Alice laughed. ‘One can’t believe impossible things.’ ‘I dare say you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen…’Why, sometimes I’ve believed in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’—Lewis Carrol, Alice Through the Looking-Glass Jason Kenney is on the final lap of his political career. He’s working hard to
Continue readingAuthor: susanonthesoapbox
Susan on the Soapbox: Pierre Poilievre and the Politics of Brutalization
“The word ‘brutalize’ is now employed quite wrongly to mean harsh or cruel treatment meted out by the strong to the weak…but in fact it means something subtler, namely the coarsening effect that this exercise of cruelty produces in the strong.” – Christopher Hitchens In his book, Why Orwell
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Danielle Smith and the Free Alberta Strategy
We’ve been so focused on the unconstitutionality of Danielle Smith’s central campaign promise, the passage of the Alberta Sovereignty Act (ASA), that we’ve forgotten that the ASA is part of the Free Alberta Strategy’s grand plan to renegotiate our place in Confederation—to “free” Alberta from “intolerable” abuse at the hands
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Danielle Smith & the Alberta Sovereignty Act
In June 1215 King John signed the Magna Carta, agreeing to terms that enshrined the principle that no one, not even a king, is above the law. And now 807 years later Danielle Smith is prepared to turn her back on the rule of law and other fundamental democratic principles
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Sabbatical
Ms Soapbox is going on sabbatical until September (but may be tempted to post a blog or two if the craziness gets to be too much). This is not Rudy the dog, but he’s close I wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to more great discussions in
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Jason Kenney’s “Breaking Bad” Press Release
Last week, the feds granted BC a 3-year exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act decriminalizing the possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs for personal use. Judging by Jason Kenney’s response, you’d think Breaking Bad had set up shop next door. Leaving aside Kenney’s hypocritical
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Mr Kenney Goes to Washington
May 26, 2022 marked Jason Kenny’s last appearance in the Legislature as Alberta’s premier (we think). His final week was replete with members’ statements applauding his leadership, his legacy, and everything his government had accomplished over the last 3 years. He was especially proud of one achievement: his appearance before
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: 51.4% (the end of Jason Kenney?)
It finally happened.* Despite the UCP government changing the law to allow the purchase of party memberships without someone’s knowledge or consent, the UCP executive changing the rules setting out when, where, and how Jason Kenney’s leadership review would take place and Kenney’s announcement that an approval rating of 50%
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Kenney’s Insulin Pump Debacle
On May 2, the Kenney government announced it would avail diabetic Albertans of newer, more technologically advanced insulin pumps. Then 10 days later it announced it was “pausing” this decision to allow for more consultation. The decision and its reversal happened so quickly it was like a snippet of time-lapse
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: More on Kenney’s Leadership Review (God, it never ends)
Have you noticed how corrupt and mediocre our government has become? Yesterday we learned that Elections Alberta is investigating the bulk buying of UCP memberships—4,000 new memberships were purchased by six credit cards sometime before March 19—this was roughly two weeks before Bill 81, The Elections Statutes Amendment Act (2021)
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Let’s Talk About Insurance
While Jason Kenney is running all over the province trying to convince UCP members he’s there for them, the actions of his government in the House last week tell a different story. But before we go there, let’s play a game. I’ll say a word and you say the first
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Happy Easter
The Soapbox family is not terribly religious but we do love our traditions. Last night we gathered to colour eggs. Mr Soapbox bought a couple of egg colouring kits, we filled six mugs with warm water and vinegar and plopped in the colour tablets that wouldn’t dissolve completely no matter
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Dr Yiu is fired, Jason Kenney is “Under Review”
Two people were fired this week. Dr Yiu was fired without cause on Apr 4. Jason Kenney is being ‘fired’ in slow motion, his dismissal will be confirmed on May 18, 2022 when the mail-in ballots are counted, or a year later on May 29, 2023 when the results of
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Poisoning Democracy: Jason Nixon’s Outburst
“Unfortunately, our politicians are not only contaminating the minds of the public but poisoning our democracy at the same time.” Gary Mason, Globe & Mail columnist commenting on the two Conservative MPs who accused Prime Minister Trudeau of running a jackboot dictatorship. A quick check of Hansard this week demonstrates
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Kenney’s Leadership Review: The Bedlam Continues
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” – The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats It’s been a long time coming, but it will be over eventually, not on Apr 9 and not necessarily on May 18, but eventually. And no amount of maneuvering with mass membership drives or last-minute
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Short Break
Given world events it’s become a little more difficult to focus on those squawking about their freedoms being trampled and not getting a fair deal from Ottawa. So Ms Soapbox is taking a short break. Talk to you in 2 weeks. Take care, everyone. Susan
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Ukraine Under Attack
My parents fled Hungary in 1950. They met on the boat coming over to Canada and were married a couple of years later. I’m a first generation Canadian. Ever so grateful to have been born here. I can’t write about what’s happening in Ukraine. But I do know this, we
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: A Traffic Ticket and a Phone Call
On Feb 25, 2022, Premier Kenney issued a misleading press release setting out his rationale for a Cabinet shuffle. Two cabinet ministers, who should have been (back) benched a long time ago, will swap ministries. Kaycee Madu will “step aside” from his role as Minister of Justice and Solicitor
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Jason Kenney Reacts to the Emergencies Act
“We needed to see it to believe it.”—Ottawa resident talking about police clearing out Ottawa’s downtown core after 22 days of occupation. Our trust in government was at such an all-time low that when the Federal government invoked the Emergencies Act, many of us didn’t believe the police would enforce
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Quick comment on the Illegal Occupation & Blockades
Ms Soapbox is under the weather, as such there will be no blog post today. I expect to be fully functional next week, at least physically. It will take longer than that to restore my mental equilibrium given the ongoing mismanagement of the occupation of Ottawa, the blockade at Coutts,
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