It was Throne Speech day in Alberta yesterday, and while Kenney temporarily toned down his bellicosity for the sake of decorum, the speech was still full of strange promises. While Kenney promised to reduce unemployment, he nevertheless cited the report he devised to show that spending was too high while ignoring the province’s revenue problem, meaning more cuts are still likely. He also hinted at government investment in resource projects, which is mighty odd for someone who claims to support the free market (and this thread shows some of the context of Peter Lougheed’s investments in the sector which Kenney invoked). He also tabled the first bill, which promises fine for interrupting “critical infrastructure” – such as the rail blockades – because that’ll help.
The one thing that caught my attention most of all, however, was a proposal for recall petitions that would not only target MLAs, but also municipal councillors, mayors, and even school board trustees. I cannot stress enough how boneheaded an idea this is, because it will do absolutely nothing to enhance the practice of democracy, and will in fact weaken the representative democracy – along with their plans to allow citizens to petition referendums on whatever they want. Why they are even more concerning in the current context is because I am certain that this is about Kenney looking to weaponize populist anger against anyone who stands in his way. He has a cadre of paid shitposters, both in his office and in his $30 million a year “war room” that he can deploy against anyone in the province who stands up to Kenney – most especially the mayors of Edmonton and Calgary. Even if there is a high enough bar set to trigger these, as in BC, it nevertheless undermines the practice of Responsible Government and the confidence conventions inherent in our system. We already have accountability mechanisms – they’re called elections. Recall is not only an Americanism that does not fit with our system, I have no doubt that this is about portraying dissent as illegitimate, and using recall legislation as a threat. This will only increase the ugliness that is creeping into our politics, and that Kenney is gleefully throwing these things out there is a very big problem.
Meanwhile, to top it all off, Teck Resources appears to be trolling some particular voices like Kenney who have been caterwauling the past few days, as they announced they are investing in a solar facility at a reclaimed coal mine in BC. Oh, the delicious, delicious irony of it all.
Good reads:
- Justin Trudeau met with African diplomats to make the case for Canada to get the UN Security Council seat.
- There were smaller protests and a few more temporary blockades around the country yesterday, sparked by the arrests on Monday.
- Former MP Nathan Cullen, appointed mediator in the Wet’suwet’en dispute, says that the removal of the Mohawk blockades changed the dynamic in his situation.
- One of those hereditary chiefs was optimistic ahead of talks with the RMCP last night.
- It looks like CN and CP Rail hatched a deal to bypass some of the rail blockades, but now that this is in the open, one suspects that will entice more blockades.
- The fighter jet procurement process has been delayed another three months, while the surface combatant procurement process is still “in flux.”
- The Commons veterans affairs committee will look into the tightening rules around therapy for veterans’ family members.
- The Liberals on the Commons Indigenous Affairs committee wouldn’t expedite a motion to study the blockades and Wet’suwet’en “crisis.”
- Suddenly aware that she is about to be suspended again, Senator Lynn Beyak made a more forthright apology in the Senate and promised to complete her obligations.
- Peter MacKay says he won’t repeal cannabis laws, and would whip his front bench if a private members’ bill on abortion were tabled; he’s also a fan of technosalvation.
- Jason Kenney has been agitating for the federal government to drop its commitment to implement UNDRIP, believing it will further hamper the resource sector.
- Shannon Gormley worries that the recent blockades could be a trigger for the emergence of far-right vigilantes in Canada.
- My column outlines the battle currently begun in the Senate over proposed rule changes, and why they are likely unconstitutional.
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Selfish, short-sighted, extortionist chiefs. They have a marginally sympathetic government in Ottawa — too sympathetic if you ask me, and for the life of me I don’t understand Justin Trudeau’s political masochism other than a gambit to expedite his retirement from domestic politics while he looks for less stressful work elsewhere (perhaps Freeland/Blair’s GG or a position at the UN chairing his own council seat). But it makes me feel bad for him, because this is the thanks he gets for sticking his neck out. The chiefs are as ungrateful as the Wexiteers supporting the Buffalo manifesto.
What kind of response do they think they’d get from Kenney and a federal rubber stamp like Peter MacTrump? 67% of Canadians want an end to this or there’s going to be backlash one way or another. They’ve gifted the Cons a 5-point swing in the polls *off the left-wing parties most fervently in support — and not even the Liberals.* The prototypical economically-insecure Bernie/Donald voter. That’s not a threat; it’s just math. And the Cons would make other Canadians suffer if they ever rode this wave of discontent and disruption to government.
Yet one of those chiefs said he wasn’t sure if the dispute could drag on for “days or weeks” which only increases the likelihood Canadians will remember who was in government when their supplies of staples ran out, and act accordingly. Plus, according to one of those articles the solidarity saboteurs aren’t even indigenous. They’re dumb white kids doing an Occupy Wall Street Northern Edition to get Instagram likes, score woke points, and generally stick it to “the man.”
Sorry, but patience and sympathy has worn thin; the chiefs are enjoying this too much, and the law of unintended consequences definitely applies. Enough of this “high-stakes game of chicken” already. Stop d!cking around and call off the blockades!
Kenney’s call for 25000 dollars fines and or huge jail terms from blockade artists smacks of fascism but when liberals are castigated as the radical left, then why can’t we name the farther right what they truly espouse?