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Rob Breakenridge

Rob Breakenridge

Sarnia Observer

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Breakenridge: UCP at a loss when not battling Trudeau's Liberals

25.12.2024 8

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Alberta filling void of diplomacy caused by Trudeau's antagonism of Trump

Under the circumstances, Alberta’s strategy seems much more prudent and sensible

17.12.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: The Sovereignty Act may largely be for show

Court challenges don't have the same sort of drama or flair as something like the Sovereignty Act, but they are far more impactful

10.12.2024 30

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Alberta and Ottawa need to team up against bigger threat

In the face of threats of serious economic chaos from an erratic incoming U.S. president, a unified front from Canada’s leaders seems like an...

03.12.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: The irony of a Trudeau tax break to offset costly Alberta-imposed policies

Let’s dispense with the obvious right away: the GST scheme announced last week by the federal Liberals is a desperate attempt by a desperate...

26.11.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: With UCP policies, it's about feelings over facts

Despite overwhelming opposition from Alberta municipalities, the votes cast in next year’s municipal elections will have to be counted without the...

19.11.2024 8

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Never mind confidence in AIMCo, can we have confidence in this government?

Given its role in managing the Heritage Savings Trust Fund, as well as the pensions of hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, it was alarming...

12.11.2024 30

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Smith backs away from radical promises and adopts Kenney's tactics on Ottawa

Despite some hint of drama in the leadup, there ended up being very little drama in the end when it came to Danielle Smith’s leadership review. ...

05.11.2024 9

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Province should resist banning flavoured vaping products

The Alberta government is under increasing pressure to consider a policy that the federal government is already poised to implement. But rather than...

29.10.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Alberta's 'scrap the cap' campaign misleading on feds' policy

In assessing the merits of Alberta’s new “Scrap the Cap” campaign, it’s useful to first consider whether the government’s objective is...

22.10.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Bill of Rights pointless posturing on lead-up to leadership vote

We are now less than two weeks away from the resumption of the Alberta legislature sitting, and based on a recent flurry of teases and announcements...

15.10.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Raising minimum wage won't affect most wage earners

With Alberta this month officially having the lowest minimum wage (tied with Saskatchewan) in the country, there is now a great clamour that something...

08.10.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Hand-counted ballots placates UCP supporters but costs municipalities

During a conversation on tax collection at last week’s Alberta Municipalities annual general meeting, Premier Danielle Smith touched on her decision...

01.10.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Government handouts to business add stress, risk to public purse

While conservative parties and politicians might be more likely to criticize or oppose corporate welfare, the sad truth is that governments of all...

24.09.2024 9

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Continuing building boom, not rent control, is key to bringing down housing costs

With proponents of rent control ramping up efforts to pressure the Alberta government, a remarkable thing has been happening in the background: rents...

17.09.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Denials can't quell fears about premier's hidden agenda on COVID vaccines

Despite considerable differences in their respective tenures, both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Danielle Smith have been accused of...

11.09.2024 10

Daily Herald Tribune

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Alberta's poor bet on online gaming leaves money on the table

Not many policy conversations in Alberta are driven by the notion of “how can we be more like Ontario?” and that’s been especially true when it...

10.09.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Smith declares policies, plans to UCP insiders only

Election campaigns are underway in Alberta’s two neighbouring provinces, but our premier seems to be just as locked into campaign mode as any of her...

02.09.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Relief needed for businesses affected by water repairs and road closures

As Calgary enters another round of feeder main repairs and water restrictions, the mounting toll on local businesses should not be forgotten. ...

27.08.2024 40

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: The uncomfortable truth of B.C's battle against TMX

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. While 2024 marks the most important milestone for the Trans...

20.08.2024 10

Vancouver Sun

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: The uncomfortable truth of B.C's battle against TMX

While 2024 marks the most important milestone for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) – namely, its completion – it also marks the...

20.08.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Denials can't quell fears about premier's hidden agenda on COVID vaccines

Despite considerable differences in their respective tenures, both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Danielle Smith have been accused of...

16.08.2024 20

Fort McMurray Today

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Denials can't quell fears about premier's hidden agenda on COVID vaccines

Despite considerable differences in their respective tenures, both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Danielle Smith have been accused of...

13.08.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Independent review of Green Line necessary to maintain trust

Calgary’s mayor took to social media last week to announce the first steps in what will be an “independent, third-party review” of Calgary’s...

06.08.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Neither optics nor ethics seem to stop government from taking gifts

Albertans have yet to receive a full accounting from the provincial government as to how at least $75 million was spent in late 2022 to acquire vast...

