Calgary Federal Politics

[suburbia]

JC wins, Lord loses.

What are the forum members' thoughts on the conservative nominee, who might just be your next Federal representative?

[]

Interesting read:
http://52ideas.wordpress.com/2012/08...e-by-election/

[Cage]

Originally Posted by suburbia

JC wins, Lord loses.

What are the forum members' thoughts on the conservative nominee, who might just be your next Federal representative?

Crockatt is probably the best candidate to have a place in Cabinet (Junior position). Lord would have likely been a backbencher for ever.

Only thing left to debate is the next election date. Harper will likely call all three byelections for the same day, and close to the Dec 7th deadline for Calgary-Centre. Victoria riding is the wildcard in all the scheduling plans. MP Savoie just resigned her seat. Does the PM stick to original plans for a early fall election or does he delay fall election to December to allow for the parties more opportunity to get their act together in Victoria?

[MalcolmTucker]

Another Calgarian isn't getting into cabinet unless one is leaving cabinet. There are plenty more qualified than her that are confined to the backbenches due to geography.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Cage

Crockatt is probably the best candidate to have a place in Cabinet (Junior position). Lord would have likely been a backbencher for ever.

I'm actually quite surprised the constituency went with Crockatt. The votes were really very split, having to go to a fourth round for her to achieve 50%. I think the problem many within the conservative "big tent" have with her is the explicit support she gave to the Wildrose Party provincially. She really was not aligned with the progressive strand of the conservative party. My understanding is that she dodged the focus on this reality by repeatedly saying "that's provincial" during the debates they had pre-nomination vote. The conservatives are truly really split, so it is not even straightforward that she'll become an MP, let along a junior member of cabinet.

Here is the Herald's take on things:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Cr...361/story.html

Crockatt had been identified by some observers with the provincial Wildrose Party after sparring with high-ranking PCs such as Stephen Carter during the spring provincial election campaign. Richardson had endorsed runner-up Greg McLean in the Tory race.

Arthur McComish, president of the Liberal riding association in Calgary Centre, said before Crockatt’s selection that Liberals saw opportunity “in how united the right isn’t.”

“Nobody represents that moderate voice,” he said.

Two sources indicated that three candidates were dropped and their votes redistributed before Crockatt emerged with more than 50 per cent of the vote. She had 445 votes on the fourth and final tally ... [there were 1,850 eligible members]

[Rusty van Reddick]

Joan Crockatt told me, to my face, that she was opposed to same sex marriage the week after my partner and I married in Ottawa. Granted this was 2003 but she has done nothing to dispel my opinion of her as a Harper lackey and the worst possible choice for my riding.

1 for Calgary Centre has a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1CalgaryCentre

[Cage]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Another Calgarian isn't getting into cabinet unless one is leaving cabinet. There are plenty more qualified than her that are confined to the backbenches due to geography.

Not debating whether Crockatt would be immediately appointed to cabinet on election, but she does make a good candidate for future post.

The next major cabinet shuffle is likely to be 2014 one year before the general election. Ministers wanting to retire will be placed on the back benches and replaced with new blood. Abloncy is one Minister likely to retire in 2-3 years. Crockatt would be a good replacement.

[Cage]

Here's a shocker for the Calgary Centre progressives. The opposition parties won't care come election time.

If the court battle in Etobicoke Centre play out, this will be the one and only byelection anyone cares about. This is where the party money and attention is going as this is where the highstakes battle ground for Ontario voters is faught.

A little splash of money is going to Durham (Bev Oda's seat). IF Etobicoke is still before the courts, this is the riding that will get lions share of money and attention.

The NDP will fight to retain their seat in Victoria. Their Western party machine will direct forces to this fight. Plus anything the NDP says in favour of Alberta will hurt thier position in either Ontario or Quebec. Don't bnelieve me, give me an Alberta NDP federal platform that can be sold to Calgary Centre and ON/QB. Muclair won't be able to publicly campaign in Calgary because the media will hound him about obscure tree ailments.

