Graham Thomson, The Standard

Graham Thomson

The Standard

Edmonton, AB, Canada

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • The Standard
  • Edmonton Journal
  • SudburyStar
  • The Montreal Gazette
  • National Post
  • TheStarPhoenix.com
  • Calgary Sun
  • Calgary Herald

Past articles by Graham:

Here’s the real reason why Alberta’s Danielle Smith won’t pivot to the centre

The political math running through the premier’s head has anger, grievances and bluster in the equation for winning the next election. → Read More

Prepare for turbulence, Canada: Alberta’s Danielle Smith is about to start causing trouble

The rabble-rousing candidate to be Alberta’s premier looks like a shoo-in, and from there, she can start to make good on her stated plans to try to disrupt the Constitution, writes Graham Thomson. → Read More

Why Danielle Smith’s ‘cockamamie’ Sovereignty Act is part chainsaw, part cattle prod

The core of Smith’s campaign to lead Alberta’s ruling party is a proposal that’s commonly regarded as unconstitutional but aims to satisfy a tiny, angry fraction of voters who will decide the province’s immediate political future, writes Graham Thomson. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Goodbye, au revoir, and thank you

After 23 years with one of the best newsrooms in the country, I am leaving the Journal. This is me saying goodbye. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Rachel Notley beyond angry at Trans Mountain pipeline ruling

This might not be the end of the Alberta NDP government — but you can see it from here. → Read More

Graham Thomson: It's not all quiet on the labour front for Alberta's 46,000 teachers

But what Ceci doesn’t mention is that the contract covering 46,000 teachers is about to expire. Next week, to be precise. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Labour peace as another tentative deal is struck with public sector workers

The labour dominoes are falling in the right direction for the Alberta government. So far, three of the province’s six big groups of public sector workers have accepted what amounts to wage-freezing contracts with the government. And a fourth just signed a tentative agreement this week. → Read More

Graham Thomson: UCP keeps playing whack-a-bozo with wannabe candidates

If some days you think you’ve got a tough, thankless job, just be grateful you don’t have one of the toughest, most thankless jobs in the province: executive director of the United Cons… → Read More

Graham Thomson: Alberta government shrugs off more vexing news about Trans Mountain pipeline

I suppose all the Alberta government can do at this point is shrug. Which is pretty much what it did this week when news came of more potential bad news for the planned expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Federal government's bungled announcement on carbon tax creates major headache for Alberta

With friends like these, Alberta doesn’t need enemies. This week the federal government abruptly announced changes to its carbon pricing plans. The alterations are relatively minor and won’t affect Alberta. However, Ottawa did such a lousy job explaining itself that the Alberta government is scrambling to explain that the changes are, well, relatively minor and won’t affect Alberta. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Kenney should listen to his own advice against 'overheated rhetoric'

United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney is quick to give advice. He just doesn’t seem so keen to take it. Not even when the advice is his own. → Read More

Graham Thomson: A good-news column that's better late than never

This column is 10 days late. My apologies. This is the column I intended to write for July 21 — a story about some good news for Alberta. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Trans Mountain project sees shovels in the ground, finally, sort of

For Premier Rachel Notley, who has struggled relentlessly to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built, Friday morning was a dream come true. Under bright sunny skies, she participated in a photo op where there were actual shovels being shoved in the ground as Indigenous people literally gave the pipeline project their blessing. → Read More

Graham Thomson: NDP sounding hysterical as it attacks Kenney and the UCP

Can’t we all just take a breath and calm down — and take a moment to remember we live in a pretty great province? Alberta is not about to become a mini Soviet Union should the NDP win re-election and it won’t be the playground of a new generation of robber barons should the United Conservative Party become government. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Edmonton 'ground zero' for Kenney as he ratchets up election campaigning with 300 days to go

Look out Edmonton, here comes Jason Kenney. And he has wooing on his mind. Not with chocolates and flowers but with rhetoric and a bouquet of promises. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Ontario Premier Ford ducks from fight with Rachel Notley

Premier Rachel Notley went in to this week’s annual premiers’ conference expecting to go toe-to-toe with Ontario’s Doug Ford. After all, the two could not be further apart on the issues of carbon taxes and climate change. But while Notley was lacing up the boxing gloves, Ford was putting on the kid gloves. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Are the UCP's internal scuffles a sign of scandal or success?

Pop quiz. The recent internal troubles at the United Conservative Party are proof that: a). the party is attracting some unethical, extreme and power-hungry people who do not reflect the values of most Albertans; or b). the party has a vigorous vetting process that is working well to screen out people who do not reflect the values of most Albertans. → Read More

Graham Thomson: Byelections, buses and the UCP’s blanket blame on carbon tax

The United Conservative Party handily won Thursday’s byelections in Innisfail-Sylvan Lake and Fort McMurray-Conklin. Neither were close races. The NDP candidate in Innisfail-Sylvan Lake was so far behind we’re still waiting for her to finish. → Read More

Graham Thomson: NDP goes a-courtin' one more time at the Calgary Stampede

It is a Calgary Stampede tradition as predictable as a white Stetson and as common as a cow patty: the government-spending announcement. This year, on the eve of the Stampede, the Alberta government committed itself to completing the final leg of the Calgary ring road. There was no dollar figure attached because the government hasn’t actually signed a construction contract yet, but the deal is… → Read More

Graham Thomson: After three decades in the saddle, NDP veteran MLA Brian Mason ready to hang up his spurs

Time has done what a nuclear device could not. Brian Mason is leaving politics. After a 29-year career that saw him progress from Edmonton city councillor to NDP opposition leader to government minister, Mason announced Wednesday he will not run in the 2019 provincial election. → Read More