"ooga booga!"
Calgary Sun: Busy Bureaucrats by John Carpay.
CBC Saskatchewan: Romanow slams Klein's health care plan.
Edmonton Sun: Health-care critics slam Klein's plan.
Globe & Mail: Mr. Klein's health squib.
National Post: Alberta: Better Health Care for wealthy.
Ottawa Citizen: Alberta adds elite level of health care.
24 Hours News Service (Vancouver): Klein admits defeat.
Vive Le Canada: Rich Albertans get Private Health Care.
and my favorite...
Globe & Mail: King Ralph's Time has Come by John Ibbitson.
UPDATE: Rick Mercer has decided to join the "Slam Ralph Klein Day" festivities with some lovely tributes to our beloved leader. (Props to Manatee for the heads up!)
Ibbitson was vicious - loved his article.
ReplyDeleteI must say, I never really liked him but Ibbitson has grown on me a lot over the past few months as a columnist.
Just read the Ibbitson. I wonder how much will change under the next leader. It will be tough for the Conservatives to abandon their obstructionist, fear mongering ways after being oh so successful at the polls for oh so long. Though it is tough to argue with the premise "the sooner Ralph Klein steps down, the better".
ReplyDeleteHopefully Ibbitson is just getting the ball rolling!
ReplyDeleteYes, Ibbitson's article made my day quite a bit better. I love days such as these :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link Manatee! Those are awesome pics. Good on Rick for joining in on the celebrations!
ReplyDeleteI'm of the beleif that the Alberta PC's have reached the end of the line in terms of governing. They are a tired party with no new ideas. They have a HELL OF A LOT OF CASH, but that's about it. And cliche's can only buy you so many votes.
The PC's were granted a second chance when Klein came on in '92. They were behind in the polls and on the verge of getting turfed in favour of Laurence Decore's Liberals. Can the next PC Leader invent a new PC Party?
For the past 12 years, the Alberta PC's have been 'Ralph's' party - can they reinvent themselves again? It is yet to be seen, but I'm willing to bet no.
i wonder if ibbitson gets psychotic
ReplyDeletephone calls from rod love.
my predictin is klein gone by november 2005.
I'm sure that Commandant Love has dispatched his goon squad to 'take care' of Mr. Ibbitson.
ReplyDeleteI too believe that Lord Klein's final days on the throne will be numbered come this winter.
what a scary picture. He looks like he's 70 years-old.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should should award him the "most embarassing Premier since 1992 award"
ReplyDelete"I'm of the beleif that the Alberta PC's have reached the end of the line in terms of governing."
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right. I've worked on campaigns where the PC competition was an untalented, unknowledgable robot, and he's slaughtered my guy and all comers (all were in many respects more talented politicians than my conservative MLA)! I fear the PC name has enough (unjust, unearned and fear based) collateral saved up to coast to a majority... even if Ted Morton became leader.
Now that guy would give Klein a run for his money as most embarassing Premier all time.
in many cases the real election takes place at the tory nomination meeting. as we learned last time around there can be a lot of desperation tactics.
ReplyDelete*cough*Hung Pham*cough*Pearl Calahasen*cough*Mark Hlady*cough*Sukhi Randawa*cough*Ted Morton*cough*
ReplyDeletesore throat? ;-)
ReplyDeleteyep. sore throat. It's all these refineries in Edmonton...
ReplyDeleteYeah, robert. I agree, they can get pretty nasty. My favorite was the 'booze for votes' scadal in the Edmonton Gold Bar PC nomination. I can't believe they thought they would get away with something that moronic.
I really think it's unfortunate that there isn't more electoral competition in Alberta (outside Edmonton and central Calgary). I really think it has alot to do with the electoral system. The Tories haven't been getting all these massive majorities for 34 years because 90% of Albertans vote for them, it's because the stupid FPTP system distorts the results. Not to mention the gerrymandering and over-representation of rural Alberta in the Legislature that goes on here.
My kingdom for some democratic reform in Alberta!
But really, I do think that the Tories are at the end of their string (and it won't be a crazy right-wing quasi-separatist party that will replace them)