Woke Bill Kristol remains a delight

“When he moved here from Mexico, the Oilers still played in the Astrodome. Beltway 8 hadn’t been completed. The population of the Houston metro was a little over half what it is today. As a construction worker, Lorenzo helped build that booming metropolis …”

If you care about climate change and climate policy, as I do, we know there’s a big hill to climb to get go the issue being relevant to Canadians again. Reclimate.ca does a great job grappling with the comms aspects, especially finding the optimism and affordability angles. Check it out below.

Can’t believe this guy isn’t PM

Another week, another new website. Do you remember the "Alberta is Calling" campaign? Turns out, we published the wrong number. Enjoy this little jab at our Premier's efforts to attract/repel new talent to Alberta. (you will want your sound on). wrongnumber.ca

On the upcoming AB separation referendum campaign - my view on @thestrategists.ca this afternoon: there’s a lot of hot air about the air war, and a lotta people want in on it, but the real pass/fail for federalists will be on the ground. #ableg #cdnpoli

If you've ever thought about running for politics, you need to listen to the latest episode of Balance Of Power. Full of good advice & info from @sphillipsab.bsky.social & Leah Ward. Find it wherever you get your podcasts: Balance of Power share.google/Flow2tkdmloF... #ableg #yyccc

On Canada Day, it’s worth remembering our love of our imperfect, maddening country is not conditional. Our Canadian-ness doesn’t come from whether govt enacts our preferred policy choices. If that were the case, social democrats like me would be the OG separatists! #ableg @thestrategists.ca

Happy Canada Day! Time to get worried about national unity and the coming referendum campaign. According to the weekly financial disclosures, federalists are getting absolutely creamed in fundraising. Separatists have raised 5x what federalists have. Read here: open.substack.com/pub/shannonp...

Why is this coming out today?

A decade ago, our government made sure Springbank reservoir would get built. I’m relieved we made that decision, and it was far enough along it couldn’t be politically messed-with, even though Jason Kenney and his Banff MLA certainly tried. It is protecting City of Calgary today, as a result.

Paula Simons always nails it...

I also donated to @albertasvoice.ca so we could have signs like this one all over Calgary to start, and hopefully across the province. You can help out, too: Albertasvoice.ca/donate Important to remind ABs to reject the whole separatist agenda on the ballot in Oct.

Steve Outhouse is a smart guy and was supposed to bring “adult in the room” energy to a federal Conservative Party high on its own supply of far-right rage bait. He was supposed to be the guy the knife-and-fork Conservatives could trust. Not so much.

EXCLUSIVE | Poll finds more Albertans might support separatism if they didn't have to hear about it from separatists

A lot of bear activity this time of year, as the people are showing up at the same time as the bears are really moving around. Some KCountry campgrounds have put in place “hard shell only” camping for the next bit. Bear aware: carry spray, consider leaving dog at home, food precautions, etc.

The week in Alberta - Friday, June 26: Organizers for Banff’s skijor event announce that due to crowds, traffic, parking and safety concerns, the 2027 edition will be canceled. Banff and Lake Louise Tourism says security and operational costs would have doubled. albertaviews.ca/jun22-26/

Police should not shoot babies

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce weighs in on the cost of separation. TLDR - it's high. Too high. Danielle Smith is playing with fire. Keep in mind that all ten questions are separation questions. They all remove us from Canada.

Rick Bell is RIGHT about these out of town and out of touch politicians. We're talking about reasonable rules for those who have been treating their neighbors like garbage. City Hall must stand up for Calgarians, not take orders from wealthy donors or lobbyists. calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...

"regulatory certainty is the bedrock of private investment" is an incredible statement from the premier who personally wrote and added a separation referendum referendum to the other 9 referendums this fall

I was never much for “kids” music in my house, with the exception of Weird Al when they were in the 7-12 sort of window songs like Love Shack were always far more fun to sing with little kids Funky little shack!

ICBC and SGI saving people money. Alberta private insurance, yikes. #ableg

If you want a cutting edge analysis, of course you’d want three panel members in their late 70s!

They feed their refineries with low-cost AB bitumen, whose production profits flow to US-owned companies, who don’t have to pay much in the way of an onerous royalty or corporate tax rate, and whose emissions costs and environmental footprint costs are pretty well entirely externalized But ok

Love this. Add your voice! remaincanadian.ca#add

Poor Pete, he does have one or two friends, for sure… …it’s just politically toxic for Poilievre’s caucus members to admit it

It’s almost as if the “legitimate grievances” of the AB separatist crowd weren’t 1) legitimate Or 2) actual grievances At all?

Canada’s AI and online harms strategies will be in the news over the next few days of the G7. I recommend following @alexpanetta.bsky.social for a delightfully-informed Canadian tech-journo perspective. His Substack is also worthwhile. #cdnpoli

Banning social media for kids - great idea from Olds. Costs little. Not really enforceable, if the Australian case study is any guide. The kids are generally using this tech as messaging. To talk to their peers. Olds are often suspicious of teenagers talking to each other. Don’t get me wrong…🧵

Women who are kinda out on dating because they’re tired of being expected to indulge man-babies are “functionally equivalent” to rapists Another both-sides banger from @nytimes.com Worth reading @michaelhobbes.bsky.social and @moiradonegan.bsky.social for more media criticism along these lines

DO YOU SING?

Rory Johnston is the smartest guy I’ve met in the oil markets space, and I’ve met a good number of these folks over the years. We are well-advised to think more deeply about what he’s saying about the price shock. #cdnpoli #abpoli

Some cool coulee action for y’all…

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Lady, Avi Lewis is polling at like 6% and Ottawa is giving you literally everything you want. As for BC, they’re moving forward with billions in new LNG, mines and are a-ok with TMX optimization. There’s only one reason we have separatism on the ballot. Because there’s separatists in your party.

Today's Daily Cartoon for @newyorker.com by Kevin Maher and me.

Simply excellent message in tone, presentation and setting. Bravo.

It’s the Neverendumb Referendumb.

Alberta, let this sink in: In Canadian history, only 2 premiers initiated referenda on separating from Canada: - René Lévesque 1980 - Jacques Parizeau 1995 Both Quebec separatists who nearly destroyed Canada. Today, Danielle Smith will join their ranks. #ableg #cdnpoli

You bet your boots we won the Lethbridge West seat by 11 points If the UCP get away with the gerrymander, Albertans will have a separatist government for a generation and absolutely no choice in the matter.

They’re doing what now?

While the only party I intend to lead is the one where I’m at home by myself on weekends to read books and walk the dog, I appreciate the shout-out, @jlisayoung.bsky.social! ❤️💪🏽🙏🏽

Indigenous peoples only got the right to vote in Canada in 1960. So, yeah, Danielle, it was fast to build stuff before that. The government didn’t see indigenous people as citizens. This plus thinking she can use notwithstanding clause on s35 of constitution… Disqualifyingly stupid, this woman

Stop calling the leisured provincial gentry "working class"

True: “The deal is likely to force Ottawa to be more lenient with other provinces following the federal price. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2021 that all jurisdictions need equal treatment for carbon pricing.”

They won’t be happy until every single one of us is paying THEM a carbon tax. With a champagne premium.

An extraordinary moment in Canadian federalism when one province sets the terms for climate policy for the entire country. We used to do this with all provinces. Now we just do it between the PMO and Danielle Smith. She’s in charge of Canada’s environmental policy now.