Athabasca University's Faculty Association called yesterday for the institution's president to be replaced by an interim president chosen from among senior staff.

On the face of it, this idea makes a lot of sense, since the president in question -- Dr. Frits Pannekoek -- announced back in December 2012 he's going to retire anyway, although a date has never been set for a departure that is certain to be greeted with relief by staff and faculty whenever it comes.

In Alberta, lawbreakers must be punished, and they will be punished -- unless, of course, they happen to be supporters of the ruling Progressive Conservative Party.

So, the government announced yesterday, it will be going after the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees for the full cost of the wildcat strike by 2,500 jail guards -- a figure the government ministers were somewhat fancifully suggesting yesterday will be about $6 million.

Illegally striking Alberta Union of Provincial Employees jail guards have reached an agreement with the government of Premier Alison Redford in “discussions” that Deputy Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said would never happen.

AUPE announced five minutes ago that it had reached ago a deal with the provincial government that includes no retribution for any AUPE member who walked off the job and a full occupational health and safety review of all issues raised by the Correctional Peace officers in the new Edmonton Remand Centre.

"You know what a tense, sensitive and dangerous situation like an illegal strike at a prison needs? Thomas Lukaszuk."

So Tweeted well-known Edmonton New Democrat Lou Arab yesterday, the self-described political geek, Internet junkie, father, husband and smartass sarcastically nailing the problem with the Alberta government's borderline bizarre response to the wildcat strike by provincial jail guards at eight correctional facilities across the province.

Stompin' Tom Lukaszuk? The guy the Edmonton Sun once dubbed Mr. T. when he chased a car full of kids he reckoned were breaking the law through the snowy streets of an Edmonton bedroom community? The master of the ill-considered Tweet?