Social Conservatism

Appalled maybe, but no one should be surprised by the ugly threats against Rachel Notley

| February 15, 2017

No one should be surprised that Alberta's NDP premier, Rachel Notley, has been subject to constant and often serious threats of violence.

New statistics from the Alberta Justice Department have revealed what everybody who's paying attention already knew: Premier Notley receives more threats of physical harm than any of her predecessors in Alberta's top political job.

She reacts with remarkable aplomb as many of the people who contribute to this problem shrug their shoulders and say, "Who? Me?"

If the Wildrose Party's really in a position to win a majority, Alberta's campaign will turn ugly fast

David J. Climenhaga

| April 12, 2015

With a new poll, however fanciful, projecting a Wildrose majority in the May 5 Alberta election, it seems pretty certain Alberta's election campaign is going to turn ugly fast.

Maybe it was the results of the Forum Research demon-dialler poll of 1,661 eligible voters that blew into Edmonton yesterday on a mile-high cloud of dust worthy of Baghdad on a windy day!

What really matters to the Prentice Government? Market fundamentalism is pivotal, social conservatism is not

David J. Climenhaga

| March 11, 2015

The unavoidable conclusion after the Alberta Legislature's first day back in business is that market fundamentalism is a far higher priority to the government of Premier Jim Prentice than the social conservative variety.

This is not particularly surprising, but it is a useful insight nevertheless.

Albertans observed the same pattern with the brief and coruscating arc described through the heavens by the government of former Premier Alison Redford. We have seen it with the federal government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper too.

Death of Wildrose founder and journalist-ideologue Link Byfield a major blow to Alberta social conservative right

David J. Climenhaga

| January 26, 2015

The death of Link Byfield at 63 is a major loss for the social conservative right in Alberta. He will also be missed by readers who want no part of the so-con right's enthusiasms and crusades but nevertheless admire good writing and lively opinionating.

Eric Linkord Byfield, who succumbed to cancer on Saturday after an illness of several months, was one of the founders of the Wildrose Party in 2007 but was best known for his articulate and strongly worded columns in the Sun newspaper chain and Alberta Report Magazine, the now defunct right-wing news magazine founded by his father Ted Byfield.

Tory income-splitting tax policy: It's about creating and preserving gender inequality

David J. Climenhaga

| November 23, 2014

A fundamental purpose of the Harper Government's ideologically driven income-splitting tax scheme is to undermine women's equality, Queen's University tax law professor Kathleen Lahey told the Parkland Institute's annual fall conference yesterday.

That's a statement that may cause some readers to react with skepticism -- but if you're one of them, let me suggest it's because you haven’t really been paying attention.

Dr. Lahey told a plenary session of the conference how, back in 1982 when the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was adopted, women were almost full citizens of Canada. Almost.

Social Conservatism

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