Women of ABpoli Hot Flashes: Freedom Reigns
This week in AB
Alberta is still the freest of the free
Alberta's weak-chinned Premier could hardly wait to announce that people with big trucks were now in charge of his government's health policy.
It didn't stop them from continuing the blockade, strangely enough, but it did allow Kenney to withdraw restaurants, bars, and other gathering places from Restrictions Exemption Program with a swiftness that caused alarm from a number of business groups and owners.
While the Calgary Chamber said they were worried the move would erode consumer confidence, others stated they were hoping capacity restrictions and liquor-service reductions would be removed before the vaccine passport.
The groups did not say whether they have considered raising their concerns with the guys who are still blocking the Coutts Crossing at the Alberta border.
Speaking of the border - in a move that surprised no one, Kenney also realized that he could ride piggyback on the illegal blockade and remind Albertans that he has doubled-down on his $1.3 billion loss on the Keystone XL/Trump presidency debacle with a NAFTA challenge.
As a young(er) university student, I wrote a paper in 2011 that looked at how laws were applied in individualistic societies (U.S. and Canada) in comparison to the European Union. Part of that research took me into NAFTA challenges.
Spoiler alert: the U.S. (still) hasn't lost a NAFTA challenge.
The house always wins, Kenney - stop gambling with our damned money.
And speaking of legal challenges, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is seeking leave to appeal its constitutional challenge against the Alberta government over the UCP's Bill 1, the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, in the Supreme Court of Canada.
Meanwhile, as everything *waves arms wildly* else in Alberta continues without the powers in the Act being used, it is drawing increasing attention from those who believe it would be used to break up similar (let alone lesser) activities by those with whom police are not as sympathetic.
As a reminder, Bill 1, was introduced in the Alberta Legislature "following a series of rail blockades" by Indigenous people across the country in 2020.
"The Legislature was reconvened today with a Throne Speech," Kenney said in February of 2020.
"I introduced Bill 1, the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, with serious penalties for anyone who tries to hold Alberta's economy hostage by blocking key infrastructure like railways & roads."
Then-Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer chimed in as well, saying "(o)ver the last number of weeks, Albertans have witnessed the level of economic damage that a small group of lawbreakers can cause through blockades and other illegal protests. Our government will not stand idly by and allow Alberta to be an economic hostage to illegal activity now or ever."
Truly, the continued lack of its use against a legitimate blockade of critical infrastructure such as a border crossing in the province of Alberta raises a lot more questions about its existence, and its intended targets.
Alberta's excess death rate is highest in Canada
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was ridiculously excited to see all of the research that would eventually become public. This... wasn't great.
Only a few weeks ago, Saskatchewan was under fire for having the highest excess death rates during the pandemic but Alberta's numbers weren't in yet it seems.
While it's probably not the measure the UCP wanted to leave the rest of Canada in its dust, this is apparently the "balance" between lives and livelihoods that puts Alberta on top.
Dr. Tara Moriarty, (Chair), Faculties of Dentistry and Medicine Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, has been charting reported deaths in the provinces and comparing them to pre-pandemic levels - "untimely" or "excess" deaths.
The data is gained from "all sources", including opioid and other preventable deaths, as well as "expected" from common rates of prevalent disease and natural causes.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the freest of them all?
Canada
Blockity, block, block, block
The "freedom convoy" and supporters have blocked streets, bridges, business, residents, and observers from conducting business, travel, sleep, and continuing to have faith in police services and government decision-making.
President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau had to have a chat about the border blockades that have shut down or reduced production of exported materials.
Despite governments releasing strongly-worded letters, more blockades have popped up.
And what is being done to stop them, you might ask?
In some provinces, like Alberta and Saskatchewan, not much, if anything. The Windsor Bridge had been cleared in Ontario, at least for now.
In reaction to a lack of police action, counter protests of citizens who don't want this bullshit to continue are forming their own blockades to stop the convoys from getting to city centres.
These have mostly been shut down by police, and I can't imagine anything more ironic.
Well, the police, politicians - you know, people who make laws and those who (supposedly) enforce them.
This entire C-rated show we've been subjected to over the past three weeks is laying bare what our own history informs us: the law is not applied equally, the laws do not protect everyone, and the people who have been screaming the loudest about "law and order" are just saying they want to punish people who are not like themselves.
Ongoing thought
cover photo courtesy @abpressrelease