For heaven’s sake, Ontario, would you stop sending us your right-wing nut-jobs?
There was Derek Fildebrandt. Horrible! There was Jason Kenney. Even worse! There are too many more to mention. Their names are legion.
And now, if social media auguries are to be believed, Derek Sloan wants to invade our beautiful Wild Rose Country and run for public office.
Yes, that Derek Sloan.
The former Conservative MP for Ontario’s Hastings-Lennox and Addington riding on the scenic Bay of Quinte, now an Independent MP with no hope of election there on Sept. 20.
That’s right, the former candidate to lead the Conservative Party of Canada that the winner of that contest, Erin O’Toole, had frog marched out of the party for xenophobic, homophobic, anti-vaccine, and racist online commentary.
Well, technically, Mr. O’Toole booted him out of the CPC for accepting a donation from a well-known neo-Nazi, which Mr. Sloan claimed he didn’t know about. But considering Mr. Sloan’s record, the Conservative leader’s decision was probably a case of any old port in a storm.
Notwithstanding the fact Mr. Sloan was the first candidate bumped from the Conservative leadership ballot a year ago, he obviously had significant appeal to far-right conservatives who have ingested a little too much Q with their breakfast Shreddies.
He was also endorsed by the anti-reproductive-rights crowd that has infiltrated the ranks of Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party.
I’m sure all of this stuff troubled Mr. O’Toole as he set about the difficult task of cobbling together a winning coalition out of a party a majority of Canadians just don’t seem to like as much as they once did.
Apparently the good people of Mr. Sloan’s current Ontario riding don’t want the guy around any more either. And who can blame them?
Which brings us to the present moment.
Yes, Mr. Sloan, 36 – the Canadian politician who most resembled Commander Fred Waterford in the made-for-TV series based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopic Handmaid’s Tale, truly a case of life imitating art – is going to make a big announcement in Alberta tomorrow.
QuinteNews, which advertises itself as the Quinte region’s best source of news, sounded quite pleased that, as their reporter put it, “it appears the incumbent Member of Parliament for Hastings-Lennox and Addington may have his sights set west for the upcoming federal election.”
One imagines they were thinking: “Going so soon, Derek? Here’s your hat. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!”
Lately, Mr. Sloan’s been sending emails to supporters promising “an exciting announcement” tonight at the curling club in Cochrane, west of Calgary.
He’s been soliciting for volunteers, so one can only imagine the sorts of folks who will be turning up in Cochrane later today.
The email flyer says, disturbingly, “As you know I am in Alberta right now … and i’m not leaving!” (sic)
“Together, Let’s Make Alberta Great Again!”
That seems unlikely, for too many reasons to enumerate.
On the matter of Mr. Sloan’s prospects alone, if the rumours are true, he will be the fourth right-wing candidate to declare an intention to run in the Banff-Airdrie riding.
The others are Banff-Airdrie’s Conservative MP Blake Richards, a former real estate sales agent once being kicked out of the House of Commons for “excessive heckling” and a signatory to the execrable separatist Buffalo Declaration, Nadine Wellwood of the even more right-wing People’s Party of Canada, Tariq Elnaga of the right-wing and separatist Maverick Party, and Liberal David Gamble.
The New Democrats and the Greens haven’t yet nominated candidates, Cochrane Now reported on Monday.
One can only hope the arrival of yet another right-winger will split the vote enough to elect someone more progressive.
Look, Ontario, we know we can’t make you stop. Section 6 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees all Canadians’ mobility rights, and it’s not even subject to the Notwithstanding Clause.
But just the same, can you quit it, already?
We’ve surpassed our quota of right-wing nut-jobs from Ontario, thank you very much, not to mention the ones that were already here when they turned up.
We’re full! You need to send Mr. Sloan somewhere else.
And as for you, my fellow Albertans, stop voting for these people, would you?
This is starting to get embarrassing!
“For heaven’s sake, Ontario, would you stop sending us your right-wing nut-jobs?” “ There are too many more to mention. Their names are legion.” Is that a reference to Mark 5:9? Well done.
David: Yes, it was. I have quoted this scripture three times in this context over the years and no one has ever noticed before. I was very pleased to see your comment. You are a gentleman and a scholar. DJC
I don’t believe Derek Sloan is any of the the things the author of this article claims him to be. A little research will show anyone interested that Sloan is a hard working public servant, no racist or xenophobic who is intent on preserving the rights and freedoms of all Canadians. We are burdened with huge debt from the deliberately reckless spending of the current government. No matter which of the 4 main parties is in power and I am betting on trudeau, we are looking at serious economic woes. I am looking for a leader who will not impose censorship on us or secretly send huge amounts of money to China, Pakistan etc. I want a leader who won’t train Chinese soldiers in winter warfare techniques on our bases, behind our backs. I am not homophobic, xenophobic, racist or any other phobic anyone can think up. I am a concerned Canadian who has compassion for anyone in distress, no matter who they are or where they live and who is deeply saddened by the future Canada faces. Canadians can run in any riding in the country, just as we can live in any part of the country we choose. That is a freedom we still enjoy. Currently, we can also vote for the candidate of our choice and express our dislike of others. I also recognized your Bible reference. I am confining myself to comments regarding Derek Sloan. The rest of the politicians will have to defend themselves.
Too bad there isn’t some type of a firewall to keep these rotten Reformers and pretend conservatives out of Alberta. They have inflicted enough damage to Alberta as it is. The foolish don’t care, and will gladly elect them, and then blame others for the damage they cause. They were dumb enough to fall for Ralph Klein’s lies, and they will be dumb enough to fall for the lies of these people. Peter Lougheed spoke out against these Reformers. It seems like it fell on deaf ears.
The Ontario Party.
Why even report this nonsense? Only 32 days remain in the campaign and the CPC is certain to blowout virtually every Alberta riding. Sloan would stand zero chance. Perhaps the motivation of this pathetic attemlt at misdirection is to conjure a guilt by association type argument.
Doug: Just in case you missed it, this is a commentary blog, not a newspaper. As most conservatives do as well, I believe there’s something to be said for guilt by association. Not as a formula for conviction in a court of law, of course, but as an indicator of probable behaviour. And even if, as you say, Mr. Sloan doesn’t have a chance in Banff-Airdrie, he may stick around like some other Ontario imports and make a nuisance of himself for years. DJC
He actually has me on his mailing list, as I tend to talk to some of these politicians. I asked him what he was about, with his gallivanting across Alberta when hes being paid by an electorate in Ontario.
Sometimes he answers but it didnt rate this time around.
You may have hit his end goal. It irritates me that they think they can do another job, even though they are still being paid for the last one.
You are absolutely correct. These Ontario rejects who keep slithering int Alberta need to go. We can only hope he does not take the Banff Airdrie seat, but given the voter base down there nothing is impossible.
STOP VOTING FOR THE CURRENT CONSERVATIVES ALBERTA, there are other parties you know!
This phenomenon isn’t unique to Alberta. Take the case of one Chip Roy, U.S. Representative for Texas’s 21st congressional district, who recently tweeted that Texas should stop funding universities. In addition to having 3 degrees himself, Chip actually hails from Bethesda, Maryland. As one wag on twitter has observed: “Theres an industry of northeast or midwest politicians who move to Texas, put on boots, a ten gallon and a fake accent and act like they are standing for traditional family values.”
Sound familiar?
Acknowledging stunt candidates like Sloan or the TV and Film Industry portapotty service technician/earthship dweller running for the Senate election showers these idiots with the attention they crave but absolutely do not deserve
Doug: I’m not sure Mr. Sloan is a stunt candidate. He attracted a crowd of about 500 people from the look of the pictures on social media, which would be considered a great turnout by any politician, any time, any place. Of course, that number included the curious and many from outside the riding, Still, I’d say he’s got legs, if not quite wings on his feet. In addition, Mr. Sloan ran for the leadership of a national political party and aroused national interest, if not sufficient support to last beyond the first ballot. In turn, there was the way Mr. O’Toole removed him from the caucus – for something that could have, and probably has, happened to every MP in the House of Commons, regardless of party. That is, a donation from an unsavoury supporter. So I think on those grounds, what he’s doing and how he’s doing makes this a legitimate story. That said, I agree with the general thrust of your point, so it probably wouldn’t make as much sense to cover, say, the Maverick or PPC candidate in that riding, who will amount to nothing. One final point, blogs like mine exist to serve a community of people who can fairly be described as political nerds, who are interested in such granular coverage. DJC
‘Political nerds’? I am offended, and if you use that kind of language again I will send you back my ‘albertapolitics.ca’ pocket protector!
