Alberta Politics & Government Thread 2.0

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by GGG

I think it’s smart to keep mask distribution away from health care resources. You are asking a lot of people to go to one location to get something. Making that location a non-essential resource seems reasonable.

If I want people to wear masks who are going to work outside of the home each day Tim Hortons seems like an obvious contact point for a lot of people.

This would make sense if the businesses in question weren't:

a) staffed by kids who could not give a #### about an extra load of work the gov't dumped in their laps

b) already busy, increasing wait times and lineups for something that has an expectation of speed

Couple this with the fact that the UCP couldn't be bothered to implement any kind of check, balance or cap to the distribution of masks. It's just extremely half-baked and unfortunately par for the course for this inept government of lawyers and board execs.

[Ozy_Flame]

I'm still flabbergasted that grocery stores are essential services, we pick up dozens of items regularly, the cashiers are behind solid plexiglass and protected, and we can't get masks at these places.

I also now have to have a car to get a mask. That cuts out a bunch of people.

I understand the assumed convenience, but I don't understand the strategy here. It's a very weird, short-sighted plan to not include grocery stores in this equation and assume that "in car = safe" is as far as it goes. This is "Karen" level of planning.

[Torture]

Who could have imagined that people would hoard masks? I mean, we saw that people were 100% reasonable with toilet paper.

[driveway]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

Naw our UCP-voting contingent is fine with the fact that the limpdick PC-remnants are cool with the Wildrose crazies dragging the party into hard authoritarian territory so long as they can keep cutting cheques to dying oil companies and get their deserved kickbacks.

I object to your choice of language and in the future would ask that, on this family-friendly forum, you refer exclusively to the UCP as “flaccid penises.”

Thank you.

[PsYcNeT]

The hits keep right on coming for these incompetent dolts.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52986629

Babylon Health has acknowledged that its GP video appointment app has suffered a data breach

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

This would make sense if the businesses in question weren't:

a) staffed by kids who could not give a #### about an extra load of work the gov't dumped in their laps

b) already busy, increasing wait times and lineups for something that has an expectation of speed

Couple this with the fact that the UCP couldn't be bothered to implement any kind of check, balance or cap to the distribution of masks. It's just extremely half-baked and unfortunately par for the course for this inept government of lawyers and board execs.

1. Extra load is laughable.

2. But, I mean they deserve a livable wage right? Even though they don't give a ####? Aren't you the one who's always advocating that all work is meaningful done by people doing their best.

[Fuzz]

Let's see what the UCP has been up to this weekend...

The owners of two popular food trucks operating next to a northeast Calgary park for the past three years say they are being bullied and harassed by residents who don't want them there, including Calgary-Falconridge MLA Devinder Toor.

"Devinder Toor showed up with a group, about 15 of them, and demanded my wife move the truck. Then they went to the next truck. I told them I have a right to be here, but Toor told us he is an MLA and he can make new rules so we can't park here anymore," said Ejaz.

Ejaz says Toor told them his party is in power in Alberta and he can change the law. He says the group then moved on to the owner of the second truck, Indian Bistro, and repeated the threat.

"It was a surprise and threatening," said Danial Punni.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...609792?cmp=rss

Well, no big deal. Just threatening small business entrepreneurs with a gang. It's in the UCP party platform, somewhere...I think it's the section right after "How to Purge Judicial Vetting Committees."

Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer purged the entire committee that vets potential provincial court judges and recruited new members through a closed process that experts say is outdated and increases the chance of partisan appointments to the court.

"I have just found out that I'm apparently the chairman, and I have no idea about anything more than that," said Ross, who is one of the founders of the conservative Edmonton law firm McLennan Ross LLP, where he specializes in management-side labour law.

"We don't even have meetings, can't have meetings," he said, referring to COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions. "I'm 83 years old. I'm told to stay home."

Well at least he has lots of experience!

The appointments of Gotell, Wilson, Fernando, Many Guns and others to the PCNC were part of an attempt by former NDP justice minister Kathleen Ganley to diversify the committee.

The nominating committee appointed by Ganley included six women and one man, with one seat open. Four of the seven members were people of colour, including two Indigenous people. One was a member of the LGBTQ community. All had backgrounds related to the law.

Leading governance scholar Richard Leblanc said the former committee appeared to have been independently appointed based on merit.
"If that is the case, then why wouldn't that have continued?" said Leblanc, editor of the recently released The Handbook of Board Governance. "You want independent, arm's-length committee members, especially when it comes to judicial appointments."

Political scientist Troy Riddell said that "by replacing the existing committee members, it seems that the minister is trying to appoint people that are potentially closer to the government."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...605547?cmp=rss


Just a regular UCP governed weekend.

[Dogbert]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

1. Extra load is laughable.

2. But, I mean they deserve a livable wage right? Even though they don't give a ####? Aren't you the one who's always advocating that all work is meaningful done by people doing their best.

Um... yes, they do deserve a livable wage. Everyone deserves a livable wage regardless of what job they do. In fact, everyone deserves one regardless of whether they have a job at all.

[White Out 403]

Drove up to saddle town and picked up food for tomorrow from the food truck. Smells amazing. #### the ucp.

[Torture]

Signed up to volunteer for the NDP as just donating isn't doing it for me.
First time I've ever been involved with any political party but I'm tired of hearing ####ty headlines and ways that this province going down the ####ter.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

Drove up to saddle town and picked up food for tomorrow from the food truck. Smells amazing. #### the ucp.

They got my order wrong but the food smells great. Lol

[wireframe]

Originally Posted by Torture

Signed up to volunteer for the NDP as just donating isn't doing it for me.
First time I've ever been involved with any political party but I'm tired of hearing ####ty headlines and ways that this province going down the ####ter.

I'm in the same boat. I'm going to get off the sidelines for the next Alberta election. Public education is important to me and I want to do more than complaint about the UCP policies.

My only question is: what's the most effective way to spend my time. I worry that if I volunteer with the local NDP candidate, they will just have me putting up signs and knocking on doors. I don't think those are effective at all. I'm honestly considering founding a 3rd party political advertising group.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by wireframe

I'm in the same boat. I'm going to get off the sidelines for the next Alberta election. Public education is important to me and I want to do more than complaint about the UCP policies.

My only question is: what's the most effective way to spend my time. I worry that if I volunteer with the local NDP candidate, they will just have me putting up signs and knocking on doors. I don't think those are effective at all. I'm honestly considering founding a 3rd party political advertising group.

Door knocking in competitive ridings is a useful task. Back when I was involved it was said that 3-5% could be influenced by GOTV and local campaigns. So if you look at polling and compare to previous election results you could target a riding where even a mundane task like door knocking is something effective.

[woob]

I'm out of thanks, but I commend you both Torture and wireframe. Regardless of a person's political affiliation, getting involved like that is worthy of respect and acknowledgement.

But also, way to pick the right team

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by woob

I'm out of thanks, but I commend you both Torture and wireframe. Regardless of a person's political affiliation, getting involved like that is worthy of respect and acknowledgement.

But also, way to pick the right team

Use any other term but that one, the fact that politics is now a team sport is the reason western democracy is failing

[woob]

I'm well aware of that. The signifies I'm kidding. Perhaps should have used green text instead.

[Ozy_Flame]

'Blindsided': UCP blasted for mass appointments to boards, commissions

Thostenson was one of the casualties after the UCP government cleaned house at a host of Alberta’s arm’s-length agencies, boards and commissions late Thursday afternoon.

Through a ream of Friday morning news releases, the government announced it had turfed various board members and chairs, replacing many of them with conservative-aligned friends.

Almost 20 separate boards ranging from post-secondary to health to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis saw sweeping changes.

And a bit more from the same article ...

Christine Myatt, Premier Jason Kenney’s press secretary, said Friday the government is working to strengthen the agencies, boards and commissions application process and will have more to say about it in the near future.

She also defended the abundance of board appointees with close conservative ties.

Take Len Rhodes, the failed UCP candidate hand-picked by Kenney and parachuted into Edmonton-Meadows, who was on Friday crowned chairman of AGLC.

[Weitz]

Didn't get enough coverage 10 months ago when the article was posted?

[Ozy_Flame]

Also:

Scientists criticize Alberta's monitoring suspension, lack of consultation

Shutting down a broad range of Alberta's environmental monitoring over pandemic fears wasn't necessary, says the head of a group responsible for such work.

Most monitoring could have been done safely, says Jay White, president of the licence-granting Alberta Society of Professional Biologists.

"We're trained to deal with dangerous, toxic biological hazards in our day-to-day work," White said Monday. "The virus is no different."

Alberta's own chief scientist says he wasn't consulted before the government temporarily shut down much land, air and water-monitoring requirements in the oil and gas industry in what it said was an attempt to keep workers and communities safe from COVID-19.

"Nothing came to me," said Fred Wrona.

[Ozy_Flame]

Also more news from today:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1272965811167064064

Ontario, BC, and Quebec have all banned the private sale of blood. Alberta is repealing the ban that was put in place in 2017. It also defies the Krever Inquiry, which was basically set up the creation of the Canadian Blood Services agency.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1273316090081394689

His follow-up Tweet: "In a statement, U of A athletic director cites cuts to the Campus Alberta Grant, UCP demand that Universities balance budgets & reduce expenditures, reduction to U of A Athletics & Rec student fee as the reason for the suspension"