Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
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mitchellab.bsky.social
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
@mitchellab.bsky.social
4.1K followers 1.7K following 3.6K posts
Informed opinion columnist. Acerbic UofC Alum, Schrodinger’s politics; may piss everyone off at some point. WomenOfABpoli on Substack. Biased against false statements & equivalencies. Canadian-Albertan political commentator.
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mitchellab.bsky.social
Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean @mitchellab.bsky.social · 5h
I did the caricature. I love it.
ChatGPT generated caricature with little Easter eggs! A coffee mug that says “I love politics” on my desk. Buttons, including one that says “vote!” Also on the desk is a bunch of papers that say “campaign plan”, and there’s a pen in one hand and a clipboard, with perhaps a to-do list in the other. A little cowgirl is waving from behind the coffee mug, and in the background, a little candidate with a sign. Also on my desk is a microphone and sign that says “on air”. On the wall, some signs made it in; Danielle Smith, Naheed Nenshi, Clinton/Kane, Rachel (Notley), and Jyoti Gondek. Underneath Jyoti’s it added a window and the Calgary tower appears (no I cannot see it from the town I live in 😏). It’s AI so there’s some interesting muck ups. The coffee mug has handles on both sides and I have no idea what’s wound it’s way through one of them. There’s a button with a yellow star on a red and blue background that definitely gives a “PRC” feel. The sign, which is orange, in the little candidate’s hands has reads “Vote DRP”. On the Danielle Smith sign, there’s a woman with brown hair, smiling and waving, and her sign reads “Brooks Medicine Hot” instead of Brooks Medicine Hat. Overall, I think it’s fabulous 😏
mitchellab.bsky.social
I did the caricature. I love it.
ChatGPT generated caricature with little Easter eggs! A coffee mug that says “I love politics” on my desk. Buttons, including one that says “vote!” Also on the desk is a bunch of papers that say “campaign plan”, and there’s a pen in one hand and a clipboard, with perhaps a to-do list in the other. A little cowgirl is waving from behind the coffee mug, and in the background, a little candidate with a sign. Also on my desk is a microphone and sign that says “on air”. On the wall, some signs made it in; Danielle Smith, Naheed Nenshi, Clinton/Kane, Rachel (Notley), and Jyoti Gondek. Underneath Jyoti’s it added a window and the Calgary tower appears (no I cannot see it from the town I live in 😏). It’s AI so there’s some interesting muck ups. The coffee mug has handles on both sides and I have no idea what’s wound it’s way through one of them. There’s a button with a yellow star on a red and blue background that definitely gives a “PRC” feel. The sign, which is orange, in the little candidate’s hands has reads “Vote DRP”. On the Danielle Smith sign, there’s a woman with brown hair, smiling and waving, and her sign reads “Brooks Medicine Hot” instead of Brooks Medicine Hat. Overall, I think it’s fabulous 😏
February 7, 2026 at 10:06 AM
mitchellab.bsky.social
“There is a blasé attitude on the right about this revanchist inward turn where they are declaring to the world that America is not a friendly nation to outsiders anymore, as if they will suffer no consequences for it.”
www.jezebel.com/trump-crushe...
Splinter: Trump Crushed U.S. Tourism
Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.
www.jezebel.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
klaszus.bsky.social
The beacons are lit! 🔥
The Calgary skyline at night, with the Olympic torch burning atop the Calgary Tower
February 7, 2026 at 3:54 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
daveberta.bsky.social
🇨🇦 Who’s going to stand up for Canada in Alberta’s separation referendum?

