Roundup: Jason Kenney is out of moves

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It was day two of Jason Kenney’s very public temper tantrum over the cancellation of the Keystone XL permits, with renewed demands that the federal government impose trade sanctions or invoke other reprisals under the New NAFTA agreement, which were going to be a tough sell regardless. And if the federal government doesn’t, Kenney is threatening to start talking about more of his “Fair Deal” nonsense, riling up the swivel-eyed loons in the province’s “separatists” as a way of creating more pressure – and to try and protect his own right flank, given that he’s already bleeding support.

But here’s the thing – this isn’t working for him. And Jen Gerson lays it out perfectly in this utterly devastating piece – that Kenney was the “emotional support pet” who said things people wanted to hear, who replaced a premier who was getting stuff done, and as a result, he has had nothing but losses. Not a single thing he can claim to be a win, but he’s going to keep doubling down on his failed policies and tactics, undeterred, because reasons. Kenney’s tactic of making people angry and pretending that he’s going to save them was never going to work – eventually, that anger has to go somewhere, and as we’ve seen over the anger of all of the hypocrites in his caucus buggering off to Hawaii or Mexico for the holidays, well, it comes back at you when you least expect it. Kenney has long deluded himself into thinking he’s both the gods’ gift to Alberta, and that he’s clever enough to set fires and then put them out once he has people’s attention so that he can look like a hero. Clearly, he is neither of those things, and the province is paying for that. Kenney has burned all of their bridges, and they have nothing left and nowhere to go.

Good reads:

  • Julie Payette and her secretary, Assunta Di Lorenzo, tendered their resignations following the release of the “scathing” report into harassment at Rideau Hall.
  • Hours before the announcement was made, we learned that Di Lorenzo had retained high-profile legal counsel, so make of that what you will.
  • Here’s Westminster expert Philippe Lagassé on what this all means and what happens next on a procedural level.
  • We got more reassurances that yes, we will get all of our promised 4 million Pfizer doses by the end of March, like the contract says, and to stop worry.
  • Trudeau’s “grand bargain” on the environment and the oil patch appears to be falling apart around him.
  • The COVID outbreak among First Nations in western Canada is alarming.
  • The Liberals are pressing for their new voting app before Parliament returns, and I cannot stress enough that this is an Abomination and should never, ever happen.
  • Michael Chong offers his advice for Trudeau in dealing with the Biden administration, and I’m sure Trudeau will get right on that.
  • The Star has found proof that Doug Ford’s government cut corners on ensuring schools would be safe and have proper testing and tracing, and then lied about it.
  • Susan Delacourt recounts why Julie Payette was never a good choice for GG and that this should have been caught when she was vetted.
  • Colby Cosh points out that we should be glad that Payette walked away gracefully rather than precipitated a crisis on her way out.

Odds and ends:

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: Jason Kenney is out of moves”

  1. “…following the release of the “scathing” report into harassment at Rideau Hall.”

    The report may have been completed. The report may have been submitted. The report has not been “released” and likely never will be.

  2. “…more reassurances that yes, we will get all of our promised 4 million Pfizer doses by the end of March, like the contract says, and to stop worry [sic].”

    The ‘don’t worry, be happy,’ response to delays in vaccine delivery only works if you and you loved ones don’t get infected and die in the meantime. Otherwise, it’s silly spin of a particularly callous and juvenile nature.

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