ed stelmach tv.

So, how about last night's 18 minute, $145,000 prime-time infomercial?

As it was already widly known that Ed Stelmach will be responding to the royalty review this afternoon, I'm still confused as to why Stelmach's Tories felt it necessary to use taxpayers dollars on an infomercial that was purposely vague?

As expected, Stelmach's much-awaited televised address Wednesday evening offered only vague hints on how he will ensure Albertans get the fair share the panel said they have been long denied.

I'm not sure what channel my friend Ken Chapman was watching (though as always, he has interesting observations), but at one point during Stelmach's less than inspiring performance, I thought that he was trying to sell me a condo at Del Boca Vista Phase III.

During the address, Stelmach took some vague swipes at his former boss, Ralph Klein, and his closed-door style of leadership (this probably would have been an effective strategy had Stelmach not been a member of Klein's inner-circle for nine-years and leads a government made up of the same Ministers and MLA's).

So, all eyes turn to this afternoon when Albertans will find out whether 'Accountability and Transparency" in the face of a challenge from Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft, the 'Our Fair Share' royalty review, and a damning report from Auditor General Fred Dunn will actually faze Ed Stelmach's Tories.

daveberta does edmonton city hall.

Yesterday afternoon, I crashed the swearing-in ceremony of the 2007-2010 Edmonton City Council. Here is the documentation.

The crowded hall.

Newly elected Ward 4 City Councillor Ben Henderson is sworn-in.

The first meeting of Edmonton City Council following the swearing-in ceremony.

Newly elected Ward 5 City Councillor Don Iveson in his new digs.

Don Iveson and myself on the temple-like steps of City Hall.

I also took some video footage of Don Iveson's being sworn-in as one of Ward 5's City Councillors.

kevin taft on the royalty review.

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft explains the bottom line on oil and gas royalties: they must rise at least 20%.

blinded by the sun.

To the guy who nearly smacked me in the face this morning in front of Commerce Place while offering me a free copy of the Edmonton Sun, back off!

edmonton election 2007: the undiscovered country.

It has now been a week after the October 15, 2007 Edmonton Municipal Election and I've had a chance to put together some thoughts on this new Council...

New Councillors: Tony Caterina (Ward 3), Ben Henderson (Ward 4), Don Iveson (Ward 5), and Amarjeet Sohi (Ward 6). These new Councillors will definitely shake up the current political structure on City Council.

Returning Councillors: Karen Leibovici and Linda Sloan (Ward 1), Kim Krushell and Ron Hayter (Ward 2), Ed Gibbons (Ward 3), Jane Batty (Ward 4), Bryan Anderson (Ward 5), and Dave Thiele (Ward 6). And of course, don't forget Mayor Stephen Mandel.

It will be very interesting to watch the new dynamic between members of this City Council.

With Don Iveson defeating Mike Nickel in Ward 5, it looks like new Ward 3 Councillor Tony Caterina is the heir to the now empty right-wing seat on Council. It will be intesting to see if Caterina will take note of Mike Nickel’s missteps and learn that cooperation and collaboration with other Councillors, rather than confrontation, is the only way to accomplish goals on City Council.

With three of four new City Councillors having been elected on progressive forward looking platforms, Don Iveson, Ben Henderson, and Amarjeet Sohi are strong additions to Council and will bring forward some new ideas and fresh perspective in the next three years. They will find allies in Linda Sloan and Dave Thiele, but will also need to cooperate with other Councillors in order to implement some smart change in City Hall.

There are some big issues facing the new Council...

Sustainability and Smartening up Growth

A common theme of many candidates (new and returning) was the need for smarter urban planning. Like I wrote for CBC Edmonton during the election, it’s time this City Council to look outside the box in order to create a plan in order to deal with urban sprawl and growth issues. This includes building up more density in the inner core (smart infill and alternatives such as more Transit-Oriented Development).

Growth issues that this Council need to face is also dealing with the challenges that growth brings to the public transit system. With the expansion of Edmonton’s LRT southwards, it will be critical that the new Council take a serious look at redesigning the current transit route system in order to respond to the needs of Edmontonians – especially those in the far reaching areas of the city. It’s also time for the city to get more aggressive during community consultations in explaining to neighbourhoods the advantages of what Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will being to public transit in Edmonton.

Decades of not properly maintaining our municipal infrastructure have caused major deterioration of Edmonton’s roads and transportation systems (which was partially due to the provincial government downloading services to the municipalities while failing to increase public funding).

As well, affordable housing is a key area that the City of Edmonton will need to step in to create affordable homes for people to live in.

Also, implementing smarter growth strategies and initatives will be the key to delivering more effective and cost-efficient public services in order to improve the quality of life in Edmonton.

Regionalism

Unless the provincial government takes a strong role in creating a regional cooperation and cost-sharing framework, it will be unlikely that the dozens of cities, towns, villages, and counties in the region will come to a decision themselves.

Though it is promising to see that St. Albert’s new Mayor Nolan Crouse is interested in working with the City of Edmonton on regional issues, there still remains a substantial amount of conflict between many of the smaller municipalities (not to mention Edmonton and refinery-rich Strathcona County).

As I’ve written before, public transit is a perfect example of where the Capital City regional municipalities can work together.

Democracy

It’s time for City Council to address some of the key democratic issues in Edmonton civic politics including the ridiculous size of Edmonton’s Wards. Edmonton needs to take a serious look at reforming the Ward system to create smaller, more manageable Wards (perhaps, 12 or 14 Wards). It's also time for Edmonton to take a look at creating regulations on political donations for election candidates (as a response to the complete lack of any restrictions and regulations on political donations at the municipal level in Edmonton).

It’s also important that City Council position itself to be prepared for the next provincial electoral boundary redistribution to ensure that the growing city doesn’t once again fall victim to the rural Tory powerbase and lose representation in the Alberta Legislature.

There is a lot of potential for this City Council in the next three years and I will be watching with interest…

"stylishly disheveled."

heh heh.

throne speech?

Woah! There was a throne speech this week?

I clearly stopped paying attention to Federal Politics a long time ago...

kerry diotte's close encounters of the left-kind and other conspiracy theories.

In trying to justify Don Iveson's stunning defeat of Mike Nickel in Ward 5 in the Monday, October 15, 2007 municipal elections, Edmonton Sun columnist Kerry Diotte has a new theory.

Instead of giving the much deserved credit to 16,848 Ward 5 voters who cast their ballots for Don Iveson, a strong candidate with a solid platform and very well-organized and dedicated volunteer campaign team, Diotte has declared that Mike Nickel was "short-changed by a vast left-wing conspiracy that was really behind his defeat.

