Edmonton Journal

The first week of a new session of the Alberta Legislature was a busy one. There was a throne speech and discussion of three new bills, which tackled campaign financing, new taxes and a $624 million injection into the budget, reversing tuition freezes and health cuts. This new look group of representatives had a few difficulties, too. House speaker Bob Wanner had to play referee, PC Interim Leader Ric McIver had some difficulty in carving out a new place for his beleaguered party, and the Wildrose continua Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Alberta Legislature has a new seating plan, a new speaker and a new Lieutenant Governor. Have things changed? NDP Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig-Boyd seemed to be caught off guard by Wildrose revelation that her new chief of staff was once registered as a lobbyist against the Northern Gateway and other pipeline activity. This comes as there are more rumblings over the upcoming royalty review. The government has geared up for what NDP House Leader Brian Mason called a new "light session," and there's t Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta’s new NDP government started this week to translate some of its campaign promises into policy. Health minister Sarah Hoffmann announced menthol cigarettes will be added to the ban on flavoured tobacco products as of Sept. 1. A couple days earlier, Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour minister Lori Sigurdson announced plans to consult with Albertans about the move to a $15 per hour minimum wage by 2018. This week on The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s politics podcast, provincial affairs reporte Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta’s government formally changed hands on May 24 as Premier Rachel Notley and her 11-member cabinet recited their oaths of office on the Legislature steps. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s weekly politics podcast, reviews Notley’s choices for Alberta’s first NDP cabinet. Assignment editor Sarah O’Donnell talks with provincial affairs reporter Karen Kleiss, city columnist Paula Simons and provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson about the portfolio picks, political pairings and the r Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Press Gallery 88*: The Cheaper by the Dozen Edition More than two weeks after the provincial election, we now have some idea of what Rachel Notley’s new government is going to look like, and what some of their initial moves will be as they step into the offices of power for the first time. For this episode, we’ll give you the goods on what to expect from Notley’s inaugural cabinet, the names to watch as potential ministers, and what the NDP has to do to handle the mountain of expectations acc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 10 days since Albertans embraced the idea of an NDP government at the ballot box. This week, The Press Gallery, the Journal’s weekly provincial politics podcast, explores how the transition to Premier-designate Rachel Notley’s team of New Democrats is going and how the different parties have responded to this dramatically reshaped legislature. Host Sarah O’Donnell also talks with provincial affairs reporter Mariam Ibrahim, city columnist Paula Simons and senior reporter Sheila Pratt abou Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was the most momentous election night in Alberta's modern history: After 44 years, the Tory dynasty crumbled, and Rachel Notley and her New Democrats swept to power. In the Crushing It and Shredding It edition of The Press Gallery podcast, Edmonton Journal provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, legislature reporters Karen Kleiss and Mariam Ibrahim, and city columnist Paula Simons join host Sarah O'Donnell to talk about the biggest surprises of last Tuesday night. The also discuss the challenges ahe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta's 29th general election is mere days away. Voters are casting ballots at advance polls; the big day is Tuesday, May 5th. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s weekly politics podcast, reunites provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, city columnist Paula Simons, legislature reporter Mariam Ibrahim and assignment editor Sarah O’Donnell on day 25 of the campaign. The panellists review the race, the polls and the possibilities after all the votes are counted in this fascinating Alberta electi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The leaders of Alberta’s four main political parties squared off Thursday night in the only televised debate of the provincial election campaign. What else is there for The Press Gallery panellists to do the morning after but debate the debate? The Journal’s provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, legislature reporter Mariam Ibrahim and city columnist Paula Simons sat down with assignment editor Sarah O’Donnell Friday morning to talk about how the four leaders performed on this high pressure st Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta’s 29th general election campaign has — against all expectations — turned into an exciting horse race. The long-governing Progressive Conservatives, the official opposition Wildrose and the upstart New Democrats are statistically tied in every major poll so far. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s provincial politics podcast convened on Friday, April 17, to look back at this second surprising week on the hustings. Host Sarah O’Donnell talks with provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Albertans learned they will head to the polls May 5th for the province’s 29th general election. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s politics podcast convened Friday -- three days into the campaign -- to talk about Progressive Conservative leader Jim Prentice’s election call, the issues at play and the performance of the new party leaders at the start of their first election at the helm of their parties. Host Sarah O’Donnell talks with provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, city columnist Pa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday’s 2015-16 provincial budget left Albertans with plenty to talk about. Premier Jim Prentice’s much anticipated first budget included a hike to sin taxes on alcohol, tobacco and fuel, higher fees for an assortment of paperwork, increased traffic fines and an end to Alberta’s 10 per cent flat tax for the high income earners. It also imposes a new health tax on most Albertans, while shielding the province’s lowest income earners. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s weekly politics podca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Albertans seeking health care in rural communities will be better served by less centralized decision-making, Health minister Stephen Mandel said this week. Journal health reporter Keith Gerein joins The Press Gallery’s host Sarah O’Donnell, city columnist Paula Simons and provincial affairs reporter Mariam Ibrahim to take stock of Alberta’s latest rural healthcare improvement plan, which involves the creation of as many as 10 health districts. Is a system that resembles the to pre-Alberta Health Se Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Premier Jim Prentice and the Progressive Conservative majority returned to the legislature with a changed attitude toward the rules around Gay-Straight Alliances in Alberta schools. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s weekly politics podcast, starts the episode by looking at the dramatic turnaround that saw Education Minister Gordon Dirks amend the controversial Bill 10 so that all students, no matter the school district, are entitled to start the friendship and support groups on school property. Podca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode of The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s politics podcast, holds up the mirror to Alberta politics. Assignment editor Sarah O’Donnell talks with provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, Legislature reporter Mariam Ibrahim and city columnist Paula Simons about Alberta’s budget, Premier Jim Prentice’s tough talk on public sector workers and why the premier faced such a backlash after he suggested Albertans take a look in the mirror. The panel also reflects on whether Prentice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s hard to predict the future in Alberta, where warnings of a budget deficit turn in a span of weeks into the promise of budget surplus. The Press Gallery, the Journal’s weekly politics podcast, looks at the week’s surprisingly good news third quarter financial update and the warnings from Alberta Finance minister Robin Campbell about tough times still to come. Provincial affairs reporters Karen Kleiss and Mariam Ibrahim joined host Sarah O’Donnell and city columnist Paula Simons to talk about th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Alberta about to go retro and re-introduce a system of health care premiums to help cover ever-growing costs? Finance minister Robin Campbell raised the possibility this week, though Premier Jim Prentice downplayed the idea. Journal Provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, city columnist Paula Simons and health reporter Keith Gerein join assignment editor Sarah O’Donnell in this week’s edition of The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s weekly provincial politics podcast, to discuss this latest h Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s Press Gallery podcast is all about the provincial budget, which might seem strange considering we are still weeks away from the usual 2015-16 budget season. But Alberta’s premier and finance minister delivered a stunning piece of news on Wednesday that the financial plan will include a five per cent cut to account for plunging oil prices. The Journal’s provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, legislature reporter Mariam Ibrahim and city columnist Paula Simons join host Sarah O’Donn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Premier Jim Prentice was in Washington, D.C., this week, talking up Alberta to an American audience. How’d he do? That’s just one of the topics provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, legislature reporter Mariam Ibrahim and city columnist Paula Simons talk about on this week’s edition of The Press Gallery, the Journal’s provincial politics podcast, with host Sarah O’Donnell. The quartet also discuss a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed against Alberta’s justice minister and four senior ser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are so many moving parts in the Alberta legislature right now it’s easy to lose track of the changes as people swap party allegiances or announce plans to leave provincial politics at a rapid fire pace. City columnist Paula Simons, provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson and senior reporter Sheila Pratt join host Sarah O’Donnell this week on The Press Gallery podcast to sort through the changes. The weekly provincial politics podcast looks at the veteran Progressive Conservative MLAs leaving, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices