Women of ABpoli Hot Flashes: Wild World
This Week in AB
Wild(rose) and free: UCP leadership contest taking shape
I missed this on May 19 when Danielle Smith launched her campaign for UCP leader (23:00 mark).
Suggesting the current leader of another political party join the race for leader of the governing party brings back all the floor-crossing feels that Smith played such a prominent role in just five and a half years ago -- just a brutal reminder of that disrespect to her former party.
As of June 4, there are five candidates registered to begin campaigning for the leadership of the United Conservative Party. So far, though, they are solely rural representatives -- all of whom were connected with the Wildrose.
Former Wildrose Party leaders Danielle Smith and Brian Jean (the latter of whom is currently representing the UCP in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche) have registered; as has former Wildrose MLA Todd Loewen (currently sitting as an independent in Central-Peace-Notley), former Wildrose candidate for Wetaskiwin-Camrose Bill Rock, and recent Minister of Finance, Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Travis Toews. Toews has three donations listed under Elections Alberta's contributor's search -- two in 2018 to the UCP, and one in 2016 to the Wildrose.
Soon-to-be-former Premier Jason Kenney has been laying the groundwork against the "lunatics" in his "united" party for the past few months, ensuring the "lake of fire moment" under Danielle Smith's leadership in 2012 remains top-of-mind.
It was never far from our minds, though, as Ric McIver begged the newly "united" party membership at the inaugural AGM not to stain the freshly-rinsed party with new "lake of fire" moments.
Those pleas were ignored then, in 2018, and again in 2019 when we went to the polls because Albertans weren't concerned about extremists setting policy in the province: jobs, economy, and pipelines (which the provincial government has little-to-no control over) were the ballot questions.
In 2020 when it became impossible to ignore that education, healthcare (which the provincial government has full control over), and lives were at risk... well, we all know how that's going.
Suffice it to say, conservatives receiving good strategic advice will likely hold back and let Albertans see what their options look like before announcing a bid to save the province from the "lunatics" trying to take over the "asylum" that was formerly known as the Alberta Government.
Thanks again, Kenney.
Speaking of the rural UCP...
Lac St. Anne-Parkland MLA is busy making headlines again, sacrificing political acumen for "likes" from people who think policies they don't like are "treason".
The since-deleted Facebook post is apparently a nod to a reference from the show Yellowstone, in which the phrase is code for "kill them and drop their body off a cliff". I've never seen the show, myself, but I caught the "kill him" vibe easily enough.
In Getson's defence, UCP Caucus Communications Director Timothy Gerwig basically said Getson just thought he was sharing a picture of dudes on horses that included words he didn't understand.
From what I've seen from Shane Getson, I can't say with any certainty that Gerwig's not spinning that around.
Speaking of spin...
“There is no such thing as an NDP curriculum.
There should be no such thing as a UCP curriculum.
Stop politicising our children and their learning. https://t.co/CopE4HPatp”
Conservatives are really good -- hell, I'd even go so far as to say "amazing" -- at sticking to a message that keeps 20 per cent of their members writing cheques each month.
Alberta's curriculum redraft was years in the making, beginning under the Progressive Conservative government, but was successfully rebranded by the UCP as a "secretive NDP curriculum" <insert howling banshee sounds here>.
Under Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange (Red Deer North), the curriculum was reviewed, re-consulted, and redrafted in less than two years to consistently poor reviews from over 70 per cent of stakeholders (including parents and guardians and members of the public; page 16).
We keep seeing this ~20 per cent support number for really unpopular policy. It's a remarkably consistent show of support.
“ So let me get this straight:
13 weeks of piloting with 1% of teachers & 2% of students
School trustees asked for a pause
Overwhelming negative feedback
Insufficient resources & training
Deja vu: a story in three tweets
Dr. Hinshaw's "considered low risk" comment brought back too many memories of pre-western COVID cases for my comfort.
Add to that the apparent reason for less spread of monkeypox was simply due to a generation or two of the world's population who had received smallpox vaccines (which protect against both).
Because that mass vaccination program had been so successful, subsequent generations were no longer required to get vaccinated.
Further, because monkeypox wasn't a problem outside of certain African countries, western countries didn't bother funding research.
We could learn from our experience with COVID. All I'm saying is that we could.
New Alberta Government workplace harassment policy will not apply to everyone in the workplace
Kenney doubling down on leadership failure is beyond brand. https://t.co/F6v2TB4Lsi”
The new workplace harassment policy stems from a current lawsuit against the Government of Alberta which alleges the Premier's Office enabled a hostile work environment.
"However, the guide to interpreting the policy also says the premier's office can't control everyone's conduct.