It's pretty clear that Diotte is short-changing the voters of Ward 5 with his Drudge-style internet conspiracy theories.

And after listening to Nickel's only election night media comment before kicking the media out of his campaign office, it's not hard to believe that he rubbed Ward 5 voters in the wrong way:

"At the end of the day, I'm going to go make some money, which I should've been doing for three years anyway."

If there's a support group for people like Diotte, I suggest he look for one, and invite Mike Nickel too.

edmonton election 2007: more on iveson.

From today's Edmonton Journal...

Iveson's name recognition campaign planned by skilled volunteers
Gordon Kent, With files from Francois Marchand, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 7:45 am

EDMONTON - The biggest upset in Edmonton ward politics this decade began at a February meeting where Don Iveson and five advisers began to map out his strategy for winning a seat on city council.

Iveson, 28, had never sought public office and was running in Ward 5, where the seats were filled by high-profile incumbents Bryan Anderson and Mike Nickel.

But over the following few months, he and his informal communications team worked out the details about what material to put into the hands of voters, whether lawn signs were needed and the best ways to use the Internet.

Read the rest!

back on the provincial scene...

I'll briefly return to Alberta's provincial political scene for a post or two...

- Drayton Valley-Calmar Tory MLA Reverend Tony Abbott lost the Tory nomination to former Drayton Valley Mayor Diana McQueen. This is a huge blow to the social conservative-wing of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives. Though I don't consider Abbott to have been a very effective MLA, he carried the anti-abortion crazy flag dropped by former Tory MLA Julius Yankowski (Yankowski was defeated in Edmonton-Beverly Clareview in the 2004 election). The Reverend will be running as an independent and will pose a strong challenge to McQueen's Tory ambitions.

- Because I'm sure no one noticed, the Alberta Social Credit Party is in the midst of a raucous leadership race... here are the candidates...

Gordon Barrett (click here for more info in PDF format)
Larry Heather (click here for more info in PDF format)
Len Skowronski (click here for more info in PDF format)

- The senior security executive on the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board was finally fired over the AEUB spy scandal. This is a good first step, but the real problem remains - Energy Minister Mel Knight, who along with Ed Stelmach protected and defended the AEUB's after its use of public funds to hire a private investigator to spy on ordinary Albertans, still remains in his job. This is a serious issue and actions like these should not be taken lightly. If the Stelmach Tories are serious about "accountability and transparency," Knight would no longer be sitting at the Tory Cabinet table.

The AEUB spy scandal is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Mel Knight's reputation as Minister of Energy, along with former Minister of Energy Greg Melchin, Knight's department was singled out by Auditor General Fred Dunn in his report:

"The principals of transparency and accountability, I believe, were not followed. I'm not impressed."

"The department should demonstrate its stewardship of Alberta's royalty regime and provide analysis to support that stewardship and this was not done."

"The department's monitoring and technical review findings were communicated to decision-makers. The question is: Did they hear or were they listening? At the end of the day, I don't know, but they chose not to act."

So, when are the real heads going to roll?

election congrats!

Though you wouldn't know if by reading this blog, Monday, October 15 was a day of Municipal Election Days across Alberta. There are three successful candidates who ran in races in towns and cities across Alberta that I would like to congratulate.

In the Town of Drumheller, Andrew Berdahl was elected after placing a strong second in a race for six seats. This is Andrew's first-term on Drumheller's Town Council. Andrew is a younger guy and will bring some fresh perspective to Drumheller Town Council. Congrats and Good Luck!

In the City of St. Albert, former Alderman Nolan Crouse did St. Albertans a favour by keeping two-time former Mayor Richard Plain out of the Mayor's chair. I first met Mayor-elect Crouse last fall while I was part of the team advocating and lobbying for the Universal Bus Pass (U-Pass) for University of Alberta students in St. Albert (Don Iveson was a key player on our team). Though we didn't agree on everything regarding the program, I respected his common-sense stance (Crouse voted in favour of the U-Pass). Congrats!

In the north western Alberta City of Grande Prairie, Alderman Bill Given was re-elected to City Council by placing a strong first-place in a race for eight seats. Bill is one of the few Municipal representatives in Alberta to reach out in to the world of blogging and online communications. Congrats!

edmonton election 2007: don iveson's victory in ward 5!

As many of you who came out to the Blackdog to celebrate Don Iveson's campaign and victory in Ward 5 will attest, it was a rocking party. Now some of it is preserved on YouTube...

Don Iveson gives an interview following his election...


Don Iveson's victory speech...

edmonton election 2007: the morning after.

I am a little sore after a night of celebrating Don Iveson's victory in Ward 5, but I would like to congratulate all the candidates and their campaign teams for their hard work.

Here are some thoughts on last night's results...

Mayor: Stephen Mandel received a much lesser than expected second mandate of 65% (compared to predictions of 80%), leaving last-minute candidate Don Koziak and his Core Values with the 25% anti-Mandel vote. Also, marijuana enthusiast Dave Dowling actually placed third...

Ward 1 - Councillors Linda Sloan and Karen Leibovici road the easy train to victory last night placing +8,000 votes ahead of challenger Andrew Knack.

Ward 2 - Kim Krushell and Ron Hayter were also easily re-elected (Hayter for his 11th term).

Ward 3 - With the retirement of Councillor Janice Melnychuk, both conservative Tony Caterina and progressive Harvey Voogd fought hard for the Ward 3 seat. Caterina prevailed. Ed Gibbons was re-elected.

Ward 4 - In a very close three-way race, Jane Batty, Ben Henderson, and Lewis Cardinal duked it out in this hot Ward race. Batty placed first with Henderson and Cardinal placing incredibly close to each other in second and third place. Ward 4 will now be represented by Jane Batty and Ben Henderson.

Ward 5 - The story of the night was in Ward 5, where my friend and candidate of choice Don Iveson pwned incumbent-Councillor Mike Nickel.

Don and his team campaigned hard using solid traditional campaigning techniques with a mix of online communication tools (such as a solid website, blogs, Google ads, and YouTube videos) and presented a solid platform (using full-sentences, rather than vague bullet points).

Having knocked on many doors for Don in Ward 5 over the summer and fall, it wasn't hard to sense an appetite for change.

Don Iveson's election in Ward 5 proved that incumbency isn't the all protecting shield that some pundits, such as Jim Lightbody, would preach.

Don also placed not too far behind incumbent-Councillor Bryan Anderson.

Needless to say, I am very proud of my new representation on Edmonton City Council!

I was also live-blogging from the Don Iveson victory party.

Ward 6 - The dogfight between Amarjeet Sohi and Chinwe Okelu ended in a tight victory for Mr. Sohi! Both were strong candidates and I think Ward 6 will do well with Sohi as their Councillor. Incumbent Dave Thiele was also re-elected.

