While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Jack Farrell.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's two biggest school divisions say dozens of library books have been taken off the shelves as the province's ban on sexually explicit material took effect this week.
EDMONTON -- A petitioner looking to oust an Alberta cabinet ministers says she has a huge task ahead, as the campaign nears its deadline for signature collection.
EDMONTON -- Elections Alberta issued three more recall petitions Tuesday for members of the provincial legislature -- two United Conservative backbenchers and one Opposition New Democrat.
Alberta's election agency announced Monday it has approved a proposed referendum question on the province separating from Canada. The question seeks a yes or no answer to: "Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?" Elections Alberta said the proponents — the Alberta Prosperity Project and its...
EDMONTON -- Alberta's election agency announced Monday it has approved a proposed referendum question on the province separating from Canada.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's election agency says it has approved a proposed referendum question on the province separating from Canada.
EDMONTON -- Elections Alberta is getting $6.7 million in extra funding to handle the sudden outburst of recall petitions against legislature members.
EDMONTON -- Two advocacy groups fighting the Alberta government on its transgender laws say they're looking to keep one of their challenges alive by changing their argument in court.
EDMONTON -- Two advocacy groups fighting the Alberta government on transgender laws say they are switching tactics to continue their battle in court.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government has wrapped up a fall legislature sitting featuring landmark legislation that raised questions on where political authority should end and the rule of law begin. Smith's government invoked the Charter's notwithstanding clause four times in two separate bills, overriding citizen rights to shield the legislation from successful court challenges. The government first used the clause...
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government has wrapped up a fall legislature sitting featuring landmark legislation that raised questions on where political authority should end and the rule of law begin.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's auditor general says the province needs a new framework for measuring and monitoring health-care system performance.
Danielle Smith has become the second Alberta premier - and the first in almost 90 years - to face a citizen-led petition drive to get her removed from her seat in the legislature. Smith and two more of her United Conservative Party caucus members saw recall campaigns officially approved and launched Wednesday by Elections Alberta. In total, 20 in the...
EDMONTON -- Danielle Smith has become the second Alberta premier – and the first in almost 90 years – to face a citizen-led petition drive to get her removed from her seat in the legislature.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's government has made last-minute changes to a bill after the province's chief electoral officer warned it would impede the independence of his office.
EDMONTON -- Elections Alberta announced Wednesday a recall petition has been issued for Premier Danielle Smith and two more of her United Conservative Party cabinet ministers.
Elections Alberta says a recall petition has been issued for Premier Danielle Smith and two more of her United Conservative Party cabinet ministers. The petitioner seeking to oust the premier, Heather VanSnick, says Smith has been ignoring local constituents and experts in developing policies. VanSnick also says Smith needs to go, because the premier has been weakening public services in...
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government and a member of the Opposition NDP are in a standoff over questions in the legislature.
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government and a member of the Opposition NDP are in a standoff over questions in the legislature.
EDMONTON -- An Alberta judge says a bill introduced this week by Premier Danielle Smith's government is undemocratic.
EDMONTON -- An Alberta judge says a bill introduced this week by Premier Danielle Smith's government is undemocratic.
Almost one-quarter of all politicians in the Alberta legislature now face citizen-led petition drives to remove them from office. Alberta's chief electoral officer told a legislature committee today he needs almost $7 million to process what he listed as 21 petition campaigns in the 87-seat legislature. Gordon McClure calls the situation "unprecedented." His comments came as his office formally announced...
EDMONTON -- The list of Alberta politicians facing recall petitions continues to grow -- and now includes the Opposition NDP.
EDMONTON -- A woman looking to launch a recall petition to oust Alberta Premier Danielle Smith from her seat in the legislature says her campaign has been officially approved.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's privacy watchdog is raising concerns about a new government bill that would add health-care numbers to driver's licences and other forms of identification.
EDMONTON -- The president of the Alberta Federation of Labour says Premier Danielle Smith only has herself to blame for her United Conservative Party caucus facing more than a dozen recall petitions.
Alberta's watershed pipeline deal with Ottawa wasn't front and centre Friday when Premier Danielle Smith spoke with United Conservative Party faithful at their annual convention. Smith took the stage in Edmonton for the first of many addresses planned for the weekend. It wasn't until after she spoke on issues including rural policing, new federal legislation and even separatism that someone...
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her United Conservative Party caucus isn't afraid to defend its record as its faces more than a dozen recall campaigns.
