The Justin playbook, rebranded in Lethbridge East
By Lethbridge Herald on January 2, 2026.
Editor:
In previous public statements, Nathan Neudorf, MLA for Lethbridge East, has expressed views discouraging recall efforts, including referencing earlier recall attempts involving his own seat. That makes his current inaction all the more troubling.
If an MLA genuinely believes in the integrity of the democratic process, one would reasonably expect them to intervene when that process appears to be undermined. Yet Mr. Neudorf has done precisely the opposite. He has not stepped in to correct, clarify, or denounce a recall effort that many constituents believe was mishandled or politically distorted. Instead, he has limited his response to narrow denials that he knows the individual involved, while avoiding the more fundamental question: why was the process allowed to proceed in a manner that appears designed to fail?
There is, at present, no definitive proof of Mr. Neudorf’s direct involvement. However, democratic accountability is not judged solely on proof of wrongdoing; it is also judged by conduct. Silence, non-intervention, and reliance on rehearsed talking points—rather than a clear defence of the law and the public’s right to participate—create legitimate public concern.
This pattern is not new. Canadians have seen it before at the federal level, including during Justin Trudeau’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair: narrow denials, distancing from process failures, and delayed engagement with substantive accountability questions. In both cases, the issue was not immediate proof, but the erosion of trust caused by avoidance and strategic silence.
Political theory describes this as accountability avoidance through plausible deniability—a failure of democratic stewardship in which leaders protect themselves by not acting when action is ethically required.
What is increasingly clear is that continued silence does not contain the damage; it compounds it. Each day without transparency, correction, or leadership only deepens the perception of avoidance and further alienates constituents. Rather than preserving credibility, this behaviour entrenches doubt and accelerates the erosion of public trust.
In the end, these actions do not merely affect one political career—they disenfranchise voters in Lethbridge East, leaving citizens to conclude that their democratic rights are treated as inconveniences rather than obligations. That is not leadership. It is a self-inflicted wound, and it grows deeper with every refusal to act.
John LaForest, Lethbridge
10-9
That’s what Reformers are famous for doing unlike our conservative hero Peter Lougheed who worked hard to improve all our wellbeing these fools ignore it or blame it on someone else that’s all they know, don’t they? Why would Neudorf be any different? He is what he is and has no intention of standing up for his constituents like we know he should.
He is just like this fool Pierre Poilievre who has nothing intelligent to say, while Mark Carney desperately tries to make things better for everyone and more and more conservatives see him as being another Lougheed, don’t you?
I heard Danielle Smith say not long ago that Peter Lougheed would have agreed with her to use the Notwithstanding Clause to force the striking teachers back to work. She couldn’t be more wrong. Peter Lougheed’s own cabinet ministers don’t even trust Danielle Smith and the UCP. Can you blame them?
Opinion: Alberta undermining public education — and democracy | Edmonton Journal https://share.google/LOgpKd2Ujw58aO2gr
Former Red Deer PC Attorney General Jim Foster takes issue with Smith’s ethics violation | Red Deer Advocate https://share.google/JXtD7fjgWB6cV1kze
We have been hearing some interesting comments at coffee since Christmas by young Albertans.
Apparently while these mindless seniors have been hurling their sarcastic comments at us for not being as stupid as them and believing every lie these Reformers have been feeding them, they have been refusing to believe the concerns their children have over the massive debts being created for them to have to deal with, that’s how stupid they are.
In many cases they were banned from attending family gatherings over Christmas their children were disgusted with them, can you blame them?
Great comments John. More and more Albertans we talk to are seeing these Reformers for what they are and want all of them gone . The lack of respect that they have shown our children and grandchildren is sickening and that’s why the Conservatives in Ottawa kicked Poilievre out, he showed them no respect. Ignoring what their massive financial mess is going to do to our children’s future is just plain stupid, isn’t it?
You sure have it right. Even here in Alberta, look at what we have in comparison to Alaska and Norway, with their oil wealth. I can see why you are called Fedup Conservative.
Alberta Mismanages Heritage Fund, Misses Out on $575B in Revenue Over 44 Years https://share.google/27FLKifop9hfHZ8Q1
Nathan Neudorf, like the entire UCP, and Danielle Smith, are only concerned about themselves, and their wealthy corporate buddies. They show no concern for what Albertans are going through, from children to seniors. Danielle Smith couldn’t get herself and the UCP elected from being honest. Look at the problems they have caused.
Public Health Care Guarantee – United Conservative Party of Alberta https://unitedconservative.ca/annoucement/publicly-funded-health-care-guarantee/
Alberta wasted over a $100M in lab privatization: Auditor general | Edmonton Journal https://share.google/AdvGibgwkkwlntzJM
https://www.scribd.com/document/827797277/Statement-of-Claim-Mentzelopoulos
I heard in Alaska, that the people there get annual dividends from their oil wealth. Their oil wealth is $80 billion. Norway has around $1.2 trillion in their Sovereign Wealth Fund, from their oil reserves. In Alberta, we have basically nothing, because the likes of premier Ralph Klein, who cheated us of our oil wealth, and left us with a $260 billion price tag to remediate messes left behind by the oil companies in Alberta. That’s over $800 billion. It’s not the way Peter Lougheed wanted it to be. Who knows what he did to our natural gas royalty rates, and what we lost from that? Here we have the UCP and Danielle Smith playing us for fools, when they are showing how they are like Ralph Klein. Federally, Pierre Poilievre is just another Reformer that nobody was willing to support, and yet he still wants to become Prime Minister. How foolish can people be?
Norway is now at $2 trillion and growing while these Reform Party idiots give ours away. In the years these Reformers have been in power since taking over from the NDP every man, woman, and child in Alaska has received around $10,000. In total annual oil dividend cheques while Albertans got a pathetic $600. and were fed the lie that times are tough and they were thrilled with how stupid they are. We still hear comments, from seniors, about how wonderful it was to receive $600. and $400. from Klein, that’s how stupid they. Hurling their sarcastic comments at anyone not as stupid as them, while they pay some of the highest costs of living in North America.
Alaskans pay no State Taxes and their property taxes are next to nothing as they told me on my two visits.
If you don’t believe me Google Alaska Permanent Fund on the internet and add up what they have received since 1982 it will make your blood boil knowing that’s what Lougheed was planning for us.
These mindless seniors were so stupid they let these Reformers destroy it that’s how stupid they are, isn’t it? So why did any of you let them?
They are so stupid they don’t understand why we have the highest percentage per capita of people needing help from Food Banks in North America that’s how stupid they are, and some of them maybe next.
That is true. We also have the highest amount of children going to school hungry in Canada. Do these people care? To them, the UCP are amazing.
I know. My dad, who is 96, this year, told me once about how clever Ralph Klein thought he was by buying votes before a provincial election. After Ralph Klein got back into power, he stopped giving the money to Albertans. One of my dad’s brothers, who was in his 90s, when he passed away, several years ago, didn’t trust Ralph Klein either. Neither did I, or my siblings. I didn’t support the UVP either. There are seniors who do, and they influence their younger family members to do so.
*UCP*
For those who wish to be ruled by nine unelected judges, be careful what you ask for. Here is the real issue of what you don’t like. You only scream democracy when it suits you. You are living in democracy and you don’t like it. Oct 18,2027 will come soon enough. This is the way our system works.
https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/bowyer-recall-petitions-miss-the-mark-the-real-issue-is-our-westminster-system/69912?
So explain to us why we didn’t have a problem under Lougheed and Getty when they listened to the people and did what they said.
No one told these idiot Reformers to destroy everything Lougheed created for the good of the people, like oil royalties, corporate taxes, deregulation of electricity and natural gas, blowing up a hospital, closing others down, and putting our water supply at risk after Lougheed’s protection protected us.
How much are you going to be willing to pay towards the $238 million in lawsuits this Coal Industry has cost us?
The $238 million is only part of what is owed, because the settlement costs to these coal mining companies is $16 billion.
Please never quote the westernstandard, Birthed in it’s second iteration by Ezra Lavant. Chock-full of Right Winger nuthatches.
The “Western Standard” , Ezra Lavant et al ? 🫣🤔😅😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. And that is your source? 🤮
As opposed to the Tyee. Left wing toilet paper. See I can play your game too. As usual it’s attack the messenger with no valuable contradictions or conversations allowed by the tribal mob.
Yeh none of them match up to your intelligence. Ha.