Saturday's letters: Don't let developers run Edmonton
I was a nurse in training in Vancouver in the 1950s when we had a polio epidemic. The senior student nurses were asked to help with the rapidly increasing patient load, many in iron lungs. We were given the first trial polio vaccines and I don't remember any of us getting infected with the polio virus. In a few years, they had the polio vaccine ready for the public. There has not been a polio epidemic since then.
Article content
Vaccines are a valuable tool in the protection against so many diseases. Please get medically qualified people in this province to assist in making intelligent decisions.
Article content
The UCP's anti-vax rhetoric has had dire consequences for Albertans. Excluding Ontario, Alberta has over four times more measles cases than all the other provinces and territories combined. We lead Canada in per-capita infections, much as we did during the COVID pandemic.
Article content
Article content
Learning nothing from this, the UCP now plans to make COVID vaccines expensive and much more difficult to access. Seniors, those most vulnerable to COVID, will be severely jeopardized by this reckless decision.
Article content
Since August 2024, 80 per cent of the 3,094 hospitalizations and 95 per cent of the 369 COVID deaths have been seniors. These numbers will grow as more seniors, particularly those with fixed incomes or mobility problems, will be discouraged from protecting themselves with a COVID shot.
Article content
Provincial doctors and nurses have implored the government to reverse course, but sadly in Alberta, health-care policy is determined by UCP ideologues rather than medical experts.
Article content
I can't help but laugh at seeing our esteemed council struggle with removing cars from the street for plowing, while at the same time pouring hundreds more cars on the road through infilling.
Article content
Article content
Robin Vogelesang, Edmonton
Article content
What I don't get is the constant whining about what Quebec 'gets.' Any way you look at it, we get, and have gotten, more than anybody in this beloved country. Want to have what Quebec has? Then go there and live. How many Albertans want to be like Quebecers? Not me.
Article content
Phyllis Elmer, Vermilion
Article content
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
16 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Seatless Poilievre rustles up leadership support among Stampede faithful
Article content He may have been rejected by voters in his own Ottawa riding but a Saturday evening Stampede week audience seemed ready to put Pierre Poilievre back in the Conservative leadership saddle. Article content The sold-out barbecue crowd courted by Poilievre at Heritage Park ended a day of political glad-handing among urban cowpokes by all the federal leaders and their provincial counterparts. Article content Article content Article content Article content In a campaign-style speech not unlike those he delivered last April ahead of the federal election lost by his Conservatives, Poilievre made his argument that he remains his party's best hope at the helm — and the 1,200 who gathered for beef and politics seemed receptive. Article content 'We don't back down and we don't run away when things get hard — we dust ourselves and get back in the saddle,' he told his supporters who delivered two standing ovations. Article content Poilievre wasted little time in taking shots at his nemesis, Prime Minister Mark Carney, by noting his shakiness earlier in the day flipping pancakes at a Stampede breakfast. Article content 'He couldn't figure out whether his elbows were up or down,' said Poilievre, digging on accusations Carney's decision to honour a demand by U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada drop a digital service tax. 'With his great talks with Trump, he's had much experience flip-flopping.' Article content Article content Poilievre avoided any words directly sympathetic to a separatist movement in Alberta but did suggest Albertans disillusioned with Ottawa have reason to be. Article content 'I'll use the platform of leader of the opposition to amplify the legitimate demands of western Canada to end the unfair treatment,' he said. Article content 'The era of Ottawa telling Alberta to pay up and shut up must end once and for all.' Article content Poilievre is bidding for a return to Parliament as he campaigns in a byelection in the solidly Tory seat of Battle River-Crowfoot, which will be held Aug. 18. Article content While he's expected to easily prevail there, his standing in the rest of the country is far less certain. Article content A Nanos Research poll conducted in late June suggests the ruling Liberals under new PM Carney lead the Conservatives by 14 percentage points. Article content The knives among party operatives aren't yet out publicly for Poilievre but that could change if he continues to badly trail Carney in the fall, said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt. Article content And the Alberta byelection widely considered a shoo-in to return Poilievre to the House of Commons promises to be a political minefield in a national context, he said. Article content The one-time Tory leader will be walking a tightrope where the path he navigates could alienate party supporters with separatist leanings in Alberta and elsewhere, said Bratt. Article content 'What matters is not so much the election result, it's going to be his campaign that's happening during a debate about Alberta's place in Canada,' he said. Article content 'How does he not hurt himself in the rest of the country, what's his views on greater taxation powers for Alberta, on immigration in Alberta and on constitutional change?' Article content Article content In effect Poilievre, he said, will be spending much of his summer campaigning for both a seat in Parliament and his own job as Conservative leader. Article content And his running in one of the safest Conservative seats in the country — won last April with 83 per cent of the vote by Tory Damien Kurek, who's since signed on with a government relations and lobbying firm — produce optics of weakness, said Bratt. Article content But some of those who attended the Conservative party barbecue fundraiser said they don't foresee Poilievre being replaced by anyone else. Article content 'I can't see the party dumping him — he's been successful in a strange political environment,' said former conservative radio talk-show host Dave Rutherford. Article content He noted that despite the electoral loss the party under Poilievre increased its vote count by 2.5 million and added 25 seats to its caucus. Article content But he agreed Poilievre will have to balance his required support for a united Canada with an often separatist-leaning Conservative base in Alberta. Article content Article content 'It's part of the whole UCP culture,' said Rutherford, referring to the provincial conservative party largely allied to their federal cousins. Article content In introducing Poilievre at the barbecue, Kurek – who also received a standing ovation – said he gladly relinquished his seat to advance the Conservative movement 'as quickly as possible.' Article content Article content On Saturday morning, Carney flipped flapjacks at a Stampede breakfast in the city's northeast and admitted his skills were rusty. Article content 'I'm here all day until I get it right,' said Carney. Article content Premier Danielle Smith also attended the breakfast and playfully chided Carney on his pancake-handling technique. Article content She also told him she would soon be signing a memo of understanding with Ontario Premier Doug Ford on energy, priorities and trade. Article content 'It'd be so great if we didn't have (carbon) net-zero rules,' she told the prime minister, who walked the Stampede grounds Friday evening.
Global News
17 hours ago
- Global News
Former UCP MLAs aim to revive the Progressive Conservative party
In front of a small crowd of approximately 30 supporters, two former United Conservative Party MLAs expressed their hopes to revive a political dynasty that held power in Alberta for nearly 50-years: the Progressive Conservative party. 'Alberta isn't far right, Alberta isn't far left,' explained Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie. 'Alberta is and always has been a progressive conservative province.' Guthrie and Sinclair were voted out of the UCP caucus earlier this year for speaking against the party, saying they were unhappy with a party they felt was no longer serving the best interests of Albertans. 'I felt both relief and sadness,' Guthrie said. 'Relief because I no longer had to stand beside something I couldn't support, sadness because the UCP was no longer the party I joined. It wasn't the party Albertans elected' Lesser Slave Lake MLA Scott Sinclair had a similar view, he was voted out of caucus for refusing to support the budget tabled back in March. Story continues below advertisement 'This premier has done me a great service by removing me from a UCP party I no longer recognize,' Sinclair said to those gathered. 'This new hostile version of the UCP is not the party of Lockheed or even Ralph Klein. Not even close.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In order to revive the party, the two MLAs need to obtain at least 8,800 signatures or have three MLAs within their ranks before Nov. 27, 2025. As of Saturday, Guthrie and Sinclair estimated they already had a few hundred signatures and said they are working behind the scenes to get more. 'Based on the overwhelming amount of positive support that we've had in the past few days, I believe we're going to be able to convert those conversations over to signatures quite quickly,' Sinclair said. Guthrie and Sinclair want to bring discourse back to the middle of the political spectrum, a move one policy expert says could prove fruitful. 'Polling shows that most Albertans view themselves as centrist,' said Lori Williams, a professor of policy at Mount Royal University. 'This could hurt not just the UCP but also the NDP if they get any traction.' If Sinclair and Guthrie can communicate effectively, Williams continued, they could potentially be a very painful thorn in the government's side. 'If they gain some momentum then the split will no longer be on the right, where Danielle Smith has been focusing her attention, but it might be at the centre,' said Williams, noting that Guthrie and Sinclair's concerns are similar to what brought about change in the 2015 election. Story continues below advertisement 'If you say there is corruption, if they aren't following their own rules, if they're behaving in a way that's entitled, that's what led to the demise of the Progressive Conservative Party after a 44-year dynasty.' But former UCP board member and president Cynthia Moore told Global News that support for the government, and especially Premier Smith as leader, won't be shaken by the grumbles of the now independent MLAs. 'I think they're voices in the wind,' Moore said. 'Danielle Smith is doing a phenomenal job. Smith got 91.5 per cent in her most recent leadership review. The party has out fundraised the NDP three-to-one in Q1 of this year… The mood for her leadership is so extremely positive, and people love the fact that she's fighting for Alberta.'
CBC
18 hours ago
- CBC
Independent MLAs say work has already begun to rebuild Progressive Conservative Party
Two independent Alberta MLAs revealed more details on Saturday about their work to resurrect the Progressive Conservative brand that held government in Alberta for 44 years. After announcing their plan to re-register the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta earlier this week, Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair held what they billed as an official relaunch of the party in Calgary on Saturday. They explained their aim is to offer an alternative conservative voice that falls closer to the political centre than the governing United Conservative Party or the opposition NDP. Work has already begun, the MLAs explained, to secure signatures to register the party. But Alberta's PC revival isn't official just yet. The party will need to secure 8,819 signatures, representing 0.3 per cent of the province's voting population, by late November. Guthrie argued their push for a new party is to represent what he sees as the mainstream political beliefs of most people in the province, after hearing from a growing number of frustrated voters who felt they didn't have a political home in Alberta. "We have an NDP that seems to be focused on 20 to 30 per cent of the population on the left, and we have the UCP that seems to be focused on the same-sized group on the right," said Guthrie, a former infrastructure minister who's served as MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane since 2019. "Alberta is and always has been a progressive conservative province. One where people value responsible government." The governing UCP are no longer a real conservative party, Guthrie argued, and the PC party he's pitching will offer a more practical and principled voice, he said. Conservative credibility in opposition Guthrie and Sinclair have taken up the PC mantle after both were ousted from the UCP earlier this year. After serving as an MLA in the party for nearly six years, Guthrie resigned from Premier Danielle Smith's cabinet in February citing concerns with the government amid the controversy over procurement practices at Alberta Health Services (AHS). He was then expelled from caucus in April, after pushing for a public inquiry into the AHS issue. Sinclair, on the other hand, was a first-term MLA representing Lesser Slave Lake for the UCP, who was kicked out of caucus in March after publicly criticizing the provincial budget for forecasting significant deficits while spending too heavily on Alberta's major cities rather than its rural communities. Could the re-emergence of the PC Party divide Alberta's right? | The Political Panel 2 days ago Duration 8:19 Two former UCP MLAs are trying to start a new political party under the old Progressive Conservative brand. Scott Sinclair and Peter Guthrie say the United Conservative Party is 'way off base' with Albertans. The Political Panel weighs in on whether a revived PC Party could split the right-of-centre vote. Rob Brown is joined by Conservative strategist Erika Barootes, and Liberal strategist Sabrina Grover. Photo credit: X/PeterGuthrie99 Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said Guthrie and Sinclair are currently the most vocal, and possibly the most effective, opposition members in the legislature. Their status as former party members adds credibility to their criticism, Williams said, adding that regardless of how many seats their party wins, their critiques could be the largest challenge they present to the current government. "When a conservative is saying a conservative government is entitled and corrupt, that's going to resonate in a way that wouldn't for people who either don't have that inside information or that reputation for being committed, principled conservatives," Williams said. The viability of the PC label The Progressive Conservative brand is well-known for holding power in Alberta's legislature from 1971 to 2015, and being led by longtime premiers like Peter Lougheed, Don Getty and Ralph Klein. But its popularity dipped in its final years, and the party faced criticism for its perceived entitlement, leading to the party winning just nine seats in the 2015 Alberta election. Two years later, new party leader Jason Kenney struck a deal with the Wildrose Party to merge and form the UCP. Sinclair argued he and Guthrie have made principled stands resulting in their departure from the UCP, and he drew parallels between criticisms both the current provincial government and the PCs of old faced around excessive spending and investigations into the government. "We were asking questions about accountability, financial oversight, value for money, bloated contracts, and it got us exactly where we are today. I would say there are a lot of parallels between the late PC days … and talking about this existing premier," Sinclair said. But earlier this week, Smith threw cold water on whether the PC brand could legally be revived in Alberta. Smith argued elections law states new parties can't use the name of the former legacy parties that merged to form the UCP, to avoid confusing voters. "We expect the law to be followed, and we're going to be following up with Elections Alberta accordingly," Smith said. On Saturday, Guthrie said Elections Alberta made the party name available after the most recent provincial election. Earlier this week, an Elections Alberta spokesperson said the chief electoral officer would make a final determination on a party's proposed name during the registration process. While the new PC party could also take votes from the NDP if their supporters look for a different alternative to the current government, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said his party remains "the only choice for positive change" in Alberta. "The decision by these two former UCP MLAs to revive the PC party is another clear sign that Albertans are unhappy with this current UCP government and are demanding better for our province," said Nenshi in a statement on Wednesday. Guthrie and Sinclair expect to remain the party's only members until the party is officially registered, and aren't pushing for other MLAs to join. But they said they've had interesting conversations since their plans for their party were announced. There's no evidence more MLAs will follow Guthrie and Sinclair, Williams said, and the UCP is likely to work hard to keep its MLAs in the fold. But she noted the new party creates the possibility Smith may have to respond to a split in her party's centre. Williams points out that while no party outside the UCP and NDP have picked up significant support in polling or electoral results since the 2019 election, what could make the PC party different is if more credible people throw their support behind it, especially if any MLAs cross the floor, or join the party after being removed from the UCP like Guthrie and Sinclair were. "United Conservatives are not terribly united. They disagree on a lot of things. Some of them belong to parties previously that fought against one another in the legislature," Williams said.
