Streetfight for the Crown - Lyle Oberg
Today, I continue my series on PC leadership candidates with one of the serious contenders, Lyle Oberg. Thanks to Hatrock for the South Park pictures.
Lying Lyle Oberg
Lyle's Platform. He's promising massive tax cuts, paid for by slowing the increase in health spending.
In 30 words or less: Long time Cabinet Minister who was never really liked by his colleagues. Told his riding to dump Ralph and got fired for it. Think Peter MacKay in a few years.
Lyle on Emissions: With the exception of one or two throw-away words about new technologies, Oberg doesn't touch the oilsands emissions except to say that Eastern Canadians don't understand climate change.
Campaign Sales Pitch: "Oberg is not wishy-washy. He's not afraid of detail. He's an ideas guy, but it's not big-picture, bland-sandwich with the meat to follow. The meat's there. And the lettuce, tomato and mayo." (ed note: what about the pickle? or mustard? or bacon?)
Lyle's Backers: Lorne Taylor is the lone MLA backing Oberg. He does, however have the endorsement of Dexter Durfey - I have no clue who this guy is but I just love that name. UPDATE - It appears Lorne may have lost his one MLA endorser.
Can He Win? He's polling well. I'm not sure if these are "Dryden polls" or not, but it would be surprising if he didn't make it to the top 3 run-off vote.
If He Loses: "If I were the premier, I wouldn't want me sitting as a backbencher ... I know where all the skeletons are."
My Take: An Oberg win is probably the best case scenario for Alberta Liberals. He's not as scary as Morton but his victory would trigger serious internal PC feuding. As for Lyle himself, I have less than favourable memories of his time as Education Minister but I will give him credit on having a very well organized campaign.
Lying Lyle ObergLyle's Platform. He's promising massive tax cuts, paid for by slowing the increase in health spending.
In 30 words or less: Long time Cabinet Minister who was never really liked by his colleagues. Told his riding to dump Ralph and got fired for it. Think Peter MacKay in a few years.
Lyle on Emissions: With the exception of one or two throw-away words about new technologies, Oberg doesn't touch the oilsands emissions except to say that Eastern Canadians don't understand climate change.
Campaign Sales Pitch: "Oberg is not wishy-washy. He's not afraid of detail. He's an ideas guy, but it's not big-picture, bland-sandwich with the meat to follow. The meat's there. And the lettuce, tomato and mayo." (ed note: what about the pickle? or mustard? or bacon?)
Lyle's Backers: Lorne Taylor is the lone MLA backing Oberg. He does, however have the endorsement of Dexter Durfey - I have no clue who this guy is but I just love that name. UPDATE - It appears Lorne may have lost his one MLA endorser.
Can He Win? He's polling well. I'm not sure if these are "Dryden polls" or not, but it would be surprising if he didn't make it to the top 3 run-off vote.
If He Loses: "If I were the premier, I wouldn't want me sitting as a backbencher ... I know where all the skeletons are."
My Take: An Oberg win is probably the best case scenario for Alberta Liberals. He's not as scary as Morton but his victory would trigger serious internal PC feuding. As for Lyle himself, I have less than favourable memories of his time as Education Minister but I will give him credit on having a very well organized campaign.
posted by calgarygrit at
7:54 p.m.
6 Comments:
CG,
Good of you to throw your faithful conservative readership a bone with this series. It's appreciated.
I'm in Calgary and I basically have no preference. Not one of the candidates has said anything remotely inspiring, pretty sad lot in my opinion. Jim Dinning, I think, is just the default candidate for most people - he' the least uninspiring - which is why he'll probably win.
I'm dissapointed as all hell that Preston didn't run; I think he's moderated a bit, gone a bit capitalist-green on us, and thinks about something long enough to have a long-term plan for the pots of gold we're sitting on, besides "massive tax cuts".
By
Olaf, at 10:22 p.m.
Preston would have been fun if he'd run. Real ideas and a focus on the environment. The race is certainly a lot less due to his absence.
By
calgarygrit, at 11:33 p.m.
My support for Oberg is documented elsewhere.
As a school board trustee I have had the opportunity to work with him through some very difficult times and have been part ofthe successes.
Several times the cabinet hung him out to dry and he survived those events until this past spring.
He was always responsive and always approachable.
When we askedhim to visit our area to understand circumstances and situations, he always showed up.
We didn't always agree and had some great sessions where he spent a couple of hours discussing and debating issues in education.
And he listened.
He ran his departments as minister and didn't let the bureaucrats have to much political power.
Other supporters are past MLAs Ron Hierath and Broyce Jacobs.
Lyle Oberg always has a creative detailed plan for getting things done.
Alberta realy progressed when he was Minister of Learning and Minister of Infrastructure.
The Learning Commission was a master stroke in creating an independent body to make recommendations that the government had to respond to.
It also gave credibility to the funding shortfall in education. There were many hawks in cabinet and caucus who weren't sympathetic to more funding.
His record of accomplishments compares very favourably to thatof his predecessors and successors: e.g. Halvor Jonson, Gary Mar, and the current Education Minister.
He is not in the pocket of big oil and the energy people.
Needless to say, having worked with him and seen tangible benefits, I will always speak highly of Lyle Oberg.
By
Down & Out in L A, at 8:35 a.m.
olaf,
I completely agree with you.
Bart,
Thanks for the plug.
By
Hatrock, at 11:52 a.m.
*cough* Lorne Taylor is no longer an MLA...
I remember talking with Lorne Taylor at a reception a year ago and him trying to convince me how great Oberg was...
Oberg's only MLA backer is Hung Pham (Calgary Montrose 1993-)
By
daveberta, at 2:58 a.m.
And what a great backer Pham is. *cough*Aftergood*cough*
By
Patrick Kobly, at 1:54 p.m.
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