CANADA'S WORST FEMICIDE

'It's heartbreaking': NAIT vigil remembers Polytechnique Montreal victims

Story by Hamdi Issawi • Yesterday 

A circle of 14 empty chairs served as a poignant reminder of the women killed in a mass shooting at Polytechnique Montréal 33 years ago, and the need to end misogyny.


To mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology installed 14 chairs on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, to remember the murdered victims of a mass shooting at Polytechnique Montreal in 1989.© Provided by Edmonton Journal

The installation appeared at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s Feltham Centre in Edmonton to honour the 14 women who died in the massacre. On Dec. 6, 1989, a man motivated by a hatred of feminists shot and killed them, and injured 13 other people at the facility.

Tanya Fir, the Alberta government’s parliamentary secretary for the status of women, spoke at a noon vigil near the installation, where she recalled struggling to comprehend the senseless act of violence, being a junior high school student at the time.

“As I look over at those 14 empty chairs, I feel grief and anger, but also resolve,” Fir said. “Grief for the lives lost and all the family members and friends whose lives were forever changed on that day, anger that such an act of discrimination and hatred ever occurred, but resolve to do something about it.”

The vigil for those women coincides with the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, observed annually on Dec. 6 to remember the victims of gender-based violence.

About 50 people attended the service, although more, namely students, watched the event unfold overhead from behind the second-floor railing.

A few people wandered through the installation before and after the speakers delivered their remarks to peruse framed biographies of the victims and accompanying photos resting on the chairs.

Some of the seats were furnished with clothing and accessories, such as a red sweater, purple backpack and engineering textbooks. Most of the women killed in the Polytechnique Montréal shooting were engineering students.

Carrie Vos, program controller for Women Building Futures, tried to imagine the effects those women would have had on engineering, possibly as role models that would have attracted other women to a field where they are underrepresented. Her organization helps women find careers that pay more than just a living wage.

‘We still have so far to go’

“We will never know the true extent of this loss,” said Vos, a keynote speaker at the vigil. “But it’s important that we continue to work toward gender parity in engineering trades and technology. Everyone should have the opportunity to choose a career without being discouraged or restrained by others due to their gender.”

Felicia Ricard, a social worker in Edmonton who focuses on gender-based violence as well as missing and murdered women, found the remembrance both powerful and painful.

“It’s heartbreaking,” she said standing next to one of the empty seats. “It’s been 33 years since this happened, and we’ve come a long way, but we still have so far to go.”

In 2017, there were 350,457 victims of police-reported violent crime in Canada (968 per 100,000 population), 53 per cent of whom were female, Statistics Canada reported in 2018. Among those reported acts of violence, 50 per cent were physical assault offences, 29 per cent were sexual offences, and 21 per cent were other violent offences, the agency reported.

However, a 2021 Statistics Canada report based on general social survey results found that the rate of violent victimization was nearly twice as high among women (106 incidents per 1,000 women) than men (59 incidents per 1,000 men) in 2019.

The vigil ended with a moment of silence and a reading of the victims’ names: Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz.

— With files from The Canadian Press

hissawi@postmedia.com

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE 

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for EMOTIONAL PLAGUE 

REAL CONSPIRACIES ARE RIGHT WING

Meet aristocrat behind bizarre German coup attempt

Story by Brad Hunter • Toronto Sun

COUP LEADER? Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, the alleged German coup attempt leader. REUTERS© Provided by Toronto Sun

Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss — as he calls himself — is a conspiracy-loving aristocrat who wants to bring back the monarchy to Germany.

Cops say the 71-year-old is behind the bizarre far-right plot to overthrow the German government in a coup.

On Wednesday, German investigators arrested 25 people belonging to a terrorist network called the “Reichsbürger” or “Citizens of the Reich.” Members reject the modern German state and have called for a return to a monarchy which was torpedoed by Germany’s defeat in the First World War.

Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, is the ringleader, police have alleged.

According to reports, the aristocrat is an actual descendent of the House of Reuss, the family that ruled huge swaths of Germany for hundreds of years.


Cops say the plotters wanted to restore the German monarchy, abolished in 1918. Kaiser Wilhelm was the last monarch. PUBLIC SPHERE

However, relatives of the “Prince” said he is a “confused old man” and a “conspiracy nut.” But members of the Reichsbürger are said to worship him.

He is said to have one son, Heinrich XXVIII, with Iranian-born wife Susan Doukht Jalali. She asks to be addressed by the name Princess Susan Reuss.

Born in 1951, he inherited a fortune from the family dynasty that was said to have been established in the 12th century. All of the male sons have been named Heinrich in tribute to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI.

All was well until the German revolution of 1918 after the empire’s collapse. That’s when his great-grandfather — Heinrich (again) XXVII — was forced to abdicate at gunpoint and the family’s vast holdings were absorbed into the German state.


A policeman stands behind a car of the forensic experts during a raid on December 7, 2022 in Berlin that is part of nationwide early morning raids against members of a far-right “terror group” suspected of planning an attack.© TOBIAS SCHWARZ

While the family kept much of its wealth and numerous castles and palaces, their power was profoundly diminished.

Apparently, the dissolution of Germany’s monarchy has long been a bee in the bonnet of Heinrich XIII.

He delivered a keynote address at a Worldwebforum event in Zurich in 2019 and for 15 minutes railed against Germany’s lack of a monarchy and his family’s loss of influence.

“[People who liver under his ancestor’s rule] lived happy lives because the administrative structures were straightforward and transparent,” he claimed.

“When things aren’t going well … who are you supposed to turn to today? Your parliamentarian? Local, federal, EU-level? Good luck!”

But other family members are said to be aghast and spokesman Heinrich XIV said Heinrich XIII was disillusioned and a “confused old man who now gets caught up in conspiracy theory misconceptions.”

German detectives said Heinrich XIII was the movement’s ideological standard-bearer and Herr Moneybanks.

The goal was to overthrow the German government and replace it with a monarchy. They alleged Heinrich XIII had also been in contact with Russian officials to create the new order.

Of course, the new German leader was slated to be Heinrich XIII. Russian diplomats have denied any involvement or links to the aspiring kaiser.

Dozens detained in Germany on suspected plot to overthrow government: Prosecutor

Thousands of police officers have carried out a series of raids across much of Germany on Wednesday morning against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state by force, according to the Attorney General at the Federal Court of Justice in Germany.

Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany's 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement.

Prosecutors said 25 German citizens were detained on suspicion of "membership in a terrorist organization" and that the group, which was not identified in their statement announcing the raids, is alleged to have believed in a "conglomerate of conspiracy theories consisting of narratives from the so-called Reich Citizens as well as Q-Anon ideology," according to a statement by prosecutors.

Many had military training and some of those arrested include former soldiers.


Police secures the area after 25 suspected members and supporters of a far-right terrorist group were detained during raids across Germany, in Frankfurt, Germany December 7, 2022.© Tilman Blasshofer/Reuters

The arrests were made at various locations in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony and Thuringia. At least two arrests were made outside of Germany's borders -- one in the Kitzbühel region of Austria and the other in Perugia in Italy.

Searches were also conducted in a number of other federal states including Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.

"The accused belong to a terrorist organization founded by the end of November 2021 at the latest, which has set itself the goal of overcoming the existing state order in Germany and replacing it with its own form of government, which has already been developed in outline," federal prosecutors said in a statement following the raids. "The members of the association are aware that this project can only be realized through the use of military means and violence against state representatives. This also includes committing homicides. The accused are united by a deep rejection of the state institutions and the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany."

The rise of violent hard-right groups in Germany, including white supremacist and neo-Nazi factions, was detected years before law enforcement in the U.S. was willing to acknowledge the problem existed in America. In the final years of the Merkel government -- and prior to the pandemic -- some German intelligence officials were actively pushing Berlin to be more outspoken and aggressive in calling out the issue for fear that silence was allowing it to fester as the mainstream German population continued to believe it was a problem buried in the past.

With the rise of Q-Anon, the violent far-right and the re-energized militia movement in the U.S., other fringe groups in Europe and America started feeding off each other’s energy and online growth. The movements now, in many ways, mirror each other and cross-pollenate.

Authorities are expected to hold a press conference later today detailing the massive operation.

ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.

'More to do' on systemic barriers facing Muslim charities, Trudeau acknowledges


OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledges there is "significantly more to do" on the systemic barriers that confront Muslim charities amid concerns from a federal watchdog that his review of the issue also faces roadblocks.

In a statement last month, taxpayers' ombudsperson François Boileau said his office was having trouble obtaining information needed from the Canada Revenue Agency to conduct his review.

Following her participation in a national summit last year on Islamophobia, Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier asked the ombudsperson to conduct a systemic review of the concerns of certain Muslim charities about their treatment by the revenue agency.

Lebouthillier asked the watchdog to pay particular attention to concerns about the selection of files for audit purposes by the Review and Analysis Division of the revenue agency's charities directorate.

A 2021 report by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group said the division works with national security agencies to carry out these audits, with little accountability or independent review.

Asked about the ombudsperson's difficulties today, Trudeau says there is significantly more to do on the overall issue, adding the government will look at what next steps can be taken to ensure accountability and openness.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2022.

The Canadian Press

Letters: Pierre Poilievre is wrong. We should legalize, not crack down on, illicit drugs

Story by National Post • 

A reader takes issue with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's get-tough-on-drugs stance, saying enforcing drug laws is a waste of police resources and a futile endeavour.

‘For a few, altering their mood in order to live is a self-coping necessity’

Re: Poilievre shows how to save people from the ravages of addiction, Jamil Jivani, Nov. 24

Jamil Jivani argues convincingly, at least hypothetically, that lived experience should be the foundation of conservative policies to fix social ills rather than left-right ideology. But when he cites Pierre Poilievre’s recent anti-drug video — in which the Conservative leader advocated ending safe-supply programs for addicts, blocking the drugs flowing into Canada and increasing penalties for pushers — then Jivani loses credibility. In fact, Poilievre’s policy is merely repeating the punitive prohibitions that were the basis of the American-led war on drugs that failed miserably.

The demanding human condition is such that for a few, altering their mood in order to live is a self-coping necessity. For these individuals drug use isn’t a lifestyle choice but part of their being alive. Scolding them for lacking moral attributes will not work. Moreover, misspending fortunes on law enforcement to deprive addicts of drugs is a waste of money — which would have been better spent targeting violent crimes — without social benefits.

Instead of prohibition, realism should be the policy driver to fix Canada’s social ills with regard to illegal drugs. Canada legalized marijuana ahead of many other western democracies and we are not worse off as a result. Portugal legalized all drugs and so far has produced better overall outcomes in lives and money saved. Unfortunately, with Poilievre’s retreat into past anti-drug policies, the Conservatives are positioned politically on the wrong side of history.

Tony D’Andrea, Toronto

CALL THE ELECTION

Alberta sovereignty bill close to finish line as government invokes debate time limit


EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s sovereignty bill galloped toward the finish line Wednesday, with the government using debate time limits to rebut what it called Opposition delay tactics. DENY DEMOCRATIC DEBATE AND SHOVE THE BILL THROUGH

Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the government was on pace to pass the bill Wednesday night or in the early hours Thursday, saying Smith’s United Conservatives are desperate to take the controversial bill out of the spotlight.

“I suspect we’ll see them jam it through today in order to try to change the channel from the growing chorus of critiques from investors, legal scholars, business owners, regular Albertans, treaty chiefs, you name it,” Notley told reporters.

“The concerns are growing, and they want to run away from what was supposed to be the premier’s flagship bill.”

The bill was introduced just over a week ago by Smith as the centrepiece legislation of her government to resist what it calls federal intrusion in areas of provincial authority under the Constitution.

By the weekend, the premier was promising changes to counter widespread criticism that the bill would grant her cabinet ongoing emergency-type powers to rewrite laws outside the legislative process to fix whatever it deemed to be federal harm, or even potential federal harm.

Smith has said the powers weren’t supposed to be in the bill, but has not explained how they came to be included.

On Tuesday night, the legislature began debating an amendment brought forward by the UCP caucus to reverse those powers and narrow the definition of federal harm.

UCP backbencher Mark Smith introduced the amendment. He said it was needed to make it clear that the legislature is still in charge of law-making.

“The goal was — or at least it should have been — for all elected members to consider how to make a bill better,” he said.

“Tonight, I’ve placed an amendment before this house, which I believe will clarify this bill and the intent of this bill.”

