“Criminal incompetence” was the term used by one senior UCP member today..“If these guys were running a business, the whole lot of them would be fired for it,” said conservative continued..It’s been more than a year and-a-half since COVID-19 started to lap Canada’s shores..Governments overreacted at the time with draconian lockdowns and other mandatory restrictions. That initial overreaction could arguably have been forgiven. Little was known about the virus, and the Chinese Communist Party was jailing doctors and journalists that tried to speak out. For all we knew, it was the doomsday virus of our worst Hollywood nightmares..As it turned out, it wasn’t. It was serious, but not the Spanish flu that was feared. It may have been an overabundance of caution, but not entirely unwarranted under the circumstances..But the actions of the Alberta government since are beyond excusable..“Two weeks to flatten the curve” was the mantra..It’s now more than probable that we’ll soon be entering “two years to flatten the curve.”.Premier Jason Kenney admirably recognized some of the errors of the first lockdown, like shutting down most independent retailers while allowing big box stores to continue on with only mild interruption. As summer 2020 approached and cases declined, he ended the lockdown and loosened restrictions to more-or-less tolerable levels..And then fall 2020 approached. As the regular flu season set it, so too did a surge in COVID-19 cases. NDP Leader Rachel Notley called for a return to lockdowns and a few weeks later, Kenney did just that..It was Lockdown Number 2..A majority of Albertans supported it at the time, but some resisted, including one teenager who was attacked by incompetent police officers for the offence of playing hockey..“I’ll f**king take you!” was heard as the outlaw attempted to skate away from the scene of the crime..It lasted all the way through Christmas, with the government prohibiting most family members from visiting loved ones over the holidays. That is, unless you travelled to warm sun destinations without restrictions, as did a sizeable number of UCP MLAs, staffers, and a cabinet minister..If we’re going to mark a moment in which the government lost its moral authority, we can draw a straight line to this event. It is at this moment that Kenney and his government began to lose the plot..Several refusing congregations declined to shut down their churches or follow other government orders. Their pastors were arrested and jailed, while police raided the churches and took control. Real Free World stuff..In May, a rebel farmer near Bowden, Alta. held a ‘No More Lockdowns Rodeo’ in defiance of the government..Soon after, Kenney told his caucus, “If they are our base, I want a new base,” according to several MLAs present..More than a dozen UCP constituency associations passed a special resolution demanding a leadership review before Kenney headed them off at the pass by having his review scheduled for soon before the 2023 election..Then, 17 UCP MLAs signed an open letter criticizing Kenney’s handling of COVID-19 and demanded an end to lockdowns and restrictions. MLAs in the caucus told the Western Standard at the time the premier threatened the rebels with an early election if they didn’t fall in line..It was a clear sign that Kenney was losing his iron grip on caucus..Then on May 31, MLA Todd Loewen called for Kenney’s resignation, and was joined in his call by fellow MLA Dave Hanson. Kenney responded by having Loewen fired, alongside trouble-maker Drew Barnes. MLAs inside the caucus told us they believed the vote to be razor close, but the actual tally was never revealed. At least to them..It was a political bloodbath, with a serious revolt against Kenney’s leadership on the move..The revolt gained steam days later, when photos emerged of Kenney, Environment Minister Jason Nixon, Health Minister Tyler Shandro, and Finance Minister Travis Toews — along with an assortment of staffers — have an illegal dinner on the rooftop patio of the Sky Palace in clear violation of their own rules..The revolt threatened to spin out of control, until Kenney’s announcement on May 26 that all restrictions will be lifted in stages. By July 1, Alberta would be “Open for Summer™.”.In fact, it would be the “Best Summer Ever™.”.The Tories were so confident in this that they sold merchandise with the jovial slogan plastered across hats..The rebels in caucus weren’t quite happy campers, but it more-or-less shut them up. The caucus revolt was dead..At some point in August, a man approached the premier at what appears to be a Stampede gathering, surreptitiously taping their conversation..“It’s open for good. Open for good,” Kenney tells the man..“I swear to God,” Kenney said, making the sign of the Cross..On September 2, Notley called for Kenney to reinstitute forced-masking and impose a mandatory vaccine passport. In short order, Kenney followed the NDP leader’s demand for masking, but not on vaccine passports..For good measure, the government made it illegal to serve beer or booze after 10 p.m. because well, you’ve got me stumped there..COVID-19 case counts are on the up this fall, just as they were last fall. They will probably go down again when the weather gets warmer in 2022..Hospital and ICU capacity are severely strained..But how is that possible? How is it after one and-a-half-years of COVID-19 as the overwhelming priority of the government and massive sums of money borrowed to pay for increased spending, and 70% of the population now vaccinated, that our healthcare system does not have the capacity to handle a relatively predictable surge in cases?.How is it possible that after the suffering, sacrifice and toil endured by Albertans since March 2020, that Alberta is back under another lockdown, as of Friday..Oh yeah, that would be Lockdown Number 3..“Criminal incompetence.”.The UCP Caucus is bitterly divided over whether to return to lockdowns or impose mandatory vaccine passports..Sources in the caucus tell the Western Standard that three MLAs openly said that they had “no confidence” in Kenney’s continued premiership and leadership during their emergency Tuesday meeting..Much of the caucus is on the warpath over Kenney breaking his word that Alberta was “Open for Good™.”.Others in the caucus, like Leela Aheer, are openly blasting the premier for botching the whole thing by reopening too early, in their minds..Kenney has tried to straddle both sides of the fence since the beginning, with predictably inconsistent results..The mandatory-vaxers and lockdowners are furious at what they perceive as Kenney’s inaction and weak leadership. The refuseniks and anti-lockdowners are equally furious at the premier’s overreaction and weak leadership..The result is Alberta is going to enter its second year to flatten the curve, with no end in sight..Derek Fildebrandt is Publisher of the Western Standard
