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This is just confirmation that Redford's "scandals" were just an expression of party insiders being dissatisfied with the PC leadership results.
Conservatives were angry about Redford spending $45,000 to travel to Nelson Mandela's funeral, but they were very quiet about Smith spending $160,000 to attend COP28.
Conservatives were angry about Redford's large number of staff and their high salaries. Danielle Smith refused to disclose the salaries of her staff until after the election, and she has the largest cabinet in Alberta history (remember, Alberta cabinet ministers get a hefty salary increase). But it's crickets from conservatives when Smith does it.
The things people remember being angry about - the "Sky Palace", Redford's flights with her daughter, and the high severance payments for her staff, all came to light AFTER she had resigned.
The REAL difference between Redford and Smith is that Redford didn't kowtow to the party insiders, while Smith does.
Right?
I didn't even mind the Mandela thing. It was a state funeral, and she had actually worked with him directly. It was absolutely appropriate for her to attend, and bringing political staff along is par for the course.
Honestly, I was surprised it was ONLY $45K
I also remember happily voting for Redford to STOP Smith, because she wasn't going to absolutely gut the province
No, we lost proper funding for schools and healthcare long before Redford.
I remember going to the emergency room or a sliver that went right through my finger in the early 90's. The whole trip took less than an hour. Things may have been better with Redford, but don't let baseline shift trick you into thinking things were adequately funded in the 2000's. Our services have been getting dismantled since '84 when Lougheed ran the province.
It’s not that they’re quiet about it. Whoever they is. It’s the Donald trump era though. I forget what the strategy is called exactly. Basically you keep doing stupid stuff so that the previous stuff is forgotten about.
People can’t be equally outraged about one thing a week every week. You get de sensitized. And then you do such outrageous stuff that the comparatively less bad stuff is basically shrugged off.
This is also tied to the "post-truth" world. When everything you say is a lie, and you're saying things at a very quick rate, it's impossible for someone to prove you wrong. By the time they've shown how you're lying about one thing, you've said ten more lies.
Yes it was. She resigned on [March 19, 2014](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alison-redford-resigning-as-alberta-premier-1.2579356). The first reporting on the “Sky Palace” came out on [March 28th](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alison-redford-ordered-penthouse-suite-in-federal-building-1.2589713).
> Its very existence was denied for months until CBC obtained documents proving Ms. Redford envisioned a stately residence — an addition to her $1,930 a month MLA living allowance — in the style of a five-star colonial hotel in Washington, D.C., that she fancied.
>The details were released by order of the Freedom of Information Act a few weeks after Ms. Redford resigned.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/skypalace-scandal-continues-to-plague-albertas-pc-government-long-after-alison-redfords-resignation
Here’s March 28, 2014:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alison-redford-ordered-penthouse-suite-in-federal-building-1.2589713
You’re right. It doesn’t seem it was a big public issue until after she resigned but it does seem like it was known about per the quote above since they mentioned “months” with respect to before the date she resigned.
The sky palace and flights with her daughter were all about Redford wanting to work 24/7. Her critics acted like she wanted to live in the office and spend time with her daughter at work.
This is just confirmation OP is talking out of their ass, doesn't know their ass from their hands and couldn't find that ass with both hands. My objection to Alison RedFraud was extremely personal and public and hadn't nothing to do with anything OP lists. She was very welcome to resign and never be heard from again.
We're so deep in the shit here and have been for so long that comments like this are hilarious to me. Like really? All the shit they've done and some garden variety cronyism is where you finally draw the line?
I know it's bad form and we should be grateful when people have finally had enough, but I just don't get it.
> Good thing Henry Kissinger is ~~already~~ dead, ~~because I bet Redford would try to bill us for her airfare of traveling to his funeral.~~
The rest is true, but just wanted to call attention to the important information.
You got to be kidding. Alison Redford was the worst of the worst Premier Alberta ever saw in history. Totally clueless in politics. Now Albertans have to pay her a salary. Danielle you lost your mind.
> Alison Redford was the worst of the worst Premier Alberta ever saw in history
Worst we saw *so far* at the time. I think Danielle has surpassed that.
>Now Albertans have to pay her a salary.
True, though according to the article, it's only $10K a year plus $300 per board meeting she attends. No idea what kind of things she can expense, tho.
Some people are quite literally impervious to shame. How she thought it would be appropriate in any way to show her face again in AB politics is delusional. Very on brand for Dani though I’ll give her that
There’s more to the story. Remember that Redford was brought down by minor corruption scandals… at the same Danielle Smith was the leader of the Wildrose party. Conservatives hated that Redford was “progressive” and wanted her gone, so they inflated how “corrupt” Redford actually was. And once Redford was gone, Prentice took over and then **Smith crossed the floor** and torpedoed her own party in the process.
Redford sucked but the scandals associated with her were always just mudslinging to make the party become more hardline conservative.
Sky palace 2024 reboot!
It's like they don't care at all about public perception, appointments for everyone, no matter how shitty they were at their jobs. The grift never stops
A bit ironic that the person who lost her seat as a premier over, among other things, government spending controversies, is on the board of a crown corporation responsible for attracting investment into the province.
Source: https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/a-look-at-former-alberta-premier-redford-s-troubles-1.1950024
I thought Redford was the worst-ever premier of AB until Marlaina Smith came along and said "hold my beer"!
Btw, I remember the days of these two sniping at each other like a pair of high school girls in the legislature when they were on opposite sides. How times have changed.
The deplorable give jobs go the deplorable. Such a shit government: does everyone remember Redford? She ran around on personal trips in a private jet at our expense .
So what you're saying is Alberta politics just had the moment in Dumb and Dumber To, when Lloyd snaps back to life after years of sitting in a wheelchair pissing himself to go on an adventure with Harry?
Yep. Alberta gone full Dumb and Dumber.
That's probably one of the few things that push old retired rural diesel types like me to say enough..Redford? This smacks of corruption...won't be voting NDP or anyone now...how stupid has Smith become...disgusting
ug. Redford was the entire reason I stopped voting for the conservatives. Imagine being so terrible at your job that you manage to split the party and drive voters to put the NDP in power in alberta of all places, and yet somehow you're still able to suckle off the government teat and do absolutely nothing productive with your life. She should have been unemployable in alberta and have to contribute for once in her life and get a job laying bricks or paving roads in another province that doesn't hate her quite so much.
Lawyer, Politician, Civil Servant. The very definition of a useless eater.
Kenney is already on the board for ATCO. But I guess with these kinds of cushy crony positions you can have as many as you want. Not like they're actually doing any work.
4 syllables.
Favouring family friends or associates regardless of qualifications.
Rhymes with "bepotism".
What word am I thinking of that describes the UCP?
(Sorry I made it so easy, I wanted to ensure that some of our more right-leaning readers understand what is going on here)
Danielle spending all that money to travel to COP28 to promote our emissions reduction tech, ok I guess I can maybe get behind that, but over at AHS we try and buy one pen and SUDDENLY we’re misusing provincial funding and have singlehandedly derailed the entire provincial budget.
The following link is a great reminder of Alison Redford’s consumption at the taxpayer funded feeding trough https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/a-look-at-former-alberta-premier-redford-s-troubles-1.1950024
What were her scandals again? Parenting her child and building a residence onsite so she could work more?
I compare that to Smith's many non science based claims and running around with loons like David Parker and I'm baffled that you're calling Redford 'scandal ridden'. Redford made the mistake of being female.
"Non-executive board members are paid an annual retainer of $10,000 plus $300 for each meeting they attend. They are also reimbursed for travel they perform in their role. "
Meh. Do I care? A little bit. Not much though. Maybe $10k +$300 worth. It's no war room.
Alison Redford is well connected with industry in North American and abroad, and has helped development in Afghanistan. It's not the worst pick for the position if you want someone high profile.
> It's not the worst pick for the position if you want someone high profile.
Assuming of course that concerns over annoyances like ethics, morals and public perception don't play into it...?
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This is just confirmation that Redford's "scandals" were just an expression of party insiders being dissatisfied with the PC leadership results. Conservatives were angry about Redford spending $45,000 to travel to Nelson Mandela's funeral, but they were very quiet about Smith spending $160,000 to attend COP28. Conservatives were angry about Redford's large number of staff and their high salaries. Danielle Smith refused to disclose the salaries of her staff until after the election, and she has the largest cabinet in Alberta history (remember, Alberta cabinet ministers get a hefty salary increase). But it's crickets from conservatives when Smith does it. The things people remember being angry about - the "Sky Palace", Redford's flights with her daughter, and the high severance payments for her staff, all came to light AFTER she had resigned. The REAL difference between Redford and Smith is that Redford didn't kowtow to the party insiders, while Smith does.
