Alberta Premier-Designate Jason Kenney arrives outside the Alberta Legislature building in Edmonton on Wednesday April 17, 2019 for a news conference, the day after his United Conservative Party was elected to govern the province.
Whoever said politics is boring couldn’t have been referring to 2019 in Alberta, which kept us invariably engaged, entertained, horrified and angry — but overwhelmed most of all. How well did you manage to keep track of all the news? Take our annual multiple choice quiz to see if you’re a politics ace or amateur.
1. What was the UCP’s campaign slogan during the provincial election?
a. We can’t possibly be as bad as the NDP.
b. Make Alberta Great Again.
c. Strong and Free.
d. Conservatism. You missed us, right?
e. Friends of oil and gaslighting.
2. What was the NDP’s campaign slogan during the provincial election?
a. Everyone deserves a second chance.
b. Rachel Notley. Fighting for you.
c. Our leader is more popular than your leader.
d. Orange you glad you elected us in 2015?
e. Deficits come and go. Carbon taxes should be forever.
3. What is thetruthaboutjasonkenney?
a. No one knows. It’s a secret.
b. An NDP attack website highlighting Kenney’s controversial views and alleged misdeeds.
c. A reality show that never made it past the pilot.
d. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
e. The RCMP might shed some light on this, when their investigation into the 2017 UCP leadership campaign wraps up.
4. While NDP MLA Janis Irwin was a $100,000 lottery winner last spring, UCP House Leader Jason Nixon also won something unexpected. What was it?
a. 82 per cent of the vote in his riding.
b. The honour of being one of four Jasons in the UCP cabinet.
c. Another Nixon in the legislature (his brother Jeremy was also elected).
d. The fun of leading the UCP government’s climate change efforts.
e. A goat.
5. Who, or what, interrupted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a May news conference in Edmonton?
a. A noisy Canada Goose.
b. A different kind of honking, from motorists upset that the PM’s motorcade was blocking traffic.
c. A premonition that the Liberals would lose all their Alberta seats.
d. A phone call from Donald Trump.
e. A crowd of hecklers.
6. After some public concern, a special prosecutor from Ontario was finally appointed in July to oversee the RCMP’s investigation of the 2017 UCP leadership race. Who is that prosecutor?
a. Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer won’t tell us.
b. The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service won’t tell us.
c. The Ontario government won’t tell us.
d. All of the above.
e. Is there really a prosecutor?
7. Who won the April 4 leaders’ debate during the provincial election?
a. Jason Kenney. Duh.
b. Rachel Notley, of course.
c. It was a tie between Stephen Mandel and David Khan.
d. All of them, according to claims put out by each of the parties after the debate.
e. Everyone tried their best and should get participation ribbons.
8. Name one thing that isn’t being studied by a government-appointed panel looking into the effects of Alberta supervised consumption sites.
a. The merits of supervised consumption sites.
b. Crime rates.
c. Social disorder.
d. Damage to businesses and property values.
e. Needle debris.
9. Immediately after their first-ever session came to an end last spring, much of the UCP caucus did what to celebrate?
a. Held a karaoke contest with the lieutenant-governor.
b. Took turns posing for goofy photos in the Speaker’s chair.
c. Splashed around in the legislature wading pool.
d. Had a long nap, after surviving several NDP filibusters.
e. Quietly crept back to their constituencies, since they had just passed legislation rolling back protections for gay-straight alliances.
10. What did the UCP say to alleviate criticism of Kenney’s decision to hand out earplugs during a late-night legislature session?
a. It was a “harmless and lighthearted attempt to boost government caucus morale.”
b. None of the UCP MLAs actually used the earplugs.
c. The earplugs were for only one MLA who has tinnitus.
d. All of the above.
e. The premier was right to mock the questionable oratory coming from the NDP.
Bonus: What did Rachel Notley call a “stampede of stupid”?
a. Kenney’s decision to book a $16,764 charter flight to carry conservative premiers and others from the Calgary Stampede to Saskatoon.
b. The federal government’s Bill C-48, the so-called tanker ban.
c. The UCP’s attempt to play innocent in firing the election commissioner.
d. Her own party’s ill-advised decision to condemn a $35,000 government liquor purchase, when in fact the sale was legitimate.
e. The Calgary Flames trading for Milan Lucic.
ANSWERS:
1. c. The party borrowed the phrase from Alberta’s official motto, and used it for a catchy song that played at all campaign events. The UCP also did well with the phrase “Jobs, Economy, Pipelines.”
2. b. NDP branding was almost entirely based around Notley, as the party tried to turn the campaign into a popularity contest between her and Jason Kenney.
3. b. The website was one of three such attack sites used by the NDP featuring unflattering images of Kenney, sensationalist headlines and blood red lettering.
4. e. While any of the answers could suffice, Nixon was stoked about winning a goat named Gus at a charity event. Nixon tweeted that Gus “wanted me to remind you that friends don’t let friends vote NDP.”
5. a. It seems even the birds in Alberta had no time for Trudeau’s message.
6. d. The Crown prosecution service has said identifying the prosecutor is “under the purview” of Ontario, which won’t provide a name.
7. d. Most observers agree there was no clear-cut winner in the debate, but that didn’t stop anyone from claiming victory.
8. a. In announcing the panel’s mandate, the government said it already knew enough about the benefits of the facilities.
9. c. The dip in the wading pool was partly a gag from Speaker Nathan Cooper, who told rookie MLAs it was a tradition.
10. d. The UCP used three different stories about the earplugs, but wouldn’t officially admit to what was likely the real motivation: mocking the NDP.
Bonus. b. Both Notley and Kenney have spoken forcefully against Bill C-48.
