City Notebook: Alberta the ungovernable
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on April 10, 2021.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant There are times when politicians point out the importance of debate and how a certain decision is “a great day for democracy.” That’s more often than not a sure sign they’ve either lost said debate or suffered a great thumping but don’t want to say so. That’s the split decision apparently suffered by Premier Jason Kenney this week, when new health restrictions were met by a near caucus revolt from 18 MLAs from the Wildrose shade of conservatives that he famously united before the 2019 election. The group, including local MLAs Drew Barnes and Michaela Glasgo, and other rural, non-cabinet members of the UCP, had been pushing for regional restriction easing. That’s a no go due to new variants of the coronavirus and rising rates that make the underlining logic of a regional approach a mostly moot point. It’s a wild thing to have happened, but probably not off the charts of possibility. Kenney says debate is healthy. After all, such “grass roots” policy making was a foundational principle for once-Wildrosers who grew disillusioned with top-heavy Progressive Conservatives. Health restrictions are clearly becoming a bridge too far for some folks who in all likelihood would or should support the party. And it’s shown up in the polling, about two thirds of Albertans think the UCP’s handing of the pandemic stinks, and that’s half thinking too much and half not enough. You can’t be more middle-of-the-road, by definition. That’s also a vice for Kenney to be in. Has polarization in his own party approached a point too vast to hold together? Reportedly the threat of a snap election was required to shock his caucus back into a half-measure of being able to openly question (“debate” is Kenney’s word) the measures, but heed them all the same and not encourage yahooism that could greet this week’s new restrictions. The threat of another Rachel Notley government, after all, was what united the right in the first place. And it allows everyone to paint themselves the winner, but it’s a far cry from how things operate. Just consider the party discipline Stephen Harper demanded to wield his minority like a full-bore majority not so many years ago when Kenney was in cabinet. A few commentators have pointed out that in terms of party discipline the UCP has been lockstep through almost two years in government. The party hasn’t taken a single step back on a range of issues, and merely postponed exceptionally bad problems like growing controversies about coal mining and linear taxation. Aside from Barnes we’ve heard nary a peep of concern about the Keystone XL investment, which looks to be a billion-dollar wrong-way bet. And, remember, Barnes is happy to talk about the Alberta pension and police force that bubbled up somewhere in Fair Deal talks, but is clearly out of left-field for most people. Nope there’s nothing wrong in the United Conservative Party ranks. It’s just a great day for a debate. Bin there, done that That great springtime debate in Medicine Hat is decided. Yard waste collection begins on Monday! Every time the northern hemisphere tilts back toward the sun, Hatters begin gassing up their rakes and staring at the green bin in their yard. Is it too early for pickups? Surely it should have started by now! Is it late? An honest to goodness written policy about operating the service that adds mighty mounds of grass clippings, leaves and detritus to the city’s compost heap states that collection is to begin no sooner than the third week of April. (A-ha! So it’s early!) No, check the calendar and you’ll find it’s right on schedule. It is so set because 10 years ago the environmental utilities department found that early service resulted in a bulk of volume early on, then several weeks of light loads once cleanup was complete. Last year, the service actually got underway a week earlier than usual in light of the pandemic’s obvious effect on people’s sudden eager willingness to rake their lawns. A look ahead The city’s year-end financial report is due this week. Check with your sources before planning an outing considering new restrictions. 100 years ago “The days of big cattle and horse ranchers of the West are numbered” if a new policy of “communistic grazing” is adopted, an editorial in the News told readers on April 7, 1921. Cancellation of large leases upon expiration and thereafter to create public pastures “would defeat itself at enormous expense” by overburdening land and sending stockholders scurrying far and wide to collect their cattle. A better system to “cooperate to splendid mutual advantage” would be to allow rents on privately held leases and rough steer sales ahead of finishing. The province came under fire for overspending on telephone line construction. Canada’s 10th province would comprise land north of the 52nd parallel in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory if a bill introduced in the Commons by two MPs of that region was adopted. Collin Gallant coves city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com 37-36