Turnout - Was low.

Next Post: What does this means for Edmonton, City Council, and the future?

ward 5 councillor don iveson.

I am very very proud to announce that my good friend Don Iveson is the new City Councillor for Ward 5. Smart Growth. Efficiency. Environmental Responsibility. Vibrant Communities.

Ward 5 have elected a good candidate today.

COUNCILLOR - WARD 5 44 / 44 Polls Reported
Candidate Name # of Votes % of Votes
Bryan Kent Anderson 17867 33.76%
Don Iveson 16848 31.84%
Mike Nickel 14597 27.58%
Brent Michalyk 3610 6.82%

Congrats to Don. Congrats to the campaign team and volunteers, and congrats to Ward 5 for making a great choice!

edmonton election 2007: ward 5 showdown/live at the underdog/election results party.

I'm live from the Don Iveson Campaign Party at the Underdog on Whyte Avenue!

8:15 p.m. - The Underdog is filled with Don Iveson supporters. A photographer from the Edmonton Journal is taking picture of me live-blogging as I write.

8:17 p.m. - The Edmonton Journal has a story with me taking on U of A Political Science Professor Jim Lightbody on incumbency re-election.

8:25 p.m. - Live results will soon be posted at Edmonton Election. U of A Students' Union President Michael Janz is arguing about provincial lobbying with fellow students.

8:29 pm - First results rolling in: Ward 5: Don is in second place with 5 polls reporting...

COUNCILLOR - WARD 5 5 / 44 Polls Reported
Candidate Name # of Votes % of Votes
Bryan Kent Anderson 1264 33.19%
Don Iveson 1192 31.30%
Mike Nickel 1103 28.97%
Brent Michalyk 249 6.54%

There is cautious optimisim in the room as the mood is excited!

8:42 pm - After some computer difficulties, the Underdog is rocking as 17 polls are released in Ward 5:

COUNCILLOR - WARD 5 17 / 44 Polls Reported
Candidate Name # of Votes % of Votes
Bryan Kent Anderson 6540 33.61%
Don Iveson 6487 33.33%
Mike Nickel 5090 26.15%
Brent Michalyk 1344 6.91%

Don Iveson is in a solid second. Still a lot of polls to come in, but volunteers are pumped!

8:44 pm = Beers are flowing as the excitement fills the room. Cautious optimism, but major excitement. The room is now packed. Don Iveson and his wife Sarah Chan are milling with the campaign volunteers in the room.

8:45 pm - DON IVESON IS IN FIRST IN WARD 5!

COUNCILLOR - WARD 5 23 / 44 Polls Reported
Candidate Name # of Votes % of Votes
Don Iveson 9007 33.78%
Bryan Kent Anderson 8940 33.53%
Mike Nickel 6859 25.72%
Brent Michalyk 1860 6.98%

Half the polls reporting! The room continues to bounce. I'm taking another drink! Reporters cameras are going off in every direction. Half of the polls to come in, but this is exciting!

Mandel is cleaning house in the Mayors race. Eugene Plawiuk is here joining the fun!

8:51pm - Tight races in Ward 3, 4, and 6. Still tight in Ward 5, but there is something going on here. The room is now packed. A young excited crowd is filling the room.

8:53 pm - 29 polls reporting in Ward 5!

COUNCILLOR - WARD 5 29 / 44 Polls Reported
Candidate Name # of Votes % of Votes
Bryan Kent Anderson 11716 33.55%
Don Iveson 11563 33.11%
Mike Nickel 9238 26.46%
Brent Michalyk 2402 6.88%

Don is now in second to Anderson and Nickel is still trailing in Ward 5!

8:55 pm - Tight race between Chinwe Okelu, Chuck McKenna, and Amarjeet Sohi in Ward 6. Jane Batty, Ben Henderson, and Lewis Cardinal tight in Ward 4.

My good friend Anonymotron is talking on the phone with the wife next to me about Tony Caterina's strong placing in Ward 3.

Still close in Ward 5. The tension in the room is unbearable!

9:01pm - Campaign Manager Chris Henderson, Deputy CM Leanne Brown, and U of A SU VP External Steven Dollansky are closely watching the results. It's exciting, but still some more polls to come in. It's very hot in here.

I think Stephen Mandel might win.

Live-blogging is fun.

9:05 pm - It's been a really long time since the last poll update. The room is booming. I just got another beer. Campaign partiers are crowded around the three or four laptops in the room. thank god for wireless.

9:07pm - The sweat is pouring off the roof of the Underdog. If you're not busy tonight, come on down to the rocking Don Iveson party. Cautious optimism. Cautious optimism.

9:12 pm - New results - 41 out of 44 in Ward 5 - Bryan Anderson and Don Iveson in the lead. Nickel 1200 votes behind Iveson!

COUNCILLOR - WARD 5 41 / 44 Polls Reported
Candidate Name # of Votes % of Votes
Bryan Kent Anderson 16782 33.73%
Don Iveson 15821 31.80%
Mike Nickel 13773 27.68%
Brent Michalyk 3380 6.79%

The house is errupting. But still 3 polls left. It's almost done! Can three polls make a big enough of a difference? We shall see. Reporters are crowding in the room. My good friend Don Iveson is doing very well. It's up to those three last polls!!!

9:16 pm - I just spoke with a campaign volunteer from the Ben Hendsonson campaign in Ward 4, it's a dog fight in Ward 4. Still waiting for the last three polls in Ward 5!

9:17pm - Councillor Bryan Anderson just called to congradulate Don Iveson. We're moving to the Blackdog upstairs!

Liberal Leader Kevin Taft has joined the party! So has Tory candidate Raj Sherman!

9:23 pm - Where are those three polls!?!?!?

9:29 DON DON DON DON DON DONDONDONDONDON! It's DONE Ward 5 has demanded better than their Nickel's worth! Don Iveson is elected!

COUNCILLOR - WARD 5 44 / 44 Polls Reported
Candidate Name # of Votes % of Votes
Bryan Kent Anderson 17867 33.76%
Don Iveson 16848 31.84%
Mike Nickel 14597 27.58%
Brent Michalyk 3610 6.82%

Don Iveson has been elected. Brilliant. Congrats to all for their hard work.

I'm getting another beer.

live from don iveson hq.

Volunteers are pouring in and out of Don Iveson's campaign headquarters in Edmonton's Ward 5.

Phones are ringing off the hook. The website is buzzing. Campaign volunteers are working hard to get the vote out. With an episode of the West Wing playing in the background, the Edmonton Journal has released a new story about voter turnout in Ward 5:

The biggest voter turnout today has been in Ward 5, where two incumbent councillors, Bryan Anderson and Mike Nickel, are facing a challenge from 28-year-old Don Iveson and one other candidate. Ward 5, in southwest Edmonton, traditionally has a high voter turnout; its population tends to be higher income and better educated.

where to find the results.

Once the polls close at 8:00 p.m. tonight, updated results can be found at Elections Edmonton and CBC Edmonton.

And of course, I will be providing live commentary from the Don Iveson for Ward 5 Election Night Party at The Underdog.

vote today and vote for don iveson in ward 5!

Today is Election Day in Edmonton and it's important that you get out and vote!

See my previous post for more information on what you need to do in order to and where you need to go to vote!

Also, I encourage voters in Ward 5 to join me in supporting Don Iveson to become one of Ward 5's two City Councillors.

Don's ideas for Edmonton and Ward 5 will bring a much needed new perspective to Edmonton's City Council.

Don has run a substance-based campaign focused around the three principles of Efficiency, Environmental Responsibility, and Vibrant Communities - and more on his campaign website.

Don has also released a number of YouTube videos focusing on Smarter Urban Planning, Public Transit, Affordable Housing, and Community Consultation.

Edmonton's Jam Union has also released a great podcast interview with Don.

As mentioned previously, I will be live-blogging commentary and election results from the Don Iveson campaign party at the Underdog on Whyte Avenue after the polls close at 8:00 p.m.

UPDATE: I've voted!

get out and vote tomorrow!

Tomorrow is Edmonton's Municipal Election, so remember to get out and vote!

To vote, you must:
* be at least 18 years old,
* be a Canadian citizen,
* be a resident in Alberta for the six consecutive months immediately preceding election day (as of April 16, 2007)
* be a resident of Edmonton on election day,
* not have voted previously in this election

Voting stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

DON'T FORGET - all voters must present identification at the polls. The ID, such as an Alberta Driver's Licence, Alberta Health Care Card or a Canadian passport, must confirm your age and identity.

To find out where to vote, click here.

For more information on the election, click here.

To read profiles of the Mayoral and Ward elections, see below.

Edmonton Election 2007: Race Profiles
The Non-Race for Mayor
Ward 1
The Race in Ward 2
A Race in Ward 3
Something about Ward 4
Choice in Ward 5
Wrath of Ward 6

election night live-blogging.

Tomorrow is Election Day in Edmonton and I will be live-blogging tomorrow night after the polls close at 8:00 p.m. from the Don Iveson for Ward 5 campaign party at the Underdog on Whyte Avenue (on the extreme northern boundary of Ward 5).

Election results, blogging, and beer. A solid election night combination.

edmonton election 2007: my predictions.

In preparation for tomorrow's Edmonton Municipal Election, here are my predictions for the Mayor, City Council, and Edmonton Public School Board elections...

2007 Edmonton Municipal Election Predictions

Mayor

1. Stephen Mandel
2. Don Koziak
3. Dave Dowling

Ward 1

1. Karen Leibovici

2. Linda Sloan

3. Andrew Knack

Ward 2

1. Kim Krushell

2. Ron Hayter

3. Dave Loken

Ward 3

1. Ed Gibbons

2. Harvey Voogd

3. Tony Caterina

Ward 4

1. Ben Henderson

2. Lewis Cardinal

3. Jane Batty (within 1,000 votes)

Ward 5

1. Bryan Anderson

2. Don Iveson

3. Mike Nickel

Ward 6

1. Dave Theile

2. Amarjeet Sohi

3. Chinwe Okelu

Edmonton Public School Board

Ward A
1. Bev Esslinger

Ward B
1. Wendy Keiver
2. Ken Shipka

Ward C
1. Sue Huff
2. Don Williams

Ward D

1. Dave Colburn

2. Amanda Beisiegel

Ward E
1. Ken Gibson
2. Neil MacDonald

Ward F
1. Don Fleming
2. Susan O'Neil

Ward H
1. Catherine Ripley
2. Neil Robblee

Ward I

1. Gerry Gibeault

2. Judith Axelson

a day with don iveson in ward 5.

On Thursday, October 11, I joined Ward 5 City Council candidate Don Iveson and volunteers for an afternoon and evening of campaigning. Here's my story of the day:

12:30 p.m. Don Iveson and his Deputy Campaign Manager Leanne Brown pop by my house to pick me up.

12:45 p.m. We start doorknocking in the Belgravia neighbourhood. As a first time candidate, I was surprised at the amount of positive support Don got at the doors. The big issues I heard of at the doors with Don were transportation, and the sorry state of our roads and planning in Edmonton.

It also wasn't uncommon to hear complaints about the demon dialing ways of another Ward 5 candidate.

We also got eight lawn sign requests in less than an hour in Belgravia. Go team!

1:50 p.m. Don, Leanne, and I head off to the Queen Alexandra Seniors Lodge in the Queen Alexandra neighbourhood.

Don spoke to a group of about 40 seniors and covered a wide range of issues. Following Don's introductions, the residents had a chance to ask Don questions about his platform and what his stances as a City Councillor for Ward 5 would be.

Questions ranged from snow removal, the labour shortage, the difficulty of keeping up with Alberta's and Edmonton's growth, roads and potholes, sidewalk maintenance, and the state of infrastructure in Edmonton's mature neighbourhoods (such as Queen Alexandra).

Don's was also able to cover issues spanning from smarter planning, public transit, road maintenance, education, and fair taxation.

As we were leaving the Seniors Lodge, one of the residents leaned over to Don, thanked him for speaking to the residents, and told Don that he "had learned more about Edmonton in the one hour talking with Don than he had in the past 10 years." Touching and powerful.

3:10 p.m. Leave the Queen Alexandra Seniors Lodge and hard off towards Riverbend!

3:30 p.m. - We stop to have a quick lunch at the Fresh Start Cafe in Riverbend neighbourhood. I had a great roast beef sandwich with a tomato soup (not really relavent to this story, but good none the less).

While at Fresh Start, we meet up with Dr. Rob Agostinis, President of the Terwilliger-Riverbend Advisory Council, who joins us for some doorknocking in Riverbend.

3:45 p.m. After a quick lunch, Don, Leanne, Dr. Agostinis, and I head off to Riverbend to do some doorknocking!

Some big issues at the doors in Riverbend include transportation, I hear something at the doors that sticks in my head:

"there is a great willingness to take public transit, if service was improved and made more convenient for the residents in Riverbend."

I also canvass a surprising amount of families who will be voting for Don Iveson and Mike Nickel. An interesting mix. There seems to be quite a bit of hostility towards Ward Five's other City Councillor, Bryan Anderson, in this neighbourhood.

I also sense some strong support for Edmonton Public School Board candidate Catherine Ripley in this area.

7:10 p.m. Now that the sun has set, I join Don and his team as we depart Riverbend, pick up another volunteer, and head to downtown Edmonton to listen to an urban development lecture at the Citadel Theatre. The lecture was part of the Edmonton 2007 Cultural Capital of Canada program delivered by Dr. Roberta Brandes-Gratz.

Dr. Brandes-Gratz is an award-winning journalist and urban critic, lecturer and author of The Living City: Thinking Small in a Big Way, and Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown. She is an international lecturer on urban development issues and former reporter for the New York Post.

It was a very interesting lecture (and really makes me wish I studied Urban Planning, rather than Political Science). Dr. Brandes-Gratz had some great quotes, here are some I remember:

"Urbanism cannout exist with out the layers of history."

"Density is not a problem, overcrowding is."

"Urbanism does not exist with out denisity, density breeds diversity, diversity defines a city."

"Lively diverse cities contain the seeds of their own rejuvination."

As much of Don's campaign has centered around vibrant communities and efficiency, this lecture was particularly fitting.

While filing out after the talk, we bumped into former City Councillor Gene Dub who wished Don good luck in the final days of his campaign (Dub has also endorsed Don).

9:00 p.m. After Dr. Brandes-Gratz's lecture, we joined fellow audience members and delegates of a national urban planning conference at a reception hosted by the Edmonton Arts Council

While at the reception (and enjoying the complementary wine and brilliant goat cheese), we were joined by retiring Ward 3 City Councillor Janice Melnychuk. Though the conversation began as a review of the talk, it soon turned to discussion about the final days of campaign.

9:45 p.m. Leaving the Citadel Theatre reception, I continue to tag along with Don and team as we head back to headquarters (not headquaters) in the Malmo Plains neighbourhood, but not before we pick up some pizza, and drive through Belgravia to put up some of those lawn signs that were requested earlier that day.

10:30 p.m. We arrive back at the campaign headquarters after a long and hard day of campaigning. We open up and the pizza and start the daily debrief and small talk.

It was a good day, but with only a hand full of days left in the 2007 Edmonton Municipal campaign, the final push over the weekend is what will make the difference on Monday, October 15, 2007.

edmonton election 2007: choice in ward 5.

In what should have been an easy re-election of two incumbents, the 2007 election in Ward 5 has ended up as a three-way race.

The main challenger to the two incumbents is Don Iveson (who I am proud to call a friend).

Running on the message of Smart Sustainable Growth for Ward 5, Don Iveson is easily the strongest and most energetic candidate running in in this Ward. As the underdog of the race, Don Iveson's team has relied on volunteer power rather than the expensive American-style demon dialing of one of the incumbents.

With a solid platform centered around the principles of efficiency, environmental responsibility, and vibrant communities, the residents of Ward 5 and the City of Edmonton would be well-served by the fresh voice and ideas that Don Iveson would bring to the next City Council.

Since the beginning of the campaign, Don Iveson has gained the support of some of Edmonton's strongest advocates including retiring City Councillors Michael Phair and Janice Melnychuk, former MLA Don Massey, Edmonton-Strathcona MLA Raj Pannu, and former City Councillors Larry Langley and Gene Dub.

Incumbent Councillor Bryan Anderson, whom I consider an "inoffensive" candidate has served on City Council since 1995 and though he has been a lower profile Councillor, has been a strong constituency worker. Much like Dave Theile in Ward 6, Anderson should beware of voters starting to think that he's been around for too long.

Incumbent Mike Nickel (aka Mr. Demon Dialer), who was first elected in 2004 after failing to be elected Mayor in 1998 and 2001, is widely believed to be running re-election in order to set himself up for a 2010 Mayoral campaign. Part of Nickel '10 includes the Nickel campaign's fronting of pro-Nickel candidates in other Wards (Tony Caterina in Ward 3, Debbie Yeung in Ward 4, and Chuck McKenna in Ward 6).

Nickel, who, along with Mayoral candidate Bill Whatcott, is a fan of Ted Morton, proudly supported Morton in the 2006 Tory leadership selection over local-boy and moderate conservative, Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Dave Hancock.

Though Nickel has a reputation as an opponent towards any City involvement that does not include bare bones core services (such as his strident opposition to the Universal Bus Pass for University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan College students) he should be respected for standing firm and actually believing in his Ronald Reaganesq-vaules. That said, it's 2007 and the Reagan-era ended in 1988.

With serious transportation and urban sprawl issues facing Ward 5 now and in the immediate future, it's important that Edmontonians in Ward 5 look carefully at these candidates and support the candidates who will fight for smart growth in Ward 5.

2007 Candidates
Bryan Anderson
Don Iveson
Mike Nickel
Brent Michalyk

2004 Election Results
Bryan Anderson - 19,650
Mike Nickel - 16,803
Donna Finucane - 15,123
Al Slemko - 6,576
Ian Crawford - 5,307
Jung-Suk Ryu - 3,817
Katie Oppen - 2,029
Adil Pirbhai - 533

Facebook Race
Don Iveson for Ward 5 City Councillor - 366 members

edmonton election 2007: the wrath of ward 6.

Edmonton's Ward 6 covers the entire southeast section (Mill Woods) of Edmonton and includes some of the most ethnically diverse areas of the City. Not shying away from its reputation for delivering raucous election campaigns, Ward 6 presents an interesting race for 2007.

With the overdue retirement of long-time Councillor Terry Cavanagh (who was appointed and defeated as Mayor two-times since first being elected to Council in 1971), there are no shortage of candidates lining up for the challenge of representing Ward 6.

Incumbent Dave Theile, who was first elected in 1998, is seeking re-election. Though I like Theile's easy-going style, he may be reaching the point of getting too comfortable in his City Council chair. Hopefully he won't fall victim to the 'big chair syndrome' if he is re-elected on Monday.

Two of the main challengers lined up are Chinwe Okelu and Amarjeet Sohi, and both are in a dog fight with each other after mounting very strong campaigns (and both aren't shying away from their partisan connections to help them over the top - Okelu as a Liberal and Sohi as a New Democrat).

Okelu, who has run in Ward 6 in 1998, 2001, and 2004, placed a very strong third in 2004 against Cavanagh. This is Sohi's second run at Ward 6, having placed a strong fourth in 2004.

I've met both candidates a number of times and though both would be effective advocates for Ward 6, I've been particularly impressed with Amarjeet Sohi's work with Public Interest Alberta.

With both of the main challengers holding decent name recognition, boasting strong teams and platforms, and campaigning hard I wouldn't be surprised if either of them won (or if both of them won).

