Roundup: Alberta is broken, part eleventy-seven

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Things are increasingly broken in Alberta, and I’m not referring to the province’s horrific case rates, collapsing ICUs, and Jason Kenney’s continued refusal to take appropriate public health measures in the face of this. No, I’m referring to the fact that a group of MLAs including the gods damned Speaker and deputy Speaker came out as quasi-separatists yesterday with a looney-tunes “Free Alberta Strategy” which is 100 percent handwaving and pretending that they can simply opt-out of federally-imposed laws by sheer force of political will, and the mistaken notion that Quebec did it and they can too. (Spoiler: Quebec didn’t actually do it, and what few things it did do pretty much devastated their economy). This thread helps to clarify a lot of what they’re asking for and why it’s eye-rollingly ludicrous.

There are a few things to unpack here. Much of this stems from Kenney’s farcical referendums that will take place next month, the central of which is to demand a renegotiation of equalisation, which is where these quasi-separatist loons are drawing their inspiration from. It encouraged this kind of magical thinking that somehow Alberta could just stamp its feet and hold its breath and the federal government would somehow surrender its jurisdiction over things. That’s not how this works. But it’s also about Kenney’s entire attitude toward governing, and how he was building anger toward Trudeau in particular so that it would distract the population from his own failings. I have tended to liken Kenney to an arsonist who would set fires and get far enough ahead of them to put them out so that he can look like a hero – but he hasn’t put them out. He poured a glass of water on them and demanded a medal, while the very fires he set are spreading. Everything that is happening in this province all started with a match that has his name and fingerprints all over it. It’s not just trying to pretend that there’s a “good parts only” version of populism that he’s cherry-picking, or that he is somehow “tapping a relief well” to keep it from blowing up in his face. It blew up. The province is in a crisis, and he keeps lighting more fires because he can’t help himself. Things are going to get even worse in the coming weeks, and try as he might, Kenney has nobody to blame but himself.

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1442925906679320582

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1442932249666621441

And then there’s the whole issue with the Speaker and his deputy. This is the second time now that said Speaker has compromised the avowed neutrality of his position, and he needs to be removed by the Legislature at once, as well as his deputy. It is unacceptable that they remain in their positions any longer, as they cannot be trusted to be neutral presiding officers in the Legislature.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau said that Chrystia Freeland would continue as deputy PM and finance minister, and that he plans to shuffle his Cabinet in October.
  • Trudeau gave the usual minority parliament assurances of working to make it last four years, and also said he hoped for a Huawei 5G decision in “weeks.”
  • As well, Trudeau said that the vaccine mandate for federal civil servants was being held up by negotiations with the public sector unions, which is not a surprise.
  • NACI is now recommending booster doses for seniors in long-term care.
  • The country’s second-largest pension fund is pulling all of its investments in oil production by the end of the year.
  • The Commissioner of Elections has taken over the investigation into George Chahal, and the defeated Conservative incumbent wants a judge to quash the election result.
  • After saying she didn’t want the job, Elizabeth May is now apparently not ruling out being interim leader “for the sake of the party.”
  • A BC judge has refused to extend the injunction against protesters at Fairy Creek in BC, and had some particularly harsh words about the conduct of the RCMP.
  • Stephanie Carvin discusses the rise of anti-politics movements marrying with violent extremism, and what that means for the security of our politicians.
  • Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column questions the Greens’ need for an interim leader while they get the process for a new leader underway.
  • Heather Scoffield hopes that post-return of the two Michaels, Canada can flex its economic muscle to stand up to China’s on the TPP and Taiwan’s independence.
  • My column wonders if Erin O’Toole’s problems as a leader are “fatal” to staying on in the role, or whether his reputation can be salvaged.

Odds and ends:

Colby Cosh makes note of China’s move to restrict abortions as they move to deal with their looming demographic crunch.

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: Alberta is broken, part eleventy-seven”

  1. It’d be nice if the media did more due-diligence reporting on this and grilled O’Toole as to whether he supports it and still stands by Kenney. (Just like with the COVID failure.)

    I’m sure we’ll get none of that, just more pundit pontificating and “strategist panels” about when the next federal election is going to occur. Plus complaints about Trudeau’s tan suit — I mean rolled-up sleeves.

    Media is as broken as the politics of the party it props up.

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