The Kenney Government introduced legislation yesterday to prevent Alberta municipalities from imposing their own mask requirements and proof of vaccination rules to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, in particular, COVID-19. By doing so, Premier Jason Kenney has flip-flopped about as much as you can flip-flop on what he was
Continue readingTag: Jason Kenney
Alberta Politics: Citing soaring prices, but with eye to shielding retailers’ profits, UCP stops collecting 13-cent-per-litre provincial fuel tax
If the United Conservative Party Government was serious about protecting Albertans from soaring fuel prices, it could move to temporarily control the retail price of gasoline and diesel fuel. Big fuel retailers would scream bloody murder, and market fundamentalist think tanks would suffer the vapours, but there wouldn’t be much
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Unauthorized recording dramatically illustrates the deep rift in Alberta’s United Conservative Party
“Let’s be clear, this Premier is a bully. And the people around him are jerks. And they will come after you, and they’ll come after your family, and they will come after your business, and they will spread any secret or any lie that they can get on you.” The
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – The Max Planck Society explores how COVID-19 has developed to hide out and mutate within the human body. Tami Luhby discusses how even a receding Omicron wave has continued to have devastating effects on millions of Americans. And Jessie Anton reports on the concerns of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Best Summer Ever’ again? Jason Kenney says ‘Alberta’s on a roll’ at newser announcing end to most COVID-19 mitigation measures
There was a familiar, frenetic vibe to Jason Kenney’s news conference in Red Deer yesterday, called to announce that happy days are here again because Alberta is dropping most of its remaining public health measures related to COVID-19. But the Alberta premier’s arm-waving enthusiasm and the car salesman’s frozen grin
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 readingAlberta Politics: Job swap between justice and labour ministers illustrates shallow talent pool, low ethical bar in Jason Kenney’s government
Friday’s announcement of the job swap between Alberta’s justice and labour ministers illustrates just how shallow the talent pool of potential cabinet ministers still trusted by Premier Jason Kenney has become. It also shows how low the ethical bar now is for ministers in the United Conservative Party cabinet. Tyler
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Alberta To Waste Taxpayer $ on Frivolous Lawsuit
So, yesterday, Jason Kenney announced that Alberta was going to sue the Federal Government for “trampling on provincial jurisdiction” with the Emergency Measures Act … all of a few days after the Alberta government actually petitioned the Federal Government for assistance. Now, what I want to discuss here isn’t the
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 readingAlberta Politics: With a murky legal strategy but a clear political one, Jason Kenney vows to challenge use of Emergencies Act in court
Using his favourite medium, Facebook, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced yesterday his government plans to go to court to challenge “the unjustified use of the Emergencies Act” by Ottawa. The one minute and 49 second video clip posted to the social media platform was not particularly informative about what the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Beware the Ides of March: Date set for by-election in which all candidates will campaign against Alberta’s premier
After dragging his feet for weeks, Jason Kenney yesterday named a date for the Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by-election in which his long-time rival Brian Jean will run for the United Conservative Party on a platform of firing and replacing the premier. The date of election – the Ides of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Ottawa has invoked the Emergencies Act – do you know where your trucks are?
The Canadian government has invoked the Emergencies Act. Do you know where your trucks are? If you don’t, and you run a trucking company, you might want to check. Some of the weapons seized Sunday night at the Coutts blockade (Photo: Twitter). As Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said yesterday,
Continue readingThe Daveberta Podcast: Episode 83: Take care, stay safe, be kind, and see you next time.
We got the band back together for the final episode of the Daveberta Podcast. That’s right, folks. We are going on a semi-permanent hiatus. And to help mark this announcement, our good friend Ryan Hastman joined Dave Cournoyer and Adam Rozenhart for a trip down memory lane, reminiscing and reflecting
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Robin McKie and Michael Savage write about the warnings of UK scientists that the reckless elimination of public health protections will lead to far more preventable deaths. Alanna Smith reports on a letter from public health experts recognizing the dangers of the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Kenny pulls plug on vaccine passport, as expected, but still manages to gobsmack news conference watchers
There were exactly zero policy surprises at Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s afternoon COVID-19 news conference yesterday. As predicted by everyone everywhere, Mr. Kenney pulled the plug immediately on the province’s vaccine passport – which was euphemistically known as the “Restrictions Exemption Program,” so he could deny ever having implemented such
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘It’s time for this lawlessness to end’ – Rachel Notley rips Jason Kenney’s inaction on illegal border blockade
The 10-day blockade of the main border crossing between Alberta and the United States had damaged the provincial economy to the tune of about half a billion dollars by yesterday. Yet Jason Kenney – the self-described premier of jobs, economy, pipelines – has done nothing about the illegal blockade on
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Right-wing U.S. paw prints are all over Ottawa occupation and other convoy disruptions
Where are Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and his United Conservative Party now that evidence is accumulating the disruptive and threatening “Freedom Convoy” occupation of Ottawa is being funded and supported by far-right activists in the United States? Mr. Kenney and his crowd, after all, were the guys who demanded a
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Kenney and the Coutts Blockade Public Health Strategy
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 readingAlberta Politics: $9.8M lawsuit targets Ottawa occupation leaders; GoFundMe cuts off $10M fund; Tamara Lich quits Maverick Party board
Ottawa lawyer Paul Champ filed a statement of claim in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice yesterday seeking $4.8 million damages for “private nuisance” and $5 million in punitive damages for the beleaguered residents of the national capital’s downtown core from the outlaw truckers occupying the city. The $9.8-million class
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Emboldened by Erin O’Toole’s fate in Ottawa, UCP anti-vaxx faction eyes Jason Kenney
Emboldened by the success of the social conservative coup plotters who overthrew Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole in Ottawa Wednesday, the same anti-vaccine faction of Alberta’s United Conservative Party is now eyeing Premier Jason Kenney. Not that Mr. Kenney is a moderate. Far from it. United Conservative Party
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