Anyone who thought the provincial election would be over before it began may be in for a surprise. Based on a survey of 1400 Albertans by ThinkHQ Public Affairs Inc. completed last week, the race to be Alberta’s next Government is tightening, and it signals that for the first time in almost 20 years, the next provincial election campaign […]
The Politics of Upgraders
A curious thing happens when government gets close to an election; they become extremely “risk averse”. Inside government, it’s called “The Red Zone”: a pre-writ period where only new policy forming the election platform sees the light of day, and any old policy that could potentially be a liability is downplayed and tucked away in favor of more positive […]
Early Days are Good Ones for Redford
They say the two most important times for any political leader are: the FIRST 100 days after an election (particularly for a new leader or government) and the LAST 100 days before Election Day. The logic here is the strength of first and last impressions – these are the times when voters tend to form the most powerful opinions […]
Alberta Energy Industry’s “Jekyll & Hyde” Reputation a Growing Burden
“Glass, china and reputation are easily cracked, and never well mended.” – Benjamin Franklin Reputation is very much like a shadow cast on the sidewalk. It’s a reflection – sometimes distorted and sometimes not – of what we are and do. And reputations matter. No matter if you are an individual, government or corporation, a reputation can ease or […]
Is there such a thing as an underdog in the lead?
What’s more difficult? Being an underdog who must overcome steep odds to achieve an unlikely win or being the “odds-on” favorite who must fend off all challengers to try to hold on to a lead? That’s a question that Premier Alison Redford may be able to answer next spring. Flashback just a few months ago and pity poor Alison […]
Mending Alberta’s “Rift on the Right”
There’s a popular myth circulating in Alberta’s political “chattering class” these days which can be summarized in four words – “It was Ed’s fault.” The tattered state of the governing Tories, the rise of the Wildrose, and disenchantment among Alberta voters is Stelmach’s legacy, so this theory goes. Therefore, with Ed soon gone, things can finally get back to […]