It doesn’t seem like that long ago United Conservative Party cabinet ministers, MLAs and political aides were getting in to all kinds of hot water for their holiday travel.
Who can forget Tracy Allard, booted from her job as municipal affairs minister for her mid-pandemic Hawaiian holiday? Or the controversies in 2021 stirred up by vacation jet-setters Tanya Fir (Vegas), Jeremy Nixon (Hawaii), Pat Rehn (Mexico), Jason Stephan (Arizona), and Tany Yao (Mexico)?
Well, that was then and this is now. Different premier, too.
These days, of course, COVID-19 may still be around, but if anyone’s paying attention it’s not evident, and UCP MLAs are travelling all over the place.
One thing has changed, though – we the people, as they say south of the 49th Parallel, are picking up the tab for these junkets.
According to a news release Friday, Justice Minister Mickey Amery and Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish were scheduled to jet off on Saturday to the United Arab Emirates for a week “promoting Alberta as an AI hub.”
Well that sounds important, although just what any of the goings on in the dusty desert city of Dubai, home to the world’s tallest building, have to do with the administration of justice in Alberta remains an interesting question.
The answer proffered by Mr. Amery in the press release was not particularly convincing: “This mission will provide us with an excellent opportunity to gain insights about advancements in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, and to explore how these innovations might be applied to our own work in the Alberta justice system.”
Hmmm. Facial recognition software, anyone? The UCP’s pro-convoy base should just love that!
The week-long junket will see Mr. Glubish address the Global AI Show on Friday the 13th, according to the presser, although the details of the engagement were left a little fuzzy by the author of the statement. Messrs. Amery and Glubish will be accompanied by four staffers, so hopefully one of them will get a photo showing how many people are in the room when the technology minister sings for his suppers.
The UCP must have been impressed with the quality of the accommodations in Dubai a year ago during the COP28 United Nations climate change conference. According to the CBC on Friday, yet another Alberta delegation will be heading to Dubai early in the New Year to “attract skilled workers who live temporarily in the U.A.E.”
Say what? That sounds strange for a government that can’t stop assailing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Ottawa’s immigration policies. It’s almost as if one day we’re closed and the next day we’re wide open. Depends on who’s doing the asking, I guess.
Meanwhile, according to another release on Friday, a couple more “Alberta MLAs will participate in year-end tours that will play an important role in cementing ties they have been building with partners in the U.S. this past year, while setting the stage for even greater cooperation heading into 2025.”
Cypress-Medicine Hat UCP MLA Justin Wright will be off to Colorado Springs, Colo., tomorrow, to take part in the Council of State Governments Western Legislative Academy in Colorado Springs, “for training and consensus building.”
The five-day event, according to the news release, is a “premier multi-day legislative leadership training program.” But not in the Canadian sense of that word, obviously.
The Big Brains of the UCP may have missed it that we have a different system of government, even here in Wild Rose Country, although perhaps for not much longer if the next president of the United States gets his way.
Why the United States would accept Canada as a huge state – the biggest state! bigger than Texas, even! where almost everyone outside Alberta and Saskatchewan would vote for the Democratic Party presidential candidate – is not clear when Washington pulls the strings of our federal government anyway. But no one ever said Donald Trump was a deep thinker.
But I digress. That Westminster Parliamentary system thing is probably why Alberta is only an associate member of the CSG.
Meanwhile, the release continued, Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt will fly to Austin, Texas, from Dec. 12 to 14 to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Leaders’ Symposium.
The Dec. 12-14 trip should be a useful learning opportunity for Ms. Pitt, who not so long ago publicly mused about how Alberta should become a fully autonomous province like South Tyrol, the German-speaking Italian province that didn’t get rolled into the German Reich along with next-door Austria in 1938 because the leaders of Germany and Italy at the time were somewhat simpatico, ideologically speaking.
While she’s in the Texas capital, Ms. Pitt might ask what happened in 1861 when several U.S. states entertained similar ideas about autonomy.
That said, I’m sure Ms. Pitt will be welcomed warmly – Texans and Canadians seem quite simpatico too, possibly because they both live in places that were once countries independent of the United States.
She will be surprised to learn, though, that Austin is more liberal than Edmonton. This may explain its branding: “Keep Austin Weird.”
Meanwhile, don’t try to ask Premier Danielle Smith about this. Along with four flunkies from her office, she’s already at the Western Governors’ Association’s winter meeting in Las Vegas.
