Is Blakeman’s move a one-off or the start of something more in Alberta? Will it be worth it to pick individual TV channels? Will it matter with the way everything is transitioning to online? Why is it so expensive to live in Vancouver? What can we learn about their situation here in Edmonton? We discuss those questions and more.

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• Maverick MLA Laurie Blakeman accepts Liberal, Green and Alberta Party nominations
• #abvote Hangout with Laurie Blakeman
• CRTC promises pick-and-pay TV channels, slimmer basic bundle
• Statement from Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman and CEO of the CRTC, on maximizing choice and affordability for Canadians
• The Decline of Vancouver

Thanks for listening!

Very interesting timing for the Prentice announcement about a salary cut, just days after City Council approved an independent committee’s increase of their own wages. But is that really what the announcement is about, or is it more about the unions? What is going to happen with taxes in Alberta? Does our City Council need to make any symbolic cuts like the Province is? When might a provincial election be called?

We also discuss winter, from a variety of angles. People enjoy winter all over the world, why can’t we enjoy it here? Do we have to stay locked indoors during the winter? When can I get some mulled wine outside? Why is this canal idea for Rossdale coming forward now, if we already have Touch the Water? We agree Edmontonians should be able to enjoy access to the river, but what’s the best way to do that? With all the construction happening downtown, what changes are needed to improve construction hoarding? We discuss those questions and more.

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• Premier Jim Prentice and cabinet take 5% wage cut
• City councillors defend 3.8% salary hike
• Winter Cities Shake-Up 2015
• Canal development proposed for Rossdale
• Mechanized Access and Touch the Water Promenade
• Freezeway could come to Edmonton next winter
• Coming up at City Council: February 2-6, 2015

Thanks for listening!

Graham attended Eat Alberta once again this year, and had a great experience. Mack has been on the organizing committee for the last four years and is now stepping away. Here’s the episode we did last year on Eat Alberta!

Mack thinks the new Opening the Potential program is a worthwhile endeavor, while Graham thinks it is sexist. Are enough women getting involved in municipal politics? Can programs like this help? We also discuss the VenturePrize business plan competition, the 2013 Yeggies, and the City’s new online tree map.

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• Eat Alberta
• Edmonton city councillors still not on board with women’s mentorship program
• Recap: TEC VenturePrize 2014
• 2013 Nominees & Winners – The Yeggies
• Virtually Track Your Tree with yegTreeMap

Thanks for listening!

With a leadership race occupying everyone’s attention, will anything get done? Who’s interested in being the next leader? What names should we expect to see in the race? Can the next leader pull off a victory given all of the issues the party has faced recently? We discuss those questions and more.

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• PC Party opts for a short and expensive leadership campaign
• Tory MLAs, reporters, right-wing ideologues take aim at Alison Redford for PC Party’s woes
• Tories hope for a Hancockian era of stability

Thanks for listening!

With all the turmoil facing Alison Redford and her party, we decided it was only right to add our thoughts to the mix. Where did Redford go wrong? Can she survive the current crisis? If she can’t survive it, can the party? Is “eating your own young” a good strategy? We discussed those questions and more.

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• 4 Ways Out of the PC Leadership Crisis
• If Alison Redford won’t voluntarily step aside, Alberta’s Tories are likely finished
• Premier Alison Redford faces another resignation from Alberta Tory caucus

Thanks for listening!

There wasn’t a lot of fuss about the building, and Council was more or less on the same page about the deal. Even though it went to the Katz Group, no one questioned that the process followed was fair. On the whole, the announcement came and went rather smoothly. We suggest it’s because Mayor Iveson is great at the behind-the-scenes action.

And if he did that for the arena and the tower, can he do it for the LRT? Or for other big infrastructure projects? We dive into those questions and more.

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• Edmonton Mayor Iveson is a smooth operator
• The first 100 days
• City to Consolidate Staff Working Downtown

Thanks for listening!

In our twenty-sixth episode, we discuss the growing interest in regional governance. We have the Capital Region Board of course, and Mayor Iveson has indicated he’d like to rename it to highlight the importance of Edmonton. While the organization has had success getting agreement on transit, and supporting funding for the downtown arena, there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

What can Edmontonians expect for regional governance in the future? Does the Capital Region Board have too many members? Is transit really the only thing we can agree on? What kind of impact will Bill 28, recently introduced by the provincial government, have on us? How will the proposed south annexation impact relationships? We discuss these questions and more.

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• Building a globally competitive & innovative Edmonton Region
• Calgary Regional Partnership
• Capital Regional Board
• Capital Regional Board: Transit
• C-Line
• Edmonton-area communities support city’s quest for arena funding
• Bill 28: Modernizing Regional Governance Act
• Edmonton’s South Annexation Proposal

Thanks for listening!

After a series of missteps since winning the election last year, there’s a small but loud group of people that would like to see some change at the top. How likely is it that Premier Redford will survive the leadership review? If, as expected, she does, what then? Will there be any other fallout? We discuss those questions and more in this more provincially-focused episode.

Graham was right on the money with his prediction for the outcome of the municipal election – will he do it again with his prediction on Redford’s leadership review?

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• Alison Redford prepared to “battle” to win leadership review: Stephen Carter
• PC voters split on leadership review
• FAQ: Alison Redford faces PC Party leadership review

Thanks for listening!

We discuss those questions and more. The cost of running a campaign for council has risen quite a bit over the last four elections, from about $22,000 in 2001 on average to more than $56,000 in 2010. Candidates need to raise the money, but as Graham says, “money buys influence.”

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• The data: Do developers play kingmaker in civic politics?
• Filed Campaign Disclosure Statements – Edmonton Elections
• Only some Edmonton election candidates pledge to publish donor dollars
• Katz Group’s $430,000 ‘bulk donation’ to Redford’s Tories cleared by Elections Alberta

Thanks for listening!

Full disclosure: Mack is volunteering for Don Iveson’s campaign for mayor.

Things really got underway with the approval of the arena deal and the announcement the very next day by Kerry Diotte that he would run for mayor. In recent weeks, both Karen Leibovici and Don Iveson have announced that they too will run for the top seat. With Amarjeet Sohi’s decision to run again for council, it looks as though the big names for mayor have all come forward. There’s a long way to go before a winner is declared, but that doesn’t stop us from comparing them!

Here are some relevant links for this episode:

• The 2013 Edmonton Mayor Elections in a Nutshell
• Under Mayor Mandel’s leadership, Edmonton has thrived
• Don Iveson brings new energy to Edmonton’s mayoral election
• Declared candidates for the 2013 Edmonton Election

There’s much more to come on this topic. Thanks for listening!

Disclosure: Mack is volunteering for Don Iveson’s campaign.