Women of ABpoli: Hot Flashes - Issue #11
This Week in AB
New health measures in effect
“ I hope the additional measures include putting smarter, more humane people in charge.”
For a man who put more effort into launching the “best summer ever” than ensuring Albertans could rely on access to medical care, having to take responsibility for the mess his government has made isn’t high on Jason Kenney’s to-do list.
During a press conference on Wednesday night, Kenney said he was sorry for being wrong, but not sorry for the actions he took while being wrong.
The tag-team of Kenney-Shandro-Hinshaw Covid “leadership” also announced a slate of new measures including the vaccine passport that isn’t a passport that will be in effect on Monday, September 20 but that Albertans cannot download because the myhealth website is being overwhelmed with Albertans trying to download said information.
Hinshaw hears a “how the hell do you still have a job?”
During a townhall with primary care physicians (this is a copy as the original was set to private the following morning) Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, made one heck of a case for her removal. It began with Hinshaw expressing her thanks to her peers “for still talking to (her)”.
She apologized for the way her pre-evidence announcement that the pandemic was moving to endemic was “misinterpreted” by politicians and their bootlickers, admitted she wasn’t looking at all of the evidence by saying “Delta took many of us by surprise”; and – my personal grievance – used graphs with variable x-axis which made selected provincial and state (don’t ask) Delta spread appear similar.
I’ve given the CMOH a lot of leeway as I hoped she was simply caught in the political cycle of the current government but this was further evidence that she is not up to the task of dealing with a public health crisis of this magnitude.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Oh, come, all ye racist pricks
A “freedom rally” held in Calgary on Saturday drew a group of race-baiters, white nationalists, anti-vaxxers, and people who generally have no understanding of the Charter or what constitutes an actual “right”.
Speakers included former CPC MP and leadership hopeful-turned People’s Party leader Maxime Bernier - who couldn’t get elected in his home riding in Quebec in 2019 - and former CPC MP and leadership hopeful-turned independent candidate for Banff-Airdrie, Derek Sloan - who wouldn’t get elected in his home riding in Ontario in 2021.
The event, which boasted about a thousand people, is a provincial embarrassment for about 90 per cent of us and proves once again that the worst of Conservatism think their brand of entitlement and privilege is mirrored by Albertans. Quite the insult.
#weloveJulieRohr
Some of us only knew her on Twitter, others knew her in person. The lovely, unfailingly grateful, humourous, and elegantly compassionate Julie Rohr left this world late this week having reached so very many people along the way.
Actions (and inaction) have consequences
There are so many people asking for kindness, empathy, and understanding for vaccine hesitant people. Instead, ask them to contact their family physician, or Alberta Health Link at 811, and get the information they need to allow our health system the opportunity to get back to providing surgeries for Albertans who don’t need your compassion, empathy, or understanding – they need surgery.
What are their chances, really?
Quarter three fundraising deadline is September 30th. There is some suspicion out there that the only reason Jason Kenney was so “optimistic and hopeful” about the Open for Summer plan is because they needed to open up some much-needed fundraising opportunities. We’ll have to wait and see if the two and a half months of campaigning, and the three weeks of radio silence as Alberta’s fourth wave picked up steam was enough for them.
On another front, UCP constituency associations and party brass are calling for special meeting to institute a leadership review at the annual convention this year. Party bylaws require at least 23 CAs to pass the motion.
The convention theme is, perhaps presciently, “Alberta on the Rise”. Though I imagine they didn’t mean “with Covid”, it hardly matters – the Unmitigated Covid Party will have trouble shaking this off.
Winter is coming
Canada
The policy new parents have been waiting for
Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole dropped a doozy of a platform promise this week, saying his party would implement policy to allow a parent to make up to $1000 per month without penalty while on parental leave.
Sure, it takes away from the point of parental leave entirely, unless your partner is simply using your new parent status to split $12,000 extra dollars of their income, but add that to the CPC's promise to cancel the Liberal’s $10/day childcare plan, and one has to wonder if there are any parents at all helping develop policy in the CPC.
Saskatchewan is following Alberta closely, but not that close
“Premier Scott Moe: “By no means did this government say Covid was over.”
Translation: I’m not as bad as Jason Kenney.”
When Kenney announced the province’s state of emergency, Dr. Verna Yiu, President and CEO of Alberta Health Services stated they would be reaching out to neighbouring provinces to see if any additional space for Covid patients could be accessed as Alberta sees an unrelenting influx. Saskatchewan does not. B.C. does not, but Newfoundland does, and Ontario said they will be able to take some patients – which seems less than ideal if it’s your family member, but this is where we are.
As the pendulum swings
By this time next week, we’ll already know all we need to know about the outcome of the federal election. Until then, we have polls. The most fascinating part of this latest articulation is that B.C. – still a western province - may be the deciding factor between a conservative and liberal minority.
Living in Alberta, we are often told our votes “don’t matter”. Maybe it’s not because of where we are but because of how we vote.
World
Americans look to radiation from old mines for protection from Covid
It’s really hard to read what I read some days. Sure, it’s not a vaccine but… come on.
Laundry List: GoA press releases
Spin Cycle
On protests at hospitals, Jason Kenney said law enforcement in Alberta is “fully empowered” to enforce the law, “including the potential use of the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act”. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees launched a constitutional challenge of the Act in June 2020. In August 2021, Justice Leonard dismissed the Alberta government’s application to strike the challenge, with costs awarded to AUPE.
The Alberta Government’s easily forged vaccination record is now available in almost wallet size (if folded). Premier Kenney said they hope to have a QR code available like those in Quebec and B.C. by October 1.
As of September 15, Alberta is officially in a State of Emergency - as opposed to the unofficial state of emergency that has been obvious since August.
The number of first doses tripled after the government announced a vaccine passport that isn’t a vaccine passport. UCP MLAs and issues managers flocked to social media to celebrate the news after months of vehement refusal to acknowledge the tool’s usefulness. In a bizarre twist, Rebel Media has raised almost $900K in its bid to launch a legal challenge against the programs, and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is spinning facts out of context and whining impotently on the internet.
Rinse and Repeat
The $100 debit card application for getting vaccinated became available on September 13. Applications are valid for either a first or second dose received between September 3 and October 14.
Delicates
The vaccine tour bus is on the road but can also be available by request: inquire within.
Fort MacKay Metis First Nation finally has a Memorandum of Understanding regarding consultation on land developments after years of discussions with the Alberta government. Talks between the two parties were prolonged by the pandemic but started again in February 2021.
Last Load
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
The evening of September 15 marked the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which ended in the evening of September 16.
September 18 is National Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing Heritage Day.
Cover photo courtesy of @abpressrelease, a parody account that skips the spin cycle.