Pierre Polievre was tossed out of the Conservative party because of his expressed disagreement with Great Reset plans it appears all parties support. I heard Derek Sloan made similar comments. There is a video somewhere of Polievre speaking on that subject on CPAC that has been buried. Sloan has a lovely wife and children who have brown skin. O’toole must have known this when he initially declared racism as the reason for the ousting.
“We’ve surpassed our quota of right-wing nut-jobs from Ontario, thank you very much…”
Be that as it may, we’ve got plenty more to ship to Wild Rose Country. Maxime Bernier, exalted leader of the People’s Party of Canada, constantly releases his collection of candidates in many Ontario ridings. As a public service, I will be delighted to send you a PPC warning list after they get tossed on September 20.
Tom: We’ll probably have to ask you to do that. What’s happening reminds me of when Ralph Klein had the government buy bus tickets for Alberta street people and sent them to Vancouver. DJC
Not so far out as it seems. Remember that Kenney’s former aide in Ottawa, now an MP in Calgary, supported Maxime Bernier in the CPC leadership race. Bernier also made an appearance here in Alberta in the spring. Beneath the surface, RWNJs of all stripes share similar core values.
Its not surprising progressives want to build walls. Its probably abit of nostalga for the big beautiful wall that extended across much of Europe.
Oh, fuck off, Larson.
Yes I agree that is the only reply that makes sense
I agree, its horrible isnt it.
Funny isn’t that what a certain Mr Harper proposed as a signer to an Alberta Firewall letter of distant time. Now Larson bugger off.
We do have a rat-free province, and we’d like to keep it that way. A few have already gotten in, but the Alberta rat patrol does not give up easily.
Ranchers in Cochrane and environs apparently need another Ontarian to lead them, because who knows rural Albertans better than an Ontario lawyer? Obviously, ranchers and other rural Albertans are gullible fools who cannot represent themselves and will be rescued by those who know better, professional politicians from Ontario. Oakville, Quinte, what’s the difference?
Or is this really about setting up a nest of RWNJs, like a nest of murder hornets, in the safe Alberta countryside, from which this great country can be brought to its knees and split asunder? Conveniently, a leader of this new Asian Giant Hornet Party will be waiting in the wings. It makes sense, strangely. Science tells us that Asian Giant hornets “prefer to live in low mountains and forests, while almost completely avoiding plains and high-altitude climates. V. mandarinia creates nests by digging, co-opting pre-existing tunnels dug by rodents, or occupying spaces near rotted pine roots.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet
Banff, Cochrane, Airdrie: perfect! If not in 2021, then in 2023?
Don’t forget Kevin Johnston, another Ontario right wing nut job, who wants to run for mayor of Calgary.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane: fur coats and bank robbers.
https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1982-ralph-kleins-bums-and-creeps
Ah, the good old days, when the mayor and future premier looked the other way if police roughed up the ruffians from the east. Now look who’s running the show.
Derek Sloan, another CON extremist decides to pull up stakes and head for Alberta’s alt-right promised land, joining the likes of Jason Kenney, Rob Anders, Derek Alexander Gerhard Fildebrandt , Ted Byfield, and Stephen Harpo in search of the right-wing authoritarianism of their dreams. That and public office and all those sweet, sweet perks.
It’s been said that when God made Canada, he tilted the land mass to the left and everything loose fell into B.C. Actually, with that leftward tilt, the crazies bounced off the east-side of the Rockies and landed in Calgary. God, it seems, has a sense of humour and hates Alberta.
Sloan has been hanging around Alberta for a while, visiting blockaded churches and various antimask/antivaxx protests. He’s been a busy boy since O’Toole (finally) gave him the boot from the CPC caucus. I suspect that the ease of getting onto the public trough in Alberta enticed him.
All he has to do is paint himself blue and he’s in.
There is a reason why these nut cases come to Alberta and we all know that. They come because this is the only place in Canada where extreme right wingers get elected and one just has to look at our government.
So this is not a surprise to me at all. What is a surprise is that common sense people still stay in this province.
Build that wall build that wall… so are you wearing your hat while you chant or are using the totalitarian salute that all the unions like.
Troll!
Nothing to see here, folks.
Hey Bret,
Have you given any thought as to why David publishes your inane comments?
All of us regulars know the reason. Perhaps, when you figure it out you’ll stop embarrassing yourself.
So I guess its a conspiracy. And you want to thwart the evil plan by tipping me off?
Add Nathan Cooper to the list from ON. He has been strangely silent after totally off the radar, after committing a few gaffes in his role as Speaker. Perhaps the demotion of Leela Aheer made him aware that JK would not allow too much freedom (of opinion) in his caucus.
Sloan appears to be taking the well-worn path from the right’s blockbuster movie machine in Ottawa to its small screen of Alberta—kinda like Eric Braeden’s move from co-star in 1971’s Escape From the Planet of the Apes to his enduring role as Victor Neumann in TV’s All My Children. Braeden’s Neumann is the most frightfully serious soap opera character ever.
A nice lady arrived on our veranda day before yesterday collecting signatures to get her husband’s name on this riding’s ballot for the People’s Party of Canada. We were up front about the fact we always vote NDP (as it happens, I’m putting my recycled orange campaign sign out today) but wished that, for the sake of a healthy democracy, there was a real conservative party for citizens to vote for—to which she nodded, suggesting that perhaps we found the CPC had moved too far left for our taste.
Without being impolite (my squeeze and I exchanged a silent but knowing “huh?”), we admitted that, although we would never vote for her husband’s party [that had gone so far to the right that it looked at everything else as communism —including the CPC whence PPC leader Maxime Bernier came and once aspired to lead], we were [head-over-heels] quite happy to help get her husband’s name on the ballot because it would probably help split the vote on the right, this riding’s main contender with our excellent incumbent NDP MP Gord Johns.
I was surprised at first that she seemed to concur and approve—until she said, “yeah, right, we’re [PPC] obviously not gonna be government but we could take this riding and send a message to Ottawa!”
And we said, “Oooooooooooookaaaaaaaayyyyyyy…have a nice day day, then, and thank you!”
I thought it pointless to try to clarify that what we’re doing technically isn’t tactical voting (which I’ve long defended as a voter’s right and a bona fide electoral option). But it was tactical signing nonetheless (I love psephological trivia!)
This morning the boss read me a post on our local FB bulletin board: the PPC candidate is on the ballot! Hooray for democracy!
As I’m sure many an Albertan would agree: the more competition on the right, the better!
Oops! The boss says: “You idiot! It’s The Young and the Restless, not All My Children.” I’m not gonna argue with her and risk becoming the old and the homeless.
I’ve watched that show, only because my better half controls the remote, you understand. The reason Victor is “frightfully serious” could be because he and the beautiful Nicky have been married and divorced five times. All those honeymoons, likely the poor guy is worn out.
As president of the Banff-Cochrane NDP constituency association, I have a bit of self-interest to promote. Please, indulge me.
We have as yet no declared candidate. And, I’d like to suggest, in view of the wacko people lining up to take on the highly lack-lustre Blake Richards, a progressive candidate could have a lot of fun running against this group of odd-balls. So, wherever you are, NDP candidate for Banff-Airdrie, step right up.
Before reading the blog, I was mulling over the depressing prospect of this riding once more giving an overwhelming majority to The Cipher, aka Mr. Richards. His sole legislative achievement in three terms, I believe, was to get Parliament to pass a motion that anyone wearing a mask at a public rally be liable for up to 10 years in jail. I wonder how many broke that law the past 18 months of Covid.
