Edmonton Journal

Rather than discuss the events of the past week, we will be discussing the events of the past three-and-a-half decades. Today in the Journal newsroom we're saying goodbye to our indomitable deputy editor Kathy Kerr, as she rides off into the bittersweet sunset of retirement. She's covered Grant Notley and Peter Lougheed, and worked in newspapers for most of the decades-long Tory dynasty. While nine months pregnant she chased Don Getty up the legislature stairs. Today, panellists Paula Simons, Graham Thomso Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Press Gallery #151: The Death by Committee edition Sadly, summer is officially over, but the arrival of fall is a signal that Alberta politics is about to heat up again. A legislature committee certainly didn’t disappoint on that score this week. Initially established as an experiment in bringing fairness and ethics to political finance issues, the committee has instead degenerated into a parade of partisanship, pointing and accusations of impropriety. Panellists Paul Simons, Graham Thomson and Sar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks the 150th episode of The Press Gallery, the Journal's weekly politics podcast. To celebrate, the Journal's team of reporters and opinion writers talked about all the boards you could possibly want: school boards, school boards, corporate boards and did we mention school boards? Education reporter Janet French, columnist Paula Simons and health reporter Keith Gerein joined opinion editor Sarah O'Donnell to discuss the ongoing struggle between a local, private Baptist school board and Alber Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Move along folks, there's nothing to see this week in Alberta politics. Aside, of course, from the privacy commissioner's investigation into the justice department over a decidedly heel-dragging approach to processing freedom of information requests. Oh, and the official portrait of former Alberta premier Alison Redford, which was quietly hung in the legislative building early Thursday morning with no ceremony - just a stepladder and a level. Join host, legislative reporter Emma Graney, as she chats with g Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all learned growing up that you can't always do or say what you want — a lesson that was repeated to some folks in the Alberta politics realm this week. For Opposition Leader Brian Jean, it was in the case of a self-described "joke" about the laws against beating Premier Rachel Notley. For Jason Kenney, who is attempting to win the Progressive Conservative leadership, it was in the form of some new rules being pushed through by the party over the weekend. And two Alberta schools might end up taking a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More bad news for Alberta's coffers this week as Finance Minister Joe Ceci announced a $10.9 billion deficit for the province, thanks to continued low oil prices and the Fort McMurray wildfire. When will the government turn to cuts? Will it? Join host Emma Graney with guests Graham Thomson, Paula Simons and Keith Gerein as they weigh in. The team also takes a look at physician pay in the province - the highest in the country - and a speech by Premier Rachel Notley to a friendly union crowd in Ottawa this Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With revelations about changes to Alberta Health Services’ laundry arrangements that will cost the province millions of dollars, this week the Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal's politics podcast, takes a look at what those changes mean – will hospital sheets be cleaner? Or is this an ideological decision by the NDP? Guests Keith Gerein, Paula Simons and Stuart Thomson join host Emma Graney to weigh in on that, as well as temporary foreign workers and leadership race funding limits for political parties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every journalist loves a good information leak, and this week saw one of those, as well as the continued story of a leak from a few years ago. Join host, legislative reporter Emma Graney, as she chats all things Alberta politics with guests Sarah O’Donnell, the Edmonton Journal opinion page editor, health reporter Keith Gerein and, making his Press Gallery podcast debut, Journal/Sun deputy editor Dave Breakenridge. This week, they talk leaks including Enron emails at the heart of the power purchase arra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A short week here in Alberta still left time for some politics. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s podcast, keeps on truckin’ as provincial affairs reporter Emma Graney talks with opinion page editor Sarah O’Donnell, city columnist Paula Simons and legislative columnist Graham Thomson about Jason Kenney’s bid to win over Albertans with his Unite the Right truck tour across the province – and whether or not he should be driving a Dodge or a Ford. We also remember Mel Hurtig, the Edmonton publis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The biggest political story in Alberta this week was the NDP government's move to launch legal action in an effort to stamp out a loophole in the province's power regulations that could cost Albertans as much as $2 billion if the carbon tax proceeds as planned. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal's politics podcast, begins this week's Power Play edition by tackling the many questions raised by the court challenge against Alberta's own power rules. The NDP said Monday those regulations include a provision t Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's edition of The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal's weekly politics podcast, looks at political stories of the week from points north, south and right here at home in Alberta. Provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, in Whitehorse for the premiers' conference, delivered a brief Friday morning update on the first day of the two-day gathering of provincial leaders. City columnist Paula Simons, provincial affairs reporter Emma Graney and health reporter Keith Gerein also joined opinion editor Sa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Press Gallery #141: The Something’s Brewing edition To mark the tragic Bastille Day attack in Nice, this week’s episode has a bit of a French theme. The accents are bad, but the debate around the latest developments in Alberta’s affaires politiques can’t be beat. Alas, no baguettes and brie, but the panel gets into the beer, both figuratively and literally, as they discuss the Alberta government’s latest move to try to protect the province’s craft breweries. Emma Graney, Paula Simons and Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Press Galley #140: The Stampede Wrestling edition Just in time for the Calgary Stampede, it’s a rootin’, tootin’, bronco-bustin’ good time in the Press Gallery this week as the panel weighs in on Jason Kenney’s plan to unite the right in Alberta. Can Kenney really ride this bull into the premier’s office in 2019? How hard will progressives push back against the former federal cabinet minister? And should Rachel Notley and NDP be worried? Panellists Graham Thomson, Paula Simons and Emma Gra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode of The Press Gallery, the Journal politics podcast, begins with a Brexit briefing after Britain’s stunning referendum decision to leave the European Union. Business columnist Gary Lamphier, opinion editor Sarah O’Donnell, city columnist Paula Simons, provincial affairs reporter Emma Graney and reporter Stuart Thomson share their reaction to the historic departure decision and discuss its potential global impact. Talk then shifts to “arrivals” and the news that Conservative MP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode of The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s politics podcast, reviewed some of the biggest stories out of the Alberta legislature in the last seven days. Premier Rachel came close to a perfect score in her party’s leadership review last weekend, getting the endorsement of 97.8 per cent of the NDP faithful in attendance. The main question out of the convention: Just what were the other 2.2 per cent thinking? The Journal’s opinion editor Sarah O’Donnell discussed that with city col Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An extended edition of the Alberta’s legislature wrapped up this week so it only makes sense for the newest edition of The Press Gallery to talk about whether the 11 weeks of debating, budgeting and law-making ended with a bang or a whimper. The Journal’s provincial affairs reporter Emma Graney and city columnist Paula Simons joined opinion page editor Sarah O’Donnell on Friday, June 10 to discuss how the NDP government ended the session in a strong position while the Wildrose official Opposition suf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Press Gallery #136: The Two Minutes for Unsportsmanlike Conduct edition There weren't any actual unicorns galloping through the halls of the Alberta Legislature, but it's been a surreal week otherwise. While MLAs debated serious matters, including Alberta's contentious carbon tax and the regulation of medically-assisted dying, the Wildrose party spent much of the week fighting itself, as it dealt with the fall-out over leader Brian Jean's very temporary suspension of party finance critic and social-media g Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta’s NDP government pulled some focus from the Fort McMurray wildfire this week as cabinet ministers rolled out legislation to support key policies such as the new climate leadership implementation plan. Provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson and health reporter Keith Gerein join the Journal’s opinion page editor Sarah O’Donnell for this week’s episode of the Journal’s politics podcast to talk about the Environment Minister Shannon Phillips’ Bill 20, which lays out the details of Albe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode of The Press Gallery focuses on the impact the Fort McMurray wildfire is having on Alberta’s oilsands industry — a linchpin of the provincial economy. City columnist Paula Simons, provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson and business columnist Gary Lamphier join the Journal’s opinion page editor Sarah O’Donnell to talk about how the fire's recent flare up, and second evacuation of oilsands operations north of Fort McMurray, could affect the bottom line of companies and the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is an all wildfire edition of The Press Gallery this week as the Edmonton Journal’s politics podcast panel convened for the first time since nearly 90,000 people fled Fort McMurray on May 3. City columnist Paula Simons, editor-in-chief Lorne Motley and Fort McMurray Today’s managing editor Olivia Condon joined the Journal’s opinion page editor Sarah O’Donnell on Day 11 of the evacuation to talk about the early days of the disaster and the reaction to the crisis. The panel also talks in this e Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices