Staff have been keeping themselves busy over the past couple hours...

Survey of the Month
How would you rate Premier Stelmach's first session?

Excellent - 62.7%
Satisfactory - 17.4%
Below Average - 16.2%
Average - 3.7%
Total Votes: 628

And I'm still trying to figure out what the difference is between 'Satisfactory' and 'Average.'

(Larry Johnsrude also picked up this up on his blog)

ANOTHER UPDATE: It's 7:29PM and it looks like a battle has begun on Greg Melchin's website poll between pro- and anti- Stelmachian forces...

Survey of the Month
How would you rate Premier Stelmach's first session?
Below Average 44.9%
Excellent 41.3%
Satisfactory 11.4%
Average 2.4%
Total Votes: 965

I bet you Greg Melchin's website has never received this much attention...

what is ed stelmach really up to?

The results of the latest daveberta poll are out:

When will the next Provincial General Election be called in Alberta?
Fall 2007 - 41% (53 votes)
Winter 2008 - 9% (12 votes)
Spring 2008 - 33% (43 votes)
Summer 2008 - 2% (2 votes)
Fall 2008 - 9% (12 votes)
Winter 2009 - 1% (1 vote)
Spring 2009 - 4% (5 votes)
Summer 2009 - 0% (0 votes)
Fall 2009 - 2% (2 votes)

This leads me to two specific theories that I have heard about when the next provincial election will be held...

Theory One: Spring 2008

Finance Minister Lyle Oberg has already set the date for the 2008 Alberta Budget for February 14, 2008. With Ed Stelmach's Tories having a very hard time gaining traction on the announcements they've made since December 2006, it wouldn't be surprising to see Stelmach attempt to pull a page from the 1997 Election playbook and drop the writ minutes after tabling the budget and run on the budget.

A Spring 2008 election would also give all the parties time to organize over the next five to six months.

Theory Two: Fall/Winter 2007

There are four points that lend support this theory:

a) The Stelmach Tories should be concerned about how much further they could fall in the polls by Spring 2008.

After 36 years of Tory government, Albertans moods and political attitudes are shifting. With the election of Craig Cheffins in the Calgary Elbow by-election in May 2007, Stelmach must be worried about growing support for Kevin Taft's Alberta Liberals in Calgary.

The Tories only need +42 of the 60 seats they already hold to form a majority government – and with there only being half a dozen opposition held ridings likely to be hotly competitive for the Tories it is not unimaginable that they will only mount strong campaigns in these ridings (including already nominated PC candidates in Edmonton Meadowlark, St. Albert, and Cardston-Taber-Warner).

The Tories may also need to concentrate on gaining seats in Edmonton and area in order to offset expected losses to the Alberta Liberals in Calgary.

b) Stelmach has lined up a number of high profile speaking engagements across Alberta in September and October (Premier's Dinners in Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, and Fort McMurray along with PC policy conferences in Edmonton and Calgary) to raise his profile.

c) A pre-campaign memo sent by the Tories to their constituency associations, MLA's, and members was widely distributed and made very public – which could be an attempt to throw off the opposition parties in their election timeline planning. The Stelmach Tories have also appointed a Campaign Manager (Randy Dawson) and Camapign Co-Chairs (Doug Goss and Douglas Black).

d) The Tory candidate nomination timeline requires all PC-incumbent ridings to have candidates nominated by October 31, 2007 and non-PC-incumbent ridings to have candidates nominated by November 30, 2007. These are deadlines, so it is possible that the Tories could have all their candidates nominated by the end of October, leaving enough time to avoid a Christmas election and call an election similar to 2004 (immediately following the October municipal elections).

new poll.

On the sidebar for your voting pleasure.

This week's question:

Who will be elected as the MP for Edmonton Strathcona in the next Federal Election?

Linda Duncan, NDP
Rahim Jaffer, Conservative
Claudette Roy, Liberal

two out of six.

Calgary Mountain View MLA David Swann released two YouTube videos from his July 19 press conference in response to the Stelmach Tories Measuring Up report.

