Barriers to Women
Well, it’s no fun being the only woman on the front benches of the opposition, and I’m very aware that many women, perhaps most women, who might currently be considering running for political [...]
The Last Resort
On October 18, 2006 with six dollars in my pocket and with no identification, I set out to document life in all the men’s homeless shelters in Alberta. Through December, during a winter of record [...]
Mean Streets
In 1998, Nidal Abuhaija arrived with his wife at the Calgary airport. A skilled immigrant from Jordan, he had a university degree, job experience and the will to work. But the best job he could [...]
Rebel Daughter
When I left Edmonton for Toronto to go to graduate school, I had an assignment. It was to interview a fellow alumna of the University of Alberta, one Doris McCubbin Anderson, then editor of [...]
Finding His Way
The upbeat strains of James Brown’s “I Feel Good” bleed out of Room 512 and echo through the five floors of the Alberta Legislature. It’s early March, and the progressive Conservative team is [...]
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Perpetual War
I have always tried to avoid getting into arguments with Alberta premiers. After all, as a journalist it’s my job to question politicians, not quarrel with them. But sometimes premiers seem to want to get into arguments with journalists.
In 2006, for example, I got into a verbal tussle with then-premier Ralph ...
Heritage Trust Fund
A decade ago, when Alberta was debt-free and staring at a $7.4-billion surplus, Premier Ralph Klein decided it was time to spread the wealth. He announced that every person who lived in the province—and, as it turned out, more than a few who didn’t—would receive a cheque for $400 as ...
Kenney’s First 100 Days
On August 7, 2019, Premier Jason Kenney gave a press conference announcing his government’s progress over its first 100 days—“promises made, promises kept.” There’s no magic in “The First 100 Days.” It’s an arbitrary construct used by the media and political observers to measure how a new political leader is ...