This week in AB+: October 26, 2024
*Quick note; additional posts will resume next week.
Oh, ‘Berta, my ‘Berta
Seniors, Health, and Housing
the province has announced that outsourcing medical assistance to pharmacies is more expensive than they thought it would be, and will be reducing the funding available. No word yet on whether the province has figured out that services cost money, even if the not-at-all profit-conscious private industry provides them.
the one-year anniversary of Health Minister Adriana LaGrange signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with then-Alberta Medical Association president Paul Parks to “expeditiously work on” the new funding model for Alberta physicians came and went — without a deal — on October 23, 2024.
as the UCP’s $7 million anti-Trudeau/oil and gas emissions cap campaign gets going in provinces with a general election (and Ontario), Alberta’s Health Minister said her government will spend $420,000 on the seasonal virus campaign here at home, while reminding Albertans that there’s no pressure to protect their health or anyone else’s. With almost no consideration for those impatiently awaiting their inheritances, Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi scheduled a media availability while getting his seasonal flu and Covid shots.
This really says it all:
Parents Against Kids Transitioning (PAKT)
I got kicked out after a reasonable discussion, and like four other speakers. This was what they sent me after I didn’t bother exiting the waiting room:
It’s supposedly “Parents And Kids Together”, but it’s actually only open to desperate-to-belong parents with cookie-cutter kids.
First off: kids can’t transition, no matter how much support they get, no matter how many groups love to scare the crap out of parents with their BS. Second, no kid is going under the knife without years of therapy, because we aren’t the U.S. where you can just offer to pay someone to perform medical procedures (yet).
I have a transgender kid and I will support them 100 per cent and always because they know how they feel far better than I ever will. Prove me wrong.
As I said: fuck people who pick and choose which kids they will support; they’re KIDS. Be the adult in the room or die trying; there are no other options in real life.
‘Twas the free*-est of speech
*conditions apply
Premier Danielle Smith and her Justice Minister Mickey Amery released a warm and fuzzy video message for free speechers to wrap themselves up in at night. As is always good advice — but especially when it comes from people who want to be “clear” to those who don’t read past a headline — the devil is in those pesky details.
Amery told Edmonton opinion columnist David Staples that the UCP isn’t talking about legitimately no consequence, or what some may consider “free”, speech. “The freedom of expression and the ability to express one’s views, even if they’re controversial, must be upheld and protected so long as it is speech that is appropriate. And what I mean by that is that we don’t intend to allow individuals to engage in hate speech or other types of inappropriate commentary.” (Emphasis mine.)
Invoking the trials and tribulations of conservative self-help guru and registered but non-practicing Ontario psychologist Jordan Peterson — who was sentenced to the ultimate injustice of undergoing social media training for suggesting someone on social media end their lives — after he made his plight public on social media, podcasts, and paid columns in national newspapers, Smith claimed the UCP would protect the completely unrelated area of political and religious views.
People had thoughts.
Canada
Trudeau still a go
After a meeting with caucus members last week, Justin Trudeau emerged the victor, retaining his position as Liberal leader and, therefore, Prime Minister.
B.C. election results look like the Greens are once again holding the balance of power. With recounts taking place, the NDP may not hold onto the most seats, meaning the Greens may have to weigh the totally normal pros and cons between supporting people who want to run government and people who want to run government into the ground.
New Brunswick turfed the Terfs, sending PC’s Blaine Higgs packing and opting for an, ahem, more liberal government.
Saskatchewan’s last chance to vote is Monday, and some people are saying that the NDP could overtake urban centres, allowing the Sask Party and Premier Scott Moe to retain their majority with support of rural voters who simply don’t have the same concerns as urban voters.
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I'm frustrated, with what this govt is doing with healthcare, it makes no sense from where I sit. I'm of the opinion the government has actually made healthcare more dangerous than life saving and wondering if a legal suit be made.
With Smith's ambition to turn AB into little America with strong authoritarian policies. It makes me wonder which minority they'll designate as Albertas' Latino group, in the meantime they'll go whole hog on the lgbt bunch.
As for free speech—in Alberta it's only for the religious minority and oil corporations, based on this government's ideology.
Are we really surprised most incumbent governments are being replaced by the opposition due to the voters dissatisfaction with the economy and not by any ideology.
If half the population is below average intelligence, somebody whack them on backside of their head and wake them up.
I’m choosing to remain confident that APEGA will push back on the effort to soften its rules that regulate professional conduct. Just as it did in appealing the ruling that allows “software engineers” to call themselves engineers without actually being credentialed and degreed engineers. (They’re good people, no doubt. And good at their jobs. But they’re simply not engineers.). Without standards of professional conduct, requirements of a degree from an accredited program, and standards of technical & ethical competence, there will be an erosion of public trust in our regulated Professions. Imagine how the careers of David Staples and Danielle Smith might be have been different if journalism and talk radio hosting had standards of training, competence, ethics, and conduct…