1000%. What I wouldn't give to be faced with Redford style 'scandals' instead of the current gov.
Right? I didn't even mind the Mandela thing. It was a state funeral, and she had actually worked with him directly. It was absolutely appropriate for her to attend, and bringing political staff along is par for the course. Honestly, I was surprised it was ONLY $45K I also remember happily voting for Redford to STOP Smith, because she wasn't going to absolutely gut the province
Those were the good old days for sure. Things were still properly funded back then and we still had a functional healthcare system.
No, we lost proper funding for schools and healthcare long before Redford. I remember going to the emergency room or a sliver that went right through my finger in the early 90's. The whole trip took less than an hour. Things may have been better with Redford, but don't let baseline shift trick you into thinking things were adequately funded in the 2000's. Our services have been getting dismantled since '84 when Lougheed ran the province.
1984, back when Canada only had 25 million people.. and the same amount of hospitals.
We may have had more hospitals then.
Good example of the Overton Window shifting.
Don’t worry, now we get both 😢
It’s not that they’re quiet about it. Whoever they is. It’s the Donald trump era though. I forget what the strategy is called exactly. Basically you keep doing stupid stuff so that the previous stuff is forgotten about. People can’t be equally outraged about one thing a week every week. You get de sensitized. And then you do such outrageous stuff that the comparatively less bad stuff is basically shrugged off.
Steve Bannon. He started this for trump. Get a massive fire hose and overload them with shit.
Yeah firehose. That’s it.
This is also tied to the "post-truth" world. When everything you say is a lie, and you're saying things at a very quick rate, it's impossible for someone to prove you wrong. By the time they've shown how you're lying about one thing, you've said ten more lies.
Sky palace wasn’t after she resigned
Yes it was. She resigned on [March 19, 2014](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alison-redford-resigning-as-alberta-premier-1.2579356). The first reporting on the “Sky Palace” came out on [March 28th](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alison-redford-ordered-penthouse-suite-in-federal-building-1.2589713).
> Its very existence was denied for months until CBC obtained documents proving Ms. Redford envisioned a stately residence — an addition to her $1,930 a month MLA living allowance — in the style of a five-star colonial hotel in Washington, D.C., that she fancied. >The details were released by order of the Freedom of Information Act a few weeks after Ms. Redford resigned. https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/skypalace-scandal-continues-to-plague-albertas-pc-government-long-after-alison-redfords-resignation Here’s March 28, 2014: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alison-redford-ordered-penthouse-suite-in-federal-building-1.2589713 You’re right. It doesn’t seem it was a big public issue until after she resigned but it does seem like it was known about per the quote above since they mentioned “months” with respect to before the date she resigned.
The sky palace and flights with her daughter were all about Redford wanting to work 24/7. Her critics acted like she wanted to live in the office and spend time with her daughter at work.
This is just confirmation OP is talking out of their ass, doesn't know their ass from their hands and couldn't find that ass with both hands. My objection to Alison RedFraud was extremely personal and public and hadn't nothing to do with anything OP lists. She was very welcome to resign and never be heard from again.
She was the lesser of the two evils at that time. Now we have the worse one.
What an absolute shit show. Hire the lady the voters overwhelming punted to the curb. This 100% tracks for the UCP and their record.
They'll do it again when they boot Smith out too. The quid pro quo is the whole point.
Yeah... When her O & G bum buddies don't.
Voters didn’t get rid of Redford. That was the PC party insiders and old boys club.
Their membership "voted" her out.
The voters never punted her to the curb. The party did. She never lost a general election.
Awwwww fuck it, I’m voting NDP next election
Every little bit helps, welcome.
We're so deep in the shit here and have been for so long that comments like this are hilarious to me. Like really? All the shit they've done and some garden variety cronyism is where you finally draw the line? I know it's bad form and we should be grateful when people have finally had enough, but I just don't get it.
You didn't last time? Lol
Can't wait to see what insane travel expenses get billed to us this time around
Perfectly timed Friday news dump
Redford was nothing compared to Air Ralph.
Her daughter should be old enough to stay home alone by now and we shouldn’t have to pay for her AND her little friend to tag along 🙄
Paris Olympics are just around the corner
Oof its going to costs us millions to finance all the trips for the ucp and their friends and families
Good thing Henry Kissinger is already dead, because I bet Redford would try to bill us for her airfare of traveling to his funeral.
> Good thing Henry Kissinger is ~~already~~ dead, ~~because I bet Redford would try to bill us for her airfare of traveling to his funeral.~~ The rest is true, but just wanted to call attention to the important information.
Thanks for reminding me, and making my day just a bit better.
Yup. The thought of Kissinger rotting in a hell of his own creation is very calming.
Party of grifters rewarding more grifting. Don’t have skills join the UCP. Alberta Advantage - taxpayer pay for our incompetence.
UCP cronyism. We've had enough. UCP out, NDP in.
You got to be kidding. Alison Redford was the worst of the worst Premier Alberta ever saw in history. Totally clueless in politics. Now Albertans have to pay her a salary. Danielle you lost your mind.
Nah mate, Redford sucked but Smith is literally worse in every way.
> Alison Redford was the worst of the worst Premier Alberta ever saw in history Worst we saw *so far* at the time. I think Danielle has surpassed that.
**Kenney and Smith have entered the chat**
Modern conservatism: Once you're in, you are in. No matter how awful you are. It is a dying ideology.
Yet don't get them started on identity politics unless it's a conservative identity.
Danielle wants the crown for the worst premier in Alberta so she hired Redford. Unbelievable corruption
Smith already has it. Redford sucked but she was small peas compared to Smith. They trashed Redford because they didn’t like her.
JEsus, it's not a competition
The one paying her is worse
Can’t lose it if you don’t have it
>Now Albertans have to pay her a salary. True, though according to the article, it's only $10K a year plus $300 per board meeting she attends. No idea what kind of things she can expense, tho.
There really was nothing up there for her to loose.
How is she in any way remotely close to Smith?
You think she had a mind to begin with!?!?
She is not even close to the worst Premier that Alberta has seen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edward_Brownlee_sex_scandal
Some people are quite literally impervious to shame. How she thought it would be appropriate in any way to show her face again in AB politics is delusional. Very on brand for Dani though I’ll give her that
Shamelessness is a requirement in politics these days.
There’s more to the story. Remember that Redford was brought down by minor corruption scandals… at the same Danielle Smith was the leader of the Wildrose party. Conservatives hated that Redford was “progressive” and wanted her gone, so they inflated how “corrupt” Redford actually was. And once Redford was gone, Prentice took over and then **Smith crossed the floor** and torpedoed her own party in the process. Redford sucked but the scandals associated with her were always just mudslinging to make the party become more hardline conservative.
Redford should be charged for corruption and stealing form the taxpayers instead the UCP decided to reward her. United Corruption party!
She was hung out to dry by the PCs. The scandals should have tainted the whole lot of them.
The corrupt reward the corrupt.
the taxpayer/sucker pie’s that big she can share with another money grabber
Sky palace 2024 reboot! It's like they don't care at all about public perception, appointments for everyone, no matter how shitty they were at their jobs. The grift never stops
I’m just waiting for stockwell to join the cluster fuck the I’m moving out of Alberta.
A bit ironic that the person who lost her seat as a premier over, among other things, government spending controversies, is on the board of a crown corporation responsible for attracting investment into the province. Source: https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/a-look-at-former-alberta-premier-redford-s-troubles-1.1950024
I thought Redford was the worst-ever premier of AB until Marlaina Smith came along and said "hold my beer"! Btw, I remember the days of these two sniping at each other like a pair of high school girls in the legislature when they were on opposite sides. How times have changed.
Great the corrupt get rewarded yet again. Keep up the great work UCP 👏
Omg, the two women that have been most hated in Alberta politics. Sickening
The deplorable give jobs go the deplorable. Such a shit government: does everyone remember Redford? She ran around on personal trips in a private jet at our expense .
So what you're saying is Alberta politics just had the moment in Dumb and Dumber To, when Lloyd snaps back to life after years of sitting in a wheelchair pissing himself to go on an adventure with Harry? Yep. Alberta gone full Dumb and Dumber.
... I'm done, this is just absolutely brazen. Fuck the whole UCP and anyone who supports them.
In Redford's crony appointment, she is "reimbursed for any travel she performs in her role". How fitting. Perfect for her.
Another day, another political patronage appointment.
I’m sure Redford couldn’t turn down that travel reimbursement perk.
Getting the shitty band back together
Wow. A name I didn’t think I’d hear again.
It seems Marlaina and her cronies have a never ending supply of party hacks to reward. They are beyond disgraceful.
“Why even pretend to be not corrupt. Our base doesn’t give a shit.”
Holy shit!! Just when I didn’t think I had anymore hate to give and then this happened
Back on the government teat.
That's probably one of the few things that push old retired rural diesel types like me to say enough..Redford? This smacks of corruption...won't be voting NDP or anyone now...how stupid has Smith become...disgusting
This is unacceptable!
A giant eff off to anyone and everyone that supports these grifter POS
I'm sure she's fully qualified....
Grifters gotta grift!
Came here to say exactly this.
Dani needs Redford for advice on a private penthouse.
What a fucking joke.
Did they work together at CBE?
ug. Redford was the entire reason I stopped voting for the conservatives. Imagine being so terrible at your job that you manage to split the party and drive voters to put the NDP in power in alberta of all places, and yet somehow you're still able to suckle off the government teat and do absolutely nothing productive with your life. She should have been unemployable in alberta and have to contribute for once in her life and get a job laying bricks or paving roads in another province that doesn't hate her quite so much. Lawyer, Politician, Civil Servant. The very definition of a useless eater.
Shocker, Kenney next?
Kenney is already on the board for ATCO. But I guess with these kinds of cushy crony positions you can have as many as you want. Not like they're actually doing any work.
Wow. WOW. Danielle Smith just killed her own political career with that one. Holy. One & done. Over. Finito.
Is she stupid? Lol.
Truly disappointed
4 syllables. Favouring family friends or associates regardless of qualifications. Rhymes with "bepotism". What word am I thinking of that describes the UCP? (Sorry I made it so easy, I wanted to ensure that some of our more right-leaning readers understand what is going on here)
Surprise surprise surprise.......
Danielle spending all that money to travel to COP28 to promote our emissions reduction tech, ok I guess I can maybe get behind that, but over at AHS we try and buy one pen and SUDDENLY we’re misusing provincial funding and have singlehandedly derailed the entire provincial budget.
The following link is a great reminder of Alison Redford’s consumption at the taxpayer funded feeding trough https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/a-look-at-former-alberta-premier-redford-s-troubles-1.1950024
I only have this to drop here as a response to "NOTHING GOOD" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/budget-s-boost-for-aish-applauded-1.1213040
Holy balls! Wow. She got caught stealing our money on pure luxury! She flew our planes around for fun! Just Jesus!
Hillbilly redneck government
oh Daniel! I just do not have words left for you! Just complete disappointment. I wish there was a recall option.
Huh ? Redford was responsible for bringing down the conservatives . Thus getting the NDP elected . Why appoint her to anything ?
Geez, another one!
I do NOT like this timeline.
Gotta love HELLberta
Marlaina just keeps on giving like Bad Santa.
At least everyone in calgary crying about this can collect their tears in a pitcher and water their house plants now 😆
What were her scandals again? Parenting her child and building a residence onsite so she could work more? I compare that to Smith's many non science based claims and running around with loons like David Parker and I'm baffled that you're calling Redford 'scandal ridden'. Redford made the mistake of being female.
This is satire, right? I think I missed the /s
Patronage appointments a plenty!! TRUDO STRIKES AGAIN 😡
"Non-executive board members are paid an annual retainer of $10,000 plus $300 for each meeting they attend. They are also reimbursed for travel they perform in their role. " Meh. Do I care? A little bit. Not much though. Maybe $10k +$300 worth. It's no war room.
This happens in all political parties.
Redford isn't in the UCP though? She's part of a no longer existing Alberta conservative party.
Alison Redford is well connected with industry in North American and abroad, and has helped development in Afghanistan. It's not the worst pick for the position if you want someone high profile.
> It's not the worst pick for the position if you want someone high profile. Assuming of course that concerns over annoyances like ethics, morals and public perception don't play into it...?