A claim by an anti-abortion website that a “current draft” of the United Conservative Party’s planned revisions to the recondite Alberta Bill of Rights would extend rights to “all persons at all stages of life from conception, gestation in the womb, to birth” caused a predictably sharp reaction on social media yesterday.
Coming as it did on the heels of a leaked a plan accurately attributed to Premier Danielle Smith to transfer the operation of some Alberta public hospitals to the Roman Catholic Church affiliated Covenant Health organization, not to mention the well-known anti-choice predilections of many UCP MLAs and cabinet ministers, the “exclusive” story published Thursday by Lifesite News had a ring of credibility.
Whether anything published by a medium described by the Snopes.com fact-checking website as “a known purveyor of misleading information” should be taken too seriously is another matter.
In addition to its raison d’être of ending access to abortion, Lifesite News is known for vociferous opposition to contraception, LBGTQ+ rights, trans rights, and Pope Francis, who is apparently considered by the publication’s editors not to be Catholic enough to lead the Catholic Church. So, in this case, “exclusive” almost certainly means “planted.”
Still, this does not mean that there is no fight within the UCP – party, caucus and cabinet – to enact just such words even if only for symbolic show. Nor does it mean the story’s author wasn’t leaked a copy of an actual document with origins within the UCP – whether or not it’s the version the Premier’s Office is pushing as part of its ongoing sovereignty-association campaign.
The draft, the story’s author stated, was provided by “a source, who asked not to be named but who is well connected with the ruling UCP.” It was confirmed, moreover, the story continued, “through a second high-level source from within the UCP.”
This part of the narrative, at least, seems completely credible. After all, Premier Smith is increasingly acting as if she is truly desperate to avoid a negative leadership review at the party AGM in November. So who knows what she’s promising to supporters at meetings where all cellphones now have to be checked at the door?
All this suggests that the internal conflict indicated by the story should be taken seriously, with the caveat that the organization that published it has an agenda and is probably trying to push the UCP in a politically dangerous direction.
Since the story gained traction on social media on the Friday before Labour Day, it left the Smith Government with the same problem media usually have when controversial information is dumped just before most journalists take off for a long weekend.
The thought of well-paid UCP press secretaries being unavailable to send out damage-control parties on the Friday before Labour Day is both ironic and amusing.
Whether or not he was pressed into service or volunteered, a National Post scribbler soon offered up a short tweet thread that included a disclaimer from Justice Minister Mickey Amery’s staff. “This document is not a draft of the Alberta Bill of Rights or an official document related to it in any way,” it said. “The amendments to Alberta’s Bill of Rights will not impact women’s reproductive rights.”
The latter is almost certainly true regardless of whether the Premier’s Office would like us to think the Alberta Bill of Rights is a significant and weighty document.
It is not. The Lougheed-era legislation passed in 1972 is more aspirational than practical and has been superseded by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The scope of the law is limited, applying only to provincial legislation and, unlike the Canadian Constitution, can be changed at the whim of a legislature on a simple majority vote.
Unlike a constitutional document like the Charter, it has no primacy over any contradictory legislation.
In other words, it’s about as meaningful as the Alberta Personal Property Bill of Rights, which, yes, is another actual piece of Alberta legislation that you’ve never heard of.
But you should still take this murky manoeuvring seriously because there are many influential cabinet ministers – including the health minister and the minister of mental health and addiction – who would like nothing better than a ban on abortion.
Here endeth the lesson.
Oh yeah, about that first-quarter fiscal update
Do I have to say something about Alberta’s first-quarter financial update? I suppose I do.
Finance Minister Nate Horner said Thursday the province can expect to report a surplus of $2.9 billion when the dust settles but in the meantime doesn’t have the cash to keep the lights on so it’ll have to do some short-term borrowing. Of course, the size of the surplus depends on volatile oil prices, which are up at the moment, but that’s why they call it an estimate.
What this means, Mr. Horner told a news conference, is that “after adjustments and calculations, we forecast we will be left with no surplus cash at the end of 2024-25. That means we must be more measured and responsible in making budgetary decisions. We can’t spend beyond our means today.”
Translation: We’ll continue to brag about having a multi-billion-dollar surplus but, so sorry, there will be no relief for our collapsing health care system. And that tax break we promised before the last election? Forget about it. We’ll promise it again before the next election.
As Opposition Finance Critic Samir Kayande responded, “a growing surplus plus collapsing services equals bad management. … The UCP’s spending is entirely ineffective and it is very reasonable for Albertans to be asking, ‘Where is my money going?’ Because it’s not showing up in hospitals, it’s not showing up in classrooms, and it’s not making their lives more affordable.”
Given that Smith and her gang tries on ideas like some people try on shoes, I would not be surprised if there was some musing, serious or otherwise, about changes to the Bill of Rights. However, whatever was discussed, it seems unlikely changes related to abortion in this Bill are happening now, as made clear by the likely hastily put out National Post tweet.
Part of this may be strategic, why do something divisive, but symbolic and ineffective, when you can do it in a more subtle round about, but probably more effective way? Like trying to transfer hospitals to an organization well known for more restrictive views on social issues.
Smith’s upcoming leadership review is a short term political issue, but with potentially long term implications. For instance, if a transfer of hospitals to Covenant Health is initiated, it is unlikely to be easily undone later.
The UCP definitely still seems to be in an austerity mood despite the recent surpluses and looking for any reason to continue this. I suspect they feel they can get away with it politically, as we are far enough away from the next election. The much delayed promised tax cut will probably be recycled before then.
However not adequately funding things leads to real problems like rural hospitals having to close their emergencies at times and reduced funding for municipal services. While the UCP tries to blame others for all the problems with health care and municipal services, their fiscal approach is really at the core of these problems. Unfortunately, this often gets overlooked by the media in just focusing on all the chaos and distraction Smith and the UCP likes to create.
David, or anyone else, do you know how often the UCP’s leader is subject to review? Assuming Ms. Smith survives her upcoming review, will there be another one (or two?) before the next election? I am wondering when/if she will start governing for all Albertans.
Women’s reproductive freedom is at risk everywhere that conservatives govern or are on the threshold of governing, even despite their protestations to the contrary. Some conservative parties, such as the US Republican Party, are overtly pro-forced birth, while others, such as our own federal Conservative Party of Canada, claim to be uninterested in changing the status quo on this issue.
But while the brain trust in the Official Opposition Leader’s office – people like Mr Poilièvre’s ex-girlfriend Jenni Byrne – tries to tamp down expectations by so-cons, there is a deep streak of anti-choice sentiment within the ranks of the CPC caucus, and many of their donors, volunteers and activists come from that portion of the electorate.
Rest assured, if the CPC wins a majority government at the next election – which now seems unavoidable – some Con backbencher will introduce at least a private member’s bill attacking abortion rights in this country, and PP will let it come to the floor claiming respect for the freedom of caucus members to have their say.
I’d say the situation within the Alberta UCP is similar, except they are in government now instead of threatening to be, and so the so-con influence in the back rooms is more real than potential.
Finally, looking to the West, across the Rocky Mountains, there’s the sudden self-immolation of the former BC Liberal Party of Gordon Campbell and Christy Clarke – recently (and disastrously) rebranded as “BC United” – and the astounding rise of the once-fringe BC Conservative Party. You can bet your bottom dollar that reproductive freedom, and other rights and freedoms they don’t like, will be under threat there too if they win this fall’s election.
Jerrymacgp:
Arnold Viersen is up to 19 ( I believe at last count) petitions. All the while that Skippy is saying {he’s }not going to bring in any changes…you know semantics or scamantics ,either or.
A.Viersen along with Cathay Wagantall MP**
part of the “5 step plan to ban abortions in Canada”.
Watched part of the interview done by ‘Dunn Media and Entertainment ‘ .
