Women of ABpoli: Hot Flashes - Issue #33
This Week in AB
City of Calgary granted injunction against weekly protests in Beltline area
“We should probably stop calling them anti-mandate protesters now that there are no more mandates.”
Even though this is the first appearance of the weekly Beltline protests in the newsletter, they have been going on for months.
Why are there still protests going on if all mandates were lifted at the beginning of March, one might ask.
Well, that's what residents and some businesses have been asking for the past three weeks.
The City, who is responsible for issuing permits for protests, is responsible to residents, as well as protesters. As such, the City filed for an injunction against the continued disruptions (which were never permitted, as in with permits, in the first place).
Some posted photos of the vehicles lining the street at the protests and discovered a disproportionate number of blue-lettered plates.
The newly-acquired injunction was followed up with a determined effort to keep the protest within park areas and City Hall, and six arrests were made - five of which were directly related to bylaw infractions.
Brian Jean wins Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by-election, adds shady UCP MLAs to list of who, and what, needs removing from the party
“Exhibit A of what is wrong with Alberta politics 👇🏻 #abpoli https://t.co/7G29zvnYxv”
I don't know Brian Jean personally but I've paid attention to him in the same way, I presume, that he pays attention to people he needs to know about - people like Kaycee Madu.
How could anyone forget that Madu was found, by an independent auditor, to have "attempted to interfere with the administration of justice"?
Well, Madu heard Brian Jean say that one of the things he would have done as leader is invite Rachel Notley to the table on COVID because her involvement would have created trust in an environment that desperately needed it: public health.
I don't think anyone has ever suggested Madu is politically astute, but he took that comment and tried to suggest Jean would have given up leadership to Notley. Others suggested they didn't believe Jean would have actually done so.
I believe he would have for one reason: the 2016 Fort Mac fire.
Brian Jean was the leader of the official opposition in 2016, a Fort Mac-area resident, as well as an elected official for part of the region. Rachel Notley, as Premier, brought him into the circle as the person "on the ground". Jean was both personally and politically affected by the fires and Notley gave him access that she didn't need to - an act that I believe he accepted gratefully, both personally and politically.
I honestly believe he would have taken the opportunity to pay that respect back during a public crisis.
I may not be a fan of Jean's politics much of the time, but I think he would have done this.
Jean responding to Madu's tweet saying he was "going to spend the rest of (his) time in politics getting the corrupt people and corrupt practices out of our party" was an absolute chef's kiss to someone who clearly knows nothing about mutual respect.
Speaking of Brian Jean winning a by-election...
Brian Jean's re-entrance into Alberta politics - officially - upsets the fine planning of people who believed they would form government, turn the Alberta economy around, and put the opposition in their place for at least another forty years.
There was little doubt (though, a little was healthy caution because by-elections can be weird) Jean would win. Weirdly, the UCP dealt with the possibility by ignoring its existence entirely, which was a constant cause of amusement for the politically obsessed.
The thing is, Jean's re-emergence changes the dynamics a lot. Why would it matter?
Think "Erin O'Toole ousted by caucus in a midday vote"; the caucus can work against the leader. Think "Alberta Party seeking official party status in the Legislature"; elected officials can cross the floor.
Having Brian Jean in caucus does Jason Kenney, specifically, no favours.
As Dr. Young says, it also offers a lot more opportunity to mess with the whole "united" part of the United Conservative Party, too - and that's not just a problem for Jason Kenney.
UCP AISH cuts have beneficiaries feeling the pinch - again
Back in 2020, after the UCP de-indexed AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) benefits from inflation, St. Albert MLA Marie Renaud attempted to live on an AISH income for one month.
She said at the time that her stress levels were elevated just thinking about how much money she had left for the month - and she wasn't resigned to that for life - she was just trying to experience what it would be like to be limited to a below poverty wage income for one month.
When all Albertans are feeling the effects of rising inflation, let's not forget those who don't have the option to get a second job, or ask for a raise, or cut out some extravagance - some people are just trying to make it another month.
The rules just don't apply to them
Calgary pollster Janet Brown says that the UCP, who subscribes to her polling insights, leaked results that they had no right to publish.
Brown said that subscribers get access to client polling, for a fee that helps reduce client fees, but that access comes with strict expectations of confidentiality.
We don't have to look too far (*cough* Madu *cough* leadership scandal) to see that rules aren't exactly the Party's strength.
No, you can't say "anything"
It was a slightly hellish week for having things thrown back into the faces of those who said them, and for those who wanted to be recognized as having said them in the first place.
I learned a while ago the difference between things I know well enough to form an opinion about and things I don't. I also learned that some of the same people who will rage about "doing your own research" will happily disregard an honest question, instead offering an eff you by telling you to "read an article" or "follow someone who knows" without any indication of what (or who) might actually be helpful.
So, in the spirit of actually being helpful, here's how I decide whether to publicize an opinion:
can I defend my opinion with references?
do I know what the common opposing arguments against my opinion are?
am I willing to do the work to go through both 1 and 2?
do I honestly believe I know wtf is going on?
If I cannot answer "yes" to all of these questions, I search for people who are talking about the thing I want to form an opinion on and then decide whether their opinion should matter to me by using a qualifier: do they hold a position/have a background/appear to have done the work that gives them some authority on the matter?
If so, I read their tweets/links/commentary.
If I'm really sure about the qualifier (they know what they're talking about and have some background that supports that knowledge), I still may not have enough information to form an opinion of my own, but I will possibly share theirs and resist the urge to reply to anyone who comments on the original post.
Otherwise, I keep my opinions to myself.
Thanks for coming to my newsletter talk.
Canada
More Conservative Party of Canada
“Another Conservative MP jumps into the leadership race. https://t.co/rVtRRQljAm”
Scott Aitchison, Member of Parliament for Parry Sound—Muskoka and former Mayor of Huntsville, Ontario, released a vague launch video that looked more like a standard truck commercial on Wednesday.
With no words, and no voice, that's literally all I have to say on the subject.
Leadership veteran Leslyn Lewis didn't generate much (any) buzz this week aside from speculation that this campaign will be different than her campaign in 2020.
Unfortunately, the conservative strategists Global News spoke with didn't have an answer to that, but I'll throw out some obvious answers.
Lewis needs to stake a claim. "I'm concerned about the $1.3 trillion debt" and "I'm concerned about the division and polarization" aren't going to set her apart from Poilievre, Brown, or Charest. She could go back to her forced birth stance, but I'd wager even she knows it's not popular with 87 per cent of Canadians.
In 2020, Lewis didn't want to use being a woman of colour to her advantage - as a social conservative who is basically going to tow the party line, she needs to capitalize on the difference between herself and the other guys in the race, or accept another loss.
And Patrick Brown has named Calgary-Nose Hill MP Michelle Rempel-Garner (aka the MP from Oklahoma) as his National Campaign Co-Chair.
The announcement drew swift condemnation from Stephen Harper's former Deputy Chief of Staff Jenni Byrne, who is assisting Pierre Poilievre's campaign.
For his part, Poilievre held a meet and greet at the restaurant where anti-vaxxers used to meet to talk about how anti-vax they were.
Conservatives are the gift that keeps on giving to their rivals.
Mandates lifting everywhere except Nova Scotia
Epidemiology has been a controversial topic amongst the armchair medical pundits, but it will be interesting to see what happens with Nova Scotia maintaining mask mandates.
Final thoughts: