Publishing date: June 05, 2021 •
Two United Conservative Party cabinet ministers have called out Premier Jason Kenney after he violated provincial COVID-19 rules during a patio dinner.
In a Facebook post Saturday afternoon, Chestermere-Strathmore MLA Leela Aheer called for an apology from the premier after photos obtained by the media showed Kenney and three other cabinet ministers dining on a patio linked to a government office space in Edmonton known as the Sky Palace. Some attendees were seated closer than the required two metres of distance and none were wearing masks.
“I am confused and, like you, extremely hurt, and I’m so sorry for any pain, anger, or frustration this may have caused you,” wrote Aheer, the minister of culture, multiculturalism and status of women.
“All of us make mistakes, but this one is a big one, and I am truly sorry. You’ve had to maneuver, pivot, and adapt to the rules put in place by our government. I can only imagine how disappointed you must be.
“Our leadership should sincerely apologize.”
Aheer said she has “diligently” followed public health orders and encouraged others to do the same.
Minister of Community and Social Services Rajan Sawhney, MLA for Calgary-North East, made similar comments in an interview on RED FM Friday, expressing frustrations with the photo after having taken pains to follow restrictions while meeting with her mother recently.
“I would never have done (what they did) in the picture,” said Sawhney in Punjabi, as translated by RED FM news director Rishi Nagar.
In the photos, Kenney is shown seated with senior cabinet ministers Jason Nixon, Tyler Shandro and Travis Toews. At the legislature Thursday. the premier defended the dinner as an outdoor gathering, saying because there were fewer than 10 people in attendance, it did not violate public health rules.
Under Stage 1 of the province’s reopening plan, which began the day the photos were taken, physical distancing is mandatory among members of different households in outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people.
Aheer’s statement comes the day after UCP backbencher Angela Pitt, MLA for Airdrie-East, criticized Kenney and the three cabinet ministers for the dinner, saying “it seems clear” several health restrictions were violated.
Pitt’s statement called on the premier to loosen public health rules, saying restrictions are inconsistent and unfair to businesses, a message Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Dave Hanson expressed support for.
The criticism from Aheer is notable not only because she is a cabinet minister, but also because her frustrations come from a perspective unique from previous dissenters, said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt.
“She is a very important figure in the party. … It’s not just that she’s a minister. She’s coming from the centre part of the party,” Bratt said.
“She’s saying, ‘The COVID restrictions are appropriate, but you have violated them, premier.’ ”
In her statement, Aheer also took aim at Kenney for comments made earlier this week denouncing “cancel culture,” after a reporter asked his opinion on the Calgary Board of Education’s decision to rename Langevin School.
In response, Kenney said John A. Macdonald was “an imperfect man, but he was still a great leader.” Both Macdonald and Hector-Louis Langevin were architects of Canada’s residential school system. The comments came days after the bodies of 215 children were found buried at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
“These deplorable acts are not to be debated. Sir John A. Macdonald and Hector-Louis Langevin, among others, were architects of the residential schools where children died because of disease, neglect, and beatings,” Aheer said.
“Changing the names of schools and educating people about these atrocities is not “cancel culture.” Cancel culture is what has happened to our First Nations by not acknowledging these atrocities and those responsible.”
Bratt said Kenney has prolonged the political fallout of the patio dinner by not initially apologizing for it, leaving him with limited options to deal with the situation now.
“Had he apologized on Wednesday or Thursday, we’re not talking about this today. But he didn’t just say he did nothing wrong, he got quite defiant about it,” Bratt said. “For him to apologize now, it wouldn’t be sincere.”
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley weighed in on the issue on Twitter, saying, “If (Kenney) won’t listen to Albertans, will he listen to some of his closest allies when they demand he do the right thing?”
The premier’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
— With files from Lisa Johnson and Ashley Joannou
jherring@postmedia.com
Twitter: @jasonfherring
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| IN BETTER TIMES |
First, a few background facts about Leela.
Her father immigrated from India to Canada in 1963 in order to study chemical engineering at the University of Alberta.
Leela was born in Edmonton in 1970 and her family moved down to the Chestermere area in 1971.
Straight out of highschool, Leela went solo travelling through India. The experience informed not just her politics, but her worldview in general.
Leela studied political science at the University of Calgary, but decided to pursue her love of music and travelled to Winnipeg to study full time.
Leela has been married for 21 years, has two kids and runs a variety of successful businesses in Chestermere.
Leela is in a band called Minerva. Check it out here!
Leela Aheer was appointed as Alberta’s Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women on April 30, 2019. She is also Minister responsible for the Francophone Secretariat. Previously serving as the Opposition Critic for Children’s Services and Status of Women, Aheer brings her experience as a legislator to her new portfolio. A key priority of the new government is to provide more protections for women, through initiatives like Clare’s Law.
Aheer will continue to work hard to build an Alberta that regardless of who you are, who you love, where you come from, to whom you pray – is for generations to come, strong and free. SHE IS IN THE WRONG PARTY
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