[Gronk!]

Smith’s trip to Middle East draws criticism amid back-to-school mandate

The same day Alberta’s government invoked the notwithstanding clause to bring teachers back to work, Premier Danielle Smith boarded a plane.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[bodsbods9090]

If you're going to bring back to work legislation/notwithstanding clause and have it pushed through, show up and speak to it in debate. She took the cowards way out.

They could have changed her flight and all that but she chose to leave the country instead. I don't care if it was a pre-planned trip, move things around and don't take the cowards way out.

 

[Airboy]

And then add boundary changes for the next election that will favor the UCP.

 

[The_Cat]

Looks like these boundaries are the preliminary ones: https://abebc.ca/reports/maps/

 

[trevorhayden]

Calgary and Edmonton seat change is +4 while rest of Alberta is -2, following the trend of recent redistributions. Rural areas still overrepresented, but this report bodes well for Albertans.

 

[constance_chlore]

The NDP needs a net pick-up of six seats in the next election to have a clear majority. Not saying that that'll be easy, but these redrawn boundaries could make a big difference. Calgary (where the NDP now has 14/26 seats) will still be the big battleground.

 

[Whattagame]

Calgary and Edmonton seat change is +4 while rest of Alberta is -2, following the trend of recent redistributions. Rural areas still overrepresented, but this report bodes well for Albertans.

Did they end up blending rural and urban ridings? If so, the Edmonton & Calgary pickups could still give more weight to the rural vote.

 

[Gronk!]

Alberta’s plan to add ‘Strong and Free’ on licence plates hits trademark speed bump | Globalnews.ca

The change of slogan on Alberta's licence plates from 'Wild Rose Country' to 'Strong and Free' could possibly violate the trademark a New Brunswick business has held since 2022.

globalnews.ca

‘General strike if necessary’: Alberta unions declare intent to bring down UCP government | Globalnews.ca

Leaders from unions representing hundreds of thousands of Albertans stood in solidarity while saying they are exploring the process or triggering a general, province-wide strike.

globalnews.ca

 

[David A]

The NDP needs a net pick-up of six seats in the next election to have a clear majority. Not saying that that'll be easy, but these redrawn boundaries could make a big difference. Calgary (where the NDP now has 14/26 seats) will still be the big battleground.

Somehow I doubt Smith will be as popular if oil remains around $60, as opposed to over $100 around the time of the last election. I don't believe she will be able to buy or spend her way out of her problems next time.

 

[trevorhayden]

While the report is still vulnerable to politics, looks like Canmore, Spruce Grove, Beaumont, Cochrane and Okotoks got the brunt of rurban redistributions. Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, and Airdrie didn't get back their urban ridings from the last redistribution.

The biggest changes for Edmonton is Enoch will be joined into the urban ridings, Edmonton- Riverview is being cut and split between Glenora and Strathcona, and two new ridings in the deep south.

 

[David A]

While the report is still vulnerable to politics, looks like Canmore, Spruce Grove, Beaumont, Cochrane and Okotoks got the brunt of rurban redistributions. Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, and Airdrie didn't get back their urban ridings from the last redistribution.

The biggest changes for Edmonton is Enoch will be joined into the urban ridings, Edmonton- Riverview is being cut and split between Glenora and Strathcona, and two new ridings in the deep south.

Somewhat like other provinces, in Alberta big cities lean a certain way and rural areas another, so the battle again may be partly fought in the suburban areas. It was a disappointment last election that the NDP could not do better in places like Morinville and other communities close to Edmonton.

 

[policyenthusiast]

Somehow I doubt Smith will be as popular if oil remains around $60, as opposed to over $100 around the time of the last election. I don't believe she will be able to buy or spend her way out of her problems next time.

I generally stay pretty open-minded about the UCP's re-election chances, but I don't see them bouncing back from their handling of the teacher strike.

 

[Gus Haynes]

Unifying Banff and Jasper is really good (and pleasantly surprising to me). Jasper votes very progressively but is swamped by deep conservative votes in the rest of its constituency. It will have a lot more kinship with Banff and Canmore voters and should help Sarah Elmeligi's re-election chances.

 

[trevorhayden]

Where will Lori Sigurdson run? Maybe once Nenshi runs in Calgary, she will run in Strathcona?

 

[The_Cat]

I looked at a few ridings and I found it weird that rural Strathcona County had half of Beaumont.