The 'other interesting candidates' category includes Lori Jeffery Heaney who is a former Councillor from the Summer Village of Val Quentin and right-wing 'Mike Nickel' candidate Chuck McKenna.

2007 Candidates
Lori Jeffery-Heaney
Chuck McKenna
Chinwe Okelu
Amarjeet Sohi
Dave Thiele*
Tomas Dennis Vasquez

2004 Election Results
Dave Thiele - 16,128
Terry Cavanagh - 14,725
Chinwe Okelu - 12,877
Amarjeet Sohi - 8,077
Barbara Ann Thompson - 6,339
Terry McKinnon - 2,908
Sean Diakiw - 1,013

Facebook Count
Friends of Chinwe Okelu - 19 members
Elect Amarjeet Sohi for Ward 6 Councillor - 80 members

more edmonton municipal election posts!

Coming soon: Race profiles of Ward 5, Ward 6, the Edmonton Catholic School District and Edmonton Public School Boards, as well as my predictions for Monday October 15, 2007.

give me a p-a-t-r-o-n-a-g-e!

For those who doubted the existence of the culture of entitlement and partisan patronage present under Alberta's 36-year Tory regime, I present Case #9731.

Edmonton... Edmonton lawyer and community volunteer Douglas Goss has been designated chair of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)’s Board of Governors.

It just so happens that Doug Goss is also the co-chair of the Stelmach Tories' election campaign.

For more information on Tory political patronage in Alberta, click here, here, and here.

out-of-the-box development.

I have a new post up on CBC's Edmonton Votes 2007 in which I discuss Transit-Oriented Development - one alternative to the current reckless urban sprawl-type development we are witnessing.

it's about a plan.

I have a new post up on CBC's Edmonton Votes 2007 on some ideas about how Edmonton can be savvier in the way we let our city grow while avoiding the mistakes that other cities have made in not managing their growth and development properly.

Enjoy.

edmonton election 2007: something about ward 4.

It must be something in the water that attracts the flood of candidates that Ward 4 perennially does.

There are 15 candidates running in this Ward with one vacant seat left by retiring Councillor Michael Phair. I don’t blame Phair for retiring after 13 years on City Council, but his retirement has cost Edmonton its easily most effective and progressive member of City Council.

That said, there are some pretty good candidates running to replace Phair.

Ben Henderson (who I am supporting and voted for when I lived in Ward 4 in 2004) is the front-runner to take Phair’s seat. Henderson placed a unusually strong third place in 2004 – nearly defeating Councillor Jane Batty (who is seeking re-election).

Ben Henderson has a strong team (including his wife – Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman) and has been campaigning hard since April. Henderson is a strong candidate with strong ties to Edmonton’s Community Leagues and Arts Community.

Another candidate who I’ve been fairly impressed with is Lewis Cardinal. Cardinal, a consultant and aboriginal social activist, has laid out a good platform and would be a strong and effective voice on City Council.

A Ben Henderson and Lewis Cardinal Ward tag-team could be the most effective Edmonton has seen in years.

The only other two candidates who I would classify as ‘serious’ are Jane Batty and Debbie Yeung. Batty, who was first elected in 2001, is what I like to consider an ‘inoffensive candidate,’ I don’t have much against Batty but she hasn’t been the strong advocate that one would expect would come out of an eclectic district like Ward 4.

Third-time candidate Debbie Yeung has stunned Edmontonians with her campaign team's superior website designing skills, but her platform hasn’t really diverged from the typical right-wing pablum that usually comes out of candidates aligned with the likes of Mike Nickel (which she is).

Other entertaining candidates include former Ward 6 City Councillor Sheila McKay (who claims she invented the LRT), Reverend Brian Patterson (who thinks prayer would solve fire response problems), Adil Pirbhai (a perennial candidate), Margaret Saunter (of Christian Heritage Party of Canada fame), and Brian Wissink (who clearly has no idea what he’s getting himself into).

2007 Candidates
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

2004 Election Results
Michael Phair - 23,219
Jane Batty - 14,352
Ben Henderson - 12,475
Debbie Yeung - 10,500
Thomas Roberts - 1,945
Dale Ferris - 1,702
Paul Welke - 1,417

Facebook Count
Elect Ben Henderson - Ward 4 - 40 members
Lewis Cardinal for Ward Four - 382 members
Rev. Brian Patterson for Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 4 - 17 members
Vote Brent Thompson for Alderman (Ward 4) - 138 members
Change for Ward 4 (Brian Wissink) - 8 members

mayoral forum.

The Vote Project will be hosting a Mayoral Forum tomorrow night (October 10) at Red Star (10534 Jasper Avenue NW) starting at 7:30 p.m.

It's your chance to hear what the Mayoral candidates have to say!

building a big tent in ward 5.

Don Iveson has received another round of endorsements in his campaign to represent Ward 5 on Edmonton City Council.

Recent endorsements include:
- Larry Langley (Ward 5 Councillor, 1995-2004)
- Janice Melnychuk (Ward 3 Councillor 2001-2007)
- Dr. Gary McPherson (Former PC leadership candidate)
- Gene Dub (Architect, Ward 2 Councillor 1977-1980)

Earlier endorsements included:
- Michael Phair (Ward 4 Councillor, 1992-2007)
- Dr. Don Massey (Alberta Liberal MLA Edmonton-Mill Woods, 1993-2004)
- Dr. Raj Pannu (New Democrat MLA Edmonton-Strathcona, 1997-present)
- Ellen Shoeck (Author of I was there, an alumni history of the University of Alberta)
- Alex Khan (President, Malmo Plains Community League)
- Dr. Don Carmichael (University of Alberta Political Science Professor)

edmonton election 2007: a race in ward 3.

With the retirement of two-term Councillor Janice Melnychuk, the open seat in Ward 3 has captured the imagination of a couple interesting candidates (though not the floodgate of 15 candidates vying for the vacant seat in Ward 4).

Contenders for Ward 3 include social activist and Friends of Medicare head Harvey Voogd and businessperson Tony Caterina. You might remember both of them from previous races such as Voodg’s 2001 adventure with the New Democrats in Edmonton-Norwood and as a candidates for the short-lived elected Capital Health Board. Tony Caterina's previous adventures include time as Ward 3's third place candidate in 2004 and the Alberta Alliance in provincial constituency of Edmonton-Centre in the same year. I'm sure both Voogd and Caterina are hoping that the 'third time's a charm.'

It should be a close fight between Voogd and Caterina for the vacant seat, but with Voogd as the natural candidate for the northeast’s Liberal and New Democrat voters, I’m predicting Voogd has the edge over Caterina.

Incumbent Councillor Ed Gibbons will most likely be safely re-elected. Even though Ed Gibbons hasn’t been the most effective voice on City Council, his long-time involvement in Ward 3 has bolstered his name recognition in Edmonton’s northeast. Gibbons is the former President of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues and served one-term as the Liberal MLA for Edmonton-Manning from 1997 to 2001.

Ward 3 has elected a number of luminaries in the past, including former Mayoral candidate Robert Noce, current leader of the New Democrats Brian Mason, and former Edmonton-East Federal Liberal MP Judy Bethel.

2007 Candidates
Kyle Balombin
Tony Caterina
Ed Gibbons*
Shiu Wing Mak
Chris Martin
Chris Roehrs
Thomas James Tomilson
Harvey Voogd

2004 Election Results
Janice Melnychuk - 21,020
Ed Gibbons - 17,524
Tony Caterina - 9,416
Joan Duiker - 5,978
Kyle Balombin - 3,334

Facebook Count
Tony Caterina for Ward 3 - 48 members
Chris Martin for Edmonton City Council - Ward 3 - 118 members

reveal yourselves, getitrightalberta.ca.

The getitrightalberta.ca scandal has received no shortage of attention in the blogosphere - you can find some good posts on this astroturf here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The astroturfing has also spread to the emerging facebook world.

Luckily, online civil society is alive and well as another group is set up calling on the Government to 'Do what's right for Alberta.'

But, the question still remains: who is behind Hill & Knowlton's getitrightalberta.ca?

The debate over Alberta's natural resource royalties is too important to include anonymous stakeholders. Reveal yourselves!

edmonton election 2007: the race for ward 2.

There is a pretty straightforward race in northwest Edmonton’s Ward 2.

Ron “ten-terms isn’t enough” Hayter is seeking his eleventh-term on Council. This is unfortunate, because Edmontonians would do well to rid themselves of the dead weight of having Hayter in the Council Chambers (I’m sure he was an effective City Councillor when he was first elected in 1971).

Hayter’s ward-mate, Kim Krushell, shouldn’t have much of a problem getting a second-term representing Ward 2. First elected in 2004, Krushell was EA to former Ward 5 Councillor Larry Langley before running in Ward 2. Though I have some reservations about Krushell’s cutthroat networking style, she has been a fairly effective advocate on City Council (her spearheading of the Universal Bus Pass for University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan College students on City Council was a particularly bright spot).

Both Hayter and Krushell are facing some interesting challengers though. Dave Loken and Jabin Caouette, who both ran in 2004, have come off as more tight and together with their ideas and presentation than they did three years ago. Unfortunately for first-time challenger Shelley Tupper, crying during her speech at the first Ward 2 forum has set an unfortunate tone for her chances on October 15.

Dave Loken will have a good chance in 2010 if and when either a) Hayter FINALLY retires for good in 2010 (don’t bet on it), or b) Krushell take a run for the Mayor’s chair in 2010.

2007 Candidates
Jabin Caouette
Ron Hayter*
Kerry Hutton
Kim Krushell*
Dave Loken
Shelley Tupper

2004 election results
Ron Hayter - 18,386
Kim Krushell - 12,966
Dave Loken - 7,512
Don Koziak - 7,289
Tim Hajar - 4,542
Mimi Williams - 3,978
Kerry Hutton - 1,820
Larry Thomson - 1,629
Jabin Caouette - 1,526

Facebook Count
Re-Elect Kim Krushell: 56 members

edmonton mayoral election poll.

Here are the results from the recent daveberta election poll. Not surprisingly, Stephen Mandel crushed.

Dustin Becker - 1 (1%)
Dave Dowling - 4 (5%)
Khaled Kheireddine - 0 (0%)
Don Koziak - 18 (22%)
George Lam - 1 (1%)
Peter T. Lefaivre - 1 (1%)
Robert Ligertwood - 1 (1%)
Stephen Mandel - 46 (57%)
Bill Whatcott - 8 (10%)

Votes so far: 80
Poll closed

A new poll is now up asking readers their thoughts on the 'Our Fair Share' royalty review report and Alberta's natural resource royalty rates...

ron stevens' hawaiian vacation.

What a week in Alberta politics. First, the damning Alberta Royalty Review Report and Auditor General's Report slammed Ed Stelmach's Tory Government for failing to collect BILLIONS of dollars in resource revenues owed to Albertans over the past 15 years. Then only days later, Ed Stelmach was refusing to fire his Cabinet Ministers responsible for the Department of Energy royalty scandal.

Now, it appears that the Stelmach Tories are being hit with new emerging scandals to deal with.

CBC has discovered that Stelmach's Calgary Lieutenant, Deputy Premier and Calgary-Glenmore Tory MLA Ron Stevens, used his government credit card to make a three-day 'pit stop' in Hawaii on a 2003 winter trip to Australia for government business.

Credit card statements obtained under Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act show meals and drinks for Stevens, his wife and four others during their Honolulu stay were paid for with government cards.

Stevens defended the spending as saving Albertans money by taking a three-day tax-payer funded Hawaiian vacation.

Earlier this week Auditor General Fred Dunn revealed that former Tory Minister and leadership candidate Mark Norris and his assistant Sasha Angus used government credit cards to rack up nearly $50,000 in personal expenses with little record keeping (including for a bachelor party in Las Vegas). So, I think Albertans can be forgiven if it's a little hard to take Stevens' 'word for it.'

ed stelmach does bobby mcferrin.

What happens to politicians who become running jokes?

what does it take to get fired around here?

Ed Stelmach is refusing to take action against current-Energy Minister Mel Knight and former-Energy Minister Greg Melchin after the Department of Energy was singled out by Auditor General Fred Dunn for failing to collect BILLIONS of dollars in resource revenues owed to Albertans over the past 15 years.

After noting that he recieved the 'run-around' from officials within the Ministry of Energy, Dunn slammed the Stelmach Tories management of Alberta's resource royalties:

The principals of transparency and accountability, I believe, were not followed. I'm not impressed."

"The department should demonstrate its stewardship of Alberta's royalty regime and provide analysis to support that stewardship and this was not done."

"The department's monitoring and technical review findings were communicated to decision-makers. The question is: Did they hear or were they listening? At the end of the day, I don't know, but they chose not to act."

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft is calling for Stelmach to fire Mel Knight and Greg Melchin.

"The public record clearly shows Albertans have been lied to," Taft said. "The auditor general tells the truth about the government's record of handling Albertans' resources; government ministers, on the other hand, have been misleading the legislature and the public."

Stelmach responded by saying that he's "not interested in a witch hunt."

