How did we get into this mess? How did Alberta — in the midst of a pandemic — end up with a war between the provincial government and physicians? And how did the two sides get so far apart they practically need binoculars to see each other? The government says the main issue is money; the doctors say it’s respect.

Premier Jason Kenney doesn’t talk a lot about former-premier Ed Stelmach, probably because Stelmach wasn’t a particularly successful premier. Stelmach tried to raise royalties on energy companies, tried to erase the infrastructure deficit created by Ralph Klein, and tried to take human-induced climate change seriously.  However, Kenney did mention Stelmach on July 10 when holding a news conference to announce…

Since being elected last year, the government of Premier Jason Kenney has introduced legislation to undermine the power of labour unions, remove environmental protection on sand-extraction pits, and set up a Crown corporation to attract investment to Alberta. Come to think of it, that was just Tuesday this week.

Depending on who you ask, this week’s recovery plan for Alberta’s economy is either a bold and ambitious plan or a hackneyed and desperate gamble. As far as Premier Jason Kenney is concerned, he is investing in infrastructure, introducing “job creation” tax cuts, establishing a new investment agency, and targeting incentives to create jobs. But, to his critics, he’s gambling…

What’s the plural form of referendum? Is it referendums or referenda? It doesn’t really matter. Using either doesn’t change the fact that a referendum is, politically speaking, an optical illusion. It gives the appearance of direct democracy at its purest. After all, everybody gets one vote.