The government’s Measuring Up report indicated that only two out of Alberta’s six major riverways had “excellent” or “good” water quality. This is in decline from other years, and is of serious concern especially considering the diminishing quantity of water across the province.

folk fest blog back.

Just like years past, the Folk Fest Blog is back up and running for this weekend's Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

not a hero.

Thanks to Larry Johnsrude for emailing me a link to this earlier this week...



Not that I totally agree with the video, but it is cleverly made and reflects a setiment that I'm hearing quite a bit these days from my Tory voting friends (particularily those of the Jim Dinning and Ted Morton variety). I also think that comparing Ed Stelmach to Stephane Dion is an interesting approach...

(I also don't quite understand the comparison to Kermit the Frog)

PS: I am not davefromalberta. I am daveberta.

random facts.

A while back, Derek Raymaker tagged me for 8 random facts. So, because I'm original (or I could only think of 6, here are five random facts about myself...):

- I'm a huge Johnny Cash fan. I have 11 Johnny Cash CD's and saw Walk the Line in theatres 3 or 4 times (I own the DVD).

- I was nominated the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal by Cliff Chadderton Chair of the National Council or Veteran Associations of Canada (and I was awarded the medal…)

- I just returned from spending 6 weeks in Quebec.

- I was once almost kicked out the Alberta Legislature for being part of an impromptu media scrum in front of the Premier's Office on the fourth floor (Ralph Klein actually walked by during the scrum). Apparently you're not allowed to do that.

- I've visited the Big Valley Creation Science Museum...

- I was once in Amersterdam's Schiphol Airport during a bomb threat.

And because it's only fair, I'll have to tag Dan, Blake, and Ken.

an unruly bunch.

Ed Stelmach leaves the province for only a couple of days, and already the kids are at each others throats...

Tory MLA slams Ted Morton
By RENATO GANDIA, SUN MEDIA

Tory MLA Denis Ducharme is slamming Sustainable Resource Minister Ted Morton’s decision to allow seismic tests by a Calgary-based company on Marie Lake, one of Alberta’s remaining pristine bodies of water.

He’s also “very disappointed” that he found out about the decision through the media.

“I found that his lack of professional courtesy to me was unacceptable,” Ducharme, of the Bonnyville-Cold Lake constituency, told Sun Media. “I’m certainly going to be having a discussion with the premier regarding this decision.”

Ducharme suggested Morton’s hands may be tied by the province’s oil development policy.

“Maybe there are some changes that have to be done,” he said. “Unfortunately, Mr. Morton did not show leadership.”

daveberta in outremont.

Last weekend, I spent the last days of my six weeks in la belle provence of Québec on the island of Montreal.

Along with going to check out the Tamtams, I also took a walk through the streets of Outremont, where a federal by-election happens to be occuring.

Being a good political blogger, I tried to play the game of "spot the campaign sign." Unfortunately, I was only able to spot two candidate's campaign signs on the streets of Outremont...

NDP candidate Thomas Mulcair

Bloc Quebecois candidate Jean-Paul Gilson

I found it quite interesting that neither Federal Liberal candidate Jocelyn Coulon or Conservative candidate Gilles Duguay had signage posted for their candidacy, especially since the riding was vacated by former Liberal MP Jean LaPierre (then again...). The 2006 election saw Jean LaPierre gain 35% of the vote compared to 28% for Bloc Quebecois candidate Jacques Leonard, 17% for NDP candidate Leo-Paul Lauzon, and 12% for Conservative candidate Daniel Fournier. With this kind of vote split in a General Election, it should be interesting to see how voters in Outremont will vote in the September 17, 2007 by-election.

Also, having spent the past 5 weeks in the Saguenay-Lac-St. Jean region of Quebec, I think we could see some interesting results from the Roberval–Lac-St-Jean by-election to replace former Bloc MP Michel Gauthier. More on this in another post.

(and yes, I can see that the Thomas Mulcair sign is sideways)

i'm back...

...in Alberta.

