Author Archives: susanonthesoapbox

Mr Kenney’s Fair Deal Panel

Posted on November 10, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

They just keep coming, fast and furious, like water gushing from a firehose.    Yesterday Mr Kenney announced the formation of the Fair Deal Panel, the latest in a suite of things Mr Kenney says we need to protect ourselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Justice, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , | 68 Comments

The Anti-Alberta Energy Inquiry (Thank God for Lawyers)

Posted on November 3, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

In his book On Tyranny historian Timothy Snyder sets out twenty lessons from the 20th century to help democracies resist the “the usurpation of power by a single individual or group, or the circumvention of law by rulers for their … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Law, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , | 39 Comments

How did we get to Wexit?

Posted on October 27, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

“Is this democracy’s death spiral? Are we falling, in this and other countries, into a lethal cycle of fury and reaction, that blocks the reasoned conversation on which civic life depends?” – George Monbiot The cycle of conservative fury and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , , | 70 Comments

Greta Visits Alberta

Posted on October 20, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

“So today is Friday and as always, we are on Climate Strike, young people all around the globe are today sacrificing their education to bring attention to the climate and ecological emergency.”—Greta Thunberg On Friday my friend Elaine and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Disasters, Economy, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics and Government, Science | Tagged , , , | 48 Comments

Some Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Posted on October 13, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

Usually the thought of Thanksgiving invokes images of family and friends sitting around the dining room table enjoying good food, sparkling conversation and laughter…as well as reminiscing over past thanksgiving disasters like Ms Soapbox’s stuffing that was as dry as … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Justice, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 38 Comments

An Interview with Beverley McLachlin, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada

Posted on October 6, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

I was delighted when Shelley Youngblut, CEO & Creative Ringleader of Wordfest, asked if I would like to interview Beverley McLachlin, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, on stage before a live audience about her new book … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Justice, Feminism, Law, Rich and/or Famous | Tagged , , , , , | 23 Comments

Justin Trudeau in Blackface

Posted on September 22, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

Ms Soapbox just returned from Italy with a miserable head cold, jet lag and no luggage.  In this pathetic state she is trying to make sense of the Trudeau/blackface stories that have dominated the news for the last week.  Trudeau … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Government | Tagged , , , | 66 Comments

When Goliath Thinks He’s David

Posted on September 15, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

Ms Soapbox and her daughter were admiring the statues in the Borghese Gallery in Rome when Amnesty International published an open letter expressing its concern that Mr Kenney’s decision to fund a $30 million war room and a $2.5 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Crime and Justice, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Politics and Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 39 Comments

The Magical Ms M and the Blue Ribbon Panel on Finances

Posted on September 8, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

When Jason Kenney asked former finance minister Janice MacKinnon “to conduct a deep dive into Alberta’s fiscal situation” he told her to deliver recommendations to balance the budget by 2023 and develop a plan to retire the province’s debt without … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Education, Employment, General Health Care, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , | 50 Comments

Albertans: “People of Destiny”

Posted on September 1, 2019 by susanonthesoapbox

On Sept 1 Premier Kenney wished Alberta a happy birthday.   Not once in his video message did he mention Canada.  It was as if Alberta became a province in 1905 only to float around in No Mans Land for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrations, Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , | 62 Comments