He introduced the amendment after members of the house passed a motion by government house leader Joseph Schow to limit further debate on second reading of the bill.

Schow also signalled he will bring forward motions to limit debate if necessary at the amendments stage and at third reading, which is the final stage to pass a bill.

Such measures are allowed to balance debate with keeping the business of the house moving.

Schow said there had been nine hours of debate on the bill at second reading and that the NDP had said it had no interest in contributing to the bill and has called for it to be scrapped altogether.

“There has been plenty of time for members to speak,” Schow told the house Tuesday night.

“It’s time the government did what it has promised Albertans it would do this fall and get things done with Bill 1.”

Legal scholars say the bill remains legally questionable given it says the legislature, not the courts, get to decide what is and is not constitutional.

There are also worries about the legal uncertainty that could result if cabinet uses its powers under the bill to direct municipalities, health regions, schools and city police forces to resist implementing federal laws.

Some business groups, including the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, have warned that such uncertainty is bad for business.

Earlier Wednesday, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge joined Notley at a news conference to say the bill sends a message of legal confusion and uncertainty that won’t entice potential investors.

“We should not shoot ourselves in the foot by creating an impression that investors cannot rely on the rules, on the laws and on the processes that we have in place in Canada,” Dodge said.

Earlier Wednesday in Ottawa, First Nations chiefs from Alberta and Saskatchewan called for both provinces to scrap their respective provincial rights bills, calling them inherently undemocratic, unconstitutional and an infringement on Indigenous rights.

Treaty 6 Chief Tony Alexis of Alberta’s Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation said there has been no consultation or dialogue with First Nations around the Alberta bill and it could set a harmful precedent.

Rick Wilson, Alberta’s Indigenous relations minister, said the bill specifies that treaty rights are respected but he has heard the leaders’ concerns and will work to address them.

Wilson, speaking to reporters, said the title of the bill itself — the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act — is problematic.

“I’ve been on the phone, of course, with First Nations leaders across the province and a lot of the concerns are around just calling it the sovereignty act, like, what does that mean?” said Wilson.

“In fairness, there’s not a lot of clarification around what that means. Should we have done more consultation? Absolutely.”

— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Saskatoon

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2022.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

Alberta Council of Women's Shelters study outlines staffing crisis, turning away clients

Story by Anna Junker • TODAY

Shelters had to turn away more than 11,000 women and seniors due to capacity issues during a 12-month period, new data from an organization of domestic violence shelters shows


Jan Reimer, Executive Director of the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, speaks as the Alberta chapter of IODE Canada announces their $100,000 fundraising goal for the in support of Alberta children traumatized by domestic violence at WINGS of Providence in Edmonton, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.© Provided by Edmonton Journal

A new report released Wednesday by the Alberta Council of Women Shelters (ACWS) examines the state of shelters between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022.

According to the report, 11,546 requests for admission were by women and seniors who had to be turned away due to shelters being at physical capacity, along with 6,241 children who would have accompanied them had there been space.

Another 7,570 requests by women and seniors were turned away for other reasons, along with 3,336 children who would have accompanied a parent into a shelter. An individual is turned away when shelter staff are either unable to accommodate due to capacity, not enough staff or the shelter does not have the resources to meet the complexity of needs.

According to the report, stagnant wages, funding, and frozen salaries are contributing to a staffing crisis and high turnover rates. Pressures due to inflation and a decline in donations have also made shelter budgets tighter.

“Shelters need appropriate funding in order to be able to recruit and retain qualified staff — this is essential to their ability to meet the needs of the people who need help,” the report states.

Overall, during the 12-month period, shelters received 65,390 calls seeking support. Of those, 25,530 were calls to request admission yet only 16.6 per cent of those people gained entry.

There were 7,620 people sheltered — 4,182 women and 3,373 children, 48 men, and 17 who indicated another gender. Of those admitted, 6,989 were at emergency shelters.

In Edmonton, 30.7 per cent of emergency shelter clients stayed up to one week in a shelter, while 34.8 per cent stayed between one and three weeks, and 34.6 per cent stayed more than three weeks.

The report states the length of time a client stays is impacted by a variety of factors, including the affordability of local housing markets and the availability of community supports. It found a significant number of survivors require longer stays in shelters to support their safety and well-being.

Slightly more than 26 per cent of clients stayed at second-stage shelters, also known as transitional housing, for up to three months, while 21.2 per cent stayed between three and six months, 44.7 per cent stayed between six months and one year, and 7.9 per cent stayed for more than a year.

Seventy-two per cent of survivors who completed danger assessments in emergency shelters were at severe or extreme risk of being killed by a partner or ex-partner, for those staying in second-stage shelters, that figure rises to 85 per cent.

Wednesday's letters: UCP gov't ignoring sick kids crisis

Story by Edmonton Journal •

Children receiving palliative, respite and end-of-life care are being discharged from the Rotary Flames House in Calgary and staff are being redeployed to Alberta Children’s Hospital, amid a surge in respiratory illness.


A family heads into the emergency department at the Alberta Children's Hospital on Monday, November 28, 2022.© Provided by Edmonton Journal

During question period on Monday, only one set of questions regarding this crisis was asked to Premier Smith. In her response, she stated “we’re seeing a crisis that’s taking place across the province and across the country.” But, she and her government couldn’t offer any solutions on how to address this crisis. All she offered was that she would have something soon to say regarding the shortage of children’s medications. That’s a supply-chain issue across Canada and the United States for over a month.

When real issues like stopping respite care for children arise, all we have from this government is the sound of crickets. It’s almost like if they don’t acknowledge the issue; they think it will just disappear. Albertans deserve better from their government.

Stephanie Shostak, Edmonton

Related video: Children's hospitals in Alberta are under intense pressure as they deal with an influx of sick kids (cbc.ca)
Duration 1:17
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Sovereignty Act a power grab

I am a strong believer in Alberta’s right to be a driver of change in Canada. We have enormous resources, people and spirit. What I don’t believe is that the government under Bill 1 can attempt to gain powers to self govern. This is ludicrous. The province is attempting to gain powers in the midst of COVID and the ideal of free choice by, ironically, legislating their ability to control and focus their powers. They ought to be ashamed.

The proper answer is to allow free speech, self-organization and debate. Legislating power to your own viewpoint is a very dangerous and slippery slope that I hope most Albertans stand up against.

Mark Poesch, Edmonton

Leadership rivals flip-flop on Bill 1

It’s no surprise that the UCP leadership hopefuls who were bashing Danielle Smith’s proposed sovereignty act are now towing the UCP party line. The excuses for the 360-degree shift in attitude that they gave to the media was actually quite laughable. They must think that Albertans are really gullible.

Now that the sovereignty act is making its way through the legislature, it doesn’t take a political genius to figure out that any fierce opposition to the act from within the UCP ranks could cause the UCP to be ripped to shreds.

Dennis Wanechko, Leduc


Sovereignty distracts from real issues

Does it really matter whether or not this theatre is constitutional or not? The whole point of it is to shock people and lay a trap for the federal government and its supporters. Then, it is hoped, the people of Alberta will rally round the UCP to defend the province from the enemy, the Government of Canada.

If you have no case, create an enemy. This is a well-worn tactic used by those who want a fight to divert everyone from real issues: economy, climate change, post-industrialization, health care, education, immigration, et cetera. Maybe it will work. We’ll just have to trust the people of Alberta to decide what is in their best interests. A warning to the federal Conservatives: Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.

Louise Davis, Sherwood Park


OK to be bribed with our own money

Why the big deal about Danielle Smith’s giveaway? I was under the impression that royalties belonged to all Albertans. We are being bribed with our own heritage money. The sum of $600 over a six-month period, according to Smith, should be graciously accepted. What would be graciously accepted by the majority of Albertans would be her resignation as premier asap.

Barton Whyte, Sherwood Park

Bill 1 mistake shouldn’t have been made

Given all the rhetoric expressed prior to being elected, I am dumbfounded that Premier Smith is now begging forgiveness about the overreach of the Alberta Sovereignty Within A United Canada Bill. Stupid comes to mind. Premier Smith does not deserve to be forgotten so much as dumped for permitting such a piece of legislation to have even left the drawing room.