And two new candidates have been added to the 2007 Edmonton Municipal Election candidates list: Ward 1 candidate Andrew Knack and Ward 6 candidate Chuck McKenna.

I will try to keep this list as updated as possible, so if you have knowledge of candidates that should be added feel free to post them here or email me at daveberta@linuxmail.org.

2007 edmonton municipal election candidates.

UPDATED: Click here for the official list of City Council candidates!

Because it is never to early to start up a list of election candidates, I have put together a list of candidates running for election or re-election in the Edmonton City Council elections on October 15, 2007 (candidates in BOLD are daveberta approved candidates - I will announce more as the election approaches).

I will try to keep this list as updated as possible (last updated on September 14, 2007), so if you have knowledge of candidates that should be added feel free to post below or email me at daveberta@linuxmail.org.

2007 Edmonton City Council candidates
(* indicates incumbency)

Mayor of Edmonton
Dustin Becker
Dave Dowling
Peter Lefaivre
Stephen Mandel*
Sonny Pawchuk
Bill Whatcott

Edmonton City Council
Ward 1 (Map)
Betty Kennedy
Andrew Knack
Karen Leibovici*
Linda Sloan*

Ward 2 (Map)
Jabin Caouette
Ron Hayter*
Kerry Hutton
Kim Krushell*
Dave Loken
Mike Sokoluik
Shelley Tupper

Ward 3 (Map)
Kyle Balombin
Tony Caterina
Ed Gibbons*
Jacob Hiller
Chris Martin
George Tsoukalas
Harvey Voogd
(Councillor Janice Melnychuk is not seeking re-election)

Ward 4 (Map)
Jane Batty*
Lewis Cardinal
Judith (Jodi) Flatt
Ben Henderson
Rev. Brian Patterson
Hana Razga
Brent Thompson
Steven Townsend
Brian Wissink
Debbie Yeung
(Councillor Michael Phair is not seeking re-election)

Ward 5 (Map)
Bryan Anderson*
Don Iveson
Brent Michalyk
Mike Nickel*

Ward 6 (Map)
Lori Jeffery-Heaney
Joani Linder
Chuck McKenna
Chinwe Okelu
Ronald Palmer
Amarjeet Sohi
Dave Thiele*
Thomas Dennis Vasquez
(Councillor Terry Cavanagh is not seeking re-election)

poll results.

In June 2007, I placed a poll on this blog to unscientifically gauge the voting intentions of daveberta readers.

With a total of 500 votes, here are the results...

Question: If a provincial election were held today, which party`s candidate would you vote for?

Alberta Alliance	18%	90
Alberta Greens	3%	14
Alberta Liberals	32%	160
Alberta NDP	31%	155
Alberta PC	13%	67
Alberta Social Credit	1%	5
Other	2%	9

I was very interested to see that this blog is quickly becoming a favorite of New Democrats. But considering their 1% and 3% showings of support in the Drumheller-Stettler and Calgary Elbow by-elections I don`t think this is indicative of an orange éruption in the next election.

Also, I`ve put up a new poll for your voting pleasure...

(Also, vote for Harry!)

an albertan in chicoutimi.

Because I`ve spent the last 4 weeks in Chicoutimi, Quebec I thought it would be interesting to look at the past federal election results for the city over the past 15 years. So, here they are for your reading pleasure…

Chicoutimi
1993
Gilbert Fillion, BQ – 29,392
André Harvey, PC – 11,038
Georges Frenette, Lib – 4,958
Christine Moore, NDP – 541

1997
André Harvey, PC – 18,598
Gilbert Fillion, BQ – 18,281
Eric Delisle, Lib – 4,839
Anne-Marie Buck, NDP – 853

Chicoutimi-LeFjord
2000
André Harvey, Lib – 20,105
Noel Tremblay, BQ – 15,073
Mauril Desbiens, Ind – 3,797
Douglas Schroeder-Tabah, AC – 2,001
Alaine Ranger, NDP – 689

2004
Robert Bouchard, BQ – 20,650
André Harvey, Lib – 19,787
Alcide Boudreault, C – 2,385
Éric Dubois, NDP - 1,699
Paul Tremblay, Grn – 1,038

2006
Robert Bouchard, BQ – 19,226
André Harvey, Lib – 14,581
Alcide Boudreault, C – 12,350
Éric Dubois, NDP – 2,571
Jean-Martin Gauthier, Grn – 1,226

(André Harvey has run in every federal election in Chicoutimi since 1984 - he served as the Member of Parliament for Chicoutimi from 1984-1993 and 1997 to 2004 - as a Progressive Conservative from 1984-1993 and 1997-2000, and as a Liberal from 2000 to 2004).

liberal v. progressive.

Well, it`s a beautiful balmy +31C in the Saguenay today - a nice change from the rain and cloudy weather from the past three weeks.

Though I`ve been mostly cut off from the world outside of the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region for the past three weeks, I was able to catch some of the CNN-YouTube debate between the Democratic Presidential candidates yesterday.

It was an interesting debate and I found the unscripted answers in response to the YouTube questions to be quite telling. I particularily found that Senator Hillary Clinton`s response to the `do you consider youself a liberal?` question by declaring that she is a `progressive` was interesting. It just shows how well the Republicans have been able to change the political language in the United States by making the word `liberal` a negative word. I personally like the term `progressive,` but it also has different conotations in different political environments.

But in the end, it`s all sematics. It`s just a name. Parties and politicians should be judged by their actions and policies, not by their brand name.

living the high life in d.c.

I may be all the way in Chicoutimi, Quebec but this still caught my attention. It looks like the Alberta Tories Ambassador to the United States of America isn`t having many problems enjoying a taxpayer funded high life in the District of Columbia...

Bills detail lavish perks for Alberta's D.C. envoy
Taxis cost $6,000 despite car; annual allowance of $15,000 added to $223,000 salary
Darcy Henton, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 1:50 am

EDMONTON - Alberta's man in Washington had just the right pitch to get the taxpayers to pay for a GPS for his $42,500 government fleet car.

Murray Smith told provincial officials he needed the global positioning system because he'd been lost for an hour chauffeuring premier Ralph Klein around Maryland during the premier's visit last year.

"Don't want to do that again," he wrote in an e-mail obtained by The Journal under Freedom of Information legislation.

...

But the Canadian Taxpayers Federation expressed shock at the Washington office expenditures, especially the GPS.

"That's unbelievable," said Alberta director Scott Hennig. "What does it cost to buy a map? $5? What about a Google map? That's free."

Indeed...

Also, Jeffery Simpson has some thoughts on Ed Stelmach`s Alberta Tories 34% approval rating...

daveberta à qc.

Yes, I`m still alive and well here in la belle provence.

I was in Quebec City over the past couple days for the festival d`été (with musique) and had a lot of fun. I`ve actually been enjoying the Québec music scene quite a bit. On Friday night, Xavier Rudd played a show at the festival and it was great. I would recommend to anyone in the area during that time to check out that festival.

Nothing else to report. The Saguenay is still beautiful, but I`m longing to gaze across the Alberta prairies once again... soon enough.

salut!

Bonjour! I just wanted to write a quick message to let everyone know that I`m still alive. I`m enjoying myself in Quebec (I am in Chicoutimi right now and was able to find a computer with les internets).

Since I haven`t been paying much attention to the Alberta scene since I`ve come to Quebec I`m not totally up to speed on the newest news of the day. I was able to do a bit of a blog scan in the past couple minutes, so I would recommend that you check out CalgaryGrit as Dan has had some good posts over the past couple days.

For those of you wondering, the Montreal Jazz Festival was lot of fun. I would recommend it to anyone who just enjoys fun in general.

If I reach another location with access to les internets in the next month I`ll try to post again, but if not, Daveberta will return to regularily scheduled postings in August 2007.

PS: Also, comment dit-ton free fall en francais?

happy canada day!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day!

(I'm in Montreal enjoying the amazing Jazz Festival)