EDMONTON -- Nine members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party caucus are now facing recall petitions - enough to potentially tip the balance of power in the legislature.
EDMONTON -- Nine members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party caucus are now facing recall petitions - enough to potentially tip the balance of power in the legislature.
Nine members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party caucus are now facing recall petitions - enough to potentially tip the balance of power in the legislature. Elections Alberta confirmed Monday that signature collection efforts can begin for six more UCP members, including cabinet ministers Rajan Sawhney, Myles McDougall, Dale Nally and R.J. Sigurdson. Petitions were also issued for Ric...
EDMONTON -- Nine members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party caucus are now facing recall petitions - enough to potentially tip the balance of power in the legislature.
A third member of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party caucus is now officially the target of a petition to get him recalled from his job as a member of the legislature. Elections Alberta said in a news release Friday it has approved a signature-collecting campaign against first-term Grande Prairie legislature member Nolan Dyck. The approval kick-starts a three-month signature...
EDMONTON -- A third member of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party caucus is now officially the target of a petition to get him recalled from his job as a member of the legislature.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's chief electoral officer has approved a third recall petition application against a United Conservative Party legislature member.
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is distancing herself from a multimillion-dollar lab testing debacle involving the former private provider DynaLife.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's auditor general estimates the government's failed effort to privatize community lab testing services left taxpayers on the hook for about $109 million.
EDMONTON -- The Alberta cabinet minister in charge of primary care says legislation is coming -- but won't provide details -- amid reports the province plans to let doctors work in the public and private health systems simultaneously as they see fit.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's cabinet minister in charge of primary health care is facing questions on possible major changes in how family doctors operate.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's government has tabled legislation to add health-care numbers and mandatory citizenship markers to driver's licences and identification cards.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Canada recently losing its measles elimination status is concerning, but her government might not have many other options on the table to help get it back.
An Alberta legislature member is going on the attack against one of her own constituents.
EDMONTON -- Reintroducing coal-powered electricity to Alberta's grid and restricting which flags are flown on public property are among dozens of new policy proposals being brought forward by grassroots members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party.
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government has no plans to change provincial recall legislation, at least for the moment.
The man who launched a petition drive to oust United Conservative Party legislature member Angela Pitt says she needs to go because she's not getting the job done.
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is calling on the federal government to invoke the Charter's notwithstanding clause to overturn a new Supreme Court ruling on child pornography.
EDMONTON -- A new report recommends Alberta's two major cities get more seats in the provincial legislature in time for the 2027 election.
EDMONTON -- The Alberta government is paying out $95 million to a coal mining company to end another one of the lawsuits launched against it over its policy flip-flop.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's government is ending its hybrid work policy, mandating all provincial employees return to the office full-time starting early next year.
Alberta's government is ending its hybrid work policy, mandating all provincial employees return to the office full-time starting early next year. A statement issued by Alberta's deputy ministers' council says the policy stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed some employees to work from home two days a week. The council says the decision is in response to "changing circumstances"...
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says absent a deal to end a provincewide teachers strike, her government will introduce back-to-work legislation Monday. Smith says with the strike deep into its third week, the hardship facing students and families is intolerable, forcing her government to step in. The two sides do not have formal talks scheduled but Smith says there is still...
EDMONTON -- Alberta's Opposition NDP says it will fight the government's looming plan to introduce a bill to force striking teachers back to work.
EDMONTON -- Vote counting in Alberta's municipal and school board elections has resumed.
EDMONTON -- Albertans are set to pick their next mayors and councillors today as municipal elections take place across the province.
EDMONTON -- The union representing Alberta teachers says its has turned down a request from the government to end a provincewide strike on Monday and go through enhanced mediation.
A final report into allegations of corruption in Alberta government health contracts says it was widely known two staffers were in conflicts of interest but no steps were taken by senior officials. Former Manitoba judge Raymond Wyant makes 18 recommendations for the Alberta government, including improving conflict and procurement policies.
EDMONTON -- Alberta may no longer be known as "Wild Rose Country" -- at least on its licence plates.
EDMONTON -- Alberta's finance minister says there's a major divide between what the union representing striking teachers is asking for and what the government is willing to spend.
EDMONTON -- The union representing Alberta teachers and the provincial government's bargaining committee met Tuesday for the first time since a provincewide strike began a week ago.
EDMONTON -- Many Alberta students are sleeping in these days, struggling with the feeling they should be doing something else instead.