Like so many things we have seen in the past, this is a leader who acts compulsively and then begs forgiveness. Alberta needs a leader who thinks before they speak. I am left to wonder if Premier Smith will pursue a leadership style that suggests she will continue to open her mouth only to change feet when she renders new opinions or direction.

Ken Crutchfield, St. Albert

Former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge warns of economic damage from Alberta sovereignty act

Story by Lisa Johnson • 

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley (left) met virtually with economist David Dodge, former Governor of the Bank of Canada, on Wednesday December 7, 2022 to warn about the ongoing damage to the Alberta economy from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's Sovereignty Act.© Provided by Edmonton Journal

Former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge is making a last-ditch attempt to convince Premier Danielle Smith her flagship bill will chase away investment.

Bill 1, the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act, aims to give the province the power to direct provincial agencies to act against federal laws it considers unconstitutional or harmful and is expected to pass debate in the legislature Wednesday evening.

At an Alberta NDP news conference Wednesday morning, Dodge said he’s concerned the act will undermine confidence in the rule of law in the province, which is essential to attracting investment, and called on the government to reconsider it.

“Whatever precise form that legislation eventually takes, the tabling itself creates a strong impression that investors will not be able to rely on due process in the application of federal and provincial law in the future, and lacking confidence in the future application of law in Alberta, investors then would look elsewhere,” said Dodge.

Dodge was the governor of the Bank of Canada from 2001 to 2008, and was appointed to Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach’s Council for Economic Strategy in Alberta in 2009. He was also tapped by Rachel Notley’s government in 2015 to advise it on its infrastructure priorities.

Amendments introduced late Tuesday night in the legislature would reverse some of what was heavily criticized in Smith’s sovereignty act, clarifying that cabinet can’t make changes unilaterally behind closed doors, and more narrowly defining what specific harms can be addressed under the act.

While Dodge said he had not read the text of the bill’s amendments and so declined to comment on them, the mere proposal of the act creates a perception of uncertainty.

“The act is a signal to the world that we don’t quite know what we’re doing and that we can’t quite get the fundamental stuff right,” he said.

Dodge echoes a number of business advocacy groups , First Nation chiefs , and legal scholars who have expressed concern about the bill since its introduction last Tuesday.

Dodge said the bill purports to replace the courts as constitutional arbiter, thus undermining the rule of law.

Notley said Wednesday that the UCP is underestimating the legal, regulatory, and reputational risk the bill is already having on the investment community.

“There are, without question, genuine issues that need attention between our province and the federal government to ensure that Alberta is treated fairly. Unfortunately, for the past three and a half years we’ve got a UCP government that’s been shaking its fist at clouds and not engaging in genuine efforts to bring about improvements,” said Notley.

When asked about Dodge’s comments in question period Wednesday in the legislature, Smith pointed to Postmedia coverage noting oilsands producers are directing “more capital toward their growth plans in 2023 after several years of relative frugality.”

“That does not sound like chasing business (away),” said Smith.

Under the first draft of Bill 1, if a non-binding resolution was passed by MLAs, it would have given cabinet the power to change provincial laws without going back to the legislature.

The so-called Henry VIII clause was panned as undemocratic by critics, including constitutional experts, who said it would give the premier and her ministers sweeping power without proper legislature oversight.

The legislature is expected to debate changes to the bill reversing that and pass through all stages of debate by the end of the night Wednesday.

More to come…

lijohnson@postmedia.com

First Nations demand proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act, Saskatchewan First Act be withdrawn

Story by Yasmine Ghania • 

Standing at a podium in Ottawa with several treaty chiefs behind her, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) called for the proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act and the Saskatchewan First Act to be withdrawn.


Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald says she supports treaty chiefs who are opposing the proposed Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act and the Saskatchewan First Act.© Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

Chiefs connected to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 say the acts infringe on treaty rights and that making amendments to them wouldn't be enough.

"We will not stand idly by. We will not allow it to happen," Chief RoseAnne Archibald said Wednesday.

The Saskatchewan First Act, which recently passed its second reading at the legislature, aims to confirm the province's autonomy and jurisdiction over its natural resources and ward off federal policies such as climate change rules.

Meanwhile, Premier Danielle Smith's proposed Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act has faced widespread condemnation for language that would grant her and her cabinet sweeping authority to redress any federal policy, law or program it deems harmful to Alberta.

