Wingnut in Alberta - Part I

 For months now, I've been thinking of writing a post about that wingnut in the Premier's office in Edmonton.  Every time I see some outrageous story with her at the center, like the last one about the E-coli outbreak in Calgary, I think of writing down something about it, if just for the chance to rant.  But wait, the MOST recent one was Danielle's assertion that Alberta could start its own pension plan with half of the money from the CPP.  Very few days pass without hearing something completely insane from Alberta's dear leader.

How about I start with Danielle's latest "plan"?  The notion that Alberta will withdraw from the national CPP and bring in an Alberta Pension Plan, complete with bonuses for retiring workers and higher pensions.

The story is still unfolding, but it seems to be a repeat of a theme: Alberta is unappreciated.   Alberta pays too much for too little.  Alberta would be better on its own.  Alberta has grievances and nobody else cares enough to listen.  And if this sounds familiar, just remember, it is.  It's all about "me", just like the so-called "Freedom Convoy" clowns.  "I'm" unhappy.  "I" don't want to wear a mask.  "I don't want to limit my social contacts just so others won't get sick.  And "I" certainly don't want someone else telling "me" what to do.

The "plan", such as it is, seems to involve Alberta demanding over half of the total assets of the Canada Pension Plan, around $334 Billion,and bringing in an Alberta Pension Plan.  Polls indicate Albertans are wary of this, as they should be.  How does a politician woo the wary?  With money, of course.  As an article from the CBC noted:

Dramatically slashed premiums! Larger paycheques! Higher benefits for seniors! Maybe a $10,000 bonus for retirees!

One has to ask: what kind of fantasy world does Danielle live in?

Just before the CPP/APP announcement (or was it just Danielle's stream-of-consciousness thinking?), the news was all about an E.coli outbreak in a number of Calgary daycares.  I don't know how many people (Albertans especially) have made the connections here, but to my mind, this is a Public Health issue.  And Alberta's last Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Hinshaw, was summarily fired by Danielle almost as soon as she became Premier.  Why did Danielle fire the CMO?  Because COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates (even as anemic as they were)...  Y'know, the very Public Health measures intended to reduce the numbers of sick and very sick people and reduce the impact on hospitals (not to mention other businesses), nevermind the ultimate goal of keeping people from dying.   And remember that, in Alberta, the Cabinet made the ultimate decisions about all of these practices.  This is a good example of politicians trying to manage things in which they have NO expertise.  It's a good example of how something that should be a medical issue can be politicized.  Once again, look at what happened during COVID.  Masks, vaccines, distancing, staying home, ivermectin (horse dewormer, remember?)....  ALL of these became toxic topics because politicians decided they needed to coddle some loony part of their base.

We asked survey respondents to evaluate four organizations that were important to the pandemic response, scoring them on a scale from one (poor) to 10 (excellent). They gave each a passing grade, but not a strong positive endorsement. Alberta Health Services and the Chief Medical Officer of Health scored highest, while the provincial and federal governments fared worse. (The Conversation, March 22, 2023)

But I digress.  The E.coli outbreak.  This is what happens when a Public Health Department is being run by a well-intentioned medical person but one who has NO training in the communication and management practices needed to run something like Public Health.  This is what happens when politicians create a culture of interference and second-guessing in issues that they don't understand.  Public Health ends up not doing the surveillance and enforcement that it needs to do.  Eventually, people get sick.  Some people die.  In this case, it was kids - toddlers - getting sick.  Some very sick.  Quite a few hospitalized.  Some on dialysis because of kidney damage.

And it took DAYS for the interim CMO of Health to make a public appearance and even longer for Danielle to show up making consoling and concerning noises ("we will get to the bottom of this").  It seemed like a variation on the "thoughts and prayers" message that we're used to seeing from American politicians after the most recent shoot-up at some elementary school.  Kids died and the best you can do is wring your hands?

“I’m heartbroken by what these family families are going through,” Smith said in announcing the province will give families $2,000 for each child who became sick.

One has to wonder....if one of these kids dies,  will that be worth more?

Secondary cases of E.coli have been appearing.  These are people infected from other people, not from the original source (believed to be a kitchen).  A simple message reminding exposed people to avoid contact with others (sound familiar - social distancing during COVID?  Limiting contacts?).  But that would be telling people what to do, wouldn't it?

Albertans should the OUTRAGED.  The UCP (United Conservative Party) was SO concerned about upsetting some of its libertarian base that, during COVID, some of its actions could best be described as anemic and often canceled far too soon.  Even with those half-hearted, watered down attempts at pandemic management, the person at the "buck stops here end" of the decision-making process, a certain Jason Kenney, was unceremoniously dumped by UCP luminaries and a true wingnut installed in the Premier's Office, one who really wouldn't upset that libertarian base.

To come back to the E.coli outbreak.  This is what can happen when you have an avowed anti-vaxxer as Premier, one who is quite comfortable eviscerating Public Health in the interests of not upsetting some "Freedom-loving" nutcases who might have to wear a mask in a grocery store for 15 minutes.  Who is comfortable firing a trained and experienced CMO of Health.  Who will intercede with Justice officials in an attempt to set aside a case involving a pastor who refused to follow Public Health orders during a pandemic.  A Premier who said, quite clearly, that she felt some of the most persecuted people she'd ever seen were those who refused to get vaccinated.

This is what can happen.  And now it has.  Fortunately, none of the toddlers have died, so far.

This is what happens when you have a wingnut in the Premier's office.