Author Archives: susanonthesoapbox

Is Alison Redford The Next Kim Campbell?

Posted on March 4, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

Kim who…?  (You young ‘uns crack me up).  Kim Campbell was the 19th prime minister of Canada.  She held that auspicious office for less than 5 months before being obliterated by a Liberal landslide and taking the rest of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Politics and Government | Tagged , | 8 Comments

In the Hands of Squints and Politicians

Posted on February 26, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

The state of Alberta healthcare is the most important issue facing Alberta voters—and it’s resting in the hands of squints and politicians.  Lord help us! A “squint”, like his compatriots the geek and the quant, is a highly trained technical … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Politics and Government | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Lunch with Larry Summers: Informative but Weird

Posted on February 19, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

Last Monday I had lunch with Larry Summers.  Well, to be precise I and 249 politicians and business people attended a luncheon sponsored by Jack Mintz of the U of C School of Public Policy.  Larry Summers was the keynote … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Budget 2012 – The “Hockey Stick” Budget

Posted on February 12, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

Don’t you just love accountants?  I’m serious.  Every year accountants are given the thankless task of preparing “The Budget” and every year, bless their little number crunching hearts, they deliver—only to see their hard work go off the rails and … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , | 2 Comments

“Why I Joined The Wildrose Party”

Posted on February 5, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

Before anyone has a coronary, that’s not “Why I (as in me) joined the Wildrose Party” but rather why Guy Boutilier joined the Wildrose Party.  But first, another question—why did a 69 year old woman, dressed up in a garbage … Continue reading →

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

“Follow the Money” – The Coles Notes Version

Posted on January 29, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

Government is all about money—finding it, spending it and saving it.  Politics is all about where you find the money, who you spend it on and how much, if any, you save.  The trifecta for any political party is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , | 20 Comments

The Keystone XL Pipeline: Trapped in Silly Season

Posted on January 22, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

TCPL’s Keystone XL pipeline may not be dead, but it is mortally wounded thanks to President Obama’s refusal to grant a presidential permit allowing XL to proceed.  Many blame Alberta’s Conservative government for not doing enough to ensure that Keystone … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | 13 Comments

What Do Alison Redford and George Orwell Have in Common?

Posted on January 15, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

Premier Redford and the novelist George Orwell have one thing in common—they recognize the value of euphemisms in political discourse. A euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression used in place of one that is too harsh or … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Ken Hughes in the Crosshairs

Posted on January 8, 2012 by susanonthesoapbox

Update:  It’s official.  On Jan 21/12 Ken Hughes was narrowly defeated on the 3rd ballot by Shiraz Shariff.  Good move on the part of the PCs.  Bad news for the opposition parties–the job of taking Calgary West away from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Politics and Government | Tagged | 8 Comments

Allison Redford’s New Years Resolutions

Posted on December 31, 2011 by susanonthesoapbox

The only thing more irritating than your own New Year’s resolutions are those made for you by someone else.  Nevertheless, I’ve created 10 New Year’s resolutions for Alison Redford.  Hey, she’s busy preparing for the spring election, I’m sure she’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Government | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments