The moronic Bridgette DePape admitted in an iPoltics interview that she was hired by the group Public Interest Alberta (see here) led by Larry Booi who is was also president of the Alberta Teachers Association to protest (see here) while Wildrose leader Danielle Smith voted:
Q – You keep popping up places. Everyone’s wondering: who’s paying for it?
DePape - It’s really various progressive groups who are concerned and who believe in a green and just future. I was here with the youth activist forum that was organized by Public Interest Alberta.
Q - So they helped pay your way?
DePape - Mm-hmm. (see here)
And of course you will remember that it was the Teachers Association who also helped get Alison Redford installed as leader of the PC Party (see here).
How much will this political dirty-trick end up costing the Albertan taxpayers when the Teachers union comes knocking on Redford’s door looking for a return favour?
April 25, 2012 at 5:08 PM
Oh my goodness, so it’s come to this? Thinking like a lying, cheating, sleaze bag to compete? Aren’t we lucky to have this mentality teaching the youth of today and we wonder why kids are becoming so angry?
April 25, 2012 at 5:49 PM
Strange Sask Brad Wall is very much like Danielle and he is christian, he also doesn’t stand for people like depape there is oilsands in Sask not yet being developed- How come she is not there.
April 25, 2012 at 5:57 PM
Because no national media covered the Sask election
April 25, 2012 at 5:23 PM
Not that this is a huge deal, and I’m certainly not defending the actions of Mr. Booi, but he is not the current president of the ATA. That would be Carol Henderson. Larry Booi was last president in 2004.
That being said, I find the apparent closeness between Redford and the ATA troubling to say the least, perhaps even more so because this is the union that I am also required to belong to. Much has been written by the ATA about their non-partisan relationship with the government but a little reading between the lines doesn’t exactly drive that point home.
For what it’s worth, know that there are some conservative minded teachers in Alberta who appreciate your efforts to shed light on these kinds of things. Just be kind and try not to paint all of us with the same brush.
April 25, 2012 at 5:32 PM
The website lists Booi as being the current president but thank you for pointing that out.
I don’t paint teachers the same as the union by any means. I wanted to be a high school history teacher and hold the profession in high esteem.
* Looks like I mis-read the website as it does say Booi was the former president *
April 25, 2012 at 5:36 PM
‘And of course you will remember that it was the Teachers Association who also helped get Alison Redford installed as leader of the PC Party’
And to the teachers unions she owes her loyalty too first and foremost; even if it is to raise taxes to pay for their extravagant needs.
It will not be only the albertans who are going to pay for the Alberta high debt, it will be the children and grandchildren of teachers’ unions as well.
The future children will be faced with the high cost of living impliment and instigated by unions’ greed.
April 25, 2012 at 5:57 PM
I am beginning to feel a bit sorry for her (the ex-page). She has carved out a career for herself as an rebel activist (unlike this one, most such gigs don’t pay). I cannot imagine anyone hiring her for any serious policy work. I think she is stuck in a low-end job showing up with a sign.
April 25, 2012 at 6:00 PM
And how long will she be in favour with these groups?
April 25, 2012 at 6:34 PM
Does the fact that he was the ‘former’ Pres of the ATA change the relevancy of his leading role with the group that hired this girl? I’d surmise that it’s still entirely relevant and at the very least, the optic are horrendous.
My goodness you find some excellent tidbits so this one should really go national. Her being in Calgary at the polling station did. Why. how and who should be of equal importance to them shouldn’t it?!
April 25, 2012 at 6:38 PM
Always go to the Board of Directors to see who is who in any organization:
Larry Booi, President
former President of the Alberta Teachers’ Association and was also a member of the Executive Board of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation
Dennis Theobald, Treasurer
Alberta Teachers’ Association
Bev Ray, Secretary
Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Edmonton
Heather Smith, Director
United Nurses of Alberta
Elisabeth Ballermann, Director
Health Sciences Association of Alberta
John Nicholls, Director
Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations
Brian Staples, Director
Seniors’ Action Liaison Team (SALT)
Jennifer Prosser, Director
Womanspace Resource Centre
Gerald Wheatley, Director
Arusha Centre
Guy Smith, Director
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
Gil McGowan, Director
Alberta Federation of Labour
Ricardo Acuña, Director
Parkland Institute
Donations are not tax deductible. So, who really funds them? Union dues paid by members are tax deductible. Are unions represented here using member’s dues as “donations” to this organization? It’s a legitimate question.
Representatives of Public Interest Alberta (PIA) strongly condemned a recent move by Elections Alberta telling the organization to “cease and desist” making statements on the PIA website, which were deemed to violate Alberta’s new legislation on third-party advertising in election campaigns.
April 25, 2012 at 6:57 PM
Now, if it is true that PIA paid an outside of the province “activist” to essentially lobby politically at a particular polling booth, although against “Harper’s gang” according to her hand held sign, it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to suggest she was actively making a political statement at the poll where Danielle Smith, leader of the WRA has to cast her ballot, and inferred to be a member of “Harper’s gang”. This is not a coincidence by any stretch and no other inference can be made that the Liberal or NDP candidates running in Danielle’s riding were any part of “Harper’s gang”. Brigitte doesn’t live in Alberta. I think the fine is $100,000 for failing to register as a paid lobbyist in Alberta.
April 26, 2012 at 3:25 AM
Makes me wonder what the outcry would have been if it had been reversed in who had done the hiring and who was being protested. The McSlueths would be doing another investigation into *voter fraud*, the media would be making all kinds of innuendo and it would be a scandal.
Nah, I don’t wonder
April 26, 2012 at 5:53 AM
this you brought it up about the ‘fine’ why don’t you mention it to the Election Alberta.
Any outsider(not from that province) should register first.
And besides Danielle and is for provincial matters only whereas the PM is fed(the whole country) two different approaches they both use.
Remembet when the PM wanted to bring in his small c-conservative ideas how the opposition ganged up together to form a coalition behind the backs of every canadian?
April 26, 2012 at 9:00 AM
For the sake of clarity:
(5) A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1), (2)
or (3) is liable
(a) for a first offence, to a fine of not more than $25 000, and
(b) for a 2nd and each subsequent offence, to a fine of not more
than $100 000.
April 26, 2012 at 2:17 AM
If that’s the case – make it so!
April 26, 2012 at 4:40 AM
Don’t the Unions find it embarrassing to fund this vacuous airhead’s parading around with her worn out Stop Harper sign.
Totally pathetic.
April 26, 2012 at 5:45 AM
Blue you best stick to Federal or BC politics, because you clearly don’t have a clue about Alberta. The Alberta’s teachers union is no were near as loony as the BC or Ontario teachers unions and would never support a conservative. There’s one rule of thumb when you around a group of teachers in Alberta, “NEVER MENTION YOUR A CONSERVATIVE”, they’ll rip you apart if you did. Believe me, I’m still recovering from the last battle. This was clearly union or you can say NDP backed. The BC and Ontario teacher unions have given teachers a bad name and it is a mistake to assume that other teacher unions are the same. One of the biggest mistake the WRP made was to alienate the teachers, because they did something they would never have done, and that was to vote PC, and they did in mass.
April 26, 2012 at 10:19 AM
How can you say “they would never have done, and that was to vote PC” when the teachers and their union joined the PC party to vote for Redford as leader as she promised them to give back the $100 million they were promised earlier.
April 26, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Glad to hear the Alberta teachers have such low morals. Pathetic and frightening. What next, social engineering to brainwash AB kids?
Something to be proud of AB voters……our govt is a paid for W#0re.
April 26, 2012 at 5:47 AM
Maybe in the off season Brigitte can get herself a job wearing a sandwich board for a local vegan pizzeria,
All kidding aside the lurking at a polling both is more than just creepy.
It is illegal so where are Elections Canada?
April 26, 2012 at 6:31 AM
There’s no limit to the activism of teachers and their unions. In the last Ontario election, teachers were forced to contribute $60.00 each for lobbying activities against Hudak and the OPC party. I can’t locate the original National Post article but there are letters to the editor referring to it.
