Roundup: Smith disqualifies herself on day one

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Her first day on the job, and Danielle Smith is already proving to be unsuited for public office. Shortly after being sworn-in as premier by the Lieutenant Governor, Smith held a press conference where she said that she wants to protect the unvaccinated, because they are the “most discriminated-against” group in her lifetime.

*deep breath, clenches fists*

No. Not even close. And let me tell you, it was a choice to say that on Coming Out Day. They are not discriminated against. There is no “segregation.” The unvaccinated are people who get to live with the consequences of making a selfish choice based on a bunch of junk “science” and conspiracy theories that they’ve consumed, and their reckless disregard for the vulnerable and immune-compromised. Those consequences? Not eating in restaurants or not getting to travel. A few lost their jobs because of the choice they made. Contrast this to actual discrimination that people suffer because of race, gender, sexuality, or disability. Consequences that include employment, housing, hate crimes, and even mass slaughter, and yes, this has all happened in Smith’s lifetime. This is her answering the grievances of the privileged, the entitled, and the selfish, and not having actually suffered discrimination, she lacks the basic self-awareness to know the difference between the two. This should be disqualifying.

Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, Scott Moe unveiled his “white paper” on pushing back against so-called federal encroachment on the province, and well, I’ve read far more vigorous undergraduate papers in my day. The premise of said paper is that all environmental rules and regulations are just a ruse for keeping the province down, and controlling them, which is risible on its face. And the notion that Saskatchewan should somehow be a “nation within a nation” belies the fact that they don’t have a distinct language, culture, legal tradition, or pre-Confederation history. Calling hoodies “bunny hugs” is not a distinct culture. Resource extraction without concern for environmental consequences is not a distinct culture. Moe is doing some bad Jason Kenney cosplay, and it’s just pathetic.

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1579907251221172224

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1579907677316345856

Ukraine Dispatch, Day 230:

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with G7 leaders and asked for more air defences (to fend off future missile attacks like they faced this week), a price cap on oil and gas exports from Russia to cut off their funding, and an international mission at the Ukraine-Belarus border, presumably to keep any Belarussian forces out of the country. Some German air defence systems did arrive in the country yesterday, so they are starting to arrive as this ask is being made. Meanwhile, bodies are being exhumed from the mass graves outside of the city of Lyman, which was liberated from Russian occupation.

https://twitter.com/OlenaHalushka/status/1579849665226629121

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau announced government investment in a Quebec mining firm for the production of materials necessary for EVs and batteries.
  • Trudeau also said that the resignation of the entire board of Hockey Canada is only one step, and that a lot more needs to be done to ensure culture change.
  • Mélanie Joly has launched formal talks with Japan for more intelligence sharing and military cooperation, feeding into the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
  • Anita Anand announced that 40 military engineers will be headed to Poland to train Ukrainians on things like de-mining and explosives use.
  • Advocates are calling on the government to permanently lift the cap on the number of hours international students can work.
  • The witness list for the Emergencies Act public inquiry has been released.
  • The PQ leader in Quebec doesn’t want to swear an oath to the King, because he falsely asserts that it’s to the British Crown, which it is not.
  • Susan Delacourt warns that no good can come of provinces who think that the constitution is a buffet that they can pick and choose from.
  • My column notes that if the federal government wants to be serious about the sanctions it is levying abroad, we need to replace the RCMP to enforce them.

Odds and ends:

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on May 6th.

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: Smith disqualifies herself on day one”

  1. The PQ leader in Quebec doesn’t want to swear an oath to the King, because he falsely asserts that it’s to the British Crown, which it is not.

    I would have hoped a new MNA would have some vague idea of how the Gov’t of Canada works but after listening to Scheer & Singh in the early days of the Covid pandemic and realizing they had not, or pretended to not have, mastered the basic concept of Federal vs Provincial jurisdictions maybe I am too optimistic.

  2. All who run for office in Canada must be required {which they are not now} to pass a basic civics examination on Jurisdiction. By being ignorant politicians use the comparable ignorance of the public to make their political points. This is easy for them because it allows blame shifting with impunity. Wonderful system isn’t it? But they win elections. Alas!

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