With the holiday season almost upon us, it’s starting to feel as if the UCP is running a travel agency, not a government!
Yes, now that it is socially respectable and legal to travel again, it seems the UCP is making up for lost time and opportunities.
Although the wording is vague but upbeat, like some family Christmas letters, so you have to read through the lines and interpret. For instance, I believe the skilled workers in the U.A.E might refer to Filipino heath care workers.
As Smith is one to lead by example, I understand she is off to Las Vegas to meet western US Governors. I heard somewhere she is taking a delegation worthy of the Queen of Sheba.
As in the past, lots of trips to warmer places in December. So I guess they again will have fun fun fun until the voters take their travel budgets away. Maybe Smith could ask Allard, Fir or Nixon to explain the meaning behind that song to her.
“The big brains of the UCP…..that we have a different system of government…
Skippy on X- Dec 7th
” An honor to meet the leader of the world’s oldest Conservative Party @ Kemi Badenoch*.
She stands for common sense, freedom and family.
She has the courage to denounce and defeat toxic wokeism and …….restore ancient British liberties to the United Kingdom. ”
(* leader of the opposition)
About that “Westminister Parliamentary system thing”
I wonder what our Churchill fan boy Skippy has planned to restore? Marlaina has sent out the envoys hither and dither; so whom did she leave behind to watch the roost ? If it’s Devpompenjoy, be ready for more Xmas pink slips. It’s another custom of those ancient British traditionalists– projections about who is actually cancelling Christmas.
Yikes….another rant– back to the scullery I go.
Slogan slinger is no Jason Momoa, that’s for sure. Zero points for style with that ill-fitting jacket.
https://x.com/dieworkwear/status/1865568533117346288
The texas cons had gerrymanderded the state so that it is impossible for the city of Austin to elect a progressive candidate, even though Austin is the most progressive city in that shithole state. They call that democracy.
Indeed, that is something I’m sure Ms. Pitt can study. I remember reading a report (from the late Molly Ivins?) that noted for several decades the people of Austin had voted solidly Democrat in State and Federal elections, but never elected a Democrat. Not sure of recent elections, but it is clear when it comes to Gerrymandering Texas has it down to a fine art!
Anne Richards (D) was the governor of Texas from 91-95.
At one time it was thought international travel broadened the mind and led to a more tolerant and rational attitude towards life. However, the results have proven the opposite happens. A sort of hardening of the moral arteries sets in. Visiting the American empire it does look like the end of history, but only from a luxury suite at the Hilton. Or at least it once did.
Must admit that I just spent the weekend in the Duchy of St. Albert, but my on own dime. Friday’s The Debaters on CBC was even from the Arden Theatre, albeit well in the past. Lunch at the Event Centre was great but the downtown market was disappointing compared to the mid-summer editions. For the time being, St. A has a wonderful NDP MLA but I fear any more Gerry Mandering will lead to the rurals outnumbering the lefty urban commuters. Perhaps these are the lessons to be learned in Colorado by Ms. Pitt although she may be in shock by all the happy weirdos strolling about on their way to well paying AI and other IT jobs. Keep on weirding on!
We shouldn’t be too hard on these poor UCP tourists. They need to be well rested when they return to work in March.
The government news release justifies the visit to Dubai by Ministers Glubish and Amery and their staffers. The blogger rightly asks what the activities will do for the administration of justice in Alberta. Perhaps you folks will find out.
First off, UCP fact finders should know the laws of the United Arab Emirates and behave accordingly. As google.ca reports, “public displays of affection should be minimal; holding hands is acceptable but kissing and hugging in public is not. Noise disruptions, bad language, making obscene gestures and showing disrespect in any way to the U.A.E., its leaders or religion are all forbidden and may land you in legal trouble, and deportation.” A template for future Alberta governance?
Isn’t it ironic that Muslims and fundamentalist Christians have way more in common than they care to admit?
What would they do to you if you honked your truck horn all night long?
I am willing for my tax dollars to support an UCP government travel agency if, and only if, the tickets were one way non return.
Think about all the future savings for the low, low cost of single flight airfare. The return on investment is incredible!
