The ouster of a UCP candidate in Alberta over his posing with members of the Soldiers of Odin, and then excusing it by saying that they’re polite, continues to reverberate as the provincial NDP are looking to make hay of it, and premier Rachel Notley pointing out (entirely correctly) that you can’t keep blowing into dog whistles and then looking surprised when these people show up. And even the other two candidates who posed and then disavowed knowledge of who they are isn’t entirely credible because these people showed up in badges and vests, looking not unlike motorcycle gang members, and that should have clued them in that maybe photos were a bad idea. And as a friend of mine pointed out, you can bet that if a group of drag queens showed up and wanted to pose with them, someone would have put a stop to that right away. And so here we are.

While casting the UCP as bigots is familiar political territory to tread, it’s not like there isn’t enough history to show that they need to be careful with their associations, and in showcasing the dangers of too much free speech in the political arena. Recall that it was the “lake of fire” comments from Wildrose candidates that sunk that party’s chances in a previous election, and when then-leader Danielle Smith didn’t come out to denounce the comments, it cost her and the party. And while the UCP’s spokesperson came out to give the denunciation, Kenney himself has been silent on this, which will risk his looking like either tacit endorsement or that he’s not taking white nationalism seriously enough. And while people say that nobody could accuse Kenney of such a thing, given his history of being the Minister of “Curry in a Hurry” and attending every buffet by an ethnocultural minority back when Stephen Harper gave him the citizenship portfolio, what that ignores is the fact that Kenney also played very cynical games with those newcomer communities, putting them against each other (particularly immigrant communities against refugee claimants), and focusing on those communities where he felt he could exploit their social conservatism for his benefit. That did get noticed in some of those communities, and it’s in part why the supposed shift in immigrant votes didn’t actually happen outside of a pervasive media myth that wasn’t born out in fact.

The point has been made that if we don’t want to ensure that all politicians and candidates are in bubbles that this sort of thing will keep happening – particularly if groups like these show up and events and pose with politicians in an attempt to legitimate themselves, and as Paul Wells pointed out on Power & Politics (at 46:20 on the video), there is a whole cottage industry of Conservatives who search for photos of questionable people who have posed with Trudeau and company doing the very same thing (recall Jaspal Atwal doing the very same thing, leading to the overwrought denunciations of the India trip). This is true, and it shows that there is fallibility in any kind of “vetting” of people who pose with photos – and the fact that “vetting” these things is less of an organized thing than people, including in the media, seem to think. But this being said, when the group looking to pose with you seeks legitimation, it’s incumbent on the politicians to denounce what they stand for, and if it keeps happening (like what is going on here) that the leader should say something – but it also should give pause to reflect on what it is they’re saying that is attracting these sorts. Just saying “we don’t agree with xenophobes” while playing the xenophobia tuba, like Maxime Bernier, can’t cut it either. We’re not fools, and shouldn’t be treated as though we are when things like this happen, and keep happening.

Good reads:

• Michaëlle Jean lost her bid to get a second term as Secretary General of the Francophonie, while Justin Trudeau insists he didn’t withdraw support for her.
• Trudeau demurred on questions around the questions of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, but says Canada has been calling out Saudi Arabia on their record.
• The usual suspects are also complaining that Trudeau and his family are given gifts from Canadian designers in the hopes they’ll be worn in public (and promoted).
• The NEB has put out their timetable for redoing the Trans Mountain marine consultations, and they are hewing to the six-month timeline.
• The New NAFTA rules could create a major problem for a planned infant formula plant in Kingston.
• Some experts say it will be virtually impossible for Canada to meet its 2030 climate goals.
• The Liberal Party’s former treasurer is putting up his own money to fight the new impaired driving laws around THC levels as absurd.
• There are questions whether Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld broke ethics rules when she sent out a robocall to endorse her husband for municipal council.
• Stephen Harper says he’s afraid of Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders.
• Former NDP MP Joe Comartin has been named Canada’s new consul general for Detroit.
• Philippe Lagassé has more thoughts on the Mikisew Cree decision at the Supreme Court when it comes to the separation of powers.
• Andrew Coyne takes his wander through the New NAFTA, and evaluates what is and isn’t alarming, along with the curious little concessions therein.
• Colby Cosh looks at the landscape with cannabis legalisation pending, and the economic consequences of doing so.
• My weekend column notes that it’s time we call out the snake oil salesmen who insist that we can meet climate goals without impacting consumers.

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.