Alberta is barrelling toward a referendum on the province’s separation from Canada. The time to stand up for a Strong Alberta within a Strong Canada is now.

daveberta.substack.com/p/whos-going...
Who’s going to stand up for Canada in Alberta’s separation referendum?
The time to stand up for a Strong Alberta within a Strong Canada is now.
daveberta.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:54 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social
Thank you so much to the University of Alberta for hosting a live taping of Alberta Unbound before a warm and generous audience tonight. And thank you to my amazing panelists, Rickey Yada, Charlie Mballa and Anne McLellan. #yeg #Edmonton #ualberta #AlbertaUnbound #cdnpoli #abpoli #Alberta #Canada
A computer screen reading “Alberta Unbound: Alberta and the New World Disorder” with the international week logo on a green border. Dean Rickey Yada, a tall man in a black blazer and shorts, laughs and gestures, towards Dr. Charlie Mballa, a shorter man in a black and white striped shirt and grey jacket, who shakes hands with the Hon. Anne McLellan. From left - ALES Dean Rickey Yada, Prof. Charlie Mballa, Sen. Paula Simons and the Hon. Anne McLellan, stand before a white board.
February 7, 2026 at 4:33 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
thebreakdownab.bsky.social
“the government of Alberta has done what appears to be a politicization of the whole process and basically hijacked the organization and the millions and millions of dollars that it administers”

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/general...
Alberta justice minister uses powers from recently-passed law to veto $780K law foundation grant
The grant makes up 99 percent of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre’s 2026 funding
www.canadianlawyermag.com
February 7, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
aaronwherry.bsky.social
It's just objectively silly — and, I would argue, very counter-productive — that housing has come to be seen as a *federal* issue.

Provincial and municipal governments increasingly only exist as rumours in Canada.
February 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
aaronwherry.bsky.social
Looks even worse in this framing.
February 6, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
aaronwherry.bsky.social
Well here's your problem.
February 6, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
journodale.bsky.social
Brief thread.
My head is going to explode from the sheer civic illiteracy that We The Media have fostered by making everything a federal issue, and being absolutely allergic to holding premiers to account for failures in their jurisdictions.
aaronwherry.bsky.social Aaron Wherry @aaronwherry.bsky.social · 19h
Well here's your problem.
February 6, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
robsonfletcher.com
"Mr. Carney’s speech went beyond diagnosis, though. It also gestured toward a way out. The U.S. president left Greenland alone in part because Denmark and its allies put more troops there...

"The lesson: America might be pointing a gun at you, but it can be made to behave if you point a gun back."
Opinion | The Globalization of Canadian Rage
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social
Looking for a great way to round off this wild week? Join me and three amazing Albertan experts, for a live taping of Alberta Unbound! It’s a free event, hosting by the University of Alberta. Come join our discussion of Alberta’s role in the new world (dis)order. #yeg #Edmonton #ualberta #abpoli
Alberta Unbound live taping at I-Week
Join Senator Paula Simons for a special live recording of the Alberta Unbound podcast. In an era of shifting geopolitical tides and economic...
www.ualberta.ca
February 6, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
shawnagawreluck.bsky.social
I’m 51

I’ve spent the last year learning Spanish

I spent today learning with my bestie how to sail a tiny little boat by wind in the Puerto Vallarta bay

I am great at neither

But the older I get, the more I realize the experience is the end goal.
February 7, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
jantafrench.bsky.social
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has mused about cutting or limiting public services for temporary residents. It turns out that already happened last month with public health insurance www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #AbLeg #AbHealth
Alberta cuts access to health care for some temporary workers, raising concerns in the Bow Valley | CBC News
Alberta has stopped offering provincial health coverage to some people on working holiday and young professional visas, a change that came into effect earlier this year without a public announcement. ...
www.cbc.ca
February 6, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social
ICYMI - my speech yesterday evening on Bill C-12, and the dangers of trying to placate xenophobes. #SenateofCanada #SenCa #Alberta #immigration
senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social Senator Paula Simons 🇨🇦 @senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social · 1d
Human rights groups across the country have condemned the portions of Bill C-12 that 'reform' Canada's immigration & refugee system. I rose in the Senate today, with my own words of warning. We can't undermine our system to appease MAGA - or Maple MAGA. #cdnpoli #abpoli #ableg #C12 #BillC12 #Canada
Don’t undermine immigration policy by appeasing xenophobia: Senator Paula Simons critiques Bill C-12
YouTube video by Senator Paula Simons
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
thebreakdownab.bsky.social
“Alberta’s chief justice is investigating the conduct of two judges after the Investigative Journalism Foundation uncovered evidence suggesting they gave money to the United Conservative Party after being appointed to the provincial court bench.”

