#Cardston-Siksika

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

November 20, 2023

Mr. Schow: When the Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar was speaking in his second supplemental, with reference to the Premier and changes to the conflicts of interest, he said – and I have the benefit of the Blues: “the minister wouldn’t have his job if the Premier had been up front about her plan to line her own pockets during the campaign.” The Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar is clearly making an accusation that the Premier is taking bribes and lining her own pockets.

The Speaker: Order. That is an absolutely unacceptable gesture directed to the Government House Leader, for which you can return to your seat and apologize.

Mr. McIver: Jackass.

The Speaker: Order. The hon. Member for Calgary-Hays will rise to his feet and apologize.

Mr. McIver: I do apologize, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Schmidt: I apologize that the House leader is so sensitive and had to rise on that point.

The Speaker: No. You don’t apologize for that. You apologize for making an inappropriate gesture at the doorway to the Chamber. You will do so, or you will be named and you will leave the Chamber until a committee deals with it.

Mr. Schmidt: I have offered my apology, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

The Speaker: You will be well served that the Speaker spoke last week about not judging the quality of an apology. You behaved like my 12-year-old, slowly waltzing across this Chamber after being spoken to directly. It’s absolutely unacceptable and unbecoming of a member of this Assembly.

[farcillesbian]

fellow Albertans! provincial elections are coming up! if you intend to vote, make sure you read up on the ID requirements (for example, if you were planning on bringing solely your passport as ID, please know that's NOT enough to be used as a single piece of ID, unlike a driver's license).

if you don't have the right identification to vote, make sure your address is up to date on your bank account so that you can print an account statement, or that you hold on to a copy of a utility bill sent to your address, and if you really don't have anything, now is the time to arrange for someone who can vouch for you!

if you're away from home and can't make it to advanced polls (from may 23-27th) you have until the 22nd at 6 pm to request a special ballot in the mail!

AND if you can get to one of the following communities for advanced polls or election day and could use a temporary job for a bit of extra income, you should apply for an election worker position in one of these divisions:

51-Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St.Paul: Bonnyville, Cherry Grove, Cold Lake, Elk Point, Glendon, Heinsburg, Kehewin, Saddle Lake, St.Paul

54-Cardston-Siksika: Cardston, Coalhurst, Magrath, Nobleford, Picture Butte, Vauxhall, Vulcan

55-Central Peace-Notley: Fairview, Falher, McLennan

60-Fort McMurray-Lac la Biche: Anzac, Conklin, Fort McMurray, Janvier, Lac la Biche, Plamondon, Wandering River

61-Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo: Fort Chipewyan, Fort McKay, Fort McMurray

63-Grande Prairie: Grande Prairie

64-Grande Prairie-Wapiti: Beaverlodge, Clairmont, Grande Prairie, Hythe, Sexsmith, Wembley

70-Lesser Slave Lake: High Prairie, Red Earth Creek, Slave Lake, Wabasca-Desmarais

74-Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin: Ferintosh, Hay Lakes, Looma, Ma-Me-O Beach, Maskwacis, Millet, New Sarepta, Wetaskiwin

77-Peace River Fort Vermilion, Grimshaw, High Level, La Crete, Manning, Peace River, Rainbow Lake

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The RCMP has interviewed two more UCP MLAs — Joseph Schow and Jordan Walker — as part of its investigation into the party’s 2017 leadership campaign.

Schow is the deputy government whip and member for Cardston-Siksika, and Walker is the Sherwood Park MLA.

Neither of them returned Postmedia’s requests for comment, but UCP caucus executive director Robyn Henwood said they are not under investigation.

It’s the latest in a string of police interviews over alleged vote irregularities in the race won by now-Premier Jason Kenney.

Police have also questioned five cabinet ministers: Josephine Pon (seniors and housing), Prasad Panda (infrastructure), Doug Schweitzer (justice), Jason Luan (mental health and addictions) and Leela Aheer (culture, multiculturalism and status of women). All say they’re not under investigation.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @abpoli @ontarionewsnow @politicsofcanada

[occasionalpoliticalcommenta-blog]

Every eight to ten years, the Electoral Boundaries Commission redraws the electoral boundaries of this province at accommodate growing population that is generally shifting away from rural areas toward larger centres. This, of course, presents challenges. 

First, the Commission does not have the option of increasing the number of seats; the legislature is legislated to have a maximum of 87 seats representing ridings of approximately equal populations. With more people living in urban areas - particularly Calgary and Edmonton - rural seats will necessarily get larger, and consequently much harder for an MLA to actually know and therefore represent her constituents. Check out the Central Peace-Notely, Peace River, or Cardston-Siksika ridings to see how large some of these rural ridings are getting. 

