Jared, please keep up the analysis and the warning of how dangerous Ms. Smith is to Alberta and Canada.
The media are treating her as "normal politics, if a bit skewed" much as American media did with Donald Trump. In actuality, both are outside the norms of our culture. As I see her, she is conditioning Albertans to see her use and abuse of power as "it's just what all politicians do." (in fact they don't and haven't. But most folks don't pay enough attention to know this.) She is slowly corrupting the normal consciousness of Albertans. By the time we figure this out, we will find she has a lock on our throats and our future. Joni Mitchell got it right, "You don't know what you've lost 'til it's gone."
RE checks on concentrated power: Danielle Smith constantly accuses the Feds of interfering with provincial authority. Talk about projection!
How’s this for a comparison? Think of a corporation with national, regional and local offices. Smith is the manager of a regional office. She demands complete independence from the head office—but is utterly abusive to any local manager who tries to do something Smith doesn’t like. This, even if Smith herself is defying the national CEO.
Don’t like that one? OK, let’s try a family simile. Imagine a grown man with a family of his own. He says “My old man can’t tell me what to do!” But his own kids damn well better do what HE says, “because I still have the strap—and I will use it!”
This should be no surprise. From Smith’s earliest days in elected office—that school board in Calgary—she’s been disruptive, obstructive, obstinate, impulsive and ignorant. Nothing has changed. She still has “no crazy radar”—a phrase Smith herself attributed to a Wildrose staffer during her spell as Opposition leader. (Smith seems to be proud of her credulity. Why am I not surprised?)
Oh wait, maybe one thing has changed. Danielle Smith has thrown herself even further to the right, into crazed QAnon territory. She is heavily influenced by Barry Cooper and Rob Anderson, two authors of the “Free Alberta Strategy.” FWIW, there’s a website, if you want to bother. Much of Smith’s legislation is intended to implement Cooper’s agenda. Much of that will be declared unconstitutional, if they ever dare to try it. Most of it is very unpopular with Albertans; destroying AHS, and implementing the Alberta Police and the Alberta Pension Plan, for starters.
That won’t stop Danielle “No Crazy Radar” Smith. She know what she wants, and now—at long, long last—she’s in a position to do it. We’ll have to rely on the Supreme Court, and lots of public outcry, to force her to back down.
Is the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment unconstitutional given that it treats Albertans who live in the two big cities differently from Albertans in the rest of the province? Why do Calgarians and Edmontonians get to be the guinea pigs while the rest of Alberta gets to stick with the status quo? It almost feels like DS is punishing Calgarians and Edmontonians for their voting choices.
Rob, I wouldn’t say Edmonton and Calgary are guinea pigs. I’d say we’re all victims of Danielle Smith’s hubris. We’ve defied her by electing progressive city councils—and Smith can’t tolerate anyone telling her she’s wrong.
In the ‘90s, Smith was elected to a public school board in Calgary. She and some fellow-traveller made so much trouble that the Education Minister (whoever he was) had to dismiss the entire board. They were replaced by one administrator, appointed by the Minister. Does that sound familiar?
Smith obviously remembers that episode. She’s done exactly the same thing to AHS, firing the entire board and replacing them with her hand-picked appointee. Now she’s trying to change the rules so she can fire mayors and councillors she doesn’t like. What goes around, comes around….
I can’t tell if she’ll get away with it. In Canadian law, municipalities are creations of the provincial government, and therefore subordinate. That’s why Doug Ford was able to arbitrarily cut the number of councillors in Toronto. Smith may be able to force through Bill 20. She may even be able to use it, if the Supreme Court (it’ll reach there, eventually) deems it constitutional.
But it’ll still be just as unfair, just as arbitrary, and just as mean-spirited as it looks right now.
Danielle Smith was my school board trustee. Minister Oberg did the right thing in getting rid of all of them. And that should have been the end of her political career.
Thanks for that bit of background. It shows how far Alberta has fallen that an Old Tory like Lyle Oberg can look good in retrospect. Though in fairness, that happened before 12 years of Ralph Klein tarnished the Old Tories' reputation to where Albertans had had enough.
Excellent article Dr Wesley ! Also thank you for mentioning “ Respect for voters intent” which like you, I find disrespectful and insulting. It also begs the question that many are asking.. why have elections as at all, because they’ve made it clear, the public's municipal votes are meaningless or null and void.. I think Mayor Gondek said it best today in her Instagram post today https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GMMG0vrWAAAKuZa?format=jpg&name=large
Both of these proposed laws set us up to be subjected to an arbitrary and capricious administration of government. Isolating Calgary and Edmonton in the Municipal Government Act starts the ball rolling. Seemingly, all this government needs is to disagree with a bylaw, a counsellor or academic research and they can terminate any/all.
A few years ago I added a variation to that saying: They jumped the shark and landed in the exploding whale. Danielle Smith always makes a big mess in politics - what will her exploding whale be this time?
Jared, please keep up the analysis and the warning of how dangerous Ms. Smith is to Alberta and Canada.
The media are treating her as "normal politics, if a bit skewed" much as American media did with Donald Trump. In actuality, both are outside the norms of our culture. As I see her, she is conditioning Albertans to see her use and abuse of power as "it's just what all politicians do." (in fact they don't and haven't. But most folks don't pay enough attention to know this.) She is slowly corrupting the normal consciousness of Albertans. By the time we figure this out, we will find she has a lock on our throats and our future. Joni Mitchell got it right, "You don't know what you've lost 'til it's gone."
RE checks on concentrated power: Danielle Smith constantly accuses the Feds of interfering with provincial authority. Talk about projection!
How’s this for a comparison? Think of a corporation with national, regional and local offices. Smith is the manager of a regional office. She demands complete independence from the head office—but is utterly abusive to any local manager who tries to do something Smith doesn’t like. This, even if Smith herself is defying the national CEO.
Don’t like that one? OK, let’s try a family simile. Imagine a grown man with a family of his own. He says “My old man can’t tell me what to do!” But his own kids damn well better do what HE says, “because I still have the strap—and I will use it!”
This should be no surprise. From Smith’s earliest days in elected office—that school board in Calgary—she’s been disruptive, obstructive, obstinate, impulsive and ignorant. Nothing has changed. She still has “no crazy radar”—a phrase Smith herself attributed to a Wildrose staffer during her spell as Opposition leader. (Smith seems to be proud of her credulity. Why am I not surprised?)
Oh wait, maybe one thing has changed. Danielle Smith has thrown herself even further to the right, into crazed QAnon territory. She is heavily influenced by Barry Cooper and Rob Anderson, two authors of the “Free Alberta Strategy.” FWIW, there’s a website, if you want to bother. Much of Smith’s legislation is intended to implement Cooper’s agenda. Much of that will be declared unconstitutional, if they ever dare to try it. Most of it is very unpopular with Albertans; destroying AHS, and implementing the Alberta Police and the Alberta Pension Plan, for starters.
That won’t stop Danielle “No Crazy Radar” Smith. She know what she wants, and now—at long, long last—she’s in a position to do it. We’ll have to rely on the Supreme Court, and lots of public outcry, to force her to back down.
Is the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment unconstitutional given that it treats Albertans who live in the two big cities differently from Albertans in the rest of the province? Why do Calgarians and Edmontonians get to be the guinea pigs while the rest of Alberta gets to stick with the status quo? It almost feels like DS is punishing Calgarians and Edmontonians for their voting choices.
Rob, I wouldn’t say Edmonton and Calgary are guinea pigs. I’d say we’re all victims of Danielle Smith’s hubris. We’ve defied her by electing progressive city councils—and Smith can’t tolerate anyone telling her she’s wrong.
In the ‘90s, Smith was elected to a public school board in Calgary. She and some fellow-traveller made so much trouble that the Education Minister (whoever he was) had to dismiss the entire board. They were replaced by one administrator, appointed by the Minister. Does that sound familiar?
Smith obviously remembers that episode. She’s done exactly the same thing to AHS, firing the entire board and replacing them with her hand-picked appointee. Now she’s trying to change the rules so she can fire mayors and councillors she doesn’t like. What goes around, comes around….
I can’t tell if she’ll get away with it. In Canadian law, municipalities are creations of the provincial government, and therefore subordinate. That’s why Doug Ford was able to arbitrarily cut the number of councillors in Toronto. Smith may be able to force through Bill 20. She may even be able to use it, if the Supreme Court (it’ll reach there, eventually) deems it constitutional.
But it’ll still be just as unfair, just as arbitrary, and just as mean-spirited as it looks right now.
Danielle Smith was my school board trustee. Minister Oberg did the right thing in getting rid of all of them. And that should have been the end of her political career.
Thanks for that bit of background. It shows how far Alberta has fallen that an Old Tory like Lyle Oberg can look good in retrospect. Though in fairness, that happened before 12 years of Ralph Klein tarnished the Old Tories' reputation to where Albertans had had enough.
Excellent article Dr Wesley ! Also thank you for mentioning “ Respect for voters intent” which like you, I find disrespectful and insulting. It also begs the question that many are asking.. why have elections as at all, because they’ve made it clear, the public's municipal votes are meaningless or null and void.. I think Mayor Gondek said it best today in her Instagram post today https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GMMG0vrWAAAKuZa?format=jpg&name=large
Both of these proposed laws set us up to be subjected to an arbitrary and capricious administration of government. Isolating Calgary and Edmonton in the Municipal Government Act starts the ball rolling. Seemingly, all this government needs is to disagree with a bylaw, a counsellor or academic research and they can terminate any/all.
A few years ago I added a variation to that saying: They jumped the shark and landed in the exploding whale. Danielle Smith always makes a big mess in politics - what will her exploding whale be this time?
But Trudeau? So I guess that means everything is okay.
Excellent article, Jared.