Stop the Spin

The hypocrisy is enough to make Joseph Stalin blush.

The spring sitting of the legislature wrapped this week. All told, 19 pieces of legislation were debated which feels like a lot for just nine weeks of sitting time. The way the government manages to push so many bills through in so little time is by use of something called time allocation. Basically, they just limit debate time.

This is not standard practice for a government, but the UCP isn’t interested in spending any more time in the Legislature than they must. The sessional calendar under the UCP has us down to just 13 sitting weeks in the year. Under Jason Kenney, the legislature sometimes sat for almost double that amount of time.

Why does it matter how long we sit for? This is a question that MLAs muse about on the long night shifts that happen in the last couple weeks of session. The outcome of all these pieces of legislation is essentially predetermined. A majority government will pass all of its bills, and this government won’t entertain any amendments from opposition. So, what’s the point of it all?

In theory, the legislative process is a time to be thoughtful about the creation of new laws. If the UCP was interested in good governance, they would listen to questions raised in debate and provide answers. If the UCP was interested in good governance, they would consider amendments brought forward from opposition members. If the UCP was interested in good governance, they would allow more time for scrutiny and debate.

No surprise, the UCP isn’t interested in good governance. They are interested in power, how to hold onto power, and how to use power to advance their ideology.

One of the final bills of this session was changes to the Elections Act. Were you aware of this piece of legislation being brought forward? If you were, I congratulate you for paying exquisite attention to detail (or for reading my last post!). The bill was introduced only two weeks before the legislature was scheduled to rise. We had six days to discuss a bill that brings big money back into politics.

It can take a long time for the content of the legislature to filter out into the public consciousness. The UCP knows this and that’s exactly why they brought their election bill at the last minute. They don’t really want Albertans to know that their ability to vote anywhere has been removed or that corporate interests once again have a voice in our elections.

They also don’t want Albertans asking too many questions about their health bill, which was introduced on the same timeline. I imagine they don’t want Albertans to know that they created a new section in the Health Act to allow the Minister of Health to designate hospital operators, opening the door for private management of Alberta’s hospitals.

I might just be cranky because it’s been a long week but I’m sick and tired of the way this government operates. You want private health care and big money in politics and no-fault insurance and claw backs of the federal disability benefit for extremely disabled people living in poverty? Stand up and say so.

In the 2023 election the UCP didn’t want to run an election on leaving the CPP, because they knew they would lose. And yet, after spending the election month beating their breast about NDP “fearmongering”, the first thing they did when they got into government was start moves on leaving the CPP. The hypocrisy is enough to make Joseph Stalin blush.

Stop the spin and start telling Albertans what you really stand for. Then let’s see who Albertans choose to govern.