Monday, December 7, 2009

vote now: top alberta political moment of the decade.

Voting is now open in the first round of "Alberta's top political moment of the decade." Thank you to everyone for the numerous nominations that were submitted over the past few weeks. You can vote daily the moments of your choice until Saturday, December 12, 2009. The top 10 moments will move on to the final round of voting next week.







Top Alberta Political Moment of the '00s?

2000: Thousands of Albertans protest the passage of private health care Bill 11.

2001: Ralph Klein defeated his long time rival Liberal leader Nancy MacBeth.

2001: Ralph Klein berated the homeless in a late night visit to a men's shelter in Edmonton.

2001: Dave Bronconnier elected as Mayor of Calgary in a tight three-way contest.

2002: Alberta teachers strike for weeks, leading to a longtime souring of gov-teacher relations.

2003: Mad cow disease found in Alberta, triggering years of farm crisis and trade bans.

2003: Shell opened up first new oilsands plant in Fort Mac since the 1970s.

2004: In honour of Monty Python, Klein created Ministry of Restructuring and Govt Efficiency (RAGE).

2004: Ralph Klein declared fiscal debt erased, making Alberta the first debt-free province in decade

2004: Stephen Harper became leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

2004: Stephen Mandel defeated incumbent Bill Smith and becomes Mayor of Edmonton

2004: Election: Opposition breakthroughs, Liberals breakthrough in Calgary.

2005: Gay marriage finally becomes legal in Alberta.

2006: In final attempt to expand privatized health care, Ralph Klein launched "Third Way" reforms.

2006: Ralph Klein threw the Liberal Health Care policy book at a 17-year old Legislature page.

2006: Ralph Klein received 55.4% approval in the PC leadership review.

2006: $400 Ralphbucks cheques mailed to every Albertan.

2006: Calgary MP Stephen Harper became the Prime Minister of Canada.

2006: Edmonton Liberal MP Anne McLellan was defeated after 13 years in office.

2006: Ed Stelmach defeated Jim Dinning in the PC leadership contest.

2007: Alberta's energy regulator caught hiring a PI to eavesdrop on powerline opponents' phone calls

2007: Don Iveson defeats incumbent Mike Nickel in the Edmonton City Council election.

2007: Alberta increases resource royalties charged to energy companies.

2008: EdStelmach.ca

2008: Election: Ed Stelmach's PC were re-elected with a 72-seat majority in the Legislature.

2008: Thousands of ducks die in the Syncrude tailing ponds in Alberta's oil sands.

2008: Linda Duncan defeated Rahim Jaffer to become the second-ever NDP MP from Alberta.

2009: Bill 44 was passed in the Alberta Legislature.

2009: Amid global recession and falling natural gas prices, Alberta returns to deficit.

2009: Danielle Smith was elected as leader of the Wildrose Alliance.
pollcode.com free polls




When you are done voting in this contest, make sure to check out Calgary Grit's Canadian Political Moment of the Decade contest.

29 comments:

  1. I am disappointed that the “Nooo Plannn” campaign did not make it on this list, as it was a much more importaint event as compared to Klein throwing a book at a page, or his late night visit to a homeless shelter.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't believe No Plan didn't make it but EdStelmach.ca did. That's ridiculous, and more than a little self-serving and vain Dave.

    I wouldn't even remember it outside of the context of this website.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the comments. There were a lot of nominated moments that didn't make the list. I would suggest that the No Plan ads would fall under the 2008 Election choice, as they played a significant role in that election period.

    EdStelmach.ca was nominated and separate from other events. As for being self-serving, it wasn't my intention, but this is my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What the hell is "No Plan"?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my (***)(censored due to bill 44) Where have you been Anon 8:56pm during the last Provincial Election ?

    ReplyDelete
  6. You honestly think that some forgettable and bland tv ads run during an election campaign qualify as a significant political moment of the last decade? It would take something a bit more scandalous, perhaps mocking a partial facial paralysis, to come close to meeting that standard.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Won't it be awful if Klein's inebriated antics at the homeless shelter became the defining political moment of our decade?

    ReplyDelete
  8. "You honestly think that some forgettable and bland tv ads run during an election campaign qualify as a significant political moment of the last decade? "

    Well, if the question is what will be in the history books 30-40 years from now, it qualifies more than some. After all, it led to a law that forbids third party advertising. It was a cause to an effect.

    But by that standard, I figure it has to be Klein's 55%, Harper becoming PM, or Bill 44. With the benefit of hindsight, we may say Danielle Smith being elected, but it's far too soon to tell. The rest of it is just the doldrums of a political boring province, with little to no long term effect. Can we honestly say Don Iveson beating Mike Nickel will be talked about in 30-40 years?

    This contest depresses me - it just reminds me how little goes on here in Alberta.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Partisan and personal comments aside the defining political moment for Alberta was embarking on the road to and becoming debt free. We're not talking about political battles of the day or personal f*ck-ups. We should be considering what in the last 10 years defines us, as a province. Whether it was by luck or good management Alberta was held out as an example, not just to the rest of Canada but the world. In terms of Canada one only has to look at gov't policies in BC and Saskatchewan as they try to learn from Alberta's successes and mistakes in moving forward.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The "No Plan" campaign was only significant in that it contributed to Liberal losses in the last election. I suppose in that way, you could say it altered the political landscape. Otherwise, I'd venture that there are some self-absorbed AFL members posting here.

    But in terms of sigificant, lasting impact, I'd say either Klein's lacklustre 55% approval vote, or Stelmach's selection as leader qualify. It's too early to say whether Danielle Smith's election to leader of WAP will be a defining moment.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't think the ralphbucks were the same year as the leadership vote

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ralphbucks were announced in September 2005 and distributed in January 2006.

    ReplyDelete
  13. ""self-absorbed AFL members posting here""

    We'll your wrong on that front, as least when it comes to my postings. My take is that the unions in Alberta want to be involved politically and if the parties will not engage the unions and their membership then don't be suprised if they do something, anything, so at least they are involved at some level. Unions have been a political agent of change in many countries around the world, why not Alberta ?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Why not in the least unionized province in Canada, Anonymous 8:59? if this was a top Alberta labour political moment issue, "no plan" wouldn't even rank up there with the teachers' strike, unless we have short memories and love our navels.


    Oh, and geez, we all forget to have "Eliminated health-care premiums, for bettter or worse" on the list.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The NDP have ruined Dave's poll. I received an automated email bombed out from one of their organizers asking people to come here and vote for Linda Duncan.

    Duncan's win was fun for the left, I'm sure, but it is so far removed from the most important political events of the decade. It actually speaks volumes about the left's detachment from voters & reality that they think a single MP's one time win is the biggest news over this province's last 10 years.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anon 10:02 here. My beef isn't with unions participating in democracy. I said no such thing. I'm addressing delusional people who think the No Plan campaign was the defining moment in the last 10 years, when in reality it was a blip.

    As the post above points out, the teachers' strike is far more noteworthy. It actually affected people.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The NDP have ruined Dave's poll. I received an automated email bombed out from one of their organizers asking people to come here and vote for Linda Duncan.

    Duncan's win was fun for the left, I'm sure, but it is so far removed from the most important political events of the decade. It actually speaks volumes about the left's detachment from voters & reality that they think a single MP's one time win is the biggest news over this province's last 10 years.


    Who cares? Its an internet poll. Its for fun.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The NDP have ruined Dave's poll. I received an automated email bombed out from one of their organizers asking people to come here and vote for Linda Duncan.

    Shorter version - WAAAAAAA, I'M LOSING!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. You're kidding? The NDP is actually sending out emails to try to win the Daveberta poll?

    Dave, what are your thoughts on the gerrymandering of your poll? Or is the end goal just more traffic to your blog?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Linda Duncan beating Jaffer was not only the most important political moment in Alberta in the last decade, it was far and away the most significant political event on earth in 2008.

    Can we delude ourselves into thinking we're important?

    Yes We Can!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I doubt that Linda Duncan's election victory really was the top moment of the decade, this is an open contest, and like democracy, it is decisions are made by those who show up.

    ReplyDelete
  22. At least we now know what all those NDP organizers are wasting their time on. It sure hasn't been membership drives or constituency building.

    I can see Lou Arab telling party staff that if they win the war on the Internets a majority guvament can't be far behind. Praise the leader!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Well this has gotten out of hand hasn't it?

    There has been no 'automated email bomb' put out by the NDP. At least none that I've gotten, and I'm on every freaking list the NDP has. Just because there is a mention from an anonymous poster saying that, doesn't make it true.

    That doesn't mean there hasn't been a little encouragement to vote in the poll. I personally posted it on my Facebook wall. I agree it's wasting time, but frankly - that's what 99% of web surfing is.

    Why my name has to come up on this blog anytime the NDP is mentioned is beyond me. I don't "tell" the NDP staff anything. I haven't even been to an NDP meeting or event since the last convention. If you have a problem with the way the NDP is run, you need to do something about it other than post anonymous gripes on blogs. Find a new bogeyman - you are wasting your time on me.

    As for the poll Linda Duncan's victory was significant to some people, myself included. Our votes count for as much as anyone else.

    Even in Alberta.

    ReplyDelete
  24. NDP organizer gets out the vote on a silly online poll and all the Liberals do is whine about it. I guess with no staff and no money there isn't much else they can do...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Liberals look at list, realize they have accomplished nothing in the last 10 years, and try to denigrate the NDP for celebrating the fact they have something to celebrate.

    ReplyDelete
  26. What do the NDP have to celebrate? Electing one MP? Brian Mason's hegemony over the Alberta NDP Party? When expectations are already so low...

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm rubber you are glue...

    One MP is one more than the red team.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm surprised that Uncle Ed's stunning defeat of the Jim Dinning machine isn't scorring a lot higher.

    I do agree with some of the comments made to the effect that this poll demonstrates just how bland Alberta politics really is. This poll and the ensuing reaction should probably make it on its own top ten list.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I would argue that the the "Nooo Plan" advertisments were not particularily notable in and of themselves, but that they DID demonstrate that political actors outside of traditional parties were willing to take the gloves off and actually take the fight to the government of the day.

    That's unusual in Alberta, as usually these sorts of actors try to work at accomodation with the government...and often get co-opted in the process.

    Does anyone else find it passing strange that "third party" advertising limits were imposed by the very same group of people who endorsed previous support from groups like the National Citizens' Coalition or the BCNI? I guess "freedom of speech" is only extended to those who agree with the status quo, huh?

    ReplyDelete