[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

It is rare for our courts to make public comments.  The Chief Justices in Alberta have felt the need to do so after the Premier of Alberta mused publicly about "directing" the courts.  Here is the Chief Justices' public statement in full

Statement from the Chief Justices
Jan 27, 2026
 

As proud Albertans, we care deeply about this province and the people of Alberta.

The judges on Alberta's three courts—the Court of Justice, the Court of King's Bench and the Court of Appeal—recognize that our fundamental role is to serve Albertans. We do this by upholding our oath of office to decide each case honestly, impartially, and to the best of our ability. We know that our decisions can profoundly impact the people who come before the courts. We take this responsibility seriously.

A properly functioning democracy requires three separate branches of government that exercise their power and authority independently according to the Constitution.

The executive branch makes policy and manages government operations. The legislative branch makes laws. In turn, the judicial branch interprets and applies those laws to disputes brought before the courts. If a party requests it, judges may be required to interpret and apply the Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and make a ruling.

The independence of each branch ensures there are checks and balances across the system. It is the foundation of a healthy democracy. Public trust and confidence in our institutions—and all three branches of government—depend on it. It is equally important that each branch respect and support the independence of the others.

Independence of the judicial branch protects the public. It ensures judges can make decisions based solely on the law and evidence presented. It frees judges from pressure or influence from external sources including the governments that appoint us.

Each day in Alberta's courthouses, judges apply the law—to protect individual rights, decide disputes fairly and hold parties, including governments, accountable. The rule of law means no one is above the law, everyone is treated equally before the law, and power is not used arbitrarily. Alberta's judges will continue to do this work faithfully.

Alberta's judges are Albertans, like the people we serve. We are proud of the work judges and staff do every day to protect the rights of all Albertans and to safeguard our democracy.

 

Dawn Pentelechuk
Acting Chief Justice of Alberta


Kent H. Davidson
Chief Justice
King's Bench of Alberta         


James A. Hunter
Chief Justice
Alberta Court of Justice

[Jacob]

A good statement.

[HVC]

Good statement, and I understand why they didn't, but I wish they called her out in the statement.

[Valmy]

I chack it to his dislike for nationalism and he found out the Duplessis government was pretty anti-jewish.

I also dislike nationalists but I have come to...sort of get why Quebec is the way it is. Even if I don't necessarily like it.

Certainly not J.J. McCullough type disliking it though 

I mean they could have ended up like Louisiana and had French banished to a few rural backwaters as their culture got annihilated by the great Anglo cultural juggernaut. That happened. So I get it.

[Grey Fox]

It is the price to pay to not be swallowed.

I really wish the grand English speaking ocean could imagine a place for other languages.

Speak White never goes out of fashion.

[viper37]

You're the one from the country with government thugs executing people in the street.

It's a bit rich to castigate other people for what you imagine they'd do one day, when your people is actually doing it right now.

Then perhaps you should heed what I say  since I know what fascists look like, and what they talk about.

Maybe you should worry about the current situation in your country rather than a highly improbably hypothetical situation in another country?

I thought you were the guys worried that the US was going to invade.

Been there, done that. 3 times over if you count the Fenians.
We just celebrated the 250th anniversary of your first invasion last December.

Just like every time, invading is easy.  Holding it...

[viper37]

I also dislike nationalists but I have come to...sort of get why Quebec is the way it is. Even if I don't necessarily like it.

All in due time.  All due time.
Baby steps.
Il faut apprendre à marcher avant d'apprendre à courir.  Soon, it'll become natural to you, and you'll raise the flag of Austin independence.

[viper37]

Apparently there's new federal auto strategy so Ford likes Carney again

lol  

Pierre Poilièvre was just last week trying to make amends with Ford and repair their rift.

Shortchanged, never gets a break.

[viper37]

Sure my zealous obsessive friend. I said hated. Not attacked. Ask the average Canadian what they think about jews and you'll get at worst a meh. Ask what they think about Indians and you'll get vitriol at a much higher rate. Are there outliers and violent attacks against jew? Sure, but I never contested that. Go on your favourite infomation site, Facebook, and see all the Canadians complaining about Indians. If you need help I'll give you a key word, look up Tim Hortons. See all the enjoyment you can get from reading other hate groups, not just anti Muslim ones. Maybe you can grow a dislike of Indians too. Expand your hoobbies, it's good for the soul.

Ah yes, I did notice that from English Canada.

It seems the country has imported that very British trait.  Also a US thing, as I look upon the vitriol received by some non white Republicans.

Or just foreign bots.  Hard to tell on social medias.

It's not much an issue here, yet.  Not too many people from the Indian subcontinent, and those creating problems are truck drivers from Ontario, because of lax regulations in the industry.  Ontario finally changed something about this recently.  Truckers Inc will still remain a problem for long, but it should somewhat alleviate the problem.  The Feds have their role to play too.  The ARC cancelled most of their investigations during the Trudeau years.  

I do wonder sometimes why he hired so many bureaucrats.  They never picked the phone to answer, when they did they gave wrong answers, they dropped their investigations into most fiscal paradises and they stopped investigations false trucking companies.

[viper37]

I really wish the grand English speaking ocean could imagine a place for other languages.

The Liberals always assure us we have our place in this grand ocean, though.  Wonder which one.

 

[HVC]

Sure my zealous obsessive friend. I said hated. Not attacked. Ask the average Canadian what they think about jews and you'll get at worst a meh. Ask what they think about Indians and you'll get vitriol at a much higher rate. Are there outliers and violent attacks against jew? Sure, but I never contested that. Go on your favourite infomation site, Facebook, and see all the Canadians complaining about Indians. If you need help I'll give you a key word, look up Tim Hortons. See all the enjoyment you can get from reading other hate groups, not just anti Muslim ones. Maybe you can grow a dislike of Indians too. Expand your hoobbies, it's good for the soul.

Ah yes, I did notice that from English Canada.

It seems the country has imported that very British trait.  Also a US thing, as I look upon the vitriol received by some non white Republicans.

Or just foreign bots.  Hard to tell on social medias.

It's not much an issue here, yet.  Not too many people from the Indian subcontinent, and those creating problems are truck drivers from Ontario, because of lax regulations in the industry.  Ontario finally changed something about this recently.  Truckers Inc will still remain a problem for long, but it should somewhat alleviate the problem.  The Feds have their role to play too.  The ARC cancelled most of their investigations during the Trudeau years. 

I do wonder sometimes why he hired so many bureaucrats.  They never picked the phone to answer, when they did they gave wrong answers, they dropped their investigations into most fiscal paradises and they stopped investigations false trucking companies.

It's really blown up over the last 10 years or so with the student visa boom. It's even gotten to that "fun" point where the older Indian immigrants are bitching about the newer ones. Usual along economic lines (newer immigrants are mostly rural, or so I'm told).

Doesn't help that there are some legitimate grievances, the aforementioned Tim Hortons exploiting temporary visa programs, the trucker issue you mentioned of driving schools that do anything but teach (a few have been busted), and the abuse of student visas through scam schools and students with fake documents. As for the levels of these abuses I can't tell you how much is hyperbole but it has created a very visible discriminatory environment. People (or bots) online don't even bother with fig leaf terms à la bitching about zionists, so it's open and unabashed hate.

*edit* oh, I forgot, since it's winter, but the whole brouhaha about pooping on the beach was a big thing to around these parts.

[Jacob]

It's an equal mix of funny and sad watching established immigrants jump on the most recent hate-the-new-immigrants wave, somehow unaware that they were in the same bucket just a little while earlier.

[HVC]

It's an equal mix of funny and sad watching established immigrants jump on the most recent hate-the-new-immigrants wave, somehow unaware that they were in the same bucket just a little while earlier.

It's somewhat bemusing listening to my old Indian coworker bitching about new Indian immigrants. Its like the classic kids these days trope mixed with racism.

[crazy canuck]

Viper seems to forget that Grallon was a big supporter of camps.

Not really just an "Anglo" trait but if it helps you all sleep at night to think you are somehow better (as your government must constantly invoke the Notwithstanding Clause) go ahead.

[Grey Fox]

Shouldn't have betrayed Québec.