Author Archives: susanonthesoapbox

“You’re fired!” Health Minister Horne Sacks the AHS Board

Posted on June 16, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

Last week Health Minister Horne out-trumped Donald Trump by firing not one but all 10 members of the Alberta Health Services Board—the board his government created in 2008 to deliver healthcare under a centralized delivery model. One expects such theatrics … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , | 41 Comments

Time to get Militant with your Doctor and the College of Physicians and Surgeons

Posted on June 9, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

Ms Soapbox has been in a quandary all week.  She was troubled by what she’d observed at the meeting of the College of Physicians and Surgeons governing council.  Finally the penny dropped.  The College is deadlocked and incapable of living … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Protect the Rights of the Rich? The College of Physicians and Surgeons Grapples with Concierge Clinics

Posted on June 2, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said to Ernest Hemingway, “You know, the rich are different from you and me.”  Hemingway replied, “Yes.  They’ve got more money”.* I was sitting in a meeting of the Council of the College of Physicians and … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Will Platts Pop Alberta’s “Bitumen Bubble”?

Posted on May 26, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

Platts, a global company with a remarkably flaccid name, finds itself smack in the middle of an international price fixing scandal and I really hope the Alberta government is paying attention!  Last week the European Commission storm troopers, sorry, inspectors, … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

“Campus Alberta”: Soviet Style Research and Development Comes to Alberta

Posted on May 19, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

Sigh…where to start?  The barrage of bad news spewing out of the Premier’s office has been so intense that the government’s Machiavellian takeover of post secondary institutions and research and development slipped by with relatively little public outcry. Sure, some … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 31 Comments

Conrad Black and Danielle Smith

Posted on May 12, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

Conrad Black, the Canadian media mogul and convicted felon* was in Calgary last week to have a “conversation” with the Calgary business elite (and me) over lunch at the Calgary Petroleum Club. The big question is why does Baron Black … Continue reading →

Posted in Lectures, Politics and Government, Rich and/or Famous | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Strike While the Iron is Hot: The Edmonton Remand Centre Labour Dispute

Posted on May 5, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

For years I’ve wondered whether unions had outlived their usefulness and were simply using their collective bargaining power to crank up wages and benefits at the expense of…well…who knows what.  But the wildcat strike arising out of the Edmonton Remand … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Justice, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Face of Terrorism

Posted on April 28, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

I’ve been to Washington DC many times, but this trip was different.  In addition to the usual buzz created by lobbyists, bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen who had places to go and people to see, there was a sense of unease.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Justice, Politics and Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

A Trip to the Mayo Clinic: Your dime or mine?

Posted on April 20, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

This past January Mr Soapbox and my youngest daughter (let’s call her Mini) went on a pilgrimage to the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  Unbeknownst to them they were following in the footsteps of Ms Michele Lahey, former Chief Operating … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Ms Soapbox’s Great Adventure—Off to the Leg (it rhymes with “edge”)

Posted on April 14, 2013 by susanonthesoapbox

Last week Ms Soapbox was introduced to the Legislative Assembly by Liberal MLA, Laurie Blakeman, the oldest (as in longest-serving, not age!) opposition MLA.  Ms Blakeman noted that Ms Soapbox was a lawyer but said the House wouldn’t hold that … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments