Bill 22 - a call to action! (Guest Blogger: Sunshiny)

Once again I am delighted to host a friend's thoughts here in my blog.

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Today’s passing of Bill 22 is devastating. Far more than most realize. Here is an explanation of what is happening. We cannot rely on Ottawa, the Crown, or Trudeau to intervene. Manufactured western alienation makes intervention untenable for a minority government.

I’ll try to explain briefly. Political capital is spent when performing actions that are perceived as partisan. Intervening with the level of animus so high in AB would be perceived as partisan and interference in provincial purview. We’re on our own.

Not only that, there are three provinces passing legislation that infringes on human rights (QC), infringes on municipal independence (ON), or is a corrupt act & infringes on rule of law (AB). It’s a coordinated attack. They are trying to break up Canada, to dole out resources.

These are very corrupt people connected to a global criminal syndicate. A multipronged attack on democracy. If Trudeau disallows the legislation, there will be no Canadian unity. It’s what cons are counting on.

The GG could intervene and direct the LG to reject the bill.

However, GG or the Crown, does not intervene in politics. They follow the recommendations of the executive, the PM.

It would be perceived as a partisan act. 

The problem is this:
If government intervenes (Crown or PM) then it is seen as partisan.

If population protests, it is perceived as will of the people. Populism has its benefits. This is one.

A mob raging about the injustice and obvious corruption is the required response. 

Even if NDP leads the response, it will continue to be perceived as partisan.

This needs to be citizen led, grassroots. From the people themselves.

The problem? MSM are complicit in suppression of the information, downplaying the risk and labeling it as partisan. Read Notley’s threads and the attached comments. You’ll see the intimidation, minimization, gaslighting and disinformation being propagated along with her attempt to keep the public informed.

That’s no accident. It politicizes the information. 

Frankly all citizens should be very concerned. This is a blatant corrupt act.

But they aren’t. Why?

Because Kenney is employing the exact same strategy Trump used to beat Mueller Report and that he’s using to try to overcome conviction of Senate. 

Trump will be impeached in the House. But to remove him from office, 67 senators must vote to convict. Meaning about 20 Republican Senators need to vote against Trump and for conviction.

Trump is gaming the system. 

If he can maintain support of his base, he can maintain support of the Republican Senate.

So he has a cadre of complicit Republicans intentionally muddying the waters. They lie, distract, put forward false accusations, etc.

They are manipulating perception. 

If enough gullible souls believe the lies, Senators will not vote to convict. Remember, these Senators paycheques depend upon retaining their seat in Congress and that’s determined by the electorate.

That’s the negative side of populism.

Every politician knows Trump is guilty. 

It’s the same strategy Kenney is using.

Firing the EC who is investigating UCP is textbook obstruction of justice. There is no way to see it otherwise. Kenney, his minions and a few cabinet ministers personally escape scrutiny. 

It’s the same strategy Kenney is using.

Firing the EC who is investigating UCP is textbook obstruction of justice. There is no way to see it otherwise. Kenney, his minions and a few cabinet ministers personally escape scrutiny. That’s obstruction of the investigation. Period. 

But UCP MLA’s are manipulating the narrative. Trying to say it’s about saving money. It isn’t. The UCP are handing money out to their cronies & supporters like Halloween candy. The savings are minimal compared to the $4.7B in tax cuts and glad handing going on. 

But there is also an army of bots and trolls on every NDP politician’s twitter and Facebook muddying the waters. Stating it’s envy because NDP lost the election, or the EC is overstepping his boundaries, or repeating the budget savings lie. 

That’s intentional, and coordinated. Those of us paying attention know the difference. A casual user of twitter may not. They’d be confused and doubt the veracity of Notley’s claim of obstruction of justice. 

They don't even have to so much refute it, but the introduction of doubt makes people second guess the magnitude. The perception of hyperbole is introduced.

On top of those trolls & bots, we have suppression of information in MSM. While the information is available, it’s buried amongst other news. 

The conservative MSM are slow to publish criticism, while progressive or centrist MSM are quick on the story. This is huge news. The dragging of feet means the perception of hyperbole is reinforced in the moderate to low information consumer. Only the left is amplifying info. 

Then you have national MSM completely ignoring the information. Watched news today. Not a word or mention of this, though they amplified Notley being kicked out of Leg immediately. To allow countless op ed articles calling Notley hyperbolic to be published. 

This is all coordinated. Someone or some entity is controlling information Canadians & Albertans receive, the timing, and the op eds. There is no other explanation.

If enough people believe this is NDP hyperbolizing and partisan resentment over the election, they’ll ignore it. 

And that is what Kenney & UCP are counting on. Commit crime in broad daylight and get away with it. The vast majority of the population isn’t engaged in daily politics. Corrupt politicians take advantage of that. Like Trump & Kenney & Ford & Scheer. 

However, it requires control of the flow of information. Guaranteed most rural Albertans have no clue this is happening. Postmedia has a monopoly on rural print media. 

Nationally, most Canadians are only aware of Notley being kicked out of Leg, but not series of events that occurred in last 24 hours.

Kenney invokes closure at 11:00 pm, bill passes 3rd reading by next day at noon.

That’s unprecedented. And NOT DEMOCRACY. 

Most urban people will only learn of this tonight or even tomorrow morning, depending on when & where they get their news.

This is how despots work. In the dark. Democracy dies in darkness. That’s what that means. The corrupt cover their tracks. 

Except this was done in broad daylight.

That means we are living in a post truth society. We are told what to believe, not given the information to decide for ourselves.

Those of us who voraciously seek the truth are made out to be conspiracy theorists.

MSM is complicit. 

Kenney couldn’t do this without the assistance of MSM. Meaning the 4th estate no longer exists in Canada. MSM has abdicated their responsibility to inform the public and hold government accountable. That’s the only way corruption can occur in broad daylight. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Kenney was in Texas getting assistance to coordinate this by more experienced cons.

We are in huge trouble. If Lt. Gov signs that Bill, I’d bet my last dollar a shredding party and computer purge commences immediately. 

Important information to glean from this series of events:

*MSM is compromised, without a doubt.
*This is the first attempt. There will be more.
*Scheer would implement the same nation wide if elected.
*Fed NDP has been silent.
*LPC is unable to help. 

We are on our own.
That means we need to start using grassroots democracy. Develop the networks. Expand the grassroots telegraph.
Move beyond Social Media.
And limit partisan rhetoric.
Time to get organized and get our poop in a group. Who’s with me?

Letter to my MLA re: Bill 22

Ms Miranda Rosin (UCP)
MLA for Banff-Kananaskis

503C Legislature Building
10800-97 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6

November 21, 2019

Ms Rosin,

I am writing to you as a constituent, residing in the riding of Banff-Kananaskis, where I have lived for 11 years. Since it is your duty to represent your constituents, it is only fair to let you know my feelings on a piece of legislation that I feel is extremely detrimental to Albertans.

Bill 22 is an omnibus bill that rolls several different topics into one large and difficult to read document. The UCP government is rushing this legislation through.

This unseemly haste appears to be an effort to suspend ongoing investigations by the current election commissioner before the commissioner has an opportunity to report to the legislature. There does not appear to be any cost-savings of a magnitude to warrant the change. Therefore, it seems to the public like a blatant attempt to interfere with and possibly shut down the investigation into UCP alleged wrong-doing.

In addition, Bill 22 dissolves Alberta Sport Connection which provides funding and support for groups such as Special Olympics Alberta, and the Alberta Schools Athletics Association. Also, Bill 22 disestablishes the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation which supports museums in the province, such as the Glenbow Museum. Both sports and culture generate revenue. Undermining these entities seems woefully short-sighted.

Furthermore, Bill 22 will arbitrarily take Alberta teachers' pensions away from the financial manager the teachers chose and place this money with AIMCO, an arms-length provincial funds manager. AIMCO was pulled out of Finance in 2007 and has operated independently since. But legislation made it independent, and legislation could roll it back under the control of the Minister of Finance just as easily. Many teachers and other Albertans are now wondering why we should trust the UCP to not, some time in the future, take control over AIMCO and its (our) assets. Especially when the UCP government seems to be simultaneously derailing an investigation into its own activities.

As your constituent, I urge you, my elected representative in the Alberta Legislature, in the strongest terms, to reject Bill 22. The Bill should be broken into its various parts and each should receive a fulsome discussion and debate. Late-night rushed sessions with time closure do nothing to inspire confidence. 

First reading was November 18, second reading passed on November 20, and third reading was to have been today, but was adjourned. Why the haste? In four days from the first anyone heard of the bill to nearing royal assent? That seems far too short a time for members to even fully read and digest the contents of such a lengthy and complex bill, let alone consult with constituents and familiarise themselves with the broader picture.

Please vote no in the third reading, so this bill can be unpacked and more closely examined. To pass this bill without reasonable time for consideration and debate would be a demonstration of party over province. Have you read the entire Bill 22 and do you understand all of it and its ramifications? Would you be able to explain it to others? To represent a riding is more than just voting the way your party leader tells you to vote. You owe it to your constituents to know what you are voting for, and how it will affect the lives of your constituents. It is your responsibility.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Norlaine Thomas

Letter to my MLA re: Bill 207

Ms Miranda Rosin (UCP)
MLA for Banff-Kananaskis

503C Legislature Building
10800-97 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6

November 21, 2019

Ms Rosin,

You are my MLA and I would to take this opportunity to express how I feel about Bill 207.

The private members bill (207) is both unnecessary and harmful. Health care professionals in Alberta already have the right to refuse to perform procedures or prescribe treatments they object to on the basis of conscience. But they must refer the patient to another practitioner who will fulfill their patient's health care needs.

Bill 207 absolves them of this responsibility. That is called patient abandonment. 

It may not be such a big deal in an larger urban centre, but this could have disastrous effects for people who live in small or remote communities where the nearest next choice doctor is several hours' drive away. A referral would, at least, allow a person in such a situation to know before embarking on a journey, that they will be able to receive the care they need when they get there.

The basic conscience elements of this bill are already covered by the various professional governing bodies that regulate health care in Alberta. The removal of a requirement to refer seems purely ideological and, frankly, vindictive.

UCP leader, Jason Kenney, and many UCP MLAs have expressed their pro-life/anti-choice stances. They oppose MAID, presumably believing that people should not have the choice to end their own suffering when it becomes unbearable. The UCP has shown nothing but antipathy for the LGBTQ2+ community. And we all realise that many of you received campaign support from various pro-life organisations and this bill seems to be a gesture towards repayment.

However, as an elected official in this province, you work for ALL Albertans, not just the ones who voted for you. Therefore, as a constituent, I urge you to vote against Bill 207 at every reading.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Norlaine Thomas

Why We Must Defend Canadian Healthcare

Canadian Conservative Parties: There is so much you do not understand about Canadians, it's hard to know where to begin, but I will start with health care. 

You see, most Canadians really treasure our universal health care. We are happy to pay taxes knowing that we and our neighbours and Canadians across the country can access the care they need, regardless of their ability to pay. 

We are proud that no one in Canada goes bankrupt paying medical bills, and people aren't dying because they are too poor to visit a doctor. 

We like to think our doctors and other health care professionals are doing medicine because they truly want to help people; not because they want to live in a mansion and drive a Ferrari. 

We are deeply uncomfortable with anyone who tries to profit from the misfortune of another. In the US, this would be private health corporations, private hospitals, private clinics, and insurance companies. 

Health care should be about making people well, or at least comfortable. It should not be about making other people rich. In the US, the healthcare industry is about making money, not helping sick people get well. 

Certainly some healthcare workers do care about patients. But the industry, as a whole, could just as easily be making widgets. It's just that healthcare is more lucrative. 

When the discussion is focused on return on investment, market share/market segmentation, competitive advantages, growth strategies, etc, you are talking about a for-profit enterprise. This is a thing that exists to generate wealth for investors.

The $11.9 Trillion Global Healthcare Market: Key Opportunities & Strategies (2014-2022) - ResearchAndMarkets.comThehttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190625005862/en/11.9-Trillion-Global-Healthcare-Market-Key-Opportunities

This is completely a separate thing from providing compassionate care to people who need it. This thinking cuts corners to increase profits, and results in withdrawal of services from unprofitable areas (remote, low population, poor). 

The insertion of profit as the metric of success increases the cost of everything. Having multiple providers competing for the same products (gloves, syringes, sutures, pharmaceuticals, etc) makes the costs of those products rise. 

Hospitals and clinics will compete to get the best staff. This increases their cost of doing business. Marketing of services adds to the overhead. All these costs get passed on to the consumer - you with your ailment or injury. 

A two-tier system would syphon off the most qualified practitioners, leaving those who lack the resources to pay with a much lower standard of care. One type of care for the wealthy and another for the poor. 

Here is a video explaining some of the differences between a US for-profit kind of health care, & Canada's universal health care. Note: one big criticism, the exclusion of pharmaceuticals from health care, is on track to be resolved with pharmacare.

If that video made you feel discouraged about our universal health care, check out the situation in the US. Really, watch this one for sure!

We Canadians see what is going on in the US, with people trying to pay for their surgery or chemo or childbirth with a go-fund-me. The health care industry in the US sees Canada as a massive untapped market from which they could reap even greater profits. 

We don't want that. Canadians, by and large, do not want to be exploited by for-profit health corporations. 

Conservative parties in Canada are lobbied by healthcare and insurance corporations. They also have a fundamental belief that healthcare should provide someone with a profit. There should be investors and user pay, not this pooling of resources we have now. 

This is one key area in which 1/3 of Canadians and one kind of political party differs radically from the majority of Canadians. So, Mssrs Scheer, Kenney, Ford, Moe, and Pallister, you and your friends need to keep your mitts off our healthcare! 

I would like to add, as a post-script, that you cannot sell your blood in Canada. You can in the US. Right now it is prohibited in Canada to sell blood, organs, tissue, sperm, eggs or embryos. The reason for this is simple. 

Allowing people to sell bits of their bodies creates the potential for dire exploitation of those with little or no means, and creates the possibility of them negatively impacting their health and well-being just to get a few dollars.

Corporations have no feelings. They exist to create wealth. Therefore it is not surprising that some are encroaching into the area of paying for plasma. And it is a thin edge of the wedge.

10 things to know about Canada's pay-for-plasma landscape | CBC NewsA pay-for-plasma blood clinic that recently opened in Saskatoon is raising questions about the liquid left behind when blood cells and platelets are removed. Here are 10 things to know about Canada's…https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/paid-plasma-blood-donations-canada-1.3480763

The UCP, Social Engineering, and Education in Alberta

What was it Jason Kenney said about a "liberal agenda" and "social engineering in our schools"? The UCP is reading the GOP cue cards. 

GOP Lawmaker Wants To End Higher Education To ‘Save America’ From LiberalsConservative Christians fear education: Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts wants to “save America” by putting an end to higher education because it is a “liberal breeding ground.”https://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2019/09/gop-lawmaker-wants-to-end-higher-education-to-save-america-from-liberals/?fbclid=IwAR2jkNjwiSPyH3t3dB-6U8h7tCXe9SiRJpOm9XMilft2RSGv3NHXGrtPZWE

 

Oh, right! This was also a meme topic for the CPC. Those cue cards are really getting passed around! 

The UCP has cut funding to all but Christian and private universities. The K-12 budget has been cut. Increased enrollment without increased funding is a cut.  

The UCP is talking about making post-secondary funding contingent on certain outcomes, especially employment and income rates of graduates. The UCP wants to eliminate everything except trades and hard sciences useful to natural resource extraction.  

The UCP does not want Albertans of the future to have critical thinking skills, media literacy, historians, philosophers, artists, intellectuals, sociologists... 

This is social engineering. Not what the NDP implemented which supported treating everyone with respect. Being decent to each other. No, this is what social engineering looks like. Take away the thinkers, take away the dissidents, take away those who disagree...  

Not unlike deleting comments from those who disagreed or had questions about what Kenney announced on Sunday at the Manning Centre.... 

But on a bigger scale. A pre-emptive scale. Like retroactive legislation. Stop the problem before it happens, even if you have to go back in time to do it. 

Retroactive Laws Made for One Guy!A blog about life in Canada. Everything from political ranting to living off the grid, to really whatever strikes my fancy.https://thecailleach.blogspot.com/2019/11/retroactive-laws-made-for-one-guy.html

There is a plan, folks. It doesn't end well for society. The UCP, CPC, and other right-wing governments is Canada want to dismantle our culture. I know it sounds conspiracy-theory-ish, fair enough. But keep your eyes open. They are trying to change us. Change our culture.