“As a Catholic teacher in Ontario, I am thoroughly disgusted by my union’s decision to force member to contribute $60 for politically motivated (read anti-PC) advertising for the upcoming provincial election. The OECTA has always tried to tell members who to vote for — now we get to pay for that privilege.”
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/04/08/todays-letters-ontario-teachers%E2%80%99-union-needs-a-civics-lesson/
April 26, 2012 at 7:28 AM
Cozying up to teachers’ unions is like making friends with the Mafia. At first it’s a huge competitive advantage, but then the bills come due…
April 26, 2012 at 7:30 AM
Not surprised at this news about the page, thanks for bringing this news out. I bet its a tiny smelly bubble on the surface of the sesspool.
Redford bought the teachers union to grab the pc leadership and now they own her.
Then she made right to work promises at the same time as a back room deal with the labor union AFL – telling them there will be no right to work. She bought this election with taxpayer money.
The union boss squealed on her on Dave Rutherford’s CHED radio show just before the election.
In spite of the low voter turnout, the ballot box was stuffed so full when I went to vote – around noon- that my ballot stuck out the top. There were only two people in there voting – no line-ups. The other voter said her ballot box was chock full too. This was Mason’s NDP riding. I was suspicious of pre vote ballot box stuffing, but of course I had no proof. The analysis of the numbers don’t show more ballots than voters as far as I know – unlike the stolen election when Reform ran. My Reform candidate won – then the losers demanded a recount and came up with 135 more ballots than elegible voters. Elections Canada let it go to the ndp. Objections by Reform were dismissed as “sour grapes”. I know the left cheats wherever they think they can get away with it.
Why does Redford appoint the Returning Officers? Why did she ledgislate to muzzle Elections Alberta regarding the results of election fraud investigations? Do the “little people” she has such contempt for not have the right to know?
I never thought Alberta would go commie progressive red when all of Alberta was Reform green, and thats why Redford and her coalition of the stupid must be watched very closely and called on every corrupt, cheating, underhanded dirty deal they pull. We all need the Breitbart spirit. I believe these people are dangerous.
I see the lefties have commandeered all the comment sections of the Sun, Edmonton Journal, and Calgary Herald to shovel more hatefilled lies and s**t at Daniel Smith and Wildrose supporters.
April 26, 2012 at 10:43 AM
She says she was part of a “youth” protest?
Soembody sould tell this person being immature is not the same as being young.
April 26, 2012 at 11:10 AM
This is the concentrated effort by the NDP to vote strategically. All union members–that is why the liberal and NDP in Alberta numbers were down. They did the same in Ontario especially in the Toronto/Ottawa/Kingston areas for the liberals. This is how I think Mulcair will try to win the 2015 election. Think about it. Take all the union members and everyone vote in one way–the NDP in each province. I think it works.
April 26, 2012 at 12:32 PM
When redali’s policies force a lot of people to fall behind on their payments for whatever, here is advise for them when those collection agencies call. According to consumer and corporate affairs in AB, every collector from out of Province must be licensed in AB to go after people. Just ask the caller for his license number for AB. They haven’t a clue what you are talking about. But you then report the caller to consumer and corporate affairs and gee, no more calls unless they pay up. Have used this ruse many times for young clients who get in trouble. And another tip, you just have to make an attempt to pay, so a few dollars a month, will do the trick. My sister was a head honcho for a major collection firm in Canada and also passed this on to me a few years ago.
April 26, 2012 at 1:45 PM
Lyndia, do not forget about:
Mulcair issues two budget messages: one to Quebecers, one to Canadians
Joan Bryden, Friday, March 30, 2012 7:51 PM
Read it on Global News: Global Montreal | Mulcair issues two budget messages: one to Quebecers, one to Canadians
http://www.globalmontreal.com/mulcair+issues+two+budget+messages+one+to+quebecers+one+to+canadians/6442611238/story.html
April 26, 2012 at 2:26 PM
Teachers unions used the dues to payed DePape to attack their province.