Alberta Conservatives are cranky, and for good reason
Because we are driven individuals, when conservatives want something done, patience is not always found in high quantities. When political promises are made and the wheels of government are slow, we get very frustrated. Strong messages are being sent to our Premier specifically around pensions, health care, and immigration. Patience is running thin, so let’s take a look at all three.
An honest cursory look at the CPP tells us an Alberta Pension is way better than what we have now. Unfortunately, nowhere near a majority of Albertans have done this, which means a referendum will fail. (Our Premier’s conservative adversaries pushing for this referendum know that, by the way.) Hind sight being what it is, all the energy and money that went into advertising an APP should have instead gone into educating us about it. But it didn’t, and here we are left with a choice. Either we can blame the Premier for the mistakes her communications people made, or we can help our friends, neighbors, and colleagues understand the benefits of having an Alberta Pension Plan. Given we have to be in this together to make it happen, it makes sense to go with the latter.
Speaking of ‘in this together’, this Fall an updated Bill of Rights will be introduced into our Legislature. We are told it is going to include bodily autonomy and freedom of movement among other things. That this is even needed in a western democracy should bother everyone to the core. Clearly born out of the mandates, many are concerned it won’t go far enough. They believe the covid vaccine needs to be banned altogether, at least for children, and it is up to the Alberta government to make that happen. To ensure we are putting the burden of responsibility for this in the right place, let us take a little trip down memory lane.
For two straight years we were reminded, ad nauseum, that pandemics are medical emergencies and politicians are not doctors. Our elected officials had one job: Listen to the ‘experts’ and ‘trust the science’. In our case, those experts came from Alberta Health Services and every single mandate was imposed at the request and behest of unelected AHS bureaucrats.
Today, a handful of UCP politicians are working valiantly to ensure people are informed about the covid vaccine. Now should anyone claim not to know the dangers, it is by choice. Personally, I cannot bring myself to tell others what to do. If, despite all the information and warnings available, people still want to get the covid shot, there is no helping them. What should bother us more than anything is that our medical community is still pushing it. The responsibility and accountability of this lands squarely at the feet of the once revered, never to be questioned but always trusted, scientific ‘experts’ at AHS. This is on their watch. So, when we hear about the ways our elected officials are working toward revamping AHS and its affiliates, we need to applaud, support, and encourage it.
Pensions and health care are polarizing enough on their own, but then immigration got thrown in the mix and blew the top off of everything. The Premier said she wants to see our population double to ten million, giving us more seats in Parliament and the Senate, and therefore a voice in Ottawa. Conservatives all over our province are wild and rightfully so. This is one topic I cannot be an apologist for and can give several reasons why.
First and foremost, it is incumbent on us to critically consider who is planning on coming here. Savory characters have already got in and there is an ongoing investigation because of it. Add to that, all across Canada, immigrants have been protesting matters that have nothing to do with anything going on in our communities and many of those protests have turned violent. There are also reports of immigrant actions and behaviors that are beyond outrageous, not to mention very un-Canadian. Until solid regulations and expectations are securely in place, bringing in more people can’t happen. Our safety depends on it.
Another reason to say ‘no vacancy’ is we do not have the infrastructure to accommodate more people. Increased demand on our electric grid has already brought us to the brink of catastrophe. Calgary is having a tough time getting their water issues sorted out. Housing and rent costs have increased in some parts of the province because of immigration already. Our health care, schooling, and law enforcement services are inadequate for the population we have let alone introduce more. And on that note, for the record, the idea of fast-tracking permanent residency for new recruits is absurd.
In addition to all of that, gone are the days when immigrants had to arrive self-sufficient with a sponsorship so as not to be a burden on society. The unemployment rate hovers between 6.5-7% which tells us there are not enough jobs for everyone. Many immigrants are on government support that Albertans are paying for. Volunteering at our local Food Bank, I happen to know this for a fact. The same faces come in week after week and a growing number of them don’t speak but five words of English. This is not good for anyone. Especially the immigrant.
The most depressing reason why we need to keep the ‘no vacancy’ sign up strikes right at the heart of our Premiers reasoning for doubling the population. No matter how many Albertans there are, the Constitution is designed to pillage the west. That is just a fact. A bigger population simply translates to more money going to Ottawa to spend on whatever idiot scandal or scheme they come up with this month. And do not kid yourself. A federal conservative government isn’t going to be much better.
An Alberta Pension, an updated Alberta Bill of Rights, and immigration. Dialogue around these three topics is frustrating which is not a bad thing. It helps us recognize our current government system and structure for what it is, broken. Politicians, particularly at the federal level, have no want whatsoever to fix it. Conservative Albertans are angry, and rightly so, which should fuel further considerations.
Even before we were colonized into Confederation in 1905, there has always been a distinct and genuine commitment among Albertans, as a whole, to build a better future for ourselves and our kids. It’s part of our culture, it’s who we are. Which calls for another form of dialogue. Do we really want to remain in a Confederation that keeps us under thumb and forces us to do things we don’t want to do, regardless who is Premier? Or, is it time to explore a different path. One that will take a lot of hard work, test our limits, and prove our trust in one another as Albertans.
Alberta Conservatives are cranky, and for good reason. It's time we candidly consider complete independence from Ottawa. Once accomplished, the benefits will far outweigh the challenges of getting there. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. And these three issues, along with several others, will no longer be of any concern.
