I Can Be A Senator

Finally I qualify for the Senate. And the news is that Harper is planning to appoint 18 new senators.

Eligibility to Be a Canadian Senator
To be appointed to the Canadian Senate, a person must be
at least 30 years old
be a resident of the province or territory they represent own property worth at least $4000 in the province and have a personal net worth of at least $4000.

My partner and I bought a house this summer, which has been a harrowing yet exciting experience. One of the reasons I wasn't blogging regularly, and the reason this blog will be offline for the next week over Xmas. I am finally moving into my house.

We bought the house when the market went down. Our landlord decided, too late, to sell his house and it was way out of our price range. We decided that it was time to buy a house, after all a house has value, and our mortgage was just slightly more than what we pay in rent, and rent always increases.

And I discovered we were able to scrap together the 5% downpayment to get CHMC backed mortgage.

The house we bought is not on the southside, which is where I was born and preferred to live but the Old Strathcona area is way overpriced.

So we got a house in the Centre of the city by Commonwealth Stadium. So I move from one NDP riding; Edmonton Strathcona to another NDP riding; Edmonton Highlands.

We were supposed to take possession in the middle of October but due to the owners not leaving in time we got it at the begining of November. And for the past month and a half we have been renovating it.

And that is a tale in itself. But for another day.

Suffice it to say that I am over 30, and now qualify as a property owner to be a Senator. It's the Alberta dream, well the dream for some Albertans like my old nemisis Link Byfield.

If Harper appoints me to the Senate I promise to continue to fight for its abolition.

Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Senate, Canada, government, politics, Abolish-the-Senate, Senate-reform, Triple-E-Senate,

Nothing New Here Move On

New party for Alberta's right It's not a new party it's the same old right wing rump of Social Credit.

A clone by any other name;Wildrose Alliance Party born in Alberta

Another good reason for supporting abortion on demand.

SEE

0+0=0

Wild Rose Party In and Out Scheme

Rent A Crowd

More Shills For Big Oil

Link Byfield's New Party

Link Byfield Goes AA

Where's The NDP?

Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy, Alberta, Link Byfield, protestant fundamentalists, right-wing politics, Alberta-Report, Wildrose PArty,separatism, confederation, Canada, federalism, Alberta separatism, separatist, firewall, right wing rump party, Alberta, Premier,Ed Stelmach, PC, Calgary, Conservatives, Calgary Egmont,social conservatives, PGIB, Alberta, Craig Chandler,
Alberta, Premier,
Republicans, Conservatives, Canada, Alberta, politics, religion, right-wing
Mormons, Cardston, Alberta, Mormonism, Hinman, Alberta-Alliance, MLA, PC,
Calagry, Alberta, Manning, Byfield, Klein, Alberta-Report, Right-wing, Reform-Party, separatism, confederation, Canada, federalism,
Ted Morton, Alberta, Dinning, Stelmach, Edmonton, Redmonton, Capital, North, Calgary, Alberta seperatism, seperatist, firewall, politics, PC, Alberta PC Leadership Race, Reform Party, Premier

0+0=0

The right wing rump parties which really are political zeros in Alberta, except in their own minds, have declared their intention to merge. These parties have no real base, and in fact the only reason the Alberta Alliance has even a modicum of publicity is that it's leader Paul Hinman is an one seat wonder as the only AA MLA (see comments below). AA get it. Its the seven step program for Alberta's wannabe Republicans.

The question is will the new party, tentatively to be called the Wild Rose Alliance, be offering a home to Craig Chandler? If so this collections of zero's could end up as less than zero; -1.

Alberta Alliance Party & Wildrose Party to Unite

Two Alberta right-wing parties propose merger for anticipated spring vote

Wildrose, Alliance parties seek merger

SEE:

Wild Rose Party In and Out Scheme

Rent A Crowd

More Shills For Big Oil

Link Byfield's New Party

Link Byfield Goes AA

Where's The NDP?

Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy, Alberta, Link Byfield, protestant fundamentalists, right-wing politics, Alberta-Report, Wildrose PArty,separatism, confederation, Canada, federalism, Alberta separatism, separatist, firewall, right wing rump party, Alberta, Premier,Ed Stelmach, PC, Calgary, Conservatives, Calgary Egmont,social conservatives, PGIB, Alberta, Craig Chandler,
Alberta, Premier,
Republicans, Conservatives, Canada, Alberta, politics, religion, right-wing
Mormons, Cardston, Alberta, Mormonism, Hinman, Alberta-Alliance, MLA, PC,
Calagry, Alberta, Manning, Byfield, Klein, Alberta-Report, Right-wing, Reform-Party, separatism, confederation, Canada, federalism,
Ted Morton, Alberta, Dinning, Stelmach, Edmonton, Redmonton, Capital, North, Calgary, Alberta seperatism, seperatist, firewall, politics, PC, Alberta PC Leadership Race, Reform Party, Premier

Wild Rose Party In and Out Scheme

On their website they proclaim;

Wildrose Party policy will reflect the values and priorities of Albertans. Period.

Actually it reflects the values and priorities of Link Byfield and his family, as expressed through his Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy as I have pointed out before.

The incestuous relationship between Byfields CCFD and the Wildrose party may actually be even more insidious.

According to WildRose Party Watchdog Blog; Wildrose Report:

The second issue I would like to address concerns rumours of a management services contract that may exist between the Wildrose Party and the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy. Under the terms of the alleged contract, the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy is to provide management services to the Wildrose Party of Alberta, in exchange for compensation in the amount of $150,000.00 per annum.

Is this a bit of the old Flanagan/Conservative In and Out being repeated by Link?


Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy, Alberta, Link Byfield, protestant fundamentalists, right-wing politics, Alberta-Report, Wildrose PArty,separatism, confederation, Canada, federalism, Alberta separatism, separatist, firewall, right wing rump party,

Western Standard RIP

As I predicted here Ezra Levant's version of Alberta Report has followed in its footsteps.

To my deep regret, the Western Standard has decided to stop publishing our print edition.

Financial pressures force publisher of Calgary-based conservative magazine to discontinue its hard-copy format

This appears when you try and subscribe

We are temporarily unavailable.

And the last 'print' edition posted on the web site is September 17!

Buzzwords - September 17, 2007 by Western Standard

All other copy updates for the past month is posted on their website, which you can access for free.

To read this article, you need to be a registered user.

Registration is free and confidental.

Note: If you experience difficulties after you have registered or logged in, please enable cookies on your browser.

Which sort of defeats the purpose of subscribing.

The only active online page freely available is their Shotgun Blog.

My how the mighty have fallen. The ruthless nature of capitalism once again defeats its most stalwart advocates on the right in Canada. Perhaps if they had a business plan instead of just doctrinal faith that their minority opinion was valuable. Or at least had the business smarts to make it a charity like the Fraser Institute.

And the whining is only starting.

Jonathan Kay on Ezra Levant and the demise of the Western Standard

One of the Last Conservative Print Magazines in Canada Goes out of business

When magazines die

The Battle of the Standard

I wonder if anyone bothered to tell CBC and Don Newman, that his 'voice of Alberta' no longer is publishing.

Ezra Levant is a loser. He lost his job as communications mouthpiece for Canadian Alliance Leader Stockwell Day. He lost his seat to Harper. He now has lost his magazine.


Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Alberta Report, Don Newman, media bias, Ezra Levant, CBC politics, right wing politics, Alberta, Canada, Western Standard

More Shills For Big Oil

Add Link Byfield to the list along with Ralph Klein and Ezra Levant of those who don't believe Albertans deserve a fair share for our resources. Heck I say we should charge 100% royalties on our resources. Given that I am a socialist after all, most Albertans being reasonable folks like the Royalty Report.

And Link, like other conservatives of his ilk, always dismisses the fact that some of those resources also belong to the First Nations.

Funny thing though his announcement at the first meeting of his new political party fell flat amongst the severely normal Albertans that were there.

A townhall meeting by Alberta‘s newest political party was marked by bickering among the 60 people who attended over whether the province should increase energy royalties.

The fledging Wildrose Party has yet to gain party status or adopt policies, but called the meeting to talk about a government-appointed review panel‘s call for a 20 per cent hike in royalties.

Senate nominee Link Byfield chaired the meeting and denounced the proposed royalty increase, saying it would force energy firms to curtail exploration, resulting in thousands of job losses.

But others at the meeting disagreed, arguing that energy companies earning record profits can afford to pay higher royalties and that other countries are getting a larger take from their resources.

The crowd included former supporters of Alberta‘s governing Progressive Conservatives and some who had been members of the Alberta Alliance Party, which holds one seat in the legislature.

Byfield says putting an extra $2 billion in the hands of Premier Ed Stelmach‘s government would simply generate more waste, while leaving this money in the oilpatch generates jobs and prosperity.

EDMONTON/630 CHED - A townhall meeting called by a hopeful new political party brought in a few dozen people, and they weren't all on-side.

Even after the microphones were turned off, people kept up the debate. The Wildrose Party is yet to be officially registered in the province, but called a town hall to talk about why royalty rates need to stay where they are.

we seem to have the assumption that that money's going to go to us," said the party's executive director, Link Byfield. "I mean, how foolish can you be?"

Byfield talked to the small crowd about driving Alberta's economy with prosperous energy companies, and how a proposed hike in royalties would drive out investment. More than a few people taking to the mic were against that idea though, and were for the report recently released which calls for Albertans to take a larger share of oil and gas profits. (js, jk)

Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Stelmach, Alberta, tarsands, oilsands, Canada, state capitalism, royalties, oil, profits,
Atlantic Accord, Newfoundland, Premier, Danny, Williams, Province,
Bill Hunt, Alberta Royalty Review,
Alberta Cabinet, CAPP, Ed Stelmach,
Big Oil,oil royalties, PC, Calgary, Party of Calgary, politics, NEP, Conservatives, Fort McMurray, One Party State,
Calagry, Alberta, Manning, Byfield, Klein, Alberta-Report, Right-wing, Reform-Party, separatism, confederation, Canada, federalism,
Ted Morton, Alberta, Dinning, Stelmach, Edmonton, Redmonton, Capital, North, Calgary, Alberta seperatism, seperatist, firewall, politics, PC, Alberta PC Leadership Race, Reform Party, Premier

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

Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Republicans, Conservatives, Canada, Alberta, politics, religion, right-wing
Mormons, Cardston, Alberta, Mormonism, Hinman, Alberta-Alliance, MLA, PC,
Calagry, Alberta, Manning, Byfield, Klein, Alberta-Report, Right-wing, Reform-Party, separatism, confederation, Canada, federalism,
Ted Morton, Alberta, Dinning, Stelmach, Edmonton, Redmonton, Capital, North, Calgary, Alberta seperatism, seperatist, firewall, politics, PC, Alberta PC Leadership Race, Reform Party, Premier

Where's The NDP?

This opinion poll about today's Alberta By-elections, is posted on the rightwhingnut website Free Dominion. I only have to ask where is the NDP? They have four seats in the house compared to the Alliance's one. Oh yeah it's a rightwhinghut poll.

Who will win the by-elections?

Tory sweep 12% [ 2 ] Alliance sweep 12% [ 2 ] Liberal sweep 12% [ 2 ] Tory - Alliance split 12% [ 2 ] Tory - Liberal split 31% [ 5 ] Alliance - Liberal split 18% [ 3 ]

Total Votes : 16

Historical revisionists that they are, like their pal Link Byfield, they forget that this province is home to the One Big Union, the CCF and twenty years of the United Farmers of Alberta.

For them history begins with the Socreds. Forgetting that radicals of the left supported the original 1935 Social Credit movement as a natural extension of the farmer labour populist UFA. And that the party had a left and a right wing until Ernest Manning consolidated power in the party, and turfed the radicals in favour of his evangelical rural base.

The decline of the Socreds was their reliance on their rural base. A base that Ed Stelmach now has, and that is rapidly urbanizing. Challenging the sorry old Tory establishment. Rural Alberta has become the suburbs even in the staid reactionary southland's.



blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Alberta, Premier,
Alberta Cabinet, Harry Strom, Ed Stelmach,
Social Credit,Socreds, PC, Calgary, Party of Calgary, politics, leadership, Conservatives, Edmonton, One Party State,History, Politics, Economics,leadership, politics, PC,