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With friends like the Leap Manifesto's advocates in the federal New Democratic Party, does the Notley government need enemies?

Seriously, it's fair to wonder if some Leap Manifesto supporters inside the NDP are really all that different in important ways from Alberta's frustrated, infuriated right-wing opposition.

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EDMONTON, Alberta

The astonishing thing about yesterday's NDP leadership review vote is that an obviously smart guy like Thomas Mulcair seems not to have seen it coming.

I have a challenge for the mainstream media in Alberta.

When the Fraser Institute publishes its attack on public services in the province this morning, include reaction in your stories from knowledgeable sources that are likely to challenge the fanciful conclusions reached by this key player in Canada's well-funded and well-oiled corporate propaganda machine.

Spokespeople for public service unions, representatives of the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta, academics at a variety of universities and economists like Jim Stanford and Andrew Jackson associated with labour organizations are all potential candidates for this essential role in what we used to know as fair, accurate and balanced journalism.