It's clear that Stelmach is protecting his long-time Tory friends. Mel Knight supported Ed Stelmach's campaign during the 2006 Alberta PC Leadership Selection and Stelmach, Knight, and Greg Melchin were all full-members of Ralph Klein's cabinet at the same time that the Tories failed to collect the BILLIONS of dollars in resource royalties owed to Albertans.

With the damning results of the Auditor General's report coupled with Knight's defence of the AEUB's using public funds to hire private investagators to spy on ordinary Albertans, one really has to wonder, what does it take to get fired in Ed Stelmach's Tory Government?

who's behind 'getitrightalberta.ca?'

Over the past week, a new website has popped up - getitrightalberta.ca - calling for Alberta's Tory Government to keep the resource royalty structure the way it is - even after the damning Alberta Royalty Review Report and Auditor General's Report slammed Ed Stelmach's Tory Government for failing to collect BILLIONS of dollars in resource revenues owed to Albertans over the past 15 years.

The big question is, who is behind this website?

A bit of investigating will reveal that the website has been set up by the consulting firm Hill & Knowlton and a quick check at CIRA will reveal that the website registration is listed as:

Registrant Name Hill & Knowlton
Registrar Webnames.ca (UBC Research Enterprises Inc.)
Renewal Date 2008/09/25
Date approved 2007/09/25
Last changed 2007/09/28
Description
Registrar Number 70
Registrant Number 2010422
Domain Number 2010422
DNS1 ns1.maximumasp.com 216.128.31.5
DNS2 ns2.maximumasp.com 216.128.31.6

Administrative Contact
Name Lisa Litz
Job Title
Postal Address Suite 540, 202 - 6th Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P2R9 Canada
Phone 1-403-5146236
Fax
Email lisa.litz@hillandknowlton.ca

Technical Contact
Name Lisa Litz
Job Title
Postal Address Suite 540, 202 - 6th Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P2R9 Canada
Phone 1-403-5146236
Fax
Email lisa.litz@hillandknowlton.ca

Now, far be it from me to assume that a slick large national consulting firm like Hill & Knowlton wouldn't set up a website like this out of the kindness of their hearts, but I'm going to do just that - assume that Hill & Knowlton isn't doing this out of the kindness of their hearts.

So, the question remains: who is behind 'getitrightalberta.ca?'

Interestingly, Hill & Knowlton's Calgary office is led by none-other than Mr. Ken Boessenkool, a member of the infamous firewall six and former adviser to Stockwell Day and Stephen Harper.

So, the still question remains, who is really behind 'getitrightalberta.ca?'

The debate about Alberta's resource royalties is too important to Alberta's future to include 'hidden stakeholders.'

Who is paying Hill & Knowlton to run this site?

Albertans should email Mr. Ken Boessenkool and ask him straight out.

Albertans are owed an explanation.

alberta's sheila fraser moment.

Alberta's Auditor General Fred Dunn released his annual report today, and it is scathing...

- Royalty Tracking System gets a failing grade
- High living expenses, staff bonuses criticized
- Provincial Government Credit Cards Misused
- Tory gifts questioned by auditor
- Alta giving up billions in oil cash to inaction, incompetence: auditor general
- Alberta government hid royalty-hike advice
- Minister's aide used gov't credit card for $30,000 personal expenses: audit
- Poor Planning has caused $6.1 Billion provincial maintenance backlog
- 'Leadership' was needed

While noting that he recieved the 'run around' from officials within Ed Stelmach's Tory Government while conducting the audit, here are some quotes from Fred Dunn:

On the Department of Energy: "

The principals of transparency and accountability, I believe, were not followed. I'm not impressed."

"The department should demonstrate its stewardship of Alberta's royalty regime and provide analysis to support that stewardship and this was not done."

"The department's monitoring and technical review findings were communicated to decision-makers. The question is: Did they hear or were they listening? At the end of the day, I don't know, but they chose not to act.

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft responded to the Auditor General's report:

“The Auditor General’s report shows a government that is deliberately misleading Albertans and that has been deceitful about its royalty collection. The people of Alberta should be furious with what the Auditor General uncovered today and should run this government out of office. I think it is time Ed Stelmach should do the courageous thing: bring this scandal ridden government to an end and call an election."

edmonton election 2007: ward 1.

With four candidates, including two incumbents, running in the October 15 election, the 2007 Ward 1 race is a little quieter than the 2004 race.

In 2004, a vacant seat left by Mayoral candidate Stephen Mandel was hotly contested between former Liberal MLA Linda Sloan (MLA for Edmonton-Riverview from 1997 to 2001) and Karen Lynch (who is now rumoured to be running for the Tory nomination in Edmonton-Calder). Sloan ended up besting Lynch by just over 1,000 votes.

Sloan joined fellow former Liberal MLA Karen Leibovici in representing Ward 1. Leibovici was first elected in a landslide in 2001 after being defeated in the 2001 provincial election. Leibovici served as the MLA for Edmonton-Meadowlark from 1993 to 2001.

In my opinion, both Sloan and Leibovici have done a decent job in representing Ward 1 and have solid records on Council.

My one issue with Councillor Leibovici was her bizarre attempt in Fall 2006 to derail the Universal Bus Pass (U-Pass) project. Leibovici joined right-wing Ward 5 Councillor Mike Nickel in attempting to remove the U-Pass project funds from the City of Edmonton Budget.

She justified her support of the Nickel motion because she was already paying for her son's tuition, his car, and his parking. I'm sure if all of the +60,000 students who are benefiting from the U-Pass lived in Ward 1, Mr. Leibovici would have some explaining to do.

The Nickel/Leibovici motion was defeated in a solid 11-2 vote.

Challengers Andrew Knack and Betty Kennedy have uphill battles against them if they are to unseat these two well-known and politically savvy incumbents. Knack has some interesting ideas and I encourage you to check them out.

2007 Candidates
Betty Kennedy
Andrew Knack
Karen Leibovici*
Linda Sloan*

Facebook Count
Elect Betty Kennedy for Ward 1 City Council - 84 members
Andrew Knack for Edmonton City Council Ward 1 - 202 members
Re-Elect Karen Leibovici for Ward 1 - 84 members

2004 Election Results
Karen Leibovici - 23,793
Linda Sloan - 12,353
Karen Lynch - 10,909
Charlene Davis - 6,888
Terry Demers - 3,306
Joe Hudson - 3,046
Samir Ghossein - 1,534
Rory Koopmans - 1,332
Trent Soholt - 1,149

You can listen to Ward 1 candidate comments from public forums here.

time to talk amalgamation?

I have another post up on the CBC Edmonton Votes 2007 blog this morning.

Also on the CBC site, you can listen to audio clips of your council candidates from local forums.