The UCP Speaker of the Alberta Legislature says MLAs that jetted off to sun and sand holidays have undermined Premier Jason Kenney’s “moral authority” to govern the province..The comments by Nathan Cooper come in a letter to a constituent obtained by Postmedia..“That so many of my colleagues chose (to holiday outside the province) should be of great embarrassment to the government, especially Premier Jason Kenney who chose not to sanction these senior officials and staff members until he was prompted to do so by widespread public outrage,” Cooper wrote..“The hypocrisy of this scandal has clearly undermined this government’s moral authority, and while these senior officials have now been sanctioned, the government now faces an uphill battle in rebuilding the public trust that has been lost.”.It is not yet known if Cooper had any intention of the email becoming public..The UCP has been mired in the ‘Snowbird Scandal’ since it was revealed 10 MLAs and staffers fled the pandemic lockdown for warmer climates over the Christmas holidays.. Mossleigh pub briefly opens before authorities move in .The wayward travellers were led by former Municipal Affairs Minister Tracey Allard, who was ordered back to the province by Kenney when it was discovered she was following a “17-year-tradition” by having a family holiday in Hawaii..The lockdown she left behind cancelled Christmas for most Albertans as household gatherings were made illegal. People were also not allowed to visit elderly relatives in long term care facilities..On New Year’s Day, Kenney held a much-maligned press conference in which he fell on the sword saying he had not made in clear enough to his caucus and staff they shouldn’t leave the province for tropical vacations when their constituents were in lockdown..Three days later Kenney removed Allard from cabinet – along with the $60,000 bump in salary the job comes with – and stripped the backbenchers of minor legislature committee roles..Kenney also fired his chief-of-staff Jaime Huckabay who took off for the United Kingdom..A Western Standard source – a former Tory cabinet minister and a confidant of Kenney – said it was “inconceivable” the premier wasn’t aware of Allard’s plans..In his letter to the constituent, Cooper, the MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, said he remained in Alberta during the holiday season..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
The UCP Speaker of the Alberta Legislature says MLAs that jetted off to sun and sand holidays have undermined Premier Jason Kenney’s “moral authority” to govern the province..The comments by Nathan Cooper come in a letter to a constituent obtained by Postmedia..“That so many of my colleagues chose (to holiday outside the province) should be of great embarrassment to the government, especially Premier Jason Kenney who chose not to sanction these senior officials and staff members until he was prompted to do so by widespread public outrage,” Cooper wrote..“The hypocrisy of this scandal has clearly undermined this government’s moral authority, and while these senior officials have now been sanctioned, the government now faces an uphill battle in rebuilding the public trust that has been lost.”.It is not yet known if Cooper had any intention of the email becoming public..The UCP has been mired in the ‘Snowbird Scandal’ since it was revealed 10 MLAs and staffers fled the pandemic lockdown for warmer climates over the Christmas holidays.. Mossleigh pub briefly opens before authorities move in .The wayward travellers were led by former Municipal Affairs Minister Tracey Allard, who was ordered back to the province by Kenney when it was discovered she was following a “17-year-tradition” by having a family holiday in Hawaii..The lockdown she left behind cancelled Christmas for most Albertans as household gatherings were made illegal. People were also not allowed to visit elderly relatives in long term care facilities..On New Year’s Day, Kenney held a much-maligned press conference in which he fell on the sword saying he had not made in clear enough to his caucus and staff they shouldn’t leave the province for tropical vacations when their constituents were in lockdown..Three days later Kenney removed Allard from cabinet – along with the $60,000 bump in salary the job comes with – and stripped the backbenchers of minor legislature committee roles..Kenney also fired his chief-of-staff Jaime Huckabay who took off for the United Kingdom..A Western Standard source – a former Tory cabinet minister and a confidant of Kenney – said it was “inconceivable” the premier wasn’t aware of Allard’s plans..In his letter to the constituent, Cooper, the MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, said he remained in Alberta during the holiday season..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
