In the week of Feb 7, 2022, we expect Jason Kenney to cave to a band of anti-everything protesters staging an illegal blockade at Coutts, Alberta and start lifting public health restrictions. This decision came about at lightning speed considering what Kenney said about the timeline for lifting restrictions just
Continue readingTag: Alberta Health Care
Susan on the Soapbox: A Kenney Style Fireside Chat
On radio, [Franklin D Roosevelt} was able to quell rumors, counter conservative-dominated newspapers and explain his policies directly to the American people. His tone and demeanor communicated self-assurance during times of despair and uncertainty.—Wikipedia Roosevelt used radio, a “nascent media platform” to explain complex issues such as the Great Depression,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Kids Go Back to School (it’s a matter of “balance”)
“We’re on the cusp of a generational catastrophe. We need to prioritise children. And yet, for some reason, children are never prioritised. They’re the afterthought of a pandemic.” – Dr Tracey Vaillancourt, Chair, COVID-19 Task Force, Royal Society of Canada On Jan 5, 2022, after a one-week delay, Education Minister,
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Kenney’s New Modus Operandi: Goodbye Peter Lougheed; Hello Donald Trump
There was a time when Jason Kenney pretended to be the modern-day manifestation of Peter Lougheed, notwithstanding his conviction that Lougheed’s programs were akin to “neo-Stalinist make-work projects.” He’s since dropped the charade. He no longer pretends to be anything other than what he is. A Trump admirer. Recently he’s
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Who’s On First: Jason Kenney’s Response to the 4th Wave
Abbott and Costello’s comedy routine “Who’s on First” was performed in the late 1940s. It’s based on a skit Abbott heard in an episode of a radio comedy show called “It Pays to be Ignorant.” Premier Kenney performed his own version of this routine in the Legislature last Thursday, only
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Halloween in Alberta
In its Halloween message the Kenney government said today is a day filled with costumes, pumpkin carving, scary movies, and tasty treats. They encouraged everyone to follow the advice of our health officials so we can all enjoy the spookiest time of the year. Sounds nice but the rest of
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Minister Toews and the AUPE: A Shift in the Balance of Power
“Strikes are only one measure of unrest.” Todd Vachon, an assistant professor and director of labor education at Rutgers University. Did you catch it, that shift in the balance of power? Last Wednesday Finance Minister Travis Toews issued a statement announcing the government and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Happy Thanksgiving…?
I was composing a short Happy Thanksgiving blog when a UCP government press release appeared in my inbox. Today is World Mental Health Day and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Mike Ellis, said “Right now it might seem like a lot of things are out of our
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Jason Kenney the Anecdotal Policy Maker
“Anecdotal” (anəkˈdōdl) adjective: an account not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research. And the gong show continues. On Sept 30, we learned Jason Kenney puts more weight on random anecdotal stories than the expert opinions of healthcare professionals. At last Thursday’s
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: On Liberty and Alberta’s Covid Crisis
This is for the woman who yelled “Do you feel safer now?” when my daughter stepped off the sidewalk to give the woman and her rambunctious dog room to pass. Do you feel safer now? My daughter stepped off the curb to give the woman and her dog some space.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Kenney’s Awesome Summer and Disastrous Fall
“So, no, I don’t apologize for the decision to relax public health restrictions in the summer.” – Jason Kenney Let’s recap what’s happened since July 1 when Kenney waxed eloquent about a new day dawning and the future looking brighter because we’d “crushed” covid and were officially open for summer.
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Another Covid Solution, Another Non-Plan
Nero fiddled while Rome burned; Jason Kenney hid while Albertan’s lives and livelihoods went up in smoke. Last Thursday Health minister Shandro and Drs Hinshaw and Yiu unveiled the government’s latest non-plan to get Alberta through the pandemic. Alberta’s ICUs are at 130% capacity when surge capacity is excluded (87%
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Alberta’s Reopening Plan: “The Best Alberta Summer Ever”
“Today we are truly near the end of this thing. We’re finally getting back to normal, and I think it means the best Alberta summer ever.” – Premier Jason Kenney Last week Premier Kenney, Dr Deena Hinshaw, and Health Minister Shandro (collectively KHS) unveiled Open for Summer, Alberta’s reopening
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Alberta’s Um, Uh, You Know, Reopening Plan
Alberta is a train slowly emerging from a tunnel, we see the light, the vaccines are coming and most of us will be vaccinated soon. Unfortunately, Alberta is a runaway train and Jason Kenney is the engine driver (also known as the loco pilot in some jurisdictions). Alberta’s loco pilot
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Happy Mother’s Day
I’m afraid I’ve lost it. This was going to be a cheery little non-political post wishing all the moms out there a Happy Mother’s Day…but it went sideways when I saw Jason Kenney’s Mother’s Day news release and YouTube clip. The YouTube clip got me steamed up when Kenney said
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: It Must Be Nice, Alberta
It must be nice to live in a bubble where Covid-19 is a hoax created by those who want to infringe your Charter right to swill beer in a pub and Covid vaccines are a plot perpetrated by multi-billionaires who want to track your movements from your house to the
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: A Man of Half-Measures
“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”—Winston Churchill. Lives and… When he’s not on the front line fighting covid, Dr Joe Vipond is busy analyzing the data and
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Does Mr Kenney Lie Awake at Night?
“With respect to MLAs who have stated their position, in this province we believe in freedom of speech. We believe in democracy.” – Jason Kenney after 16 UCP MLAs challenged his public health measures. Does Premier Kenney lie awake at night wondering how he got here? He should, because
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Easter in Alberta
Whether you observe Easter, Passover, or the rising of the first full moon after the spring equinox, this is the time of year when we emerge from the gloom of winter with renewed hope for the spring. Sadly, some of us are crawling out of a pit that is darker
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Hey Doc, Ya Wanna Work in Alberta?
“Nice business you got here, be a shame if something happened to it.” – Gangster in a B-grade movie Alberta’s doctors are tired. They’ve been fighting covid for over a year while at the same time fighting with the Health Minister, Mr Shandro, who has filled their lives with
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