This week in AB: December 6, 2024
Is it a "culture war" if only one side is fighting? I ended this week with lots of questions and few answers.
Tariffs, Trudeau, and trespassers
Trump's tariffs could fuel a bigger problem: Alberta separatism
Ahead of Donald Trump’s upcoming return to the White House, and his demand for enhanced border security to avoid tariffs that would throw Canada into a recession, Danielle Smith is taking an approach I’m deeply familiar with: what is in my power to avoid the outcome I don’t want?
Trudeau flew down to meet Trump for dinner at Mar-a-Lago last weekend to discuss tariffs
Premier Smith is doing her “part” to overshadow the Prime Minister when it comes to trade with the U.S.. She didn’t let the fact that she can’t request a personal meeting with Trump hold her back, however, landing herself a spot on FOX, which will likely help her personal fortunes after she is done with the whole Alberta thing.
Takeaways
Alberta’s fortunes are tied to Canada’s, Trump wants to use tariffs to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., and no amount of “border security” will provide that, so both Trudeau and Smith are going nowhere
Smith will always be a pundit first and premier second
What’s next
Blame Trudeau for not being able to meet Trump’s demands
UCP passes suite of bills to discourage transgender youth
Fairness in Sport, a bill to require youth to provide documentation of their sex assignment at birth if girls don’t look “girly” enough, and ensure that transgender women are barred from playing on women-only teams, even if their sport does not permit such discrimination
Education Amendment Act will require parental consent for youth to be referred by a name or pronoun of their choosing if under 16, and mandatory parental notification (but not permission) for youth over 16, and that parents must now opt-in to allow their young wards to learn about things their parents may not like (other people).
Health Statutes Amendment Act forbids gender-affirming care for youth, specifically with regard to puberty blockers as the premier put on her doctor hat and decided their use makes people infertile (it doesn’t)
Takeaways
Do they make those flower head band things in bigger sizes so that people who have no business wondering about their genitalia can feel better?
Learning about foot fetishes did not give me a foot fetish; but I learned about that on the internet, so…
What’s next
the good old days before internet and the Bible when people weren’t gay or trans, obviously
Bill to shield politicians and political staff passed
Alberta’s Privacy Commissioner stated unequivocally that the bill would decrease transparency, but that was the intent
Alberta government launches 10th legal challenge against federal authority
“We’ve got 4 reviews related to the federal firearms ban, 2 reviews related to the emergencies act, 1 challenge related to the plastics ban, 1 on the federal fertilizer act, 1 challenge to the federal carbon tax exemption on home heating oil, and of course the reference case on the federal assessment act,” said Mickey Amery, Alberta Justice Minister, according to CTV News
Seen and heard
Daveberta’s Dave Cournoyer announced the winners of this year’s Best of Alberta Politics
Paul Wells Show: his guest this week, Musa al-Gharbi, analyzed the trends of “wokeness”, including the 60’s-70’s, 90’s, and aughts. His book, We have never been woke, was published before the recent U.S. election
West of Centre had a fantastic roundtable last week with Strategists’ Corey Hogan, The Star’s Alex Boyd, and Janet Brown from Janet Brown Opinion Research. Hosted by Kathleen Petty.
I got dumber listening to Rick Bell on the more recent episode of West of Centre.
The Get Back in the Closet Bill.