The Alberta government recently said it's amending its act to take away cabinet's unilateral powers to change legislation, as proposed in the original version of the bill.

"My caucus identified some issues that they wanted to address," Smith told the legislature earlier this week. "They wanted to seek some clarity, and that's the kind of leader I am. I want to make sure that we get this bill right, and I'm grateful that my caucus is going to propose amendments to do that."

Chief Tony Alexis of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, northwest of Edmonton, said that after speaking with lawyers and policy experts, he has many concerns about Alberta's proposed legislation, including the province trying to extend its jurisdiction

"The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act is harmful to Albertans, Canadians and treaty people," he said.

Alexis said an emergency resolution was put forward at the Assembly of First Nations to garner support from chiefs across the country.

Lack of consultation

Chiefs have said that the Saskatchewan and Alberta governments didn't consult with First Nations.

"There's all this talk about reconciliation, but there's no real implementation of that," said Vice-Chief Aly Bear of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.

"We're asking the government to actually sit down with us [and] have conversations. Let's talk about moving forward together."

There is a concern that Alberta and Saskatchewan's proposed pieces of legislation could have a domino effect across Canada, chiefs say.

"What would keep other provinces from following suit? And ultimately, what will that mean for treaty rights across Canada?" Alexis said.

Last week, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe insisted his government's act is inclusive.

"It doesn't change the intentions the government has to include all Saskatchewan people, Indigenous or otherwise, in the economy. What the act is focused on is to make sure we have the focus on Saskatchewan so we can collectively benefit," Moe said.

A statement from Premier Smith's office said "it's clear in the Sovereignty Act that we will respect Indigenous rights and respect treaty rights."

The government has reached out to arrange meetings with treaty chiefs since they expressed concerns, according to the statement.

"The approach this government is taking is to ensure we have strong and meaningful reconciliation with our First Nations partners," the statement said.

SMITH PURGE FOR PRIVATIZATION 

Alberta's deputy chief medical officers of health have resigned
Story by Madeline Smith • 
The province’s two deputy chief medical officers of health have submitted their resignations.


Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping.© Provided by Edmonton Journal

Dr. Rosana Salvaterra and Dr. Jing Hu have both given notice, an Alberta Health spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. For now, chief medical officer of health Dr. Mark Joffe will take on full-time duties.

“Dr. Joffe will be supported by medical officers of health within AHS, by other staff in the office of the chief medical officer of health, and by the public health division,” Charity Wallace said in a statement.

“We expect these changes to have no impact on the department’s and Dr. Joffe’s ability to meet the requirements of the Public Health Act.”

Salvaterra was formerly the medical officer of health for Peterborough, Ont., and she’s worked in Alberta’s office of the chief medical officer of health since October 2021. Hu has been in the deputy role since January 2020 — shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Health Minister Jason Copping first revealed during Wednesday’s question period at the legislature that the two deputies would be leaving, but continue to serve in their jobs for now.

“We are in the process of looking to fill those roles,” Copping said, noting that the ministry continues to support Joffe in his work.


NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley initally asked Tuesday in the legislature whether the deputies had resigned “under (the premier’s) leadership,” and when NDP health critic David Shepherd repeated the question Wednesday, Copping confirmed their departure.

Shepherd added in a statement that he fears the exits “will lead to further chaos” in the health system.

It’s unclear for now when the two deputies will officially leave and who will replace them.

It’s the latest news of turnover in Alberta’s health system, coming less than a month after former chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw was ousted from her job and replaced by Joffe, a longtime Alberta Health Services (AHS) executive. Hinshaw’s contract wasn’t set to expire until 2024.

Premier Danielle Smith said she would be replacing Hinshaw to seek “new advice on public health” shortly after she was sworn in.

Since then, she has also fulfilled a promise to move quickly on changes to the management of Alberta’s health system.

Last month, Smith replaced the 11-member Alberta Health Services board with a sole official administrator , Dr. John Cowell. He’s been given a broad mandate to decrease wait times in emergency rooms and for surgeries, improve EMS response times and consult with front-line workers to develop long-term reforms.

— With files from Lisa Johnson

masmith@postmedia.com

@meksmith