May 13 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — MLA Todd Loewen’s demand that Premier Jason Kenney resign was serious business. But it quickly descended into farce, as the full UCP caucus agonized toward his inevitable expulsion at 7:40 p.m. Thursday. The virtual caucus meeting where UCP MLAs voted on Loewen’s fate was at times chaotic, and possibly the leakiest private meeting in Alberta […]
May 11 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — More evidence that Alberta’s political culture is descending into bitter craziness now emerges almost daily. The justice minister of this province, Kaycee Madu, says the NDP, the media and Ottawa want a health-care crisis with people gasping and dying in ICUs, to further political ends.
May 3 2021 — Don Braid — Edmonton Journal — There are many things a government with a severe crisis on its hands probably shouldn’t do. Leaving town is one of them. In a Sunday move with no compelling logic behind it, the UCP unilaterally suspended two weeks of the legislature session, arguing that there’s a health risk.
Apr 22 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — An explosive letter demanding Premier Jason Kenney’s immediate resignation is circulating among UCP riding boards. It has so far gained about 90 signatures of board members and presidents from a variety of ridings, party sources say.
Apr 9 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — Publicly, Premier Jason Kenney let his 17 dissident UCP caucus members off the hook Thursday. In private, it was a different story. During a three-hour caucus meeting, Kenney is said by sources to have threatened to call a snap election.
Apr 8 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — It’s out in the open — a full-blown revolt against Premier Jason Kenney’s COVID-19 policy by 16 UCP caucus members. This is very serious business for Kenney; a crack that could become a chasm at the heart of government, just as the virus itself is again spreading quickly.
Mar 26 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — It’s a long and learned drop from the lofty debates of the Supreme Court to the average Albertan’s wallet. But here’s the practical thing: Thursday’s ruling that climate change is a matter of “national concern,” and thus gives wide powers on carbon pricing to Ottawa, is not going to cost you much, if anything.
Feb 26 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — There must be days when Alberta Premier Jason Kenney wonders how he ended up running the wrong government. The United Conservative Party in its own dreams would spend small, borrow no money, and allow people to go about their lives with little thought to an overarching government.
Jan 21 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — The inauguration of President Joe Biden was wonderful; the banishing of Donald Trump even better. But Biden’s ascension also comes with a severe blow to Alberta’s economy — the presidential cancellation of Keystone XL’s permit.
Jan 15 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — An MLA named Pat Rehn is now ejected from the UCP fold, a deserving sacrifice to Premier Jason Kenney’s new clampdown on caucus discipline. Kenney was surely looking for somebody to symbolically sack following the travel scandal that showed, as Kenney himself admits, a very lax caucus attitude toward the government’s reputation.
Jan 5 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — In the UCP government, they’re calling it “Bloody Monday,” the demotion of a top official and six prominent MLAs, including a rising full minister, for wayward travels during the holiday period. Premier Jason Kenney hopes to erase the stain promptly and decisively. But everybody with a pet knows about stains. The episode will be a […]
Jan 4 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — A hurricane of rage is hammering the UCP government and Premier Jason Kenney for the thoughtless, careless, arrogant travel to holiday places by his minions, and the refusal to fire or discipline any one of them. Never did a government more richly deserve every gust of fury.
Jan 2 2021 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — The first day of the year might have been the worst day of Jason Kenney’s career. The premier severely damaged trust in COVID-19 restrictions after some of his key government people showed they don’t have a scrap of common sense or respect for what Albertans are going through.
Nov 24 2020 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — Enough waiting around on the beach for the tsunami to hit. Action is essential now or this pandemic will swamp Alberta to U.S. levels. Premier Jason Kenney’s cabinet committee met Monday afternoon and evening to debate recommendations from Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health. Kenney and the doctor will likely announce new […]
Nov 3 2020 — Don Braid — Calgary Herald — The separatism issue flared into the legislature Monday, with plenty of heat behind it. The NDP urged the legislature to “affirm that it is unquestionably in Alberta’s interest to remain part of the Canadian federation and unequivocally denounce calls for Alberta to become a state that is independent of a strong and united Canada.”