Edmonton Journal

Veteran Edmonton-area MLA Doug Horner announced suddenly this week that he is leaving politics and calling it quits at the end of the month. The Press Gallery, the Journal’s weekly politics podcast, looks at what Horner’s departure means for the PC party, Premier Jim Prentice’s government and Horner personally. The former finance minister and one-time Progressive Conservative leadership contender said he’d leave it up to the history books to discuss his time in former premier Alison Redford’s ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The plummeting price of oil is dominating all political debate in Alberta this week. The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s weekly politics podcast, followed suit. Business columnist Gary Lamphier, city columnist Paula Simons and join host Sarah O’Donnell to talk about why oil prices are falling and what the impact may be here in Alberta on taxes, spending and the civil service. The panel also talks about the changes already shaking Alberta’s economy. Good Stuff from the Gallery Graham’s picks: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The start of a new year did not reboot Alberta's political scene. That means the first Edmonton Journal politics podcast of 2015 picks up where it left off. Provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, city columnist Paula Simons and senior reporter Sheila Pratt join The Press Gallery’s host Sarah O’Donnell to talk about the ongoing fall-out from the mega-defection of nine Wildrose MLAs to the Progressive Conservatives. The panel also review’s ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler’s report on Ed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It still feels weird to say it, but Danielle Smith is a Progressive Conservative MLA. The former leader of the Wildrose party severed ties with the opposition party in spectacular fashion Wednesday along with eight other MLAs elected in 2012 under the Wildrose banner: Rob Anderson, Jeff Wilson, Bruce McAllister, Gary Bikman, Jason Hale, Blake Pedersen, Rob Fox and Bruce Rowe, How did this happen? How did they justify this massive floor-crossing? How did Premier Jim Prentice convince his PC caucus to embra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fall sitting of the Legislature concluded this week, with Premier Jim Prentice and the Progressive Conservative caucus pushing through several pieces of legislation in the final day, including new accountability measures and a condominium. Edmonton Journal’s weekly politics podcast, The Press Gallery, convened this week to talk about those bills, and the fallout from the previous week’s major missteps on Bill #10, which would have allowed school boards to say “no” to Gay-Straight Alliances withi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Premier Jim Prentice pulled the Progressive Conservative’s controversial Bill #10 off the table, at least temporarily, late Thursday afternoon. What a difference a few hours makes. When The Press Gallery, Edmonton Journal’s weekly politics podcast, convened Thursday morning, it seemed the government would insist on pushing a hastily drafted bill that encouraged school boards to allow gay-straights alliances on school property, but would also give all boards the right to ban them. Host Sarah O’Donne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Alberta still Wild Rose Country? That’s the big question up for debate on The Press Gallery this week, as podcast host Sarah O’Donnell talks with three newsroom colleagues about the abrupt defections by MLAs Kerry Towle and Ian Donovan from the Wildrose party to the Progressive Conservatives. Provincial affairs reporter Mariam Ibrahim, legislature columnist Graham Thomson and city columnist Paula Simons look at how the floor crossing unfolded and what it says about the state of the Wildrose party an Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Legislature is back in session this week and Premier Jim Prentice and the PCs are working to convince Albertans they are singing a different tune than just a few months earlier. City columnist Paula Simons and provincial affairs reporter Mariam Ibrahim sat down in the Journal studio with The Press Gallery’s host Sarah O’Donnell on Thursday to talk about the throne speech, the performance of the party leaders – new and old – in the opening week and what’s at stake for each of the parties. The w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta’s biggest political parties are gathering for their annual conventions this weekend just before the Legislature prepares to go back into session on Monday. The Press Gallery’s host Sarah O’Donnell talks with city columnist Paula Simons and senior political reporter Sheila Pratt about the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose annual general meetings underway on Friday and what Albertans might see from those events. Then the trio looks ahead to Monday, when Premier Jim Prentice and his revampe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta is accustomed to riding the oil revenue roller coaster, but at what point will the province start to feel the pinch from the current downward oil price slide? Journal business columnist Gary Lamphier makes his debut this week in The Press Gallery with host Sarah O’Donnell, city columnist Paula Simons and provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson to explore what is behind the current worldwide oil price decline and discuss when those lower prices might shave an impact on Alberta’s economy. Th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Progressive