30.07.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Smith's warning on political rhetoric rings of hypocrisy and gamesmanship

It should go without saying that the attempted assassination of former U.S. president Donald Trump represents an act of unacceptable political...

23.07.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Student assessments beneficial if used to identify areas needing support

When it comes to the burden they’re increasingly being asked to bear, Alberta teachers have some legitimate gripes. Alberta’s population is...

16.07.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Chahal tied for better or worse to Trudeau's fortunes

For those who were relieved to see Prime Minister Justin Trudeau skip this year’s Calgary Stampede, it might just be the city’s lone Liberal MP...

09.07.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Anti-Trudeau fixation ingrained in UCP politics

There’s no question that last week was an objectively terrible one for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party that he continues to lead...

02.07.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Now would be the smart time to install smart meters for water use

We’re now less than two weeks (hopefully) from a resolution to Calgary’s prolonged water crisis, and (hopefully) sufficiently attuned to the...

25.06.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Province could offset 'damaging' capital gain tax with billions it stands to earn. But will it?

The Alberta government has taken much flak — deservedly so — for its failure to deliver on a promised income tax cut. The premier has insisted...

18.06.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Smith keeps jabbing feds over affordability yet offers nothing here to help

The spring session of the Alberta legislature wrapped up last week, and much of the focus has been on the many bills rammed through at the 11th hour. ...

04.06.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: If not rezoning, then what? City still needs to solve issue of housing

While much has been made — and will very much still be made — about the manner in which Calgary city council decided on blanket rezoning, it’s...

28.05.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Tolerance for protest tactics relates to sympathy for the cause

It’s become apparent in recent years, as we’ve seen various protest movements under various banners, that politics too often trumps principle....

21.05.2024 40

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: What is the justification for province's power moves?

Recent examples of gaslighting from the premier give the appearance of an inability to justify these moves and that of a government with something to...

14.05.2024 30

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: No credible reason for Bill 20. Rather than amending it, UCP needs to withdraw it

It’s not often we see governments admit mistakes and change course, and we should certainly welcome it when it happens. However, that should not...

07.05.2024 40

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Municipal political parties bill stacks the deck in favour of UCP

The Alberta government insists it is “strengthening” municipal elections and making them more “transparent,” but ultimately all that’s been...

30.04.2024 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Council wasting time on non-issue of voting rights

Given the Alberta government’s current sensitivity around matters of jurisdiction, one might expect municipal politicians to be more prudent and...

23.04.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Minister of red tape reduction tied up in knots over cheap booze

There was no ideal background for the bizarre and pointless foray into Alberta’s liquor market by the minister of Service Alberta, but to do so at...

16.04.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Failed recall petition not necessarily end of the drama

By all accounts — including, most notably, from the petition organizer himself — the recall campaign targeting Calgary’s mayor has fallen well...

09.04.2024 9

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Smith argues against Ottawa's carbon increase while restoring own gas tax

As Alberta motorists have surely noticed by now, the price of gasoline jumped seven cents per litre on Monday, the combined effect of two separate tax...

02.04.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Motive for recall less important than the message it sends

We’re just over a week away from knowing the results of the recall campaign against Mayor Jyoti Gondek. One way or another, this campaign will soon...

26.03.2024 7

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Trudeau's visit clarifies pharmacare options

It’s still unclear what the purpose was of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Calgary last week. Yes, there was a “new” announcement...

19.03.2024 40

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Bill 205's rent caps not the answer; just ask B.C. and Ontario

Such is the precarious state of the NDP’s proposed Bill 205 that it may all be moot by the time you read this. At best, it will be on life support....

12.03.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Government rhetoric at odds with reality

In hindsight, perhaps the money spent on the premier’s recent televised address would have been better off back in Alberta’s general revenue....

05.03.2024 6

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Alberta still riding the royalty roller-coaster

It’s not uncommon in the aftermath of an election for a new government to embark on a dramatically different policy course while denouncing the...

27.02.2024 7

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Municipal recall process is flawed

While there is disagreement on whether Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek deserves to be recalled — or whether that option should even be available — most...

20.02.2024 8

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Let's be honest about what's behind transgender policy

There was a time last year when the biggest issue on the culture war front was the matter of drag performers reading children’s books to kids at...

13.02.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: UCP forms strategy based on a hazy premise

With Alberta suddenly and intensely focused on what is ostensibly an issue of the protection of children, we should hope that any such conversations...

06.02.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Breakenridge: Takeout bag fee is an idea that should be trashed

According to Calgary’s new bylaw, a single-use item is something “designed to be used only once before being thrown away.” How fitting, then,...

30.01.2024 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

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