Alberta General Election - May 5th, 2015

[Zioneer]

Out of curiosity, who are some of the more interesting NDP/Wildrose candidates who won? I've heard that in terms of gender and ethnicity, the candidates were pretty diverse this time around, but I don't know much about them (besides Notley).

[RogueBeaver]

Here's a snapshot of NDP victors.

[Boston Bread]

Out of curiosity, who are some of the more interesting NDP/Wildrose candidates who won? I've heard that in terms of gender and ethnicity, the candidates were pretty diverse this time around, but I don't know much about them (besides Notley).

Some of may be just rumors, but Twitter and NP have given me this list of oddball NDPers:

A Chavismo supporter who defeated a PC incumbent by 40 points.
A CS university student.
A Poli Sci student.
Someone with Duck Dynasty-style facial hair. https://twitter.com/FailedProtostar/status/595780884076371969
An 18 year old
A barista
A yoga instructor
This young woman celebrating 420 on Facebook https://twitter.com/GlenStromquist/status/595969029556215809

[Vosem]

A Chavismo supporter who defeated a PC incumbent by 40 points.

So at least one confirmed HP.

[Hatman 🍁]

It's the social media generation. Better get used to politicians that have done silly things on the internet now. It's going to be commonplace in the future.

[Boston Bread]

A Chavismo supporter who defeated a PC incumbent by 40 points.

So at least one confirmed HP.

Buzz on Twitter is that he will get a cabinet position, maybe finance. But then again I only hear about him from conservatives.

[RogueBeaver]

Braid on the transition and Notley's work with the energy industry.

Ivison on federal implications.

[adma]

I'd also wonder about the possibility of certain "left-PC" types jumping to the NDP (Lukaszuk, for one)

[136or142]

Out of curiosity, who are some of the more interesting NDP/Wildrose candidates who won? I've heard that in terms of gender and ethnicity, the candidates were pretty diverse this time around, but I don't know much about them (besides Notley).

17 of the NDP MLAs are or were union activists, anything from a rank and file worker with a position on a union committee to a union local president or national union representative.  13 of the NDP MLAs are or were educators, anything from the yoga teacher (who also owns her yoga small business) to a college campus vice president.  They don't add up to 30 though because a few of were teacher's union activists.

There are also 4 lawyers or former lawyers, 3 civil servants, 3 nurses, a physician who was also a medical professor and a couple scientists, one of whom is in the tie race and another of whom is also a civil servant.

The number of young university students is actually tiny and is just  another example of what Jon Stewart has correctly sighted as disgusting media sensationalism. (That said, the track record of university students who became politicians is actually quite positive.)

Two of the best NDP candidates by CV unfortunately were defeated.  Doug Hart a former Grand Prairie Regional College Acting President and William Pelech the U of Calgary Associate Dean - Academic.

I would be stunned if the finance minister were anybody but Brian Mason, unless Notley keeps it for herself.  I suspect it's far more likely though if she were to keep any take any portfolio besides Premier and Intergovernmental Affairs it would be Energy.
 

[Boston Bread]

Yes, please refer to Adam on all caucus/cabinet related things when you want facts not twitter rumours .

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Rachel Maddow talked about the Alberta election on her show just now, but somewhat infuriatingly showed the NDP as blue and PCs as red on the seat projection and didn't even mention Wildrose, and also referred to the NDP as "liberals" even though there is a Liberal Party... I know she's tailoring it for an American audience unfamiliar with Canadian politics, but it was like nail on a chalkboard (and on my eyes) for me.

[jimrtex]

Out of curiosity, who are some of the more interesting NDP/Wildrose candidates who won? I've heard that in terms of gender and ethnicity, the candidates were pretty diverse this time around, but I don't know much about them (besides Notley).

Some of may be just rumors, but Twitter and NP have given me this list of oddball NDPers:

A Chavismo supporter who defeated a PC incumbent by 40 points.
A CS university student.
A Poli Sci student.
Someone with Duck Dynasty-style facial hair. https://twitter.com/FailedProtostar/status/595780884076371969
An 18 year old
A barista
A yoga instructor
This young woman celebrating 420 on Facebook https://twitter.com/GlenStromquist/status/595969029556215809

The was a NPD candidate who was elected as MP from a riding in deepest Quebec, who said after her election that she had heard that the riding was a lovely place, and that she hoped to visit soon.  IIRC her French-language abilities did not go much past, "bon jour", but she had a French name.

[adma]

Has anyone here addressed the fact that WR was shut out in Calgary proper?  (Interesting given how a lot of pre-election projection, at least early on, was showing them sweeping most Calgary seats--I was *always* skeptical about that)

[MaxQue]

Out of curiosity, who are some of the more interesting NDP/Wildrose candidates who won? I've heard that in terms of gender and ethnicity, the candidates were pretty diverse this time around, but I don't know much about them (besides Notley).

Some of may be just rumors, but Twitter and NP have given me this list of oddball NDPers:

A Chavismo supporter who defeated a PC incumbent by 40 points.
A CS university student.
A Poli Sci student.
Someone with Duck Dynasty-style facial hair. https://twitter.com/FailedProtostar/status/595780884076371969
An 18 year old
A barista
A yoga instructor
This young woman celebrating 420 on Facebook https://twitter.com/GlenStromquist/status/595969029556215809

The was a NPD candidate who was elected as MP from a riding in deepest Quebec, who said after her election that she had heard that the riding was a lovely place, and that she hoped to visit soon.  IIRC her French-language abilities did not go much past, "bon jour", but she had a French name.

Ruth Ellen Brosseau. She is now prefectly bilingual, various reports are saying she is quite liked in her riding, she is considered effective in House (she is deputy Agriculture critic) and she was elected by NPD MPs, vice-president of the NDP caucus. It's often shown as a success story.

Adma: Not surprising, Wildrose seems to have focused on establishing a solid rural foothold instead of trying to win swingy Calgary.

[Vosem]

Out of curiosity, who are some of the more interesting NDP/Wildrose candidates who won? I've heard that in terms of gender and ethnicity, the candidates were pretty diverse this time around, but I don't know much about them (besides Notley).

Some of may be just rumors, but Twitter and NP have given me this list of oddball NDPers:

A Chavismo supporter who defeated a PC incumbent by 40 points.
A CS university student.
A Poli Sci student.
Someone with Duck Dynasty-style facial hair. https://twitter.com/FailedProtostar/status/595780884076371969
An 18 year old
A barista
A yoga instructor
This young woman celebrating 420 on Facebook https://twitter.com/GlenStromquist/status/595969029556215809

The was a NPD candidate who was elected as MP from a riding in deepest Quebec, who said after her election that she had heard that the riding was a lovely place, and that she hoped to visit soon.  IIRC her French-language abilities did not go much past, "bon jour", but she had a French name.

From what I understand, she's actually a prime example that sometimes random people do make fine legislators and she's on track for reelection. Anyway, my beef with the freshman NDPers in Alberta (and the Quebec ones from 2011) isn't lack of experience as much as it is ideological views. I think I've said before that having a small number of 'non-career politicians' in a legislature might do more good than harm.

It's the social media generation. Better get used to politicians that have done silly things on the internet now. It's going to be commonplace in the future.

That's true, and I'm sure you could find some tasteless things in my social media (hell, in this Atlas account). And maybe it was just a harmless youthful phase, but chavismo for me is indefensible.

[DC Al Fine]

Has anyone here addressed the fact that WR was shut out in Calgary proper?  (Interesting given how a lot of pre-election projection, at least early on, was showing them sweeping most Calgary seats--I was *always* skeptical about that)

1) The NDP made larger gains, later in the campaign which would throw off early projections. Compare Calgary to Edmonton where the NDP were basically at their election night result by mid-April.

2) The vagaries of FPTP. Wildrose lost four seats by <5% in Calgary proper.

[Holmes]

Out of curiosity, who are some of the more interesting NDP/Wildrose candidates who won? I've heard that in terms of gender and ethnicity, the candidates were pretty diverse this time around, but I don't know much about them (besides Notley).

Some of may be just rumors, but Twitter and NP have given me this list of oddball NDPers:

A Chavismo supporter who defeated a PC incumbent by 40 points.
A CS university student.
A Poli Sci student.
Someone with Duck Dynasty-style facial hair. https://twitter.com/FailedProtostar/status/595780884076371969
An 18 year old
A barista
A yoga instructor
This young woman celebrating 420 on Facebook https://twitter.com/GlenStromquist/status/595969029556215809

The was a NPD candidate who was elected as MP from a riding in deepest Quebec, who said after her election that she had heard that the riding was a lovely place, and that she hoped to visit soon.  IIRC her French-language abilities did not go much past, "bon jour", but she had a French name.

Ruth Ellen Brosseau. She is now prefectly bilingual, various reports are saying she is quite liked in her riding, she is considered effective in House (she is deputy Agriculture critic) and she was elected by NPD MPs, vice-president of the NDP caucus. It's often shown as a success story.

Really? But she visited Las Vegas and can't speak French. I heard that her constituents lynched her in the streets and elected a statue of Harper as their new MP.

[Talleyrand]

Any updates from Peace River and/or Calgary-Glenmore?

[the506]

Calgary-Glenmore should have a recount within the week.

Nothing from Peace River, I wonder if Oberle is even aware of the mistake. If Elections Alberta didn't post poll-by-poll results on election night (very few provinces do) nobody would have even noticed.

[Krago]

The poll maps are ready.  Here's Red Deer:

[Krago]

The poll maps are ready.  Here's Southern Calgary:

[Krago]

Here's Northern Calgary:

[Krago]

Here's Medicine Hat:

[Krago]

Here's the Greater Edmonton Co-prosperity Sphere:

[Boston Bread]

Couldn't Postmedia come up with better propaganda if they had enough money to bribe the province's entire print media?
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/future-tense-how-the-ndp-changed-alberta-video