'Unfortunately, moving a staff member to a new assignment is sometimes the only safe or available solution to a workplace issue," wrote Janet French for CBC News.
Being responsible for the safety of others maybe shouldn't be left to a dude whose skill level taps out at the ability to sell memberships.
Have I mentioned yet this week that I despise the fact that membership sales are the sole requirement for becoming the next Premier of this province and how I believe this is so very wrong?
Speaking of lawsuits... it's complicated
The evidence requested by the judge in the case against the province's public health measures is basically just a step-by-step instruction manual of how condensing complex information with a partisan lens distorts meaning.
Or perhaps a cautionary tale of why political organizers shouldn't be in charge of deciding which public health information is important to, you know, public health.
Public interest litigation is costly, especially with a well-resourced at government opponent.
As pro bono counsel, we need your help to advance the best case possible.
This is an important, precedent case for all of Canada. https://t.co/W65UU3KNi2”
Siksika Nation ratifies $1.3 billion "wrongful surrender" land claim settlement
Members of Siksika Nation, east of Calgary, voted to ratify an agreement with the federal government for a $1.3 billion wrongful surrender land claim.
Siksika has been working towards the claim since the 1960's after disputing the results from a vote in 1910, in which voters were fraudulently registered, leading to the wrongful surrender of land.
As part of the settlement, Siksika agreed to withdraw all remaining legal action regarding the wrongful surrender claim.
A legacy worth building upon
Peter Lougheed was an agent of change at a time when Alberta was ready for a bold new vision of the future.
I think Albertans were toying with the idea of diving into another new vision in 2015 that didn't quite materialize as the agent of change the province needed.
Then, in 2019, they tried again, only to find those agents of change were looking at the past rather than the future. Instead of bold, new policies, they were offered fear, false promises, and lacklustre vision.
2023, I think, might offer yet another opportunity to rebuild a momentum that moves Alberta forward - the time is now.
Canada and beyond
Doug Ford's PC's maintain majority with 18 per cent support
“Strung out province comes crawling back to Dealer for another hit
Talk about a lack of momentum: 43 per cent voter turnout.
From outside Ontario, it was easy to forget there was an election - and apparently more than half the eligible voters didn't care much, either.
Both leaders of the not-government-in-waiting, the NDP's Andrea Horwath, and Ontario Liberal's Steve Del Duca (the latter of whom also lost his seat), announced their intention to step down Thursday.
When the minor dust up settled, PC's increased their seat count from 76 in 2019 to 83 in 2022, New Democrats lost nine seats, 40 to 31, and the Liberals gained one seat (not the leader's) moving them from seven to eight.
One independent, Bobbi Ann Brady, was also elected.
B.C. decriminalizes personal possession, pisses off future-former Alberta Premier
When the new law comes into effect, future former Premier Kenney will be mostly forgotten and the new leader of the UCP can decide whether B.C. should be allowed to make their own laws without first consulting Alberta.
Many advocates for safe supply have noted that decriminalization is the first step in destigmatizing addiction issues.
The deal was made through an agreement with the federal government that offered a "limited-time exemption" and looks as thought it will act as a pilot project for decriminalization of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use.
Kenney said he will not be considering an exemption for Alberta, which is a moot point since he won't be Premier in 2023.
Speaking of membership sales...
If the party could potentially form government, it affects you. Since a belief in outlandish conspiracy theories is no longer an impediment to becoming an elected official, reasonable people might need to get involved to stop Canada from ending up like that daily cringe-session cradling our bottom.
Pierre Poilievre's campaign chair Jenni Byrne, former chief of staff to Stephen Harper, says they sold over 300,000 memberships from Poilievre's website alone.
In the CPC's leadership race, each of the 338 ridings are weighted with 100 points. If a riding receives 10,000 votes, the vote share is a percentage totaling 100 points. If a riding receives 12 votes, the vote share is a percentage totaling 100 points.
The ballots are ranked in order of preference; first choice, second, third, etc.
The two sides of the "united" party are basically represented by Poillievre, Leslyn Lewis, and Roman Baber from the Conservative Reform Alliance Party, and; Jean Charest, Patrick Brown, and Scott Aitchison from the more moderate conservative side.
The person with the fewest votes will be dropped from the race and the second choices will be tallied for the remaining contestants and so on until one person has more than 50 per cent of the vote.
The new leader will be announced September 10.
It allows them to speak unchallenged.
Reminds me of Kenney's Facebook fireside chats. I won't say he went unchallenged but you do get a lot more questions about conspiracy theories than if you talk to media. Well, okay, not all media -- but, you know, people who have ethics.
Speaking of daily cringe-session...
No words.
Final thoughts
“i wonder what people think "well-regulated militia" means”
Cover photo credit: @acoyne