The thought entered my struggling mind that instead of lining up to cast their ballot like pathetic sheep for the MP with the very back stall in Parliament, they should vote for one of the wackos; have a little fun themselves if they can’t stand the idea of supporting a raving socialist (if we come up with a candidate). Sloan’s entry into the race confirms my thinking.
One of the bizarre aspects of this, though, is that the riding includes Banff and Canmore. I would have no hopes for Airdrie or Cochrane, part of the riding, but those folk in the mountain towns are supposed to be more progressive. Why are the kooks lining up for a riding with far from homogenic political leanings?
Beats me, but, if there’s anyone out there ready to run for the NDs, get your name in fast. The deadline for Elections Canada is next Friday, Aug. 27. And, by the way, a special place in hell for the Liberals who made the cynical call for this unnecessary election in the first place.
So nice to read your post Andy! I read Alberta Politics to keep up with my home for more than 40 years. I like to say there’s nothing more Western than the Rockies. It’s okay to hug a tree, people! I’m a little horrified to see the nut bars gather in Banff Airdrie. I agree, Andy, it would be super fun to represent the NDP in Banff Airdrie. I also know that there’s a raft of progressives there, and in Cochrane too.
Yeah, there is something about Alberta in the minds of such extreme Conservatives. I suppose it is like a mythical homeland or something like that for them, where they think their Kooky ideas will be widely accepted and they will fit in. Where do they all get this idea from – well I suppose it sort of worked for Kenney, for a while.
I don’t believe things will go so rosy for Sloan. He has already been kicked out the Federal Conservatives, so I think he will sort of wander on the political fringes even here, sort of like Fildebrandt Craig Chandler or Bernier do.
In any event, even if we don’t want him, I suppose it is too late now to persuade him otherwise. It sounds like his carpet bags have already been packed. However, I wonder if he will stay long when he finds out the weather in the fall is not really quite as good as in Ian Tyson’s well known song.
i know, i know !!
let’s get one of them there new fangled geographers to draw up a demographic map that figures where in Alberta the highest density of right wing whack jobs are to be found (as a percentage of the population rather than per square kilometer) and make it a new province then let them have at it amongst themselves
it’s so awfully tiresome that they keep picking Alberta then screwing things up royally, Kenny being a perfect exemplar of the phenomena
siGh
After watching Ralph Klein play mind games with a lot of ignorant Albertans who thought he could do no wrong, I can see why these nut jobs would come to Alberta to see if they can fill their pockets with our money. It’s the best chance they have at getting elected. My conservative friends and I couldn’t believe what Albertans allowed Klein to get away with. Rural Albertans are likely to elect them from what we saw.
A female rural senior told me in 2003 that she didn’t like what Klein was doing to us but she had to support him because she was a conservative. With this stupid way of thinking anything can happen.
ALAN K SPILLER: You are right. It’s unfortunate that Albertans don’t look past the name conservative, and see what these people are really up to. Albertans aren’t seeing any benefits.
We have enough extremist idiots living here we don’t need anymore!!!
Enough is enough. It’s time for a politician with some cajones to put forth some meaningful change, in this case setting some form of residency term stipulation before a politician can run in a particular riding. I dunno, 10 years? 15? 20? Seems ridiculous that someone can be parachuted into a constituency from some other geographic region (read: Jason “Randy BobandY” Kenney) for no other reason than better electability over a competitor. Because someone from Ontario who’s lived in Alberta for 5 minutes has only the best intentions for those constituents, right?
As for the local residents who would (or already have) vote for such grifters, well I guess if you have nothing nice to say….
Nah, I’ll say it – they are complete morons.
I am a resident of Addington Highlands which means Derek Sloan is presently my MP. I am sorry we that we will be losing Derek Sloan. I have met Derek a few times. Have followed him and his actions and he has been a awesome MP. I visit Alberta every winter for my son is there. Derek Sloan is a true, honest, moral MP. You truly are gaining a MP that will take your concerns and stand up to fight for them. Sloan is about action not talk!!