What about Queen Dani’s current junket to Vegas? According to Jason Markusoff there are seven of her aides, etc. in her big, fat entourage- staying at the Four Seasons, yet. While Alberta’s cities are figuring out what to do with all the homeless folks, and the Food Banks, churches, and charities are gearing up to give the poorest of folks some kind of Christmas I’m guessing the UCP delegation are toasting them all in Sin-City on the taxpayer’s dime!
I suppose it’s too much to ask that if they must travel, they visit places that would provide information that would actually better the lives of Albertans.
Could I suggest Finland to learn how to provide social housing? Norway has an effective health care administration system. Iceland has the lowest crime rate in the world. Switzerland has very effective rail travel.
Oh wait! Those are all cold countries, and it’s winter.
The temperature in Portugal is fairly warm in December, and that country has the lowest number of deaths in the world from drug harms.
Priorities.
While in Texas, she might discover that ‘renewable electricity’ creation and generation are the largest, by far, in the whole of the Excited States, and then compare that with the restrictions and outright denial of such in Alberta.
When I drove down to Houston, the oil fields were surrounded by windmills everywhere. It’s something the TBA government of Alberta is too stupid to figure out.
More wasteful spending by the UCP on junkets that will provide absolutely nothing of value in return to Albertans. Pathetic governance.
This is the kind of shit that got Redford rebranded as Redfraud and run out of town. It also made Adrienne Clarkson one of the most unpopular GG’s in recent memory. Welcome to the new normal, folks. What was once considered a CLM (career limiting move, if not outright career killer) as now just business as usual.
It is understandable that the UCP feel that they can wander about the planet on our dime while no doubt collecting the air miles personally. After all, who is going to say anything critical other than the likes of David Climenhaga and his ilk? Post Media will never blow the whistle. The Alberta NDP have taken a vow of silence that would be the envy of any monk and the majority of voters in this province simply love that Ms. Kolodnicki is bullying trans teenagers. As far as the UCP are concerned, why worry?
“This mission will provide us with an excellent opportunity to gain insights about advancements in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, and to explore how these innovations might be applied to our own work in the Alberta justice system.”
Hmmm. Facial recognition software, anyone?”
Wait, why are they travelling to the UAE, when the person who sold surveillance to the UAE is an in-house expert? Couldn’t they just invite AIMCO’s own Stephen Harper to their Calgary offices to explain?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/harper-united-arab-emirates-surveillance-technology-1.6192281
If it’s good enough for Israel…
https://breachmedia.ca/stephen-harper-awz-ventures-surveillance-tech-israel/
The Dani has been doing this from the get go, decades now! Attend all the hard right wing training sessions you can south of the medicine line! Look at Devin Dreeshen! He’s likely got fourteen hundred and eighty eight maga hats FFS! Ok I am now on the heavy bag!
This just in: apparently, somebody talked some sense into D. Smith et al (hah! As if). After hearing about the proposed recruitment drive in Dubai—presumably via press release, perhaps by “What-are-you-doing” letters from labour unions—the Minister of Immigration & Multiculturalism said no.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-government-cancels-u-a-e-foreign-worker-recruitment-trip-1.7404948
Also, “[l]ast week, a spokesperson from the office of the Premier said they weren’t aware of the recruitment trip.” Hunhh?!? This means—what? Somebody didn’t tell Empress Danielle about the coming labour-poaching initiative? Or the Empress of All Oilberduh didn’t inform her staffers? Oh, wait—maybe the EAO told her staffers to play dumb.
All those junkets to the big MAGA-publican conferences make more sense, anyway. Empress Danielle is preparing to become a MAGA Governor. No wonder she’s so eager to attend tRump’s grand inauguration ball—or crowning of the King, y’know, whichever. She needs to kiss the ring, or something.
Mike J Danysh: In Alberta the right wing doesn’t know what the right wing is doing.
Hello DJC and fellow commenters,
I like the Beach Boys, too. Good analogy, Dave.
As much as I bow down as not worthy in front of Brian Wilson’s genius? I think this is the song you need. Yes, I laboured hard, thinking. https://youtu.be/xqmFxgEGKH0
This government would struggle to run a two-star AirBnB in Canmore.
The Premier and UCP members making these trips take along staffers. Keep in mind that, unlike every other province in the country, Alberta has an Executive Protection Unit of around a dozen Sheriffs. Every trip the Premier, or LGovernor, takes, a couple of these heavies accompany her. And they will spend significant time before the actual trip reconnoitering the stops, personal or professional, and potential routes to be taken.