Cathay Wagantall is also talking about changes to the Supreme Court…(I’m guessing stacking or abolishing, by what she was saying)
A. Viersen is claiming that he just needs 178 seats in the house, to get this through.
And if anyone has any doubts as to what they are up to…
—Campaign Life Coalition—
https://www.campaignlifecoalition.c…
New “Roe Canada ” film will inspire pro-life activism….
Jan.18 2024
The 1hr 20m documentary features pro life activists Josie Luetke and Ruth Robert as…
——————–‐‐—————-
March for Life Canada
Roe Canada
May 9 / 7pm
In person screening and round table: Roe Canada, the True North in a Post-Roe World ,from Dunn Media (Kevin Dunn, a prominent figure in Canada’s pro-life movement— sidenote: he’s from Florida)
There’s alot more, but I can only handle so much garbage before my BP starts creeping up.
IMHO, what the UCP & the CON’s are doing is right out of “P25” , under the guise of family, faith, values— treble hook ,especially for all those ‘immigrants’ that they court with the 3 word slogans.
From the c’rp that’s come from Viersen and Parker, I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if they weren’t secretly envious of the Taliban. ( THANK YOU DJC)
And in the meantime, both PP & Marlaina are going on about “freedom of speech ” for the Roomba discharge JPeterson; and I ‘am’ being polite.
———-‐-————–‐——–
DJC–just a sidebar–
icymi: the “Doctor” in X post @ the Airdrie clinic, who was turfed by AHS, so he created his own health company.
Just another dis/misinformation tidbit to throw out to public: see, I am talking to the Dr’s and nurses. The fact that it’s a private clinic, MEH!! The fact that he has questionable standards, double MEH!!
That just makes him more compatible with our team.
The same effluence is permiating through the “CMUTM” party in BC…Socreds/Reform/Liberal/PC/CPBC …..PCPBC ??? — sounds like one of those chemicals that M would have made and needs to be banned because it is harmful to humans and wildlife. Hmmm?
But, I suppose, technically it should be ” can’t make up their friggin minds” party. If we survive the election, the forensic audit should prove interesting (where did those donations go) if we don’t get a whistleblower first. Time to seperate the wheat from the chaff. Okay boys and girls, can we say morals ? integrity ?conscience? Anyone?
While I appreciate the skepticism around the source for the LifeSite article and its credibility, there’s a couple of dimensions of the legislative picture that needs to be considered.
First, the UCP has made it clear that it is quite willing to invoke S.33 to insulate its legislation from scrutiny. I don’t see it as beyond the realm of probability that the government plans to invoke S.33 around a version of this legislation which significantly narrows rights in Alberta.
Possibility two is that they will attempt to use the “Sovereignty Act” to invert the hierarchy of laws and push back on the Charter as “federal legislation to be disallowed”. *I recognize this would be hugely ultra vires, but for a government that seems hell-bent on triggering a constitutional crisis, it wouldn’t be beyond conceivable.
Lastly, it is possible that this was a deliberate leak intended to divert people so that when the modified legislation is tabled, it is “less radical than expected” while still being an egregious attack on fundamental rights.
So where is this “surplus” money going? Anyone?
So La Jefa might be using women’s bodies as the wedge issue for Alberta separation? Bad idea.
What is she going to do next: ban X, like other authoritarian regimes, so the masses can be kept in the dark? Banning cellphones is one thing. Don’t forget that Alberta is already dipping its toes in that experiment. First schools, then UCP meetings for “rednecks” (their words, not mine). Taking phones away from babies and willing rubes is the easy part. It will be harder to convince everybody that their phones are an unnecessary distraction and that social media must go. For now, just silence press secretaries and use long weekends to advantage. It backfires sometimes.
It’s becoming clear that time is running out on turning Alberta into a full-blown dictatorship. Ramp up the Alberta Sheriffs! Tack on some more time between elections and baffle the bozos.
We are not amused.
Brazil had every right to ban X-itter. “Taking phones from babies” is a bit dramatic. The UCP seem very fond of authoritarian tendencies. Actually most “Conservative” world gov’ts seem to be heading that way. We are headed for a world of hurt if our Canadian version gets in.