Brian Mulroney

An axe to grind against the civil service

Canada's public servants on the chopping block.

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Sharpening its axes, 'Canada's party' moves to shut down Canada's capital

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Stephen Harper Brian Mulroney

Former Tory strategist Allan Gregg rips Harper Cons' 'systematic attack' on facts and reason

David J. Climenhaga

| April 30, 2013

Long-time Tory pollster and strategist Allan Gregg ripped into the Harper Government on Saturday for what he termed its "systematic attack on evidence-based research."

But since Gregg was speaking to the annual convention of the Alberta Federation of Labour, his startling comments went completely unremarked by Alberta's mainstream media -- notwithstanding the readily available "local angle" of an Edmonton native who did well in the big cities down east returning to his old stomping ground for a few hours.

Wicked Witch war of words: 'Has Thatcher bashing crossed a line?' Well, er… no!

David J. Climenhaga

| April 13, 2013

Oh my -- quelle horreur! -- naughty Britons still appalled by the depredations visited upon their country by Margaret Thatcher's government have shocked and appalled the world by pushing "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead!" to the top of the charts.

In case you missed it, the former British prime minister, who was in office from 1979 to 1990, died on Monday at 87. But it took until yesterday for the song from the Wizard of Oz -- an apt metaphor itself for the operational side of neocon governments everywhere -- to mischievously reach No. 1 on the British Broadcasting Corp.'s weekly music chart.

Homework for the new Minister of Aboriginal Affairs

Karl Nerenberg

| February 22, 2013

Bernard Valcourt was a Minister in Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative government.

Since 2011 he has held a junior portfolio in the current Harper Conservative government.

On Friday the Prime Minister named him the new Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

As Prime Minister, Valcourt's one-time boss Brian Mulroney was sincerely interested in Aboriginal issues.

The former Progressive Conservative PM set up the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples headed by former Assembly of First Nations National Chief George Erasmus and Quebec Judge René Dussault.

Idle No More protests successfully wind up Alberta solicitor general

David J. Climenhaga

| January 21, 2013

Surprising as this may seem to alert readers in other parts of the country, protest is in fact permitted out here in Alberta. However, like strikes by unionized workers, it is usually only allowed if it's completely ineffective.

So it should be easy for us to understand the anger and bewilderment, no matter how crudely expressed, of Alberta Solicitor General and Justice Minister Jonathan Denis, who was "pissed off" at Alberta's Idle No More protesters for, quelle horreur, delaying pickup trucks for a few minutes.

Order of Canada for Stevie Cameron sets the right tone for the coming Year of Mulroney

David J. Climenhaga

| December 31, 2012

What a delightful and ironic twist on which to end one year and start another was the announcement yesterday that Stevie Cameron had been awarded the Order of Canada!

And here I thought I was finished writing about -- or at least during -- 2012, with my bloviations yesterday on the future of Alberta's NDP.

Cameron's appointment on the cusp of 2013 makes up for some of the rather inferior choices by the committee that has picked the Order's recipients over the past few decades. (You all know who I have in mind, I'm sure.)

The rehabilitation of Brian Mulroney: There's a reason he's looking so good these days

David J. Climenhaga

| October 9, 2012

Have you noticed how Brian Mulroney is looking pretty good lately?

Back in the day, after Mulroney left office in 1993 as the Conservative prime minister who brought us "free" trade, failed constitutional change and sundry other disasters, real and imagined, he could have been fairly described as the most unpopular man in Canada.

XL Foods, Tories and a politicized inspection agency offer a textbook case of brand destruction

David J. Climenhaga

| October 8, 2012

Today is Thanksgiving, and we give thanks the XL Foods plant in southeastern Alberta doesn't process turkeys!

Because XL Foods, its parent company, the Alberta Progressive Conservative Government, the federal Conservative Government and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have effectively destroyed the reputation of Alberta beef in the span of a single month.

In addition to the as-yet-undetermined problems that caused E. coli contamination inside XL Foods' massive plant in the town of Brooks, they've provided a textbook example of how not to handle a public relations crisis.

Neocon slapheads beware! This may not be just a Frank Prank?

David J. Climenhaga

| September 15, 2012

TORONTO

If you’re a Canadian politician, you should be afraid, very afraid.

Frank Magazine will soon be back… Or so it's rumoured and so we fervently hope.

The last Canadians heard officially from former Frank editor and publisher Michael Bate, back in 2010, was that he'd "morphed into a Canadian composer." Like, of music.

This was disheartening news. I don't care if the guy is Charlie Flippin' Parker, what our country needs is his ability to spin hilarious yarns, not to make music with a steel guitar and a mouth harp or even a battered old anglo-saxophone.

Preston Manning is no saint, as secretive Carleton U scheme illustrates

David J. Climenhaga

| July 17, 2012

Nowadays, folks think of Preston Manning as a benign force in Canadian politics -- possibly because of his scratchy voice and grandfatherly demeanour, and partly because on a personal level he is most certainly an honourable person.

This is a dangerous misunderstanding.

It's worth remembering that while the former Reform Party of Canada leader may not be a sinner, he is certainly no saint, as the media echo chamber here in Alberta would like to lead us to believe.

Brian Mulroney

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