Bush's Visit

[cowman]

Excellent question Emerald! Now I would suspect a good conservative choice would be Gary Mar? After all he's already proven that he knows how to waste vast sums of money and also knows how to take care of his buddies? But then again he's not a Caucasian so little chance of getting elected in good old red neck Alberta?
My own choice would be Ted Morton, but I suppose that is unlikely, as he might actually stand up for Alberta, instead of blustering away at Ottawa while secretly giving them everything they could possibly desire!
I was really amazed that Ralph created a new minister for government efficiency and reorganization? I mean look at this? He creates another level of beuracracy to contain the present beuracracy? This makes sense?
However if his goal was to get a few more jobs for his political hacks and to waste some more money then he certainly picked the right man! Oulette is about as useless as they come...I know he's my MLA! He's awful good at "studying things" and having "meaningful public input" but pretty well useless at anything else. All you'll get from this guy is lots of waste, more government regulations, patronage and platitudes! A do nothing politician for a do nothing portfolio!

[cowman]

scuttle butt in the boondocks is that Jim Dinning is waiting in the wings and has tremendous support among the rank and file PC membership. Gary Mar has embarassed government and it is doubtful if he has a chance at the leadership whenever it happens. Morton might get the support of the 'Conservative/Alliance' party membership and there are a lot of them in rural Alberta. My gut feeling is that the membership will want a leadership review or something within a year, likely after all the pomp and circumstance for the Centennial is over, but the Premier won't be ready to retire .

[cakadu]

I would agree about Dinning - he has been rumoured to be the heir for a while now. Mar didn't do himself any favors over the whole EA and his contract incident, so unless his fortunes change dramatically, I cannot foresee him throwing his hat into the ring. The name of the fellow who got defeated in Edmonton escapes me at the moment, but he was touted as having potential.

Heard today on the news that the WHOLE PC party and it's mandate will be looked at from top to bottom. It would appear as though Ralph is a little bit shaken by the fact that they have fallen to 61 seats from a record 83! For some strange reason he seems to feel it could be the policies and the mandate of the party. Could it be he needs to look just a wee bit closer to home??!?!?!?!

[cowman]

We should never underestimate Ralph Klein! Without a doubt he is a very good politician...maybe the best I've ever seen!
Remember also that everytime he says something that sounds dumb and stupid, he is playing to his base? The good old boy redneck vote! So while the liberal media roasts him the old hillbillies down in the boondocks are saying "Right on Ralph!"
Consider this Ralph Klein got his majority with a minority of the Alberta voters! Who voted for him? The exact same people who agree with him when he says things like shoot,shovel and shutup or the disabled are abusing the system!
The fact is it is going to be very hard to replace Ralph Klein as the PC leader. And while I don't like the provincial tories I worry that the Alliance might be able to split the vote enough so that the Liberals or NDP might get in! If either of those two parties ever get in we are in for trouble...in my personal opinion!
It will start the decline of our province. I would vote for a Ralph Klein or a George Bush,for that matter, before I'd ever vote Liberal or NDP!

[cropduster]

Amen to that Cowman!What`s your take on getting Rod Love back in the director`s chair?

[cowman]

Well lets face it, Steve West did all the dirty work a long time ago. I see Rod Love as a sly little behind the scenes guy who always had Kleins ear? I think these two old boys are joined at the hip and always have been?
Now that we are into Kleins swan song I think he probably just wants his buddy along for the ride? Sort of like save the last dance for the guy who brought you to the show?

[cowman]

THe shuffle of Deputy Ministers yesterday was a real shocker. I can't remember that many deputies moved at one time after an election. Obviously Rod Love has plans, and they include putting people in the right places, and also making sure that Cabinet Ministers learn about their Ministries and not leave it to Deputies.

[cakadu]

Where did some of the shuffling of Deputy Ministers happen? Anything significant?

[cakadu]

Very significant. Some of the Deputy positions were not filled in the shuffle but are open for competition.
Steve Wests former Assistant is now the Farmers Advocate. The Deputy from Municipal Affairs is now the Deputy for Sustainable Resource Development. That Deputy went to Innovation and Science. The Chair of the Executive Council was sent to the Gaming Commission and replaced with the Deputy from Environment. It was musical chairs for sure, and the first time I can remember when Deputies were moved around this way.
I guess it was a knee jerk reaction to the election results but it does leave a lot of porfolios with both a green minister and deputy. Puts an added pressure on the Ministers to get up to speed in their porfolio ASAP.