Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Redmonton. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Redmonton. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Mr Harper Forgets Redmonton

The Conservatives think they have Alberta sewn up. I guess they forgot about Redmonton.

As the Edmonton Journal editorial on the new Harper Cabinet points out.


A more conventional leader might have worried that Edmontonians, who used to boast the country's deputy prime minister, might feel they are being taken for granted -- surely an odd thing for a minority government to do to a city with small margins of victory for Conservative MPs, and a past record of electing Liberals and even New Democrats.

But this possibility doesn't seem to have occurred to Harper, who has barely set foot in Edmonton since his election, and who obviously feels all Albertans will be equally thrilled to have a third Calgarian, and a fourth MP from Southern Alberta, articulating the aspirations of their province in Ottawa.

Will Edmontonians feel that Kenney, a social conservative from Calgary, is as good an extra voice for them in Ottawa as one of the talented alternatives in the city or elsewhere north of Highway 1?


This is the second time Redmonton has been passed over for any cabinet posts.

And speaking of
potential cabinet choices has anyone seen Rahim Jaffer anywhere? Nope missing in action, something we all know about in Edmonton Strathcona.

Once a prominant critic in opposition he is now just another pretty face on the arm of newly minted Parliamentary Secretary
Helena Guergis. Having been the token Muslim in the Conservatives even that is now a passing claim to fame.

And Laurie Hawn, who fought so hard (twice) to replace the Liberal Deputy PM
Anne McLellan, is still cooling his jets in the backbenches when he could have replaced the geriatric mouthpiece for the military industrial establishment as Minister of Defense.

And what of long suffering and long bearded backbencher Peter Goldring, who could have been made a Secretary of State for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Yep lots of possibilities there but none to be had.

Unless you accept Rona Ambrose as being from Edmonton since she lives in Old Strathcona, but of course she represents Spruce Grove which Edmonton has not yet annexed.

Redmonton is not in the bag for the Tories.

Linda Duncan
is running against Jaffer for a second time after her excellent showing last election.

Nicole Martel may run against Goldring again, she too did well last election.

And what of Anne McLellan, might she decide to try and make it another landslide?

Given the Tories dismissal of womens issues, the environment, social justice, and its attacks on the Wheat Board the election should any of these three candidates run and win it would be sweet revenge for Redmonton and a lesson for Harper.



See:

Cabinet



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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Arts Vote Cost Jaffer His Job

Alberta and Quebec have long been allies in their opposition to the powers of Ottawa. This past election that commonality was shown in the reaction to Harpers Arts and Culture cuts. While pundits focused on Quebec's reaction they overlooked its impact in Alberta. In particular in Festival City; Redmonton.

The defeat of Edmonton Strathcona MP Rahim Jaffer was a direct result of Harpers attack on Arts and Cultural workers. After all Redmonton has a booming arts and culture community, we have the Winspear and the Citadel, the Jubilee, we have arts groups and theatre groups, a major Symphony, Jazz City, the Fringe Festival, an International Childrens Arts Festival, a Buskers Ball, the Edmonton Folk Festival and an International Street Preformers festival, etc, etc.

Edmonton Strathcona itself is one of the cities Arts hub. Known to all as Old Strathcona with its infamous Whyte Avenue at its core, it is the centre of the Theatre community hosting the second largest Fringe Festival in the world. Not only do Edmontonians produce and preform the plays, they are mass of volunteers needed to run the Fringe and the mass of visitors to the Fringe.

Did Harper miss this fact? You bet. When the uproar over his political purging of arts funding mobilized the Arts and Cultural community, it was a nation wide response. Of course the greatest coverage was its impact in Quebec where polls showed Harper's policy led to loss of support for the Conservatives.

But overlooked was its impact here in Redmonton. Harper backpedaled and announced that he had increased Heritage Canada funding, but that of course is tied to politically correct Conservative values, then he annouced increased funding for arts and culture for wait for it....children to take piano and dance lessons. He overlooked the fact that dance classes were already eligable for his childrens athletics tax credit that the government introduced last election. And how does funding piano lessons equate with funding for Symphony orcehstra's, Opera, etc. It doesn't. And so it cost Rahim his job.

Arts voters in Edmonton Strathcona voted strategically. And not only NDP and Liberals but Conservatives as well. When it comes to Edmonton Strathcona which is the Reddest part of Redmonton, we have elected NDP MLA's here. When the provincial Tories run candidates here they have been Red Tories,

Rahim was in a tough fight and he knew it. From the start he did something he has not done in previous elections, put up lawn signs. There were Jaffer signs on my street and my moms street where they had never been before. But like the Liberal signs many were on rental or commercial properties, put their in many cases not by the renters but the landlord.

Linda Duncan ran an excellent campaign, and it was based on building a base through three elections. The NDP made a break through federally in the riding when they ran Malcolm Azania, and broke through the usual two way race between Conservatives and Liberals which had left the party trailing a distant third over the years.

The Azania campaign team stayed on and recruited Linda to run last election. She further consolidated the NDP's second place standing loosing to Jaffer by only 5000 votes, votes that had gone to the non-existant Liberal candidate. In that election it was the Liberals who were the vote spliters.

But this election it was clearly a two way race, and despite his sign campaign Jaffers laziness and arrogance cost him. He did not address the Arts cuts, nor did he distance himself from the Harper arts attacks when Harper insulted all cultural workers and masses of volunteers who support them by calling them elitists. In fact he insulted some of the leading citizens of this city who are proud of the efforts they have put into fund raising for Arts and Culture, including wealth bourgoise like the Winspears who donated to have the Winspear Centre for the Arts built. Opps.

Jafers arrogance was on public display election night when at ten o'clock he got up to announce his imminent victory, which the media mistakenly announced not noticing that their were still 14 polls not counted, polls which included mine which are all strong NDP polls.

He was pulled down from the podium by an aide who told him it wasn't in the bag yet.

When he lost he was at a loss for words for several days, again Jaffer's arrogance was publicly displayed with his refusal to concide the election. He only announced his final defeat the same day he eloped with fellow MP Helen Guergis.

The delicious irony of this is that he appears to be off to Ottawa to live with Helen as her live in Assistant and Helen will have lots of time to spend with Rahim since it is speculated that she is destined for the back bench in the upcoming cabinet shuffle.

Yes Linda Duncan and her team ran a great campaign. But in the end we have to thank Stephen Harper for attacking the Arts and Culture community, it pushed her over the top. And put a bright orange spot in the middle of Blue Alberta.

And this is no minor break through. It shows that the Harpocrites policy of taking Alberta for granted cost them big time in Edmonton Strathcona. Next election that vulnerability could lead to more defeats for the Harpocrites.



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Friday, March 03, 2006

Radical Edmonton


Here are some lists and sites for radical social activist announcements and events in (R)Edmonton.

Radical Randy's Activist Books and Resources Lists (activist books, videos, radio program, Internet sites, and more)

Radical Edmonton Network (Redmonton)
REDMONTON
RADICAL EDMONTON NETWORK
Edmontons oldest online free interactive email list for announcements of protests, meetings, actions, etc. for left, trade union and progressive activists in the Edmonton and surrounding area.
To subscribe send an email to:
redmonton-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


Raising My Voice

This website documents the counter-culture, underground, and activist communities and events in Edmonton. There are numerous photo blogs from local activist events.

Edmonton Pagan Events


The Activist Agenda at Earth General Store




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Saturday, August 25, 2007

Link Byfield's New Party


Living off the avails of his Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy, which arose from the corpse of the politically and fiscally bankrupt Alberta Report, Link Byfield has decided that being an elected Senator in Waiting is not enough. So he and some pals have formed a new Right Wing Rump Party.

Whats interesting is that all these neo-con wannabe Reform Parties in Alberta seem to come from or originate in Calgary. The largest American city north of the 49th parallel. Which explains their Republican agenda.


A Canadian development without a direct parallel in Australia was the key role
played by “Calgary School” political scientists in new right party politics and freemarket think tanks like the Fraser Institute. In Australia a number of economists have played a prominent role in promoting public choice frames of analysis, but largely via think tanks rather than through direct involvement in party politics.

Members of the Calgary School reproduce the main features of US right-wing

anti-elite discourse, including a contrast between elite fashions and mainstream
traditional values, a campaign against the tyranny of political correctness, and an
attack on self-styled equality seekers—feminists, anti-poverty groups, the gayrightsmovement, natives and other ethnic and racial minorities.


To be honest they should quit calling themselves Albertans or Party of Alberta and call themselves what they are; the Calgary Republican Lobby. Since many of them believe Ronald Reagan Was Better Than Trudeau.

Background of Albertans

Many Albertans have immigrated from the United States. The energy industry, as well as the ranching industry, has attracted many Americans. Attacking Americans attacks the family background of many Albertans. Prominent Albertans have American roots. Senator Ted Morton is originally from California. MP Myron Thompson is from the U.S..
Their appeal is limited to the Americanized Albertans who live in Southern Alberta. So they don't even appeal to the Lougheed liberals who made the PC's the Party of Calgary. And they don't appeal to urban voters.

And they certainly don't appeal to Northern Albertans who make Redmonton their capital.




SEE:

Not Before Alberta Votes

Link Byfield Goes AA

Mr Harper Forgets Redmonton

Leo Strauss and the Calgary School

Mormonism Cult of the Political Right

Creationism Is Not Science

Reform Party of Alberta

Return of the Socreds

Aboriginal Property Rights

Shop Keepers Liberty

Alberta Separatism Not Quite Stamped Out




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Thursday, October 04, 2007

Burma Watch

Researching Burma I discovered that Redmonton is home to the international Burma Watch organization. Despite having only a small Burmese population, it plays an important role internationally as a voice of opposition to the military junta.

Protest at the Legislature
Edmonton Sun, Canada - 28 Sep 2007
“We are supporting the courageous Buddhist monks and civilian protestors,” said Than Aung, president of Burma Watch International, an Edmonton-based human ...
Local Burmese concerned about homeland
Edmonton Journal, Canada - 24 Sep 2007
EDMONTON - Edmonton's tiny Burmese community is watching a mass protest of monks in their home country closely, offering their prayers and financial support ...
Local Burmese cut off from net
Edmonton Journal, Canada - 28 Sep 2007
Edmonton has a Burmese community of about 150 to 200 people. Maung, a former Buddhist monk, fled the country after the 1988 crackdown. That mass protest was ...


For those in Redmonton interested in ongoing campaigning in light of the current crisis in Burma should consider joining Burma Watch.

2007 October 14 - Burma Watch International Annual General Meeting

We, the executive of Burma Watch International, invite you to attend our Annual General Meeting.

  • Date: Sunday, October 14, 2007
  • Time: 2 to 4 p.m. (14:00 to 16:00)
  • Location: International Center
    Main level of HUB Mall
    University of Alberta
    Edmonton, AB


For those of you in other cities in Canada here is a list of Burma Solidarity committees.


SEE:

Blogs Left and Right Unite

Blogging Burma

Myanmar Ghost Dance

No Reincarnation Without Permission

The Road Out of Mandalay


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Friday, January 20, 2006

Liberals Refuse To Speak To Union

While making a big deal about Conservative candidates missing forums, the Liberals have refused to answer the Federal Corrections Officers union; Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO-SACC-CSN) Federal election questionaire. Dumb move that.

And it does have blowback since this is after all Landslide Annie's file.

And there is a certain irony in all this since one of her biggest supporters is Union President
Dan MacLennan of AUPE who is a provincial prison guard.

Of course UCCO has been without a contract for five years. So why would the Liberals talk to them now after not having talked to them for all this time.

I guess its ok to embrace Buzz but to offer your own union workers a fair deal, well thats a bit much to ask.

Arrogance and a culture of entitlement. These are Paul Martins Canadian Values.

Also See:

Landslide Anne in Trouble


Laurie Hawn Chicken Hawk


Conservatives Turn Left


Liberals Abandon Redmonton


Redmonton Votes


Redmonton Not In The Bag for the Conservatives




Tags




















Landslide or Avalanche Annie



The Edmonton Journal polled Edmonton Centre last week and found the Anne McLellan is behind the eight ball this time.

She not only has to contend with the Conservative candidate Laurie Hawn, who has spent the last year door knocking. She has disgruntled Federal Corrections and Security workers and their union ticked off. She has Arab and Muslim Canadians and Civil Libertarians ticked off over the government Security Act and their arrests of alleged terrorists.

"Glitches" dog McLellan
Edmonton Journal, Canada - 18 Jan 2006

She just can't win. Can she?

'Landslide Annie' trails

Voters support Anne McLellan personally, but refuse to vote Liberal. Don't count her out yet, though: She has won close contests before . . .

Archie McLean, The Edmonton Journal

Published: Friday, January 13, 2006

EDMONTON - It's too early to count her out just yet, but Anne McLellan is in danger of losing her seat to Conservative Laurie Hawn, according to an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for The Journal.

The Liberal deputy prime minister -- nicknamed "Landslide Annie" for her close victories in four previous races -- has the support of 35 per cent of decided voters in Edmonton Centre, while Hawn is out in front with 42 per cent.

"It certainly says that Anne McLellan is behind at this point in the race, but it would be wrong to dismiss her just yet," said Peter Weylie, vice-president of public affairs for Ipsos Reid.

NDP candidate Donna Martyn has 15-per-cent support while Green Party candidate David Parker has seven per cent. Four per cent of voters are undecided.

The poll, conducted by phone between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, asked 600 people in Edmonton Centre about their views on a wide range of issues in the riding. The margin of error is four per cent, 19 times out of 20.

McLellan still has immense personal popularity, but is battling the perception that her party is tired and corrupt.

Of those who support McLellan, 54 per cent say they will vote for her because of her personal attributes and not because of Liberal Party policies or leader Paul Martin.

Meanwhile, only 11 per cent of Hawn supporters say they are basing their vote on the local candidate. Instead, 84 per cent are casting their ballot based on Stephen Harper's leadership and the Conservative party's policies.

"Anne McLellan is a very, very strong candidate and she does resonate with her constituents," Weylie said. "Unfortunately, she doesn't have their favourite party banner behind her."


Mandel likes what McLellan has done

RACE FOR THE PRIZE
VUE Weekly, Canada - 18 Jan 2006
By ROSS MOROZ. Anne McLellan is not panicking. Honestly, she’s not.



Also See:

Landslide Anne in Trouble


Laurie Hawn Chicken Hawk


Conservatives Turn Left


Liberals Abandon Redmonton


Redmonton Votes


Redmonton Not In The Bag for the Conservatives




Tags








Sunday, December 11, 2005

Liberals Abandon Redmonton

The Liberals appear to have abandoned Redmonton figuring on a Tory landslide and neck and neck race in Edmonton Centre. Their website listing of Edmonton Candidates is empty with two exceptions. And its ten days into the election.

With the exceptions of Edmonton Centre Landslide Anne's constiuency. and Stephen Haroun running in Edmonton St. Albert, the other candidates have no profiles.

The other race that could be theirs is Edmonton Mill Woods-Beaumont, but all they have on their candidates page is a picture of their candidate, Amjarit Grewal.

Ditto for Nicole Martel their candidate in Edmonton East. Just a picture. She has a web page and they haven't connected to it, heck even I have done that here.

Ditto for these candidates

Edmonton--Sherwood Park Ron Symic
Edmonton--Spruce Grove Brad Enge




Jim Jacuta
But at least they have a photos of them.

Ontheir page for Edmonton Leduc Liberal candidate Jim Jacuta's all they have is a silouette. Poor Jim. And its not like he hasn't run before, he is one of their high profile candidates. He ran against Deb Grey for Edmonton North.
Sheesh you'd think they would have a photo of him and his bio.

And no phone numbers to campaign offices, or web links, or bios or sfa on any of these links.

It appears that there is real disconnect between the Liberals national campaign and their candidates in Edmonton. More so than for instance their candidates in Calgary.

Federal candidates prepare for 8-week race
In Alberta, there are 28 seats to be filled – but little suspense over who will take most of them. In the 2004 election, all but two seats were won by the Conservatives, with the Liberals taking two Edmonton ridings. However, Edmonton-Beaumont MP David Kilgour who won as a Liberal, left the party and was sitting as an independent when the 38th Parliament wrapped up. He is not running again. That leaves Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, who represents Edmonton Centre, as the last Liberal standing in the province going into this election.

And here's the rub if you want to find out about the Liberal candidates in Redmonton, you can find them on the CBC web site. With pictures and bios, and web links. ( well they don't have a picture for Jim Jacuta but at least they don't use the stupid silouette). Everything that should be on the Liberal web site and isn't. Guess the Liberals figure that taxpayer funded Mothercorp should do their work for them.

It appears the Liberal candidates are suffering abandonment by the National campaign. Which does a disservice to not only all Edmontonians but all Albertans. So why would they expect us to vote for them if they can't even bother to campaign here seriously?!

In Harper Country, your choice for change this election is the NDP. They at least have candidate profiles on their web site.

Friday, December 09, 2005

Redmonton Votes

Daaveberta my fellow Redmontonianblogger has provided us with the voting numbers from the 2004 Election. So I left this comment on his site:

The Edmonton Strathcona numbers are telling, while some would look at this as vote splitting between the NDP and Liberals, the NDP actually improved their numbers, far beyond what they had gotten in the last two Federal elections in the riding. Now they did have a high profile candidate, which is one reason. The other may have been the Liberals ran a hand picked Martinite, who had been a provincial MLA. Togther the NDP/Liberal numbers show that Rahim Jaffir gets in up the middle. But I see no urge to strategic voting here where it might actually make a difference. Though with a high profile NDP candidate this time, and a no name Liberal the numbers might change in favour of the NDP.
The other two ridings to watch are Edmonton East total opposition numbers could defeat Goldring And they may coalace around the high profile NDP candidate there since the Liberals last time ran a high profile candidate, but this time its no-name brand.
And Beaumont-Mill Woods could go strongly Liberal as they have the only Indo-Canadian candidate running, the Conservatives ran Uppal last time and seriously challenged Kilgour with the South Asian vote, this time the Conservatives are running a no name White Guy....big mistake.....
Yep four ridings to be watched in Redmonton this time around. Place your wagers gentlemen.

Also See Redmonton Not In The Bag for the Conservatives

Monday, October 22, 2007

Edmonton Anarchist Bookfair 2007

Time again for Redmonton's annual Anarchist Book Fair.

Your humble servant will once again be doing a workshop.

This time on Anarchism and the origin of the Anti-Anarchist International Police Org. aka Interpol

It will be on Sunday, October 28.


Norman Nawrocki: Lessons from a 7ft Penis
Thursday October 25th
Jekyll & Hyde Pub
10610 100 Avenue
Doors
8pm
$8 (or by donation to the underemployed)


Ward Churchill-organizing to win
Friday October 26th
Doors
6:30 event 7:00 pm
Myer Horowitz Theatre
Students' Union Building
8900 114 Street
University of
Alberta
$10 (or by donation to the underemployed)


Anarchist Bookfair
Vendors, workshops, food and childcare
Saturday October 27th 11am-7pm
Sunday October 28th 12pm-5pm
Alberta Avenue Community Center
9210 - 118 Avenue


Halloween Party
Saturday October 27 8pm-closing
Jekyll & Hyde Pub
10610 100 Avenue


Anarchist Folk Show
Todi Stronghands (
halifax)
Starla! Ubiquitous (
halifax)
R.Olson (
vancouver)
Ben Disaster (local pop punk hero)
Lex Mckie (lamenting folk)
Sunday October 28th
7 pm
Donation $5 +
The Remedy Cafe (upstairs) 8631 109 Street


See:

Sacco and Vanzetti

Anarchist History of Edmonton


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Thursday, January 11, 2007

Dion, Layton, No Harper

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion will be in Edmonton today.

NDP Leader Jack Layton will be in Edmonton next Friday

And still no sign of PM Stephen Harper.

The guy takes Redmonton and Alberta for granted.

Which is a mistake, and that might be a good thing.



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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Ted Morton Calgary Seperatist


Not satisfied with promoting Alberta Seperatism with his Firewall Alberta letter, PC leadership candidate, the Reform Republican, Ted Morton is now embracing the politics of two solitudes. If elected Alberta will have two capitals. One in Calgary and one in Edmonton.

"The future of Alberta in the coming decades is northern Alberta and Edmonton is the capital of northern Alberta,"
Morton told reporters yesterday at his Kingsway Avenue campaign office.


After all as wise Ted knows Redmonton is different from Houston North as night and day. And the logical conclusion of his seperatist politics is not only Firewall Alberta but Firewall Calgary.

Or as cheeky Edmonton Journal city hall columnist Scott McKeen opines;

Edmonton's to-do list, if Ted Morton becomes Alberta's next premier and the rebel south storms the legislature.

- Establish firewall around Edmonton. Like, a real firewall. Circle the barbecues, people.

- Ask Ottawa to declare Edmonton a nation, too

If all else fails: Run for your lives.

Or we could just try to relax. Because no matter what you hear this week, Ted Morton is not the devil. He is not Dick Cheney's evil twin. His election, if it happens, won't signal the coming of the apocalypse.

A Morton victory will, however, be a kind of prophecy realized.

The Klein Tories always had a southern, country bias. Morton's election will only clarify the Tory party's neocon, rural bent.




See:

Ted Morton

Alberta Seperatism

Conservative Leadership Race


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Thursday, October 12, 2006

Newspaper Follies


I was looking over the various papers available on the street, the dailies and the weekles, and low and behold if the National Pest boxes are missing around Edmonton Centre and the Library. Is this the final death knell of the paper that has been fiscally and politically bankrupt since its inception by the arch crime lord Conrad Black?!

The Edmonton Sun has had a makeover, not popular with the bus riding crowd nor seniors. Having gone to six columns, the paper of the proletariat has ticked off its readers. The columns make the print size smaller and harder to read. Not good for seniors, and they have grumbled about it. The white space is offset with more space for ads. As one reader pointed out the change makes the paper less news more ads. How you can have less news in a paper you can read in five minutes, well the Sun has managed it.

The RightWing Weekly Western Standard is less than a smashing success as a newstand seller. Over at Hub Cigar they report selling 15-20 weekly. Whereas the liberal Alberta Views sells 35 weekly, as do Harpers and Atlantic. Heck even the American liberal weekly the Nation sells 25. That's why we call it Redmonton.

See:

National Post


Western Standard

Edmonton Sun


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