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

thetyee.ca/News/2025/09...
Two Alberta Judges Under Investigation over Donations to the UCP | The Tyee
Ethical standards say judges should not be involved in politics or supporting parties.
thetyee.ca
February 6, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
aaronwherry.bsky.social
Not the most important thing in the world, but the Conservative party has a shadow minister for foreign affairs, a shadow minister for Canada-US trade and a shadow minister for international trade.

And none of those people are Jamil Jivani.
February 5, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
thebreakdownab.bsky.social
"directly recruited several new legal members to the review board, many of whom were aligned politically with the provincial government," including Gerald Chipeur.”

Is this Alberta’s distinct legal tradition Smith refers to?

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
'Political interference' with review board alleged in Matthew de Grood's appeal | CBC News
The lawyer for Matthew de Grood, who was found not criminally responsible for the killing of five people in Calgary, alleges "political interference" by a former justice minister in the review board p...
www.cbc.ca
February 5, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
ariehkovler.com
It'd be ironic if it was because of this (which is actually really bad!)
Spotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell - CIA
www.cia.gov
February 4, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social
Have you registered yet to be a part of our Alberta Unbound live audience? Come join us this Friday! #Edmonton #yeg #ualberta #Alberta #cdnpoli #SenateOfCanada #ALES
Alberta Unbound live taping at I-Week
Join Senator Paula Simons for a special live recording of the Alberta Unbound podcast. In an era of shifting geopolitical tides and economic...
www.ualberta.ca
February 4, 2026 at 1:25 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
jaredwesley.ca
“We must preserve Canada, this country handed down to us by providence, preserved by our ancestors and held in trust for our descendants. We must make any sacrifice necessary to preserve the independence and the unity of this blessed land.”

Well put.

www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Harper continues call for national unity at portrait unveiling
Former prime minister says country must be prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to preserve Canada’s independence
www.theglobeandmail.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:53 AM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
markhamhislop.bsky.social
Strain of Alberta Exceptionalism Drives Separatism, Not Grievances

Separatists like Jeff Rath, Cam Davies et al are not Albertans. Certainly not Canadians.

They are Americans who happen to live in Alberta.

Send them home. There's the border, folks.
youtu.be/WSCfKXXSrd4
Strain of Alberta Exceptionalism Drives Separatism, Not Grievances
YouTube video by Energi Media
youtu.be
February 3, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
arnokopecky.bsky.social
The crazy thing about the crazy things I‘m hearing, is that it isn’t rando rally-goers from the party’s base saying them.
It’s delegates, the party brass and membership. These are folks who run the party.

www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/30/o...
The sad predictability of the CPC Convention
None of what Arno Kopecky saw from Conservatives speaking on the first night of the party's Calgary convention was any more surprising than the strange disconnect from reality he encountered among att...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
lindsaytedds.bsky.social
Just a reminder that Danielle Smith won't demonize the 30% who support separatism but will demonize the 44% who didn't vote for the UCP in the last election 🤷
sarobertson.bsky.social Scott Robertson @sarobertson.bsky.social · 5d
Danielle Smith says Alberta separatist movement is a "pressure release valve."
February 2, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean
coreyhogan.ca
iPolitics asked me to expand on my thoughts on question period reform - which I was happy to do.

1. Have longer exchanges
2. Set a roster for who's up
3. Stop the repetition
4. Experiment

This week, we talk about it as MPs. What changes would you make? www.ipolitics.ca/2026/02/02/c...
Canadians deserve a better question period
Our most visible accountability tool has drifted from its purpose. Parliament should use the Standing Orders debate to fix it.
www.ipolitics.ca
February 3, 2026 at 12:40 AM