Women of ABpoli: Hot Flashes - Issue #6
This week in AB
Dr. Hinshaw says Alberta Health needs to focus on bigger issues; like syphilis
Dr. Hinshaw’s been very busy. In an effort to explain her recommendation/decision to let Covid be, she’s hosted a townhall, written an open letter, and attended multiple interviews.
She's also had some pretty strong opposition.
Then she decided to put the province on the radar – again – when she said that Alberta has other problems that are more pressing than Covid – like syphilis and the opioid crisis.
As one twitter user noted, it’s a heck of a way to lure investment. Come for the untraceable covid, stay for the untreated syphilis, self medicate with unstoppable access to opioids.
Embarrassing cousins
When Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn was reinstated to the United Conservative Party caucus (after former PM Stephen Harper allegedly delivered a pep-talk about unity or making a good show to respect Kenney’s leadership or something of that effect), the UCP communications staff claimed that letters had been received “from municipalities” in Rehn’s riding in support of his reinstatement.
That turned out to be a rather inflated version.
Instead, it turned out that of those identified as local politicians who provided support for Rehn, did not have authorization to provide support on behalf of their respective municipalities.
When their public roles were used to bolster the original false claim, one councillor resigned his position with the board, and another responded that she only provided the letter of support as a constituency association board member specifically, and not on behalf of those she is elected to represent.
That’s the funny part.
Meanwhile, Calgary-Falconridge MLA Devinder Toor was fined $15,000 for elections violations including accepting prohibited donations and exceeding spending limits in his 2018 nomination and 2019 general election campaign, and a numbered company he owns was fined $4,500, and his Chief Financial Officer was fined $14,000.
I suppose if your “leadership” contest is under investigation for election fraud, it kind of sets the tone for the party in general.
What money can buy
You’ve likely heard Jason Kenney refer to “the NDP’s union boss friends” or some version of the same. Even though the NDP negotiated pay freezes while they were in power – it was a recession, after all – the moniker is well-used and generally accepted as fact.
While you might be less familiar with one of the more disparaging uses of the UCP acronym – Used Car Party – the name has similar origins to the NDP’s affiliation with unions.
In the lead up to the 2019 election, a Political Action Committee (PAC) was formed with the support of car dealerships around the province, raising more than $800,000. At least one dealership received orders for new vehicles once the UCP was in power, to which the manager of said dealership attributed directly to the election of said government.
But the perks don’t stop there.
In response to the creation of an online list of businesses who directly supported the UCP, originally created by Albertans as early as 2018, was eventually synthesized by and publicly declared on the Alberta Federation of Labour website in 2020, MLAs have offered their support for individual businesses who gave them money on social media, and in-person.
And of course, Kenney does need to stand up for the quarter of pickup truck owners who, unlike himself, actually need them for work.
Speaking of investment…
Alberta has Quebec envy in the same way irresponsible children don’t understand why their responsible sibling has a later curfew.
The federal childcare program is about making affordable care accessible to all families, not just families who fall under an arbitrary income range.
Quebec’s plan is universal and would require Alberta to spend almost a billion dollars to even match it.
Go to your room, UCP, and don’t come back until you understand what “all families” means.
Canada
Vaccine passports for Quebec
In response to a rise in Covid-19 cases, Quebec Premier Francois Legault has announced the creation of a vaccine passport system. There were 305 new cases in the province Aug 4, with 72 people in hospital and 16 in ICU. On the same day in Alberta, variant testing was caught up, adding 823 cases over the past few days, with 97 in hospital, including 32 in ICU – “the best summer ever, for some families”.
Manitoba will begin to lift restrictions August 7
Capacity limits and indoor masking will end Saturday, but capacity limits on weddings and funerals will remain. Casinos, sporting events (RIDER FANS!), bingo and concert halls, and horse and auto racing will be allowed to fill capacity but are only open to vaccinated individuals. These restrictions will remain in place until September 7.
The Manitoba government started issuing immunization records for proof of vaccination on July 13.
World
“Paging the War Room. #ableg https://t.co/Q0hmt0p88w”
President Biden has announced a goal of a full half of vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric or zero emission by 2030. Since the administration has decided to help fund automakers after a difficult year, consider it a condition of investment.
Laundry List: GoA Press Releases
Unspun
Kenney reminds Albertans to celebrate colonization on Heritage Day.
Alberta lost 37,000 full-time jobs in June, and gained 20,000 full-time jobs in July for a net loss of 17,000 jobs. Jobs Minister Doug Schweitzer says it shows the UCP plan is working; math shakes head.
When the UCP reduced overall funding to the film industry and placed a cap on small production grants in 2019, the industry called it “dramatic and catastrophic”. After realizing the film industry is creating more jobs than the oil industry, the UCP repealed their own changes and, *poof*, attracted more production.
Rinse and Repeat
Farmers weren’t happy when the UCP stared at their feet instead of signing on to the federal AgriStability program earlier this year, nor when Alberta failed to put up their share to access federal dollars for the program. And they weren’t happy that oil and gas companies are still not paying their leases and rural taxes. But they will have access to 21 more Agriculture Financial Services Corporation employees to complete early assessments for crop losses, and ranchers, if approved, may have access to funds to purchase feed, water, or fencing.
Last Load
Minister Shandro makes a statement for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month.
Thanks to joint funding between the feds and province, doors have opened to affordable housing for Indigenous People in Edmonton.
Ron Orr, Minister of Culture, issued a six-sentence joint statement with Associate Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism Muhammad Yaseen in recognition of Hindu Heritage Month.
Almost $350,000 has been given to organizations to host Alberta Culture Days events in September.