Banff-Kananaskis MLA Miranda Rosin's flyer (Photo: Courtesy of a constituent).

Alberta set a new daily record for COVID-19 yesterday, with 1,105 confirmed new cases reported over the previous 24 hours.

No fear, though. Apparently the worst of the pandemic is already behind us!

Ms. Rosin during her tenure as a member of Premier Jason Kenney’s “Fair Deal” Panel (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).

Leastways, that cheerful message has been showing up in mailboxes in Alberta’s Banff-Kananaskis riding, courtesy of Miranda Rosin, the area’s young United Conservative Party MLA.

According to a circular mailed to constituents by Ms. Rosin, circa 25, “with the worst of the COVID-19 health pandemic behind us, it is critical that we take a confident and optimistic step forward into our future as a province.”

OK, then!

Of course, there’s precious little evidence for this assertion. On the contrary, in addition to the record 1,105 new cases posted yesterday, eight more people died from COVID-19 in the same time period, and there are now well over 10,000 active cases in the province.

People who pay attention to infectious diseases expect the number of infections to continue soaring – especially with the Christmas and New Year’s holidays still ahead of us and strong resistance to public safety measures by many Albertans.

The per capita infection rate in Alberta is now the highest in Canada, almost double Ontario’s and on a par with Quebec’s. As of July 16, Alberta’s infection rate was almost five times higher than British Columbia’s — where sweeping measures to control the virus, including mandatory masks in all indoor shopping spaces, have just been announced.

B.C. hasn’t closed the border to Alberta yet, but some of the UCP’s nuttier supporters are already threatening to bust through the barricades if the coastal Dippers dare. Alert readers will recall that such folks, not so long ago, were screeching about the need to close the border to goods and services going the other way if we didn’t get our pipeline to the sea.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).

It’s hard to say if Ms. Rosin actually believes what she wrote, or had written for her. If she does, she can’t be paying much attention. If she doesn’t, she’s certainly being highly irresponsible given the current circumstances.

Ms. Rosin, a former member of the UCP’s ludicrous “Fair Deal” Panel, is not a complete stranger to controversy. Recently, she was in hot water for reassuring a constituent the UCP would never think of opening COVID “concentration camps” — while adding on social media that if such rumours were true, “those are being set up by the federal government and not us.”

As for her boss, Premier Jason Kenney seems unmoved in his determination not to see Alberta impose anything resembling a lockdown on the province’s supposedly responsible population. He just keeps telling us Albertans that he expects us to knock it off and quit socializing, otherwise he’s going to have to close the bars or something.

Well, nothing could be worse than that. According to Mr. Kenney – channelled by Rick Bell, the premier’s favourite columnist and practically the poet laureate of the UCP – closing bars would all but tip Alberta into becoming a police state!

“We’re not going to turn Alberta into a police state,” the Dinger (approvingly re-posted by Ms. Rosin on her Facebook page) quoted Premier Kenney vowing – unless, perhaps, you’re thinking about briefly blocking a road or protesting in the vicinity of some “critical infrastructure.”

Still, it’s troubling to think the UCP might be trying out a new talking point with Ms. Rosin’s constituents as a focus group.

Well, at least she didn’t promise on the coronavirus’s behalf that, “one day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” Then we’d know it was an official message, right from the top!

Join the Conversation

25 Comments

  1. Anyone who now says the worst is behind us is delusional, not being honest with people or is really not paying attention to things. None of these is a very good look for a MLA. It probably does not make for a long career in politics when voters figure out their MLA is not competent or not levelling with them.

    Now, I don’t think Kenney picked his MLA’s for competence. I suspect they were probably mostly picked for loyalty, ideological devotion and naivite. However, saying things will get better when it looks like they are getting worse and likely will continue too, is a good way to lose credibility fast.

    There is a reckoning coming fast for Kenney and despite all his political cunning I think he is going to have a hard time to wiggle out of it. If other provinces continue to impose stricter measures and this leads them to get COVID more under control, while Alberta does not, it will look very bad for Kenney. If one or both of our neighbouring provinces decides to close the border with Alberts it will be a serious political blow. On the other hand, if Kenney finally relents and imposes more serious measures, some of his supporters may turn on him and it may seem like too little too late to many others.

    Kenney’s poll numbers on handling COVID have been terrible lately and I doubt they will get any better any time soon. The worst is not behind him either, if he continues to mishandle the COVID situation in Alberta.

    1. “Anyone who now says the worst is behind us is delusional, not being honest with people or is really not paying attention to things. ”

      I think the most generous assumption now would have to be that they are just lying with bad intent. I suppose it’s possible that some are just that stupid, but I think there is some Catholic doctrine to the effect that at some point, stupid and evil are the same thing. Anyone deluded or witless enough to assert that the worst is over is past that point as far as I am concerned.

  2. Curious, that mailer doesn’t appear to have been sent to Canmore. I’d be surprised if it was, given that most Bow Valley residents are not impressed with MLA Rosin.

      1. Anne Wilson: I’d keep it. I think it’s a good idea to tell others to keep the pamphlet. It will come in handy for the next provincial election. However, knowing how Alberta votes, even if Miranda Rosin is replaced, another UCP MLA will take her place. It’s how it goes in Alberta. Really sad how this happens.

      2. Hey, Anne, want to do some legwork? Miranda Rosen is now saying that her flyer was written a couple of months ago, and the printing process is slow. Assuming this is correct, when you read her future flyers, they should not make reference to any event that took place in the last month, at least. Let us know if you see something!

        1. Good point. I’ve seen many FB posts with constituents poking many holes in that excuse. We’re on it.

  3. When the sky is falling, Henny Penny Jason Kenney and Tyler Shandro hide in the foxhole. If ever there was a time and a place for leadership, the worst day of this pandemic is it. Did Churchill cower and hide?

    Fortunately for them, Miranda Rosin is wrong. They will have plenty of opportunities to poke their heads up from behind the bunker, if they want to prove that they are not derelict in their duties. Funny how the premier could teleconference from his basement, where he assured us he was completely Covid free, when the national media came knocking, but now? Crickets. This pandemic is going to get much worse, no matter how much pigheadedness and blind indifference the UCP shows. People on social media are already begging the federal government to step in and declare a national state of emergency.

    It’s hard to say what is going on behind the scenes with the CMOH. Where was she, and why did she decide not to hold a press conference when one was most needed? Also in the Covid bunker?

    Who’s running this animal farm? Big Gun Jason Nixon might have to step in and give it some lead.

  4. If I had to take a pick—Rosin either not paying attention or being irresponsible by propagating the obvious nonsense that Covid is behind us—I’d have to pick [drum roll]…

    …both.

    Another UCP episode of [alternating dissonant notes on a boosted bass cello, eventual single, short, sharp glissandos of dissonant violins, followed by a deep, smoky voice, ominously]…

    TRUMP: THE CHANNELING

  5. Miranda Rosin is not bright, as revealed by the crazy she has been spouting on social media. No doubt her missives reveal she is a frequent visitor to websites, such as Infowars, Hal Turner Radio, NewsMax, Rebelmedia, and ubiquitous Breitbart. It seems that Rosin is somewhat soft between the ears when it comes to facts and science. She’s probably a nice and charming person, but she should keep the hell away from me.

    Rosin echos the sentiments of anti-maskers and (likely) anti-vaxxers, like the crazier crazies among the UCP horde. When it reaches the point when day-drinkers and barflies are the ones challenging public health restrictions and actions because they attack FRRREEEEEEDDDOOOOMMM! then you know your society has fallen into the abyss.

    Christmas will be an amazing super-spreader event. Clear the hockey rinks, because they will soon become morgues.

  6. Miranda Rosin basically put both of her feet in her mouth. I don’t see cases of Covid-19 in Alberta decreasing whatsoever, but increasing. I don’t know if there is voter’s remorse here. The UCP clearly is out of their depth.

    1. I think their true ideological colours are coming out. Extreme neo-liberal reformers with an evangelical twist. Young Dreeshan – with his rosy cheeks, MAGA hat, and glazed eyed salute – brought some good tips back to his boss.

  7. Hey, David, you scooped CBC! I wonder if the constituent that sent you the photo also sent it to CBC, or if the CBC writer monitors your blog.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/miranda-rosin-mailer-pandemic-misinformation-alex-flores-1.5810973

    Most telling in the CBC story:

    “CBC News contacted Rosin’s office, the office of chief medical officer of health, the health minister’s office and the office of the UCP caucus for information and to comment on this story. None responded with a statement.”

    With all the issues managers and press liaison people the UCP have hired, you would think someone would have been available to respond to the CBC story. From this exposure, Jason Kenney has probably learned he needs an even tighter leash on his MLAs.

    1. Yes I did. At least in terms of timing. Not the first time it’s happened and I expect it won’t be the last. DJC

  8. MLAs from the Lougheed era taught me years ago that you can’t trust any members of the Reform Party . Lougheed’s energy minister Bill Dickie was a brother in law of one of my uncles. Spreading lies while they look after their own well being and that of their rich friends is what they do best was their comments. Boy were they right. While we watch Kenney filling the pockets of his Reform Party buddies such as Harper and Manning with his phoney so called Expert Panels, while they just repeat the lies that Kenney had already fed us. After spending 32 years in the world of finance I’m not dumb enough to believe the lie that we don’t have a revenue problem, only a spending problem.
    While Klein using Reform Party policies destroyed our health care system his father Phil said to me “Al what in the hell is the matter with that son of mine? While he gives away billions in oil royalties he forces us to try to live without a proper health care system. This could cost people their lives”. Phil was right that’s exactly what it did and the lawsuits prove it. One was almost my father who had spend countless hours volunteering for the Lougheed and Getty governments and had donated around $30,000.to their party.

    1. I always enjoy reading your first hand anecdotes. These things are important to read – especially as more time goes by.

  9. When I was teaching I would often shake my head at how a student, in a bit of trouble, would tell a lie and wind up in a whole lot more trouble. I would often feel offended that they thought I was stupid enough to believe what they came up with.

    Such is the case with Miranda Rosen. She is now saying her missive was written in the early fall when the numbers were low. She apparently thinks we are stupid enough to believe that it takes her printer more than 2 months to print up her flyer. I am involved in our community league’s newsletter. Our printer usually needs 3 days.

  10. Here is the link to the Global News story:

    https://globalnews.ca/news/7477215/ucp-mla-miranda-rosin-covid-19-flyer/

    The story contains a link to Ms. Rosin’s Facebook page where she blames the slowness of the printing process.

    This whole attempt at an excuse is really putting the printer in an awkward situation. If a reporter phones the printer, I assume the politicians would expect the printer to show loyalty by either confirming Ms. Rosen’s claim or, more likely, refuse to comment on a private transaction. What if a reporter were to phone and ask for a quote on a printing job of a similar nature? The printer would not know if the call is a legitimate query or someone trying to work around the printer’s refusal to comment. Would loyalty to the printer’s politician-client extend to saying the job would take 2 months, thereby disqualifying them from legitimate work?

    Will Ms. Rosen use the same printer for her next flyer? If she does, and we choose to believe her slow printer excuse, it appears Ms. Rosen has a bit of a learning problem with regards to choosing a printer. If she doesn’t, it seems like a pretty low deal to punish a printer for her own error. The government better give the printer a bunch of other government work in order to keep them quiet.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.