Mandryk: Right wing politics is the reason Scott Moe is treating Maxime Bernier with kid gloves
Murray Mandryk
REGINA LEADER POST
13/5/2021
© Provided by Leader Post A man carrying a Canadian Nationalist Party flag approaches the crowd gathered for a rally protesting COVID-19 public health orders. (Bryn Levy/Saskatoon StarPhoenix)
How difficult could it be to unequivocally condemn an opposing politician wandering into your jurisdiction for the sole purpose of flouting your laws aimed at keeping your citizens healthy?
Or perhaps the real question is: Why were Premier Scott Moe and his Saskatchewan Party government unwilling to condemn not only actions of People’s Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier who rallied against COVID-19 restrictions on the weekend, but also the actions of pretty much any right-wing politician or group?
Let us begin with this Weekend at Bernier’s episode that was anything but funny.
The vast majority of Saskatchewan people who have busted their humps to abide by COVID-19 restrictions deserve something better than a tepid response to law breakers.
No one likes government fines , but the rest of us are actually sacrificing our freedoms for the greater good of keeping everyone healthy. Why the hell shouldn’t government severely fine those who won’t … or at least, incontrovertibly condemn them?
The mealy-mouthed explanation from Justice Minister Gord Wyant that it was just too confusing as to which bill Sarauer wanted amended or that $10,000 fines wouldn’t discourage law breakers any more than $2,800 fines was an insult to everyone who has obeyed the law.
Bernier literally wore his $2,800 ticket as a badge of honour.
Normally, there is no room in the law-and-order Sask. Party government for those who flout the law … or, at least, this was the justification for going to court to kick teepee protesters off the legislative grounds for a simple bylaw infraction. This is the government that responded to the Colten Boushie killing with tougher trespassing laws
And in response to last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, Moe couldn’t quite get through a very important message on racial inequality without noting a First World War memorial was vandalized with spray paint.
Well, Bernier’s protest Sunday in Saskatoon was in front of the Vimy Ridge Memorial. “Demonstrators” were permitted to wave a Nationalist Party flag that’s come to represent White Supremacy. (To this, one of event’s organizers suggested an “Antifa” protester infiltrated the rally. This was the same organizer who suggested his hand-picked speaker at the November rally uttering racial slurs about chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab didn’t represent the crowd. Gee, some people just can’t get a break.)
One gets that the right to free speech is always messy.
And as long as it isn’t teepee protests, Moe and his government seem huge advocates of free speech. This was evident in the burning need Monday for Wyant to write to federal Justice Minister Steven Guilbeault about amending Bill C-10 when government here might have been otherwise reviewing its Public Health and Emergency Acts in order to ensure fines were effective.
Well, when governing parties aren’t logical or consistent, it usually has something to with politics.
That Moe found it more important Monday to tweet about C-10 and that neither he nor anyone in his government could so much as muster an unprompted comment, member’s statement or even a tweet condemning the Public Health Act violations over the weekend is very politically telling.
The NDP was quick to chide Sask. Party members like Laura Ross for being a one-time Saskatchewan organizer for Bernier’s 2017 federal Conservative of Party Canada leadership but it’s slightly more complicated than that.
It’s unlikely that Carr or any Conservative or Sask.Party supporters have many warm feelings for Bernier, but that they now must compete with his PPC and the Buffalo/Maverick Party for votes and political donations is far more problematic. (Remember that Moe’s first words after his October election win reached out to Buffalo Party supporters.)
Rather than establish, protect and preserve their own conservative brand, both the Sask. Party and the federal Conservatives seem desperate to stop votes and dollars going elsewhere.
And if that means Bernier et. al. gets to flout our laws, so be it.
Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
© Provided by Leader Post A man carrying a Canadian Nationalist Party flag approaches the crowd gathered for a rally protesting COVID-19 public health orders. (Bryn Levy/Saskatoon StarPhoenix)
How difficult could it be to unequivocally condemn an opposing politician wandering into your jurisdiction for the sole purpose of flouting your laws aimed at keeping your citizens healthy?
Or perhaps the real question is: Why were Premier Scott Moe and his Saskatchewan Party government unwilling to condemn not only actions of People’s Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier who rallied against COVID-19 restrictions on the weekend, but also the actions of pretty much any right-wing politician or group?
Let us begin with this Weekend at Bernier’s episode that was anything but funny.
The vast majority of Saskatchewan people who have busted their humps to abide by COVID-19 restrictions deserve something better than a tepid response to law breakers.
No one likes government fines , but the rest of us are actually sacrificing our freedoms for the greater good of keeping everyone healthy. Why the hell shouldn’t government severely fine those who won’t … or at least, incontrovertibly condemn them?
The mealy-mouthed explanation from Justice Minister Gord Wyant that it was just too confusing as to which bill Sarauer wanted amended or that $10,000 fines wouldn’t discourage law breakers any more than $2,800 fines was an insult to everyone who has obeyed the law.
Bernier literally wore his $2,800 ticket as a badge of honour.
Normally, there is no room in the law-and-order Sask. Party government for those who flout the law … or, at least, this was the justification for going to court to kick teepee protesters off the legislative grounds for a simple bylaw infraction. This is the government that responded to the Colten Boushie killing with tougher trespassing laws
And in response to last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, Moe couldn’t quite get through a very important message on racial inequality without noting a First World War memorial was vandalized with spray paint.
Well, Bernier’s protest Sunday in Saskatoon was in front of the Vimy Ridge Memorial. “Demonstrators” were permitted to wave a Nationalist Party flag that’s come to represent White Supremacy. (To this, one of event’s organizers suggested an “Antifa” protester infiltrated the rally. This was the same organizer who suggested his hand-picked speaker at the November rally uttering racial slurs about chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab didn’t represent the crowd. Gee, some people just can’t get a break.)
One gets that the right to free speech is always messy.
And as long as it isn’t teepee protests, Moe and his government seem huge advocates of free speech. This was evident in the burning need Monday for Wyant to write to federal Justice Minister Steven Guilbeault about amending Bill C-10 when government here might have been otherwise reviewing its Public Health and Emergency Acts in order to ensure fines were effective.
Well, when governing parties aren’t logical or consistent, it usually has something to with politics.
That Moe found it more important Monday to tweet about C-10 and that neither he nor anyone in his government could so much as muster an unprompted comment, member’s statement or even a tweet condemning the Public Health Act violations over the weekend is very politically telling.
The NDP was quick to chide Sask. Party members like Laura Ross for being a one-time Saskatchewan organizer for Bernier’s 2017 federal Conservative of Party Canada leadership but it’s slightly more complicated than that.
It’s unlikely that Carr or any Conservative or Sask.Party supporters have many warm feelings for Bernier, but that they now must compete with his PPC and the Buffalo/Maverick Party for votes and political donations is far more problematic. (Remember that Moe’s first words after his October election win reached out to Buffalo Party supporters.)
Rather than establish, protect and preserve their own conservative brand, both the Sask. Party and the federal Conservatives seem desperate to stop votes and dollars going elsewhere.
And if that means Bernier et. al. gets to flout our laws, so be it.
Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
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