[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Barrister]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/kenney-grilled-on-alberta-s-4th-wave-response-claims-hinshaw-made-no-recommendations-in-august-1.5648945

For quite a while Alberta had the worst Covid rates in the country this fall after Premier Jason Kenney declared that 2021 would be the best summer ever and removed almost all restrictions.  He's gotten quite a bit of heat over it.  Also in August as case numbers were quickly rising Kenney was nowhere to be seen.

So Kenney was being grilled on this in the legislature on Monday when he suddenly threw our Chief Medical Officer of Health under the bus.  He said that the government did nothing in August because there were no recommendations coming from Dr. Hinshaw.

Exactly what Dr. Hinshaw's opinion has been during the pandemic has been something of a mystery.  She's made it clear she only makes recommendations, and that it is the politicians making the decisions.  She did say she approved of the "open for summer" strategy, but that's been about the only time I remember her expressing her own opinion.  There's been rumours she's been at loggerheads with Jason Kenney - with Dr. Hinshaw recommending far stricter measures than have been taken.

Interesting to see if anything comes of this.

[HVC]

Ontario is raising its minimum wage and restaurant owners are losing their shit

[Jacob]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/kenney-grilled-on-alberta-s-4th-wave-response-claims-hinshaw-made-no-recommendations-in-august-1.5648945

For quite a while Alberta had the worst Covid rates in the country this fall after Premier Jason Kenney declared that 2021 would be the best summer ever and removed almost all restrictions.  He's gotten quite a bit of heat over it.  Also in August as case numbers were quickly rising Kenney was nowhere to be seen.

So Kenney was being grilled on this in the legislature on Monday when he suddenly threw our Chief Medical Officer of Health under the bus.  He said that the government did nothing in August because there were no recommendations coming from Dr. Hinshaw.

Exactly what Dr. Hinshaw's opinion has been during the pandemic has been something of a mystery.  She's made it clear she only makes recommendations, and that it is the politicians making the decisions.  She did say she approved of the "open for summer" strategy, but that's been about the only time I remember her expressing her own opinion.  There's been rumours she's been at loggerheads with Jason Kenney - with Dr. Hinshaw recommending far stricter measures than have been taken.

Interesting to see if anything comes of this.

Hmmm... I would think Dr. Hinshaw could make Kenney look even worse than he already does (e.g. by showing she did give good advice that he ignored, at this or other times) so he might want to be careful. Personally, I think this kind of under-the-bus manoeuvre could make him look pretty slimy which is something I don't like. But maybe it's the least bad option for him at this time?

[saskganesh]

Ontario is raising its minimum wage and restaurant owners are losing their shit

Having people who work in restaurants being able to afford eating in a restaurant is  a bad idea apparently.

[crazy canuck]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/kenney-grilled-on-alberta-s-4th-wave-response-claims-hinshaw-made-no-recommendations-in-august-1.5648945

For quite a while Alberta had the worst Covid rates in the country this fall after Premier Jason Kenney declared that 2021 would be the best summer ever and removed almost all restrictions.  He's gotten quite a bit of heat over it.  Also in August as case numbers were quickly rising Kenney was nowhere to be seen.

So Kenney was being grilled on this in the legislature on Monday when he suddenly threw our Chief Medical Officer of Health under the bus.  He said that the government did nothing in August because there were no recommendations coming from Dr. Hinshaw.

Exactly what Dr. Hinshaw's opinion has been during the pandemic has been something of a mystery.  She's made it clear she only makes recommendations, and that it is the politicians making the decisions.  She did say she approved of the "open for summer" strategy, but that's been about the only time I remember her expressing her own opinion.  There's been rumours she's been at loggerheads with Jason Kenney - with Dr. Hinshaw recommending far stricter measures than have been taken.

Interesting to see if anything comes of this.

Hmmm... I would think Dr. Hinshaw could make Kenney look even worse than he already does (e.g. by showing she did give good advice that he ignored, at this or other times) so he might want to be careful. Personally, I think this kind of under-the-bus manoeuvre could make him look pretty slimy which is something I don't like. But maybe it's the least bad option for him at this time?

That is not possible for her to do.  Which is why the actions of Kenney are so odious.   As I pointed out before, under the Alberta statute the PHO has no power to decide what measures to take to protect public health - she only advises cabinet and cabinet decides.  So here is the important part - she is bound by cabinet confidentiality.  We will never know what she actually advised cabinet to do.

[crazy canuck]

Ontario is raising its minimum wage and restaurant owners are losing their shit

Having people who work in restaurants being able to afford eating in a restaurant is  a bad idea apparently.

Great tweet by the Beaverton this morning - something along the lines of "Ford promises second term will correct all the mistakes of the first term"

[viper37]

Ontario is raising its minimum wage and restaurant owners are losing their shit

Having people who work in restaurants being able to afford eating in a restaurant is  a bad idea apparently.

Prices will rise in conventional restaurants with staff while fast food chains will keep on moving to a post-labour work environment with an increase in computerized and AI commands.  Therefore, less visits to traditional restaurants.

They were it pretty hard by the pandemic.  Now, this...

[viper37]

That is not possible for her to do.  Which is why the actions of Kenney are so odious.   As I pointed out before, under the Alberta statute the PHO has no power to decide what measures to take to protect public health - she only advises cabinet and cabinet decides.  So here is the important part - she is bound by cabinet confidentiality.  We will never know what she actually advised cabinet to do.

Very cheap shot of Kenney.

Next on the menu: blame Quebec for Alberta's economic woes.  Again.

[Barrister]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/kenney-grilled-on-alberta-s-4th-wave-response-claims-hinshaw-made-no-recommendations-in-august-1.5648945

For quite a while Alberta had the worst Covid rates in the country this fall after Premier Jason Kenney declared that 2021 would be the best summer ever and removed almost all restrictions.  He's gotten quite a bit of heat over it.  Also in August as case numbers were quickly rising Kenney was nowhere to be seen.

So Kenney was being grilled on this in the legislature on Monday when he suddenly threw our Chief Medical Officer of Health under the bus.  He said that the government did nothing in August because there were no recommendations coming from Dr. Hinshaw.

Exactly what Dr. Hinshaw's opinion has been during the pandemic has been something of a mystery.  She's made it clear she only makes recommendations, and that it is the politicians making the decisions.  She did say she approved of the "open for summer" strategy, but that's been about the only time I remember her expressing her own opinion.  There's been rumours she's been at loggerheads with Jason Kenney - with Dr. Hinshaw recommending far stricter measures than have been taken.

Interesting to see if anything comes of this.

Hmmm... I would think Dr. Hinshaw could make Kenney look even worse than he already does (e.g. by showing she did give good advice that he ignored, at this or other times) so he might want to be careful. Personally, I think this kind of under-the-bus manoeuvre could make him look pretty slimy which is something I don't like. But maybe it's the least bad option for him at this time?

That is not possible for her to do.  Which is why the actions of Kenney are so odious.   As I pointed out before, under the Alberta statute the PHO has no power to decide what measures to take to protect public health - she only advises cabinet and cabinet decides.  So here is the important part - she is bound by cabinet confidentiality.  We will never know what she actually advised cabinet to do.

Hinshaw confirms she didn't make any recommendations back in August, stating that while case numbers were increasing, ICU admissions were not.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/covid-alta-kenney-hinshaw-1.6236697

While I suspect that there is yet more to this story than we may ever know, those hoping for an epic Kenney / Hinshaw messy divorce will be disappointed.

[crazy canuck]

Yeah, you keep saying that.  What we don't know is what else she told them.  One can easily imagine a situation where that was one of the scenarios she set out and also said, but to be prudent you should do exactly what BC is doing 

[Barrister]

Not sure how much you guys are interested in Alberta politics, but you may recall Brian Jean, former Conservative MP for Ft McMurray, and then former leader of the Wildrose Alliance - one of the two parties that merged to form the UCP.  He then ran for leader of the UCP, lost to Jason Kenney, then resigned "to spend more time with his family".

He's popped up once or twice to be critical of Kenney in editorials or social media, but now he's back - officially.  He's filed papers to run in the by-election for Ft McMurray.  And he posts on social media that 'something must be done or else Rachel Notley will win".

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/former-wildrose-party-leader-brian-jean-to-seek-ucp-nomination-in-fort-mcmurray-byelection-1.6236561

Not sure what I think of this.  I mean his base observations is correct - the UCP appears to be heading for an epic loss.  Kenney's only answer seems to be to get through the pandemic and hope things get better from there.

But Jean... his objection has been that Kenney is not listening to his own base and supporters.  And the #1 objection from within the UCP, both caucus and party members, has been too many covid restrictions.  Whereas the #1 objection from outside the party has been that Kenney was too late with Covid restrictions.


So it's an open question whether Kenney would sign Jean's nomination papers and even allow him to be a candidate.  On the one hand given Jean's public critiques of Kenney's leadership Kenney can be expected to demand a certain level of party unity from his caucus.  And Kenney has kicked a couple of anti-vax wackos out of caucus.  But Jean still has a following and not allowing him to even run could be seen as a slap in the face to former Wildrose members and supporters (which does include me).

[Grey Fox]

I'm interested. Opportunity for Alberta bashing don't happen as often as it should.

Is Brian Jean a white supremacist?

Oh, he wants to be a candidate for the UCP? Damn, ballsy.

[Barrister]

I'm interested. Opportunity for Alberta bashing don't happen as often as it should.

Is Brian Jean a white supremacist?

No.  Where the fuck did that even come from?

My question is to what extent is Jean pussy-footing with anti-lockdown, anti-vax-mandate crowd?

[viper37]

My question is to what extent is Jean pussy-footing with anti-lockdown, anti-vax-mandate crowd?

Don't know, really.  But I'm still interested in reading about it.

[Grey Fox]

I'm interested. Opportunity for Alberta bashing don't happen as often as it should.

Is Brian Jean a white supremacist?

No.  Where the fuck did that even come from?

My question is to what extent is Jean pussy-footing with anti-lockdown, anti-vax-mandate crowd?

I'm asking, I have no idea.

He might be pussy footing for them so I asked.