Federally the liberals don't have a campaign machine in Alberta. Haven't had a war machine since the 90s. What are they going to do, send in Justin Trudeau to do the door knocking?

[Rusty van Reddick]

WE care. WE vote.

http://www.1calgarycentre.ca/

[artvandelay]

Personally I would have preferred McLean because of his finance background, but Crockatt is not bad either. She's certainly smart, charismatic and an effective communicator - so I could see her taking a prominent role in the party early on. I think Michelle Rempel is another fantastic MP from Calgary who has a future in cabinet - it will be great to see two strong female candidates from inner city Calgary. Now only if we could find a way to turf Anders from Calgary West.

[Cage]

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

WE care. WE vote.

http://www.1calgarycentre.ca/

Totally get that progressives in Calgary care to vote, my biggest concern is the national opposition parties don't care and won't care about Calgary Centre come election day.

Second concern is that in an attempt to put ABC (anybody but Conservatives) front, this progressive initiative will attach themselves to an opposition party whose national platform does not serve Calgary Centre.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by artvandelay

Personally I would have preferred McLean because of his finance background, but Crockatt is not bad either. She's certainly smart, charismatic and an effective communicator - so I could see her taking a prominent role in the party early on. I think Michelle Rempel is another fantastic MP from Calgary who has a future in cabinet - it will be great to see two strong female candidates from inner city Calgary. Now only if we could find a way to turf Anders from Calgary West.

Technically that has happened (or will happen) with the redistribution of ridings in Calgary and the disappearance of Calgary West.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by lubicon

Technically that has happened (or will happen) with the redistribution of ridings in Calgary and the disappearance of Calgary West.

What will Anders get for pension?

On an unrelated matter, can we change the pension formula so that it links to how much work done and not how many years?

[fusili]

Chris Turner is running for the Greens in Calgary Centre. This will make things very interesting.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Turner4Yyc?ref=stream

[Elbownian]

Originally Posted by fusili

Chris Turner is running for the Greens in Calgary Centre. This will make things very interesting.

Indeed it will, provided he has success communicating the relatively conservative nature of the Green economic platform.

Certainly makes my own decision more challenging.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by Elbownian

Indeed it will, provided he has success communicating the relatively conservative nature of the Green economic platform.

Certainly makes my own decision more challenging.

That has always been tough for the greens. Economically, they are more fiscally conservative than the liberals, and definitely more than the NDP. Most people however see them as more left economically than the NDP.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Elbownian

Indeed it will, provided he has success communicating the relatively conservative nature of the Green economic platform.

Certainly makes my own decision more challenging.

Since May the platform has shifted a lot from pro buisness green conservative to proregulation precautionary principle green however.

Not that the entire party is that way, but she has left her stamp for sure.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Since May the platform has shifted a lot from pro buisness green conservative to proregulation precautionary principle green however.

Not that the entire party is that way, but she has left her stamp for sure.

Turner is definitely the pro-business side of the green equation. Big supporter of the feed-in tariff and what it has done for the solar and wind industry booms in Germany (IIRC they are up to 20% electricity from renewables now, if not more). Very much in the "green urbanism" side of things. Huge supporter of public transit and density.

[suburbia]

Update on the non-con majority:

http://www.calgaryliberal.com/2012/0.../#.UFU5Ba4n21R

[Full Mountain]

Anybody but Conservative at this point for me

Particularly after reading this piece

Kotarski: Don't play follow the leader

By Kris Kotarski, For the Calgary Herald

Last Thursday, Joan Crockatt, the Conservative's Calgary Centre nominee, told the Globe and Mail she would be "just fine" being a backbench MP if she won her byelection. She added: "To me, the job is to support the prime minister in whatever way that he thinks."

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Kotarsk...#ixzz26jpvzuds

[simster3]

Good article. I noticed Crockatt's quote in the G&M last week and was pretty taken aback. Anyone running for office needs to know what their role and she plainly doesn't. I am looking forward to voting in Saturday's Liberal nominee race and the pending announcement for the by-election.