Views from the Beltline: Notley, like Lougheed, a hard act to follow
If I had to choose Alberta’s best premier I would go with Peter Lougheed, an exceptional leader, one of too few politicians who rose above politics to statesmanship. A strong defender of the province’s...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: When Trump and the left agreed
A recent article in The New York Times took me back to the latter decades of the 20th century and the debates over free trade agreements. The 1988 federal election was fought over the issue and the...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: MPs reject democratic upgrade
Canada is a very free country, but unfortunately not a very democratic one. Not when our electoral system consistently gives us governments that most of us don’t choose. For example, during the decade...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Trans enters the culture wars
Pierre Poilievre states that biological men should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports. I agree. But then I’m not aware of any biological men attempting to compete in women’s sports. Some...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Brian Mulroney—a consequential leader
I liked Brian Mulroney. He was just full of that rascally Irish charm. And a rascal he certainly was. Taking envelopes with large sums of money in hotel rooms from shady characters is not what one...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Coalitions get the job done
The most productive Canadian government in history is arguably that of Lester Pearson’s Liberal regime of 1963-68. Two consecutive minority governments, all that it accomplished depended on the...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Pass the Sustainable Jobs Act—now!
A critical part of transitioning to a sustainable future is ensuring workers are prepared and jobs are available in the new economy. A strong job action plan is required. This was included in the...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Measles redux
It’s back. Eliminated in 1998, thanks to vaccination, measles is making a comeback.This highly-contagious disease has been spreading around the world and there are now dozens of cases in this country,...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: The UCP’s war on renewables
Alberta, with excellent sun and wind resources, and the only deregulated electricity market in the country, is Canada’s renewable energy powerhouse. In 2023, 92 percent of the country’s growth in solar...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Nenshi goes provincial
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi has decided to follow in the political footsteps of former Calgary mayor Ralph Klein. Nenshi, like Ralph, went into his first mayoral campaign as a dark horse but...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: The Housefather fallacy
Liberal MP and prominent Israeli apologist, Anthony Housefather, has neatly expressed Canada’s approach to the illusory two-state solution proposed for Palestine. On Monday, the NDP proposed a motion...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Three strikes and …?
We Albertans have received three powerful, powerful messages from Mother Nature. Plain, undeniable lessons. Well, not quite undeniable. In the face of all reason and common sense, we do in fact deny...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: The most important history lesson
Alberta’s pursuit of a new K-12 public school curriculum has been a long slog. An ambitious curriculum re-development project was initiated by a Progressive Conservative government in 2008. The project...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Biden loses Ireland
The U.S. departed almost radically from an habitual practice on a resolution at a United Nations Security Council meeting Monday. It didn’t vote in Israel’s favour. The Council passed a resolution...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Happy birthday, NATO!
This month the North Atlantic Treaty Organization celebrates its 75th. And any individual would consider themselves fortunate it they were in as good shape. NATO first saw the light of day on April...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: What’s with our unhappy youth?
Why are old Canadians so happy and young Canadians so unhappy? That’s the story the World Happiness Report (WHR) tells us. Every year the report is issued by a partnership including Gallup, the Oxford...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Trump and Hitler: disturbing parallels
Many people think that Hitler was democratically elected chancellor of Germany. He wasn’t. In fact, some highly influential conservatives convinced President von Hindenburg to appoint him to the...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: The problem with democracy
Democracy, it seems, is going through a rough patch. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the world showed a “continuing democratic malaise” in 2023. The number of democratic countries...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Conservatives, party of the poor?
That headline is one I thought I would never write. “Conservatives, the party of the poor”—you must be joking. But that, in fact, is what a recent survey by Angus Reid indicated. And it was clear, as...
View ArticleViews from the Beltline: Budget ’24
Now about my tax dollars. Finance Minister Freeland tabled her 2024 budget Tuesday and, by and large, I approve. The signs are about right: the NDP non-committal and the Conservatives screaming. Some...
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