Conservatives scored wins in all four of the week’s big city byelections, The Press Gallery convenes to look at the tricks and treats from the campaign. Is it safe to say that Premier Jim Prentice successfully purged the Progressive Conservatives of the ghost of former premier Alison Redford? Will other political parties by haunted by the results? How scary will it be for Danielle Smith to go to a leadership review at the next Wildrose Party annual general meeting? This week, provinc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters in Edmonton-Whitemud, Calgary-West, Calgary-Foothills and Calgary-Elbow will head to the polls in four provincial byelections Monday. The Press Gallery’s host Sarah O’Donnell, city columnist Paula Simons and provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson devote a healthy portion of the Journal’s weekly politics podcast to those races as they enter their final days. Will Premier Jim Prentice, Health Minister Stephen Mandel and Education Minister Gordon Dirks win seats in the Legislature? How effec Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should Albertans be worried as Premier Jim Prentice preaches messages of “prudence” and “caution” as the world oil prices slide? That’s one of the questions up for debate in this week as The Press Gallery convenes with provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, legislature reporter Karen Kleiss, city columnist Paula Simons and host Sarah O’Donnell to talk about three meaty subjects. In addition to the latest warnings tied to oil revenue, the Journal’s weekly politics podcast looks at the pl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Premier Jim Prentice was singing a tune many families in fast-growing suburban communities across Alberta will be keen to hear, promising this week his government will, by 2020, build an additional 55 new schools and fund major renovations at another 20. The Press Gallery’s host Sarah O’Donnell sits down this week with provincial affairs reporter Mariam Ibrahim and columnist Graham Thomson to talk about that major infrastructure pledge, which comes in the midst of four by-elections and is in addition t Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Albertans in four ridings now have a date with a provincial by-election and candidates from all major political parties are coming a-courting. The Press Gallery convenes this week to talk about Premier Jim Prentice’s decision to drop the writ in Edmonton-Whitemud, Calgary-Elbow, Calgary-Foothills and Calgary-West and send voters in those ridings to the polls on October 27th. Provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, legislature reporter Mariam Ibrahim and city columnist Paula Simons join podcast hos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Premier Jim Prentice and his newly formed cabinet have done their best in the last two weeks to woo Albertans. The Press Gallery convenes with host Sarah O’Donnell, provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson, city columnist Paula Simons and health reporter Keith Gerein to review some of the issues Prentice and his cabinet colleagues have tackled in what is, theoretically at least, their honeymoon phase with voters. The politics podcast includes a look at the Progressive Conservative government’s late Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Premier Jim Prentice moved quickly to put his stamp on the Alberta Legislature this week, as he unveiled his new cabinet team, announced a series of appointments to high profile posts and moved quickly to permanently ground the provincial government’s airplane saga. The Press Gallery podcast’s host Sarah O’Donnell talks with her own cabinet of politics watchers – Journal columnists Graham Thomson and Paula Simons, and provincial affairs reporter Mariam Ibrahim — about who’s in and who’s out o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Alberta premier’s office is in the midst of an extreme makeover, with new Progressive Conservative leader Jim Prentice’s transition into the top job. Outgoing Premier Dave Hancock just announced he will resign his seat as an Edmonton MLA immediately and pieces of Prentice’s new team are snapping into place. Journal columnist Paula Simons, senior reporter Sheila Pratt and health reporter Keith Gerein join podcast host Sarah O’Donnell to talk about these first few days of the Prentice era. The Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As former federal cabinet minister Jim Prentice transitions to his new job as Alberta’s 16th premier, The Press Gallery podcast convened to discuss his Saturday night victory in the PC leadership contest and how the party’s electronic voting experiment worked. Sarah O’Donnell, host of the Journal’s politics podcast, talks with Legislature reporter Mariam Ibrahim, provincial affairs columnist Graham Thomson and content editor Kathy Kerr about Prentice’s landslide victory, the party’s pitiful vot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the voting underway in the Progressive Conservative leadership campaign, the four-month race dominates this week’s The Press Gallery. Podcast host Sarah O’Donnell walks through the highs and lows of the last week – and the entire campaign -- with Journal columnist Paula Simons, provincial affairs reporter Karen Kleiss and legislature columnist Graham Thomson. What kind of campaigns did Jim Prentice, Thomas Lukaszuk and Ric McIver run in their attempt to become Alberta’s next premier? And what Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices