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Tag: United Conservative Party
1 Comment on Notley's NDP raised more cash than Kenney's UCP in the final months of 2020
The Alberta NDP raised more money from individual Albertans than the United Conservative Party in the final quarter of 2020, according to financial documents released today by Elections Alberta.
This marks the second time in the last year that the opposition NDP have out-fundraised the governing UCP, suggesting Albertans are voting with their pocketbooks and credit cards.
Here is what Alberta's political parties raised during the fourth quarter of 2020:
NDP $2,322,490.38
UCP $1,921,813.21
Alberta Party $50,738.66
Wildrose Independence Party $45,863.49
Liberal Party $44,746.87
Green Party $17,847.00
Alberta Advantage Party – $4,055.00
Independence Party – $2,990.40
Communist Party – $100.00
This marks the first time since the UCP was created that the NDP have fundraised more money over the course of a year. According to the Elections Alberta disclosures, the NDP raised $5,061,979.02 in 2020 with the UCP narrowly behind at $5,046,322.52.
The Alberta Party, Wildrose Independence Party, Liberal Party and Green Party also saw increases in their quarterly fundraising, though they remain significantly behind the two major parties.
The maximum annual donation to political parties was increased to $4,243 from $4.000 as of January 1, 2020.
Tags Alberta Liberal Party, Alberta NDP, Alberta Party, Alberta Political Fundraising, Alberta Political Party Fundraising, Elections Alberta, Elections Alberta Financial Disclosures, Green Party of Alberta, Jason Kenney, Money and Politics, Rachel Notley, United Conservative Party, Wildrose Independence Party
2 Comments on Mike Nickel running for mayor for a third time
A screenshot from MikeNickel.ca on Jan. 19, 2021 announcing his plans to run for Mayor of Edmonton.
Mike Nickel is running for Mayor of Edmonton, according to a statement on his website.
Frequently the lone voice of right-wing discontent on City Council, it has been rumoured for months that Nickel has been preparing a run.
But until now Nickel has yet to officially announce his candidacy. It is unclear whether this was intended as an official announcement or if it is a website publishing mistake.
This would mark Nickel's third time running for mayor after unsuccessful bids in 1998 and 2001. He placed second with 16 per cent of vote in 1998 and third with 19 per cent in 2001. He later served on city council from 2004 until he was defeated in 2007 by a little known rookie candidate by the name of Don Iveson. Nickel returned to council in 2013 and was re-elected in 2017.
Nickel made an unsuccessful bid for the United Conservative Party nomination in Edmonton-South ahead of the 2019 provincial election, claiming then that he had accomplished all he could in municipal politics.
Tags Don Iveson, Edmonton Mayoral Election 2021, Edmonton Municipal Election 2021, Edmonton-South, Mike Nickel, United Conservative Party
1 Comment on Three more Conservative MPs nominated to run in next federal election
With it becoming increasingly likely that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could call a federal election in the next few months, the federal Conservative Party has been quietly nominating candidates in Alberta. The party holds all but one seat in Alberta and has nominated six of its incumbent Members of Parliament to seek re-election when the writs of election are drawn.
I have added the three most recent candidates to be nominated to the list of federal nomination candidates:
Earl Dreeshen in Red Deer-Mountain View. Dreeshen has represented Red Deer in the House of Commons since 2008 and is the father of Devin Dreeshen, the United Conservative Party MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake and Alberta's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.
Michelle Rempel Garner in Calgary-Nose Hill. Rempel Garner has served as a Calgary MP since 2011.
Damien Kurek in Battle River-Crowfoot. Kurek was first elected in 2019, succeeding longtime area MP Kevin Sorensen.
I am told that the Liberal Party opened its candidate nomination process in early November 2020 but no candidates have been officially nominated in Alberta as of today.
Jaro Giesbrecht has announced his plans to seek the Liberal Party nomination in Banff-Aidrie. Giesbrecht briefly sought the Liberal nomination ahead of the 2019 federal election but withdrew from the contest. He was the Liberal Party candidate in Calgary-Peigan in the 2019 provincial election.
I was thrilled to join the West of Centre Podcast this week with host Kathleen Petty and fellow guests Jen Gerson and Ryan Jespersen to discuss Alberta politics and the state of independent media in Alberta.
Tags Banff-Airdrie, Battle River-Crowfoot, Calgary-Nose Hill, Calgary-Peigan, Conservative Party of Canada, Damien Kurek, Devin Dreeshen, Earl Dreeshen, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, Jaro Giesbrecht, Jen Gerson, Justin Trudeau, Kathleen Petty, Liberal Party of Canada, Michelle Rempel Garner, Red Deer-Mountain View, Ryan Jespersen, United Conservative Party, West of Centre Podcast
3 Comments on Pat Rehn booted from UCP Caucus. Town Councils called for MIA MLA to resign
Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn has been removed from the United Conservative Party caucus, according to a statement released by Premier Jason Kenney. It is not clear whether Kenney unilaterally removed Rehn himself or whether it was the result of a vote by UCP MLAs.
Rehn was caught up in the recent hot holiday scandal after a year-end trip to Mexico, but the political problems facing the first term MLA were bigger than that.
The entire town council of Slave Lake, the largest municipality in his northern Alberta district, called on him to resign for being an absentee MLA and apparently being unwilling to live or spend time in the region since he was elected in 2019. The letter also alleged that he spent "more physical time managing his business in Texas" than being physically present in the constituency.
The town council of High Prairie was also planning to send a similar letter to the MIA MLA.
Recent reports suggest that while in Alberta he spent almost all his time in Edmonton rather than in the district he was elected to represent.
This is not the first time the local councils have raised concerns with the UCP government about Rehn's lack of presence in the region but it appears that his becoming a political problem for Kenney was the final straw for the absent backbencher.
This marks the first time that Kenney, reluctantly it appears, has removed an MLA from the UCP caucus. After initially defending them in a strange press conference, Kenney bowed to public pressure and removed Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard as Municipal Affairs Minister and accepted the resignation of his Chief of Staff, Jamie Huckabay, for their overseas travel over the holidays.
Five other sun-seeking backbench UCP MLAs, including Rehn, who were discovered to have gone on hot holidays after the government spent months telling Albertans to avoid non-essential international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were removed from their committee roles.
Here is Kenney's statement:
Rehn will now sit as an Independent MLA, the only Independent in Alberta's Legislative Assembly. When the Assembly reconvenes in February, it will have 62 UCP MLAs, 24 NDP MLAs and 1 Independent.
Tags Alohagate, Grande Prairie, Hawaiigate, Jamie Huckabay, Jason Kenney, Lesser Slave Lake, Mexico, Pat Rehn, Slave Lake Town Council, Tracy Allard, United Conservative Party
Episode 66: Aloha! Making sense of Alberta politics in 2021
2 Comments on Episode 66: Aloha! Making sense of Alberta politics in 2021
Dr. Jared Wesley joins Dave Cournoyer on the Daveberta Podcast to discuss Jason Kenney's leadership of the United Conservative Party, Rachel Notley's focus on health care during the pandemic, the Alberta Party and Wildrose Independence Party leadership races, and the equalization referendum and Senate nominee elections that will coincide with the October municipal elections.
We also break down the first week of year that saw UCP MLAs in hot water after spending the Christmas break on hot holidays.
Dr. Wesley is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta and the lead researcher for Common Ground.
The Daveberta Podcast is hosted by Dave Cournoyer and produced by Adam Rozenhart.
The Daveberta Podcast is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally grown. Community supported. The Alberta Podcast Network includes dozens of great made-in-Alberta podcasts.
You can listen and subscribe to the Daveberta Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you find podcasts online. We love feedback from our listeners, so let us know what you think of this episode and leave a review where you download.
Recommended Reading/Listening:
Jason Kenney's Flying Circus (West of Centre Podcast, Jan. 8, 2021)
Once upon a time Alberta MLAs had meaningful ideas about Senate Reform (Daveberta, June, 27, 2019)
Why equalization is not unfair to Alberta (Trevor Tombe, Globe & Mail, Dec. 28, 2018)
Tags Adam Rozenhart, Alberta Election Podcast, Alberta NDP, Alberta Party, Alberta Party Leadership Race 2021, Alberta Podcast, Alberta Podcast Network, Alberta Politics Podcast, Alohagate, Calgary-Klein, Common Ground Politics, Dave Cournoyer, Daveberta Podcast, Drew Barnes, Grande Prairie, Hawaiigate, Jared Wesley, Jason Kenney, Jeremy Nixon, Paul Hinman, Rachel Notley, Stephen Harper, Tracy Allard, United Conservative Party, United Conservative Party Leadership Race 2021, University of Alberta, Wildrose Independence Party, Wildrose Independence Party Leadership Race 2021
The first week of January is usually a sleepy time in Alberta politics – not this year!
6 Comments on The first week of January is usually a sleepy time in Alberta politics – not this year!
Pat Rehn and Jason Kenney during the 2019 election.
The first week of January is typically a sleepy time in Alberta politics, but 2021 is an incredible exception.
They found Tany Yao! And he's staying in Mexico
Tany Yao
MLA Tany Yao has re-emerged in Mexico and appears to be defying Premier Jason Kenney's directive to MLAs to immediately return home after "disconnecting" following a stressful year of passing a one-page private members' bill that easily passed through the Legislative Assembly on November 16, 2020.
The United Conservative Party MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo apparently turned his cell phone off after he arrived in Mexico on Dec. 26, avoiding news of the hot holiday scandal that started to envelope his government last Friday. He will return to Alberta on Jan. 9, according to media reports.
Kenney goes into hiding after firing cabinet minister
Kenney was nowhere to be seen the day after he announced on Facebook that he was asking for the resignations of Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and his Chief of Staff Jamie Huckabay and demoting the handful of UCP MLAs who ignored advice to stay home and jetted off to hot destinations over the Christmas break.
A recent Leger poll showing that 69% of Albertans disapprove of how the Kenney government is handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, Health Minister Tyler Shandro and new Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver took point at the COVID-19 press conference yesterday, thanking Albertans for being angry at the government over the MLAs ignoring the recommendations to stay home and avoid non-essential international travel, claiming the government feels the same way.
Kenney's last public appearance was on last Friday, when he took to the podium to defend Allard's Hawaiian vacation and claim that he has been encouraging international, despite 9-months of telling Albertans to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19.
On top of the troubles in his sun-seeking Caucus, a recent Leger poll showed that 69 per cent of Albertans disapprove of how the Kenney government is handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slave Lake Town Council calls for Pat Rehn to resign
Pat Rehn
The biggest political news of the day came from up north.
With his Mexican vacation cut short by public outrage, Pat Rehn will have returned home to face a letter signed by the entire Slave Lake Town Council calling for his resignation as the MLA for Lesser Slave Lake. But the letter isn't about his hot holiday.
"We have lost faith that you have the ability and the desire to undertake the work which is required of an MLA. On behalf of the Town of Slave Lake and those we represent, we are asking for your resignation as MLA for the Lesser Slave Lake constituency," the letter, signed by Mayor Tyler Warman and all the town Councillors said.
Warman used to be a supporter of Rehn's and donated $500 to the Lesser Slave Lake UCP association in 2019, according to Elections Alberta records.
Tyler Warman
The letter accuses the first-term backbench MLA of consistently missing meetings with local officials, not living in the constituency and spending "more physical time managing his business in Texas" than being physically present in the constituency.
In all my years writing about Alberta politics, I cannot recall a municipal council being forced to take this sort of drastic action against a local MLA. The town council must have felt they had exhausted all other options in trying to work with Rehn, who was first elected in 2019 after unseating NDP cabinet minister Danielle Larivee in the UCP sweep of rural Alberta.
Rehn responded on Facebook with a statement that does more to spin the issue than address the concerns raised by Slave Lake town council.
His response does not deny missing meetings with local officials or refute the allegations that he spends more time in Texas than in his constituency by saying he "doesn't own property in Texas."
But perhaps the most tone deaf part of Rehn's response is when he accused Slave Lake Town Council of trying to "sow political division."
Rehn, who just returned from a hot holiday in Mexico after his government asked every Albertan to cancel their own Christmas gatherings and holiday trips, has no moral authority to accuse anybody in Alberta of "sowing disunity." He has done that himself.
Here is the letter:
Tags Alberta NDP, Alohagate, COVID-19 Pandemic, Danielle Larivee, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo, Grande Prairie, Hawaiigate, Jason Kenney, Leaser Slave Lake, Mexico, Pat Rehn, Ric McIver, Slave Lake Town Council, Tany Yao, Tracy Allard, Tyler Shandro, Tyler Warman, United Conservative Party
Kenney's weak response to Hot Holiday Scandal exposes rifts inside the UCP
12 Comments on Kenney's weak response to Hot Holiday Scandal exposes rifts inside the UCP
You could almost feel the collective anger of Albertans building as news trickled out yesterday that more and more United Conservative Party MLAs had ignored their own government's COVID-19 recommendations to stay home and cancel any non-essential international travel over the Christmas break.
Despite receiving the same recommendations against non-essential international holidays that every other Albertan has been told by the government since March 2020, at least five UCP MLAs, including one cabinet minister, decided the recommendations put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 did not apply to them and instead jetted off to hotter locales.
As of today, we know the following UCP cabinet ministers, MLAs and senior political staffers have travelled internationally in recent weeks, or are just now returning home from abroad:
Tracy Allard, MLA for Grande Prairie and Minister of Municipal Affairs, was in Hawaii.
Jeremy Nixon, MLA for Calgary-Klein and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Community and Social Supports, is returning from Hawaii.
Pat Rehn, MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, is returning from Mexico.
Tanya Fir, MLA for Calgary-Peigan and Treasury Board member, has returned from Las Vegas.
Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-South and Treasury Board member, is returning from Arizona.
Jamie Huckabay, Chief of Staff to Premier Jason Kenney, has returned from the United Kingdom.
Michael Forian, Press Secretary to Education Minister Adriana LaGrange and 2019 Conservative Party candidate, was in Hawaii.
Eliza Snider, Press Secretary to Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, was in Hawaii.
Premier Jason Kenney has publicly shrugged off the hot holidays, claiming international travel was good for the economy despite his own government's pandemic recommendations that Albertans don't do it.
He has refused to fire or publicly discipline the MLAs for ignoring the public health recommendations that millions of Albertans abided by when they cancelled their own winter vacations and Christmas family gatherings.
Kenney says he was unaware of the trips, but it seems unlikely that a politician known for being a intense micromanager and workaholic would not have some inkling that this was happening.
The Premier's weak response to the jet-set MLAs could suggest a few things: 1) he's fine with them ignoring the recommendations, 2) there are more MLAs or staffers who travelled overseas on non-essential trips, or 3) support for his leadership in UCP Caucus and Party is tenuous and he cannot afford to discipline so many backbenchers at once.
In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford fired Finance Minister Rod Philips for attempting to cover up his Christmas vacation to a Caribbean island.
In Alberta, the lack of consequences for making such poor and tone-deaf decisions has stripped back Kenney's populist-veneer and exposed an arrogant and elitist culture of exceptionalism within the leadership of the UCP.
For her part, Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley says all of her party's 24 MLAs remained in Alberta during the Christmas break.
Perhaps the only good news for Kenney is that the MLA hot holiday scandal, or Alohagate and Hawaiigate as some are calling it, is a distraction from the provincial government's disappointingly slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
While waiting in the departures lounges of various international airports, some of the UCP MLAs published likely pre-written statements on their social media accounts saying they will now comply with the recommendations and return to Alberta. How thoughftul of them.
With the handful of UCP MLAs now on their way home, there are signs of a growing rift in the party, as two UCP MLAs are now publicly speaking out against the vacationing colleagues.
In a statement published on Facebook, Calgary-South East MLA Matt Jones refused to apologize for the sun-seeking MLAs:
Since the most recent COVID-19 measures were announced, a number of my constituents requested guidance related to their own potential holiday travels. I have always encouraged my constituents to follow the public health measures including the following:
"An official global travel advisory remains in effect. Avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice."
"The Canada/U.S. border remains closed to non-essential travel."
Michaela Glasgo, the UCP MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat, was much more direct, describing the trips as "a major lack of judgment."
"The directive that we were given was the same as every Albertan, which was to remain responsible, and ultimately I think this was a major lack of judgment shown by some of my colleagues," Glasgo told CHAT NEWS.
Former UCP MLA Scott Cyr called it a "slap in the face."
Former right-wing talk radio icon Dave Rutherford took to his Facebook page to unload on Kenney.
"Dammit, I'm pissed off that my premier, the guy in whom we had placed such high hopes for principled leadership, has ignored all of the sacrifices that we have all made to fight this virus because 'we are all in this together," wrote Rutherford. "Obviously not."
Ralph Leriger, Mayor of Westlock, also had some strong words in response to the vacationing MLAs and called on Premier Kenney to resign.
A tweet from Ralph Leriger, Mayor of Westlock
I expect many Albertans are feeling the same way.
Tags Alberta NDP, Alohagate, Brooks-Medicine Hat, Calgary-Klein, Calgary-Peigan, Calgary-South East, Dave Rutherford, Dome Disease, Doug Ford, Eliza Snider, Grande Prairie, Hawaii, Hawaiigate, Jamie Huckabay, Jason Kenney, Jason Stephan, Jeremy Nixon, Kenney Resign, Lesser Slave Lake, Matt Jones, Mayor of Westlock, Michael Forian, Michaela Glasgo, Pat Rehn, Rachel Notley, Ralph Leriger, Red Deer-South, Rod Philips, Scott Cyr, Tanya Fir, Tracy Allard, United Conservative Party
Braid and Bell blast Kenney over weak response to UCP MLAs hot holidays
No Comments on Braid and Bell blast Kenney over weak response to UCP MLAs hot holidays
Postmedia's two main political columnists in Alberta's daily newspapers blasted Premier Jason Kenney for his weak response to UCP MLAs who ignored government recommendations to stay home and cancel all non-essential international travel to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
At least four UCP MLAs, including Minister of Municipal Affairs Tracy Allard, parliamentary secretary Jeremy Nixon, Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn and Calgary-Peigan MLA Tanya Fir, hopped on planes and jetted off to hot holiday destinations this December. Kenney's chief of staff, Jamie Huckabay, also travelled to the United Kingdom to visit family.
Don Braid in the Calgary Herald:
While most of us were painfully isolating ourselves from family and friends, trying to decide if we should even risk the grocery store, these people were heading to Hawaii, Mexico the U.K. and the U.S.
By Saturday morning there were seven confirmed UCP politicians and officials who jumped ship for holiday, the latest being MLAs Tanya Fir and Jeremy Nixon.
Maybe Kenney can't fire any because there are so many. This is a genuine scandal that shows no sign of fading away.
Rick Bell in the Calgary Sun:
Premier, what the hell is going on?
To quote George Orwell, one of your favourite authors, it appears some in your government believe "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."
Premier, you won't be able to smart your way out of this one with a few show-off quotations from Winston Churchill, Britain's wartime prime minister.
You won't be able to get us to buy what you're selling this time by talking about keeping calm and carrying on, patting us on the head and rolling out the keep-a-stiff-upper-lip routine.
It's a cruel insult now.
Tags Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, Calgary-Klein, Calgary-Peigan, COVID-19 Pandemic, Don Braid, Grande Prairie, Hawaii, Jamie Huckabay, Jason Kenney, Jeremy Nixon, Lesser Slave Lake, Pat Rehn, Postmedia, Rick Bell, Tanya Fir, Tracy Allard, United Conservative Party
Mele Kalikimaka from Tracy Allard and the UCP
10 Comments on Mele Kalikimaka from Tracy Allard and the UCP
Aloha Alberta! 🌺
It's been a great week on the sunny Big Island! The weather in Hawaii is fantastic and we are really enjoying continuing our family tradition this year. The pandemic has been a real drag back in Alberta, so it felt like a great time to hop on a plane and escape to a tropical paradise! Wake boarding is a real thrill!
Tracy Allard (source: Facebook)
At the tiki bar yesterday we were thrilled to bump into some UCP staffers who are spending Christmas in Hawaii too! So much fun! 🎉
I'm looking forward to being back soon and attending to my duties as the minister responsible for Alberta's emergency management agency. I hope the vaccine distribution is going well and everyone is exercising personal responsibility back home!
We wish you could all be here with us! See you soon. ❤
🌴 Merry Christmas (or Mele Kalikimaka as the locals say!)
Tracy Allard
UCP MLA for Grande Prairie
Minister of Municipal Affairs
This letter is satire, but Tracy Allard's Christmas vacation to Hawaii in the middle of a global pandemic, when her government was telling Albertans to stay home and avoid non-essential international travel, was not.
Jeremy Nixon
It also appears that Calgary-Klein UCP MLA and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Community and Social Services Jeremy Nixon traveled to Hawaii last month , Calgary-Peigan UCP MLA Tanya Fir went to Las Vegas, and Lesser Slave Lake UCP MLA Pat Rehn may have spent the Christmas break in Mexico.
Premier Jason Kenney's Chief of Staff, Jamie Huckabay, reportedly also spent Christmas with his family in the United Kingdom, returning through the United States in order to circumvent Canada's ban on flights from the UK.
Tags Calgary-Klein, Calgary-Peigan, COVID-19 Pandemic, Eliza Snider, Grande Prairie, Hawaii, Hot Holiday, Jamie Huckabay, Jason Kenney, Jeremy Nixon, Lesser Slave Lake, Michael Florian, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Pat Rehn, Tanya Fir, Tracy Allard, United Conservative Party
What lies ahead for Alberta's political parties in 2021
6 Comments on What lies ahead for Alberta's political parties in 2021
RIP Uncle COVID Head (2019-2021) (source: CovidLoves.ca)
With 2020 on its way out here is quick look at what might await Alberta's political parties in 2021:
United Conservative Party: The UCP will continue pushing through a legislative agenda and ideological project that includes mass privatization of public services and public land, and big job losses for public sector workers.
Jason Kenney (source: Flickr)
The UCP's inability to pivot off its agenda has been demonstrated clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic as Health Minister Tyler Shandro continued his fight against Alberta doctors, planned layoffs of thousands of nurses and health care workers, and schemed to privatize large swaths of the public health care system.
Kenney's inconsistent approach to the pandemic has likely alienated him from both Albertans who would like to see more serious public health measures taken and those who think being required to wear a face-mask in public spaces is too far.
A federal election in 2021 might distract Albertans from the UCP's mismanaging of the COVID-19 pandemic, so expect the UCP to ramp up attacks on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberals. Increasing attacks of the federal government and next year's promised referendum on equalization and Senate nominee election could also serve as a distraction from poor economic growth and the cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline permit by incoming United States President Joe Biden.
Kenney's approval ratings took a big hit in 2020 and the UCP has dropped considerably in the polls since 2019. If their leader looks like he has become a liability for re-election in 2023 then expect a change at the top. Conservative parties in Alberta are ruthless with leaders who stop looking like winners, just ask Don Getty, Ralph Klein, Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford.
The good news for Kenney is that he is only two years into his government's four year term in office which leaves him with some time to turn around his political fortunes. But the clock is ticking and the tire-kickers could soon be kicking.
Alberta NDP: It is not often that political leaders in Canada are given a second chance, but despite losing the 2019 election Rachel Notley remains in firm control of her New Democratic Party.
Rachel Notley (source: Facebook)
Notley's moderate NDP is leading or tied with the UCP is three of the four recent voter intention polls released during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and has maintained competitive fundraising levels, but the next election is still more than two years away.
The potential for strikes by public sector workers in 2021 could test the NDP's political coalition. The NDP's opponents will inevitably try to use any major labour disputes as a wedge between the party's union activist wing and its more moderate and centrist supporters.
The key to an NDP victory in 2023 will be a breakthrough in Calgary, smaller urban centres like Lethbridge and Red Deer, and a small handful of suburban and rural ridings scattered across Alberta. The NDP swept those regions in 2015 and Notley has already signalled through her constant visits and social media posts that her focus in 2021 will be Calgary, Calgary, and more Calgary.
Alberta Party: Finding a new permanent leader should be the top focus of this tiny moderate conservative party. The Alberta Party has become home to a small group of disenchanted former Progressive Conservatives unhappy the combative tone and social conservative politics of the UCP. The party lost all its seats in 2019 but continues to poll around 10 per cent support in most surveys. In a two-party political environment, the Alberta Party needs to give Albertans a reason to vote for it that is beyond just not being the UCP or NDP.
Alberta Liberal Party: The Liberals not only need to find a new leader, they need to find a reason to exist. After forming Official Opposition for 19 years, the Liberal vote collapsed in 2012, saw almost all of its supporters migrate to Notley's NDP in 2015 and lost its only seat in the Assembly in 2019. With the NDP now comfortably occupying the space held by the Liberals in the 1990s and 2000s, the Liberals need a raison d'être in Alberta.
Green Party: Yes, Alberta has a Green Party. The Greens have been issuing a steady stream of press statements that plant the party firmly to the left of the moderate NDP on climate change, the environment and pipelines. It seems unlikely that the party will make any electoral breakthroughs in the near future, but they could put pressure on the NDP to remember that it still has a progressive wing.
Wildrose Independence Party: Also looking for a new leader in 2021, the child of a merger between the Freedom Conservative Party and the Wexit group in 2020 is now led by former Wildrose MLA Paul Hinman.
While separatist sentiment appears to be waining the further time passes from the last federal election, Hinman has clamped on to the anti-mask and anti-COVID restrictions groups as his focus, appearing at demonstrations in the two cities.
A number of UCP MLAs have expressed similar views, leading some political watchers to believe that one UCP MLA in particular – Drew Barnes – could be auditioning for Hinman's job if his public comments become too much for the UCP.
The other fringe separatist parties: The Alberta Advantage Party and Independence Party of Alberta are also looking for new leaders. Advantage Party leader Marilyn Burns, a former Wildrose supporter, resigned in the fall amid a leadership challenge and has announced plans to run for the position again. Former Wildrose constituency president Lenard Biscope is now interim leader.
Communist Party of Alberta: Carry on, Comrades.
Thoughts? What do you think awaits Alberta's political parties in 2021?
Tags Alberta Advantage Party, Alberta Liberal Party, Alberta NDP, Alberta Party, Alberta Politics in 2021, Alison Redford, Communist Party of Alberta, Don Getty, Drew Barnes, Ed Stelmach, Freedom Conservative Party, Green Party of Alberta, Independence Party of Alberta, Jason Kenney, Justin Trudeau, Lenard Biscope, Marilyn Burnes, Marilyn Burns, Paul Hinman, Rachel Notley, Ralph Klein, Tyler Shandro, United Conservative Party, Wexit Alberta, Wildrose Independence Party
Did the UCP back down from its plans to delist Alberta provincial parks?
5 Comments on Did the UCP back down from its plans to delist Alberta provincial parks?
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park (Photo credit: Annalise Klingbeil)
The devil will be in the details but it appears as though the Alberta government may have backed down from its plans to delist or close 175 of Alberta's provincial parks.
Albertans from all corners of the province have rightfully feared that delisting parks and re-classifying them as crown land would remove environmental protections from the land and almost certainly lead to it being sold away to the highest bidder.
I will approach this announcement with caution and skepticism and will wait for more information, but it is very clear that growing public pressure forced the United Conservative Party to make this announcement.
Alberta conservation and environmental groups mounted an aggressive public advocacy campaign called Defend Alberta Parks in support of provincial parks after Environment & Parks Minister Jason Nixon unilaterally announced the changes without any public consultation earlier this year.
The campaign was arrogantly dismissed by Premier Jason Kenney who casually accused it of being run by "foreign special interest groups" and "green left organizations." But if you take a drive through almost any neighbourhood in Alberta you are bound to spot green and white Defend Alberta Parks lawn signs.
We discussed this issue and the impact of the campaign with Annalise Klingbeil on episode 55 and episode 63 of the Daveberta Podcast.
Here is the press release from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association in response to the announcement:
"The good news Albertans needed": Provincial government announces 175 Alberta parks sites will no longer be delisted or closed
CPAWS Northern and Southern Alberta Chapters are happy to see the Government of Alberta's announcement that all parks included in the February "Optimizing Alberta Parks" plan, which stated that 175 parks sites would be delisted or closed, will now retain their current designations and associated protections.
"This is the good news Albertans needed as we say goodbye to 2020," says Katie Morrison, Conservation Director with CPAWS Southern Alberta. "After months and months of fighting to keep these parks from losing their protection, we can celebrate the recent announcement from the Government of Alberta."
The announcement states that "All sites will maintain their parks designations, regardless of whether they have confirmed an operational partnership. All sites will remain protected in law, and are accessible to Albertans for recreation and enjoyment."
While the release states that there are now 170 parks partnerships, this list includes all the previous Facility Operating Agreements and partnerships, and thus it is unclear exactly how many new partnerships have been found.
"We look forward to transparent operating agreements between all partners and Alberta Environment and Parks to ensure that high standards of conservation and responsible recreation are upheld within all of these sites," adds Chris Smith, Parks Coordinator with CPAWS Northern Alberta.
While the plan announced in February will not go forward, there is still risk that these areas could lose protection as legislative changes to Alberta's parks system are expected under the province's new Crown Land Vision. Our teams will be working to ensure that all of these areas and the entire provincial parks system maintain equivalent or stronger protections under any proposed changes to park legislation.
We encourage all Albertans who believe in the importance of a strong parks and protected area system to take this opportunity to share their opinion through the Government of Alberta's public engagement on the Crown Land Vision. We encourage everyone to keep their Defend Alberta Parks lawn signs up and keep the pressure on to ensure that any changes only strengthen and improve the protection of Alberta's parks.
But today, the more than 21,000 Albertans who wrote a letter to their MLA in opposition to the plan to delist and close parks have a reason to celebrate and should be proud that they stood up for their parks.
CPAWS Northern and Southern Alberta Chapters, along with the Alberta Environment Network, thank the Alberta government for listening to Albertans and providing some much-needed clarity on provincial parks planning that has been called for over the last year. Our teams look forward to hearing further details on parks partnerships and the protections planned for these sites under the Crown Land Vision.
Tags Alberta Parks, Alberta Parks Privatization, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association, Defend Alberta Parks, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, United Conservative Party
Former PC activist Troy Wason takes over as Alberta Party new executive director
4 Comments on Former PC activist Troy Wason takes over as Alberta Party new executive director
The Alberta Party at its Zenith: Calgary-Elbow MLA Greg Clark, party leader Stephen Mandel, Calgary-Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill MLA Karen McPherson, and Calgary-South East MLA Rick Fraser.
The Alberta Party hasn't been making many headlines lately, but there will soon be a significant staff change in the ranks of the small moderate conservative party. The party announced today that former Progressive Conservative executive director Troy Wason is taking over as interim executive director of the Alberta Party, replacing outgoing interim executive director Mark Taylor.
Troy Wason
A well-respected long-time PC Party activist, Wason took over as executive director of the PC Party following the long-time governing party's defeat in the 2015 election and resigned on the day Jason Kenney became that party's leader in 2017.
Wason's joining the Alberta Party could provide some internal direction for the party, which lost all of 3 of its seats in the 2019 election. The party continues to struggle to define itself and remains without a bigger key player – a permanent leader.
The Alberta Party has been without a permanent leader since the resignation of former leader Stephen Mandel in June 2019. The role remained vacant until earlier this year when former Fort Sasktachewan-Vegreville PC MLA Jacquie Fenske was named as interim leader, solidifying the party's image as a refuge for former PC supporters uncomfortable with the social conservative flavour of the United Conservative Party and unable to support the moderate New Democratic Party.
The party was expected to have held a leadership race in 2020 but, like most other things, it was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tags Alberta NDP, Alberta Party, Calgary-Elbow, Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill, Calgary-South East, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, Greg Clark, Jacquie Fenske, Jason Kenney, Karen McPherson, Mark Taylor, Rick Fraser, Stephen Mandel, Troy Wason, United Conservative Party
Jason Kenney introduces Alberta's not-a-lockdown lockdown
5 Comments on Jason Kenney introduces Alberta's not-a-lockdown lockdown
Amid a month-long spike in new COVID-19 cases, the Alberta government introduced increased measures and restrictions on businesses that include closing casinos, bar and in-person dining in restaurants, and a province-wide mandatory face-mask requirement. The measures are necessary but come after weeks of feet-dragging by provincial leaders.
Weaker measures introduced two weeks ago proved ineffective but you will not hear Premier Jason Kenney admit it, and you will not hear him call the new measures a lockdown.
Despite loud warnings from physicians, public health professionals and health care unions over the past month that the government was not taking serious enough action to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19, Kenney's government attacked and mocked those calling for some of the same measures he introduced today.
At times it has seemed as as though Kenney was more concerned with not doing anything that might alienate elements of his political base than he was in taking measures to actually stop or slow the spread of the virus. This concern about his voter base appears to also include an avoidance of the word "lockdown," despite it being an appropriate description of what the government has implemented.
The government's new measures still fall short of the "circuit-breaker" lockdown proposed by health care professionals and the more comprehensive plan proposed by New Democratic Party leader Rachel Notley.
As of today, there are 20,388 active cases province-wide and have been 640 deaths caused by COVID-19.
Still no federal app
The measures announced by Kenney still did not include the activation of the federal CovidAlert app in Alberta. The federal app has become one of the latest targets of partisan attacks against Ottawa, with cabinet minister Jason Nixon referring to it as the "Trudeau Tracing App."
Despite the adoption of the ABTraceTogether App early in the pandemic, it has proven ineffective and is reported to have only been effectively used 19 times since it was launched in the spring.
Unlike Alberta's app, the federal app allows contact tracers to track the spread of COVID-19 across provincial boundaries.
Schweitzer shows a little humanity, some leadership potential
Along with Kenney and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the press conference announcing the increased measures featured Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer.
Engaging in a bit of mischief-making, Lethbridge-West NDP MLA Shannon Phillips mused about Schweitzer's performance and potential leadership ambitions. While Phillips' commentary was certainly designed to create mischief, she may have a point.
Compared to Kenney, who remains robotic, unemotional and prone to partisan outbursts, and Shandro, who appears to perpetually carry a giant chip on his shoulder, Schweitzer sounded like a real human being. While he does have a serious 'dude bro' vibe and his comments today were weighed down by business jargon, he was a much clearer and sympathetic communicator than his two colleagues.
Kenney has displayed almost complete command and control over the United Conservative Party and Caucus since taking over as leader in 2017, but he has clearly failed to demonstrate leadership during the biggest crisis in a generation. Recent polls show Kenney's leadership approval ratings have continued to plummet, the NDP are leading in province-wide support, and only 25 per cent of Albertans approve of how the UCP government has responded the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kenney may be in complete control of his party today, but history shows that Conservative parties in Alberta can be ruthless towards leaders who become liabilities at the ballot box. Just ask Don Getty, Ralph Klein, Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford.
Tags ABTraceTogether App, Alberta NDP, Alison Redford, COVID-19 Pandemic, Deena Hinshaw, Don Getty, Doug Schweitzer, Ed Stelmach, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, Lethbridge-West, Rachel Notley, Ralph Klein, Shannon Phillips, Tyler Shandro, United Conservative Party
Episode 64: Pandemic, Partisanship, and Post-Secondary Education in Alberta
2 Comments on Episode 64: Pandemic, Partisanship, and Post-Secondary Education in Alberta
Melanee Thomas
Melanee Thomas joined Dave Cournoyer for a deep dive into Alberta's politics during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the relationship between the provincial and federal governments, and how Albertans' political self-identification could be influencing Premier Jason Kenney's decision to avoid serious public health measures including a province-wide mandatory mask mandate. Thomas also shared what it has been like to teach at a university during the global pandemic.
Thomas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary.
Find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or you can email us at podcast@daveberta.ca. Thanks for listening.
Tags Adam Rozenhart, Alberta Election Podcast, Alberta NDP, Alberta Podcast, Alberta Podcast Network, Alberta Politics Podcast, Black Adder, COVID-19 Pandemic, Dave Cournoyer, Daveberta Podcast, Jason Kenney, Melanee Thomas, Podcast, Tyler Shandro, United Conservative Party, University of Calgary
Alberta politics this week… where do I even start?
12 Comments on Alberta politics this week… where do I even start?
It's 9:30 p.m. I'm sitting down in my living room with the intention of writing a piece about what happened in Alberta politics this week. But where the heck do I even start?
I could write about Premier Jason Kenney's growing focus on not alienating anti-vaxxers following his recent announcement about the potential distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021. Or I could write about how Health Minister Tyler Shandro amplified Kenney's comments that basically amount to protecting anti-vaxxers from a vaccine that could stop a pandemic that has almost ground many part of our society and economy to a halt this year.
I could also write about Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw's announcement today that there were more than 1,800 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 new deaths in Alberta. Overworked doctors and nurses also remain concerned that understaffed hospitals could be overwhelmed by the growing number of new COVID-19 cases in Alberta. And Alberta remains the only province without a province-wide mandatory mask mandate.
I would like to write about the steady stream of information leaks coming from the Alberta government to the media and the NDP opposition, which has led to stories about public health advice presented to cabinet, modelling projections and the government's plans to set up Red Cross and federal government field hospitals in Alberta.
I could write about how in a radio interview this week, Kenney singled out the South Asian community in northeast Calgary as spreaders of COVID-19. I could also write about City Councillor George Chahal's response, tweeting that Kenney "should focus on those knowingly putting our frontline workers and their families at risk by violating public health orders, not the people working the jobs we need to keep our city going during a global pandemic."
I might also write about the handful of recent public opinion polls that suggest the Kenney government is continuing to flounder. Kenney's approval rating has dropped to 40 per cent, according to a recent Angus Reid survey, and the United Conservative Party fell behind the New Democratic Party in a voter intention poll conducted by Environics and commissioned by CUPE Alberta.
But I also might pen a piece about how politicians from other provinces are starting to refer to Alberta to downplay the spread of COVID in their own provinces.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott, the wife of Kenney's former colleague the late Jim Flaherty, singled out Alberta during Question Period at Queen's Park earlier this week.
"You want to speak about who is in crisis? Have you taken a look at Alberta, where they're doubling up patients in intensive care units? We're not doing that in Ontario," Elliott said.
And our neighbours to the north are even asking questions about us. Northwest Territories MLA Kevin O'Reilly is asking whether the territory will stop sending patients to Alberta.
I might delve into why the Alberta government has left at least $300 million on the table that could be used to pay top-up wages to health-care workers, correctional officers, first responders and other essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alberta Senator Paula Simons asked about that in Ottawa this week.
Or I could write about how the Alberta government's own data seems to contradict Environment & Parks Minister Jason Nixon's claims about provincial parks being shuttered and privatized because of low usage.
I could try to figure out what in the world Red Deer-South UCP MLA Jason Stephan means when he raised red flags about "socialist decarbonization" during a private members statement in the Legislative Assembly this week. But that might take a series of think-pieces to even attempt to explain.
Now I'm getting tired, so I'll leave you with these thoughts and a tweet from William Shatner, aka Captain James T. Kirk, about the Alberta government's stubborn refusal to adopt the federal CovidAlert Tracing app.
Tags Alberta NDP, Alberta Parks Privatization, Alberta Provincial Parks, Angus Reid, Christine Elliott, COVID-19 Pandemic, CUPE Alberta, Deena Hinshaw, Environics, George Chahal, James T. Kirk, Jason Kenney, Jason Nixon, Jason Stephan, Jim Flaherty, Kevin O'Reilly, Paula Simons, Red Deer-South, Socialist decarbonization, Tyler Shandro, United Conservative Party, William Shatner


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In her words, the project, which is mostly produced by DJ Grumble, sounds like "modern, relaxed, turned up soul."
"Sometimes women are put in this box where we're only supposed to talk about certain things," the 25-year-old singer-songwriter shares in a press release. "I want to be braver and riskier. I think people want to hear that kind of honesty and frankness."
Drawing inspiration from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Minnie Riperton and Whitney Houston, Lennox's new EP shows she's looking to make her mark as a self-described "vulnerable and soulful; imperfect but pretty" singer, while also paying homage to those who paved the way before her.
Take a listen to Ari Lennox's new EP, PHO, below and also be sure to peep the visuals for her whimsical track "Backseat" here.
Written by KC Orcutt
(Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage)
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Australians languish on public waiting lists while public hospitals count the cash
May 17, 2017 | Posted in APHA News
Australians are languishing on waiting lists for elective surgery as public hospitals put cash ahead of patient need by pushing privately insured patients to the front of the elective surgery queue, according to new data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The Admitted patient care 2015-16: Australian hospital statistics report shows median waiting times for public hospital treatment for public patients is twice as long as for insured patients, illustrating the disastrous impact public hospitals' rorting of private health insurance is having on Australians' health.
For uninsured patients the wait for surgery in a public hospital can be up to seven times longer than privately insured patients. For example, coronary artery bypass graft waiting times are twice as long for the uninsured – which could be the difference between life and death.
Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) CEO Michael Roff said it was unconscionable that public hospitals were putting patient care at the bottom of their priority list to make a quick buck from private health insurance.
"The data is very clear, insured patients get to jump the queue in public hospitals while public patients are losing out. This is the exact opposite of what Medicare was supposed to do – provide access to health care for those who can least afford to pay for it.
"Access to public hospital services is supposed to be on the basis of clinical need, not the ability to pay. The fact that private patients are jumping the queue in public hospitals is certainly against the spirit, if not the letter, of the National Healthcare Reform Agreement.
"To force a patient with a serious heart condition to wait twice as long as an insured patient based on the hospital's ability to claim an insurance benefit is outrageous. Australians expect much more from their health system than that.
"These long waits will have a flow on effect on people's quality of life. Waiting more than four months, the median wait time for hip surgery, will mean patients are living with pain and limited movement, while public hospitals push the insured through the system in little over a month.
"This is not incidental, there has been a 10.5 percent increase in private patients treated in public hospitals each year in the five years to 2015-16. This compares with only 2.7 percent of public patients.
"Private hospitals already provide two thirds of the elective surgery performed in Australia every year, and are more efficient than the public system. If those privately insured patients had been treated in a private hospital, up to 50,000 more public patients could have had their surgery in 2015-2016.
Mr Roff said he was aware of patients being coerced into using their private health insurance in public hospitals.
"Public hospitals employ teams of people to encourage privately insured patients to use their insurance as a 'favour' to their public hospital. Of course people want to help out, but they don't realise their 'help' to the hospital might be hindering someone else's access to care.
"We also hear from many privately insured patients that their requests to be transferred to a private hospital are denied or delayed while additional tests and procedures are performed in an effort to exhaust private health insurance benefits. Very often patients are outright lied to and told the private hospital is full.
"All Australians should be outraged that this rort has been allowed to grow unabated. Something needs to be done before we start to count the cost in Australian lives," Mr Roff said.
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Business process reengineering is (BPR) often a business management strategy, originally pioneered within the early 1990s, concentrating on the analysis as well as design of workflows as well as business processes in a organization. BPR aimed to aid organizations fundamentally rethink where did they do their work so as to dramatically improve support services, cut operational charges, and become world-class opponents. Business process reengineering is also called business process overhaul, business transformation, or business process transform management.


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A: Even from a young age, your baby is likely to pick up on and react to your tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. She notices when you're uncomfortable around another person and... I don�t get along with my in laws for several reasons which I summarise below. I had an arranged marriage and I married my husband a week after meeting him.
With in-laws who live close by, the trick is to avoid an ugly confrontation but still get what you need. If you don't want your in-laws tagging along on every special outing, just keep mum about the immediate-family-only ones. If one of the kids spills the beans, explain that you've already made plans but you'd love to have them over for supper later in the week instead. Especially if you... 1. Adjust your mindset. Possibly, the most important step toward compromise begins with yourself. �Shift your thinking from a single perspective to a collective one,� Askia advises.
My girlfriend was telling me last night how her soon-to-be-in-laws and her parents are best friends�they do everything together. They go on "double dates"...... There are many problems which can arise when you are in a relationship and one of the most difficult to negotiate can be your place in your extended family, particularly if relations between you are strained.
Having having two sets of parents to lean on means including the in-laws in your life.
How to get Along with the In-Laws, even if you Don�t . I am so fortunate to have a great father-in-law and my mother-in-law always knew how to put smile on my face.
Generally speaking, the divorce rate is lower for people who have good relationships with their in-laws. However, the sad reality is that the majority of husbands and wives do not.
I have two mother in laws and two father in laws (my husband's mom and stepdad, and dad and stepmom). They've all been around since my husband was very little. We see all four of them fairly regularly and we generally get along.
How to Get Along With Your Mother-In-Law When establishing and maintaining a relationship with your mother-in-law, it's helpful to follow some guidelines that all healthy relationships share. This will help you maintain a positive relationship with your mother-in-law, as well as set things right when tensions arise.


Students may indicate on their FAFSA if they are interested in a work-study position. Work-study eligibility is based on established financial need and enrollment in a degree or eligible certificate program. Students must be enrolled at least half-time. Jobs are located on campus and the work schedule is arranged around the student's class schedule. See the Federal Work Study Student Handbook, located under the Financial Aid Forms button for more information.
An installment plan is available for those students who must pay all or a portion of their tuition. Students can learn more about this service at www.MyCollegePaymentPlan.com/cf.
Students are strongly encouraged to research and exhaust all other resources before choosing to borrow a Stafford Loan. These resources include CF Institutional Scholarships, Federal Work Study and the Tuition Installment Plan. If, after exhausting all other resources, you need to consider a student loan, contact the Financial Aid Office.
By federal regulation, all first-time borrowers of Stafford loans (subsidized or unsubsidized), at the College of Central Florida must have the first disbursement(s) of their loan(s) delayed 30 days from the start of classes. This applies only to the first semester of attendance in which a Stafford Loan is borrowed and all eligibility requirements must be met before any disbursement of a loan.
• Disbursement 1: 50% of the total loan amount will be disbursed after the drop/add period has ended, per the college calendar (first-time borrowers at the College of Central Florida are subject to a mandatory 30 day delay of their first disbursement).
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Based in Carlisle, John Darwell is one of the UK's leading contemporary photographers. His work has been published and exhibited internationally, including in London, Amsterdam, the USA, Mexico, South America and the Canary Islands.
He is represented in a number of important collections, including those of the National Media Museum, Bradford, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
2007 marks the 25th anniversary of John Darwell's first exhibition. In celebration, the photographer and Paul Herrmann Director of Redeye, the photography network for the North West, has curated this important retrospective for Tullie House, using his experience and insight as a photographer to make very personal connections with Darwell's back catalogue of projects. Working closely with Darwell, Herrmann will concentrate on images that singly, and in combination, both redraw the impression we have of John Darwell as a photographer, and present us with a view of the world as fresh and compelling as the day the work was made.
Each of John Darwell's projects takes us on both an internal and external journey. Early projects, such as Working Lives, Legacy and The Big Ditch, focused particularly on political and social themes, but resonated because of their intensely personal perspective. Meanwhile, later work such as Black Dog Came Calling and The Garden of Earthly Delights is overtly personal, but gives us images that can be taken as universal metaphors. When presenting his images to an audience, Darwell often describes himself as an 'explorer' and elaborates that this is an internal as well as external process. Also important is the trajectory of recent social history, from 70s activism to 90s hedonism and beyond. John Darwell's work both grows from that and challenges it.


Last week, New York state shocked the nation by passing an abortion law that allows pregnant women to terminate their pregnancies up until their due dates. The progressive law is the first of its kind, but New York appears to only be the first of many states who are considering adopting similar legislation. New York now has one of the most radical abortion laws in the nation, and while abortion is nationally legal under Roe v. Wade, many states have written their laws to define unborn babies as human beings.
Here is a list of 13 states that define the unborn as people.
Alabama made headlines in 2017 when they declared that an unborn baby was a person. The States legislation that declares this claim was passed into law in 2006 and says that a person, as defined under their criminal code, is "a human being, including an unborn child in utero at any stage of development, regardless of viability." Any person who intentionally causes harm to the mother causing her to lose her unborn child or who causes direct harm to the unborn child can be charged with criminal homicide or homicide. While Alabama does consider an unborn child a person, this law does not apply in regard to abortion.
Again, these laws do not apply to pregnant women who choose to have abortions, but they do make an important distinction of when the state believes life begins.
Idaho breaks down the term "unborn child" using more technical terms. Under their feticide definition, the state defines an "embryo" and "fetus" as any human in utero. The term "embryo" refers to the development of a baby between the second and eighth weeks after fertilization. After the eighth week of pregnancy, the embryo is typically referred to as a fetus.
In Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas the states' laws define an "unborn child" as a human being from the time of fertilization until birth. Illinois' criminal law says, "'unborn child' shall mean any individual of the human species from fertilization until birth." In Kansas, under "Alexa's Law, "'unborn child' means a living individual organism of the species homo sapiens, in utero, at any stage of gestation from fertilization to birth." Kentucky's legislation echoes Kansas' nearly identically. Mississippi, Texas and Oklahoma more specifically refer to unborn babies at "human beings." In Tennessee, the terms "another," "individuals" and "another person" include a human embryo or fetus at any stage of gestation in utero.
Michigan perhaps has the strictest fetal homicide laws of the bunch. While in all of the above-mentioned states, abortion is permitted under their regulations, Michigan lays out a different set of rules. The state's legislation reads, "Death of quick child or mother from use of medicine, etc., with intent to destroy such child—Any person who shall administer to any woman pregnant with a quick child any medicine, drug or substance whatever, or shall use or employ any instrument or other means, with intent thereby to destroy such child, unless the same shall have been necessary to preserve the life of such mother, shall, in case the death of such child or of such mother be thereby produced, be guilty of manslaughter." According to U.S. Legal, a "quick child" is a fetus that has developed enough to move within a mother's womb. This includes but is not limited to fetal heartbeats, measurably fetal brainwaves and discernable movement, U.S. Legal's website states. This would mean abortion would be illegal in Michigan after a heartbeat can be detected unless the mother's life is at risk.


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A very good ant imitation that you can see, and will catch fish too. The bright poly post on this fly really helps in spotting the fly on the water, and the tutorial should help answer any questions about tying parachute style flies.
This fly tying video was posted in Terrestrials and tagged ant, terrestrials.


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You receive our high quality FirstClass Gourmet Vanilla Beans of aprox. 16 -18 cm., in an aroma sealed package.


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I often enjoy wandering about the farm looking for interesting photos. Sometimes I find some, most of the time I don't. Here are a few shots I came up with Sunday afternoon. Make sure you click on them for larger versions!
In a nature shot I would typically want all of the scene in focus, but in this case the background wasn't particularly interesting, maybe even a bit distracting and busy. But when it's blurry I think it makes for an interesting photo.
This photo is a good example of something I was talking about the other day. I rarely use black and white, and when I do it's usually because I think the color distracts the viewer from noticing the shapes. In this case the original photo looked like an ordinary tree. You see a sea of green leaves and I think it causes your instincts to say "its a tree" and you move on. But when you subtract the color it forces you to look at the shapes, and I think the shapes are the interesting part of this photo.


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'Iraqi Women's Participation in Peacebuilding Across Local, National and Global Contexts'
presented by Yasmin Chilmeran (The Swedish Institute of International Affairs)
In recent decades, and especially since the adoption of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, there is an increasing emphasis on women's roles in peacebuilding and security processes. In Iraq, this has taken many forms since the US-led invasion in 2003. In this seminar, I will share early analysis of case studies of peacebuilding programmes from a larger post-doc project, which explores women's participation in peacebuilding across different security and spatial contexts in Iraq. This seminar will also delve into theoretical frameworks that highlight space, violence and hierarchy as a way to understand these programmes and women's roles within them. This seminar also presents an opportunity to discuss developing post-PhD research projects and how to build on the momentum and findings we develop within our doctoral projects as Early Career Researcher.
Yasmin Chilmeran is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs' Middle East and North Africa Programme, and a research affiliate at the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, where she completed a visiting fellowship in spring 2021. She completed her PhD at Monash University's Centre for Gender, Peace and Security in 2020. Yasmin's research interests centre on gender and security issues in post-conflict settings generally – with a focus on the Middle East region and Iraq in particular. She specifically examines questions on women's participation in peacebuilding, civil society, and the implementation and contestation of international gender frameworks in post-conflict settings, including the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Moderated by Dr Hadeel Abdelhameed.
Hadeel Abdelhameed is a research fellow at The German institute Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Foundation Office Syria and Iraq (KAS), and the Iraqi-theatre principle investigator and archivist at the Australian Online Theatre and Drama Database AusStage. She completed her PhD at La Trobe University/ Theatre and Drama Program in 2019. Abdelhameed's research interests are about the Iraqi gender politics and culture focusing on times of war and conflict. Currently, she is investigating the role of Iraqi women in the upcoming Iraqi elections 2021. Her research examines the gender gaps and opportunities to promote Iraqi women's political inclusion. Abdelhameed's policy- based project aims at providing achievable solutions that address Iraqi women's marginalisation in the electoral and political processes.
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One of my favorite combinations for fall has always been denim on denim. Each year it never ceases to amaze me how simple and sophisticated it can look.
Even though the shades of denim are very similar, the patchwork denim of the shirt helps to break up this monotone look. Like the post from last week, investing in a nice denim shirt will also give you endless options for outfits. I love to wear mine with black or white jeans and boots. I will often let my accessories be ones that pop out. I decided to wear a neutral taupe knee high boot, and added color with the mustard bag.
On Instagram, you may have seen me post this picture. I was wearing the same denim shirt with grey jeans, and added a bandana to this look! This outfit was really unexpected for me, but I love the way that it turned out.
I'm obsessed with your shoes! And what a great denim look!
Such a lovely denim on denim look. I love those boots so much!!
you look great in this denim look!
Super cute outfit! I love the shirt.
Obsessed with the denim jeans!