In order to get approximately equal populations in each riding, the Commission has restored - in many cases - to urban-rural mixed ridings where a urban municipality is bisected and included with a large hinterland. See the two Medicine Hat ridings for an example of this. Urban and rural areas typically have differing political cultures, often returning more liberal and conservative members, respectively. The problem, then, with urban-rural ridings is the possibility that the member elected will effectively alienate around half of their constituents. While rural or urban only ridings certainly have this happen, I think it would be much more likely with these splits. 

I understand that this is beyond the mandate of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, but the most effective way to address these and other issues would be the adoption of a mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system to replace our antiquated single member or first past the post (FPTP) system. I’ll write on why I think this is a better solution in the future. 

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

April 24, 2024

Mr. Shepherd: We have seen this as a repeated pattern with this Premier. She has an obsession with going for the fringe. That is all well and good, Mr. Speaker. If that is her personal interest, that is fine.

Mr. Schow: Point of order.

Point of Order Relevance

Mr. Schow: The member opposite said during his speech: the Premier has a tendency or likes to gravitate towards the fringe. It was part of an extensive ramble from that member that I felt was – I think it’s even worthy of saying – not on topic for the bill. I’m not sure what the obsession is with the Premier. But I will say that the member opposite certainly is using language that would create disorder in this Chamber, especially when talking about gravitating towards the fringe. That member would love to define what the fringe is. I can tell you that on this side of the House we are in government. It means we won the majority of the seats in the province. It means we have the majority of votes in the province. So I would hate for the member opposite to be suggesting that the people who voted for us are the fringe.

Now, it is not uncommon for that member or others to call into question the nature of the people who elected us, but the reality is that they did in fact elect us to be government. They elected us to form government, elected the hon. Premier to be the Premier and to lead the government. I’m not sure why the member continues to obsess about that. Rather, maybe he should focus on the content of the bill instead of going on long, meaningless diatribes.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

April 8, 2024

Mr. Schow: I mean, I’m not the one here typing up op-eds for the Calgary Herald and then tabling them in the Chamber because no one else read them. I mean, I find that actually about as pathetic as the campaign from the Member for Edmonton-Whitemud.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

April 16, 2024

Mr. Schow: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I remember growing up with four brothers and a sister, and I would say what my brother said, and then he would say what I said. It was clearly a matter of debate, and my mother would be the arbitrator of that. This is very similar. The hon. minister of service Alberta is clearly suggesting that what the member opposite is saying is not true. They are not calling them liars. That would be what, I suggest or suspect, the opposition deputy House leader is insinuating. At no time was that word used. I don’t think this is a point of order. I think it’s a matter of debate, which is our job in this Chamber, to debate.

The Speaker: I am prepared to rule. I do have one question for the hon. the Government House Leader: in this situation am I your mother, and are you both brothers, and teamwork makes the dream work?

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

February 29, 2024

Member Tejada: Given that Albertans are struggling with a health care crisis, affordability crisis, and so much more and that this Premier is choosing to spend her time to divide Albertans and spread misinformation and given that her position has been loudly cheered on by Take Back Alberta, who is now taking credit for the policy, and given that the Premier has a leadership review this fall, can she admit that she is securing the leadership needs by putting trans kids and their families in harm’s way?

Mr. Schow: Mr. Speaker, this is not a time to be talking about party politics; rather, about government business. I do find the insinuation outright repulsive. I find that repulsive that the member opposite would insinuate such matters.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

February 28, 2024

Mr. Schow: I rise on a point of order through 23(h), (i), and (j), particularly (j). When the Leader of the Opposition was asking her question at the time noted, she said, to the best of my knowledge: “It is dangerous living in a province where the government pushes everything but the facts . . . It is her misinformation, her extremist views that are causing parents to worry.” I believe that suggesting that the Premier is an extremist or has extremist views would be, certainly, language that would rise to the threshold of a point of order given that it would cause disorder within this Chamber.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

February 29, 2024

Member Tejada: I’ve heard from many in Calgary-Klein who are worried about the Premier’s close relationship with groups like Take Back Alberta, how she tried to help extremists like Artur Pawlowski with his legal problems, and how she happily sat down with alt-right characters like Tucker Carlson, who, only weeks before he was welcomed to Alberta, described trans individuals as: demented. Will the Premier join me in condemning these statements?

Mr. Schow: I’m not sure where the member is getting her speaking notes from. Conversations about Tucker Carlson are a little bit stale if you’re asking me, personally. This time is to talk about government business.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

November 22, 2023

Ms Ganley: The current gift limit, Madam Speaker, is $200. Two hundred dollars is – I don’t know – a pretty pricey gift. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t think that $200 is an unreasonable limit. But the UCP feel that this is insufficient, that it needs to be removed so that their MLAs can receive gifts that are higher than $200. Now, they tend to shout at us about things like hockey games and specialty boxes at the Stampede. I don’t actually consider it a great imposition on me that I’m not permitted to take those gifts. I think it’s okay for an independent body to place those restrictions.

Mr. Schow: Because they never wanted to meet with you.

Ms Ganley: You know, the member can yell that they want to meet with me all he wants. I’m perfectly capable of meeting with my stakeholders outside of that. I don’t have to accept their invitation. In fact, what I did when I received invitations from energy companies to attend those sorts of events is I set up a meeting.

Mr. Schow: That’s why you’re over there.

Ms Ganley: I set up a meeting to hear their concerns and to listen to them. You know, the hon. Government House Leader can yell at me all he wants. It is not required that I accept their free drinks in order to listen to the concerns of stakeholders. I am perfectly capable of performing that function without taking gifts over $200.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

December 4, 2023

Mr. Sabir: I think on this side of the House we certainly recognize that the words “trigger warning” should not be used lightly, and it certainly felt offensive to this side of the House. ... There are real people who have suffered serious traumas, and those words are important to them, and they should not be used in a context that they are not appropriately related to. ...

Mr. Schow: Well, it is rare that I rise in this Chamber at a loss for words. I think I’m there, but I will try to find them. In what was a very long argument on the point of order, I believe the point was that they are triggered by the word “triggered.” I don’t think the members opposite get to determine the severity of that word. I feel very strongly that if they’re going to be triggered by the word “triggered,” it sounds like a them problem. They may need to look inward because that is a choice, Mr. Speaker, to be triggered. I understand that there are certain things that can certainly be offensive, that they could be offensive . . .

Member Calahoo Stonehouse: PTSD is a choice: is that what you’re saying?

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

November 22, 2023

Ms Goehring: Given that the Manning report touts antiscience theories and passes them off as fact and given that this report is not just explicitly partisan but dangerous because it paves the way to put more science deniers and extremists in power and given that Albertans don’t pay taxes just to be deceived by the Premier and her high-paid friends, will the minister reject the antiscience, power-hungry recommendations in this report and apologize for wasting Albertans’ money?

Mr. Schow: Mr. Speaker, what I reject is the premise of the question from the member opposite.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

November 8, 2023

Ms Goehring: Given that the UCP has been taken over by the far right who have demanded these resolutions be implemented, or else, and given that this isn’t just far-right conspiracy theories they want implemented; many of them will do real harm to Albertans – these include allowing doctors to prescribe unapproved and untested medication, ending access to harm reduction, and outing transgender kids – is the Premier planning on making government policy by implementing these resolutions from their far-right base that will risk the health and safety of Albertans, including vulnerable children?

Mr. Schow: Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to rise again. I find it very disappointing that on this week, of all weeks, the member opposite . . . [Disturbance in the gallery]

The Speaker: Order. Order. Order. The hon. the Government House Leader, from the top.

Mr. Schow: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by, I suspect, someone that was invited by some member opposite, for the second time, I will say that it is disappointing that the military liaison for the members opposite would be asking this question on this of all weeks. This is the week that we prepare for Remembrance Day, where we respect and show gratitude to those who put their lives on the line and served our country very diligently and bravely.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

November 8, 2023

Ms Goehring: Over the weekend we saw the full takeover of the UCP by right-wing extremist group Take Back Alberta. Take Back Alberta now controls the entire UCP board, and the two are now indistinguishable, and Take Back Alberta comes with demands of the Premier. Yesterday the new UCP president said that he expects the Premier to adopt all the party’s resolutions as provincial law. Is this government planning to follow the directions from her party and implement the policy resolutions that were passed on the weekend?

Mr. Schow: I will say that I didn’t hear a question over there about government policy but, rather, about party matters.

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

October 29, 2024

Mr. Schow: Alberta boasts some of the most beautiful vistas and scenic landscapes around the world, and as a result, we want more people to come and see and visit those. That’s why we’ll be tabling the all-season resort act later this session, to make sure that we are streamlining and reducing red tape barriers for building all-season resorts in this province.