So, how about last night's 18 minute, $145,000 prime-time infomercial?As it was already widly known that Ed Stelmach will be responding to the royalty review this afternoon, I'm still confused as to why Stelmach's Tories felt it necessary to use taxpayers dollars on an infomercial that was purposely vague?
As expected, Stelmach's much-awaited televised address Wednesday evening offered only vague hints on how he will ensure Albertans get the fair share the panel said they have been long denied.
I'm not sure what channel my friend Ken Chapman was watching (though as always, he has interesting observations), but at one point during Stelmach's less than inspiring performance, I thought that he was trying to sell me a condo at Del Boca Vista Phase III.
During the address, Stelmach took some vague swipes at his former boss, Ralph Klein, and his closed-door style of leadership (this probably would have been an effective strategy had Stelmach not been a member of Klein's inner-circle for nine-years and leads a government made up of the same Ministers and MLA's).
So, all eyes turn to this afternoon when Albertans will find out whether 'Accountability and Transparency" in the face of a challenge from Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft, the 'Our Fair Share' royalty review, and a damning report from Auditor General Fred Dunn will actually faze Ed Stelmach's Tories.
A challenge from Alberta Leader Kevin Taft?
ReplyDeleteAhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
So funny it hurts!
It didn't hurt as much as Stelmach's speech.
ReplyDeleteMan, that was the most painful 18 minutes of my life.
This Stelmach guy is useless.
It didn't hurt as much as Stelmach's speech.
ReplyDeleteMan, that was the most painful 18 minutes of my life.
I'm glad to see the Liberals take the position they did on the royalties situation. I suspect, in light of what the Premier hinted at last night, that Taft has positioned the Liberals between the Tories and the NDs, arguably not a bad place to be.
ReplyDeleteAnd now we have our answers.
ReplyDeleteEd Stelmach: "PLEASE don't call this a compromise!"
Sad. So Sad. Hopefully he's dumb enough to go to the polls on this.
Jan 1, 2009? We wanted results today Ed. Actually we wanted them yesterday.
Hate to point out the obvious, but about a dozen pieces of legslation can't be revised to fit the new royalty regime "today" ... or "yesterday" for that matter.
ReplyDeleteHeard that Taft couldn't respond to the government's royalty announcement today. Walked right by the press and said nothing. Later put out a very short release.
ReplyDeleteTHATS leadership!!!
Art, don't be stupid. The royalty review is sophistacted and complicated. Stelmach took 5 weeks to respond to Hunter and you expect Taft to respond in 5 minutes. Leadership does not include winging an unifomed kneejerk response. I am glad that Taft takes a thoughtful approach. THAT is leadership.
ReplyDeleteIf you watch closely you can see Ed's eyes move left-to-right as he reads the text.
ReplyDeleteWhat a knob. I wish I hadn't been talked into voting for him on that second ballot.
ED STELMACH IS NOT A LEADER!
ReplyDeleteSo why did Taft send the media a notice saying he would react right away? Why did he show up at the Premier's news conference?
ReplyDeleteSure the issue is complex, but the government reaction wasn't that unpredictable. It was well within the range of options most people predicted.
It took Taft five weeks to say ANYTHING on royalties, and two days after that, he apparently can't even come up with something coherent.
The NDP and the Alliance, with far fewer staff and resouces, seemed to be able to have something to say pretty quickly. But they seem to grasp the issue. Taft, not so much.
ND who?
ReplyDelete