Allegations of bribery, a job offer to lead the Covid commission, and oh, about that phone call
Is the veneer of civility masking some abhorrent ideas taking root in the UCP?
As a descendant of Scottish settlers, my family arrived on the east coast in the 1800’s and was a part of a genocidal colonization that I know was terribly wrong. I know I have benefited as a result. I moved west with my family in the 1970’s and am grateful to be here, producing this newsletter in Moh’kinsstis, and the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. I understand that this territory is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. I recognize that the land I now work and live on was stolen from these nations (truth) and I have been afforded these privileges as a result. I support giving the land back as an act of reconciliation.
It seems like a good time to publish another edition of the Wildly Irrational Report. I’ve been writing this newsletter since the UCP was elected in 2019 and I’ve covered some pretty ridiculous goings on. But I don’t think there has been a day quite like May 24th ever in Alberta’s history of elections. At least not in recent times.
I’m referring, of course, to the news conference held by Artur Pawlowski on the steps of the Alberta Legislature.
UCP Leader Danielle Smith hastily called her own news conference about an hour before Pawlowski’s in a failed attempt to dampen the effect. I doubt anyone even remembers what she said at 11 a.m. after the bombs that were dropped at noon.
Call me maybe?
After a fair amount of prancing about and a few prayers, Pawlowski finally took the microphone and made several claims, including that:
Preston Manning was the second choice as head of the lacklustre Covid Commission, because Pawlowski says the lead role was offered to him;
He says he was promised a safe UCP riding to run in if he joined the party, and stopped criticizing, an offer that included a $2M donation to his campaign from a third party donor; and
Pawlowski claims Smith lied when she told the media they simply had a “leader-to-leader” phone call. He says the conversation was always and only about Smith helping him by possibly dropping the charges he faced at the time.
He has since been found guilty of mischief for his role in riling up people and prolonging the blockade at the Coutts border.
Following the bizarre news conference, the UCP released a statement: “The Premier is not aware of any of the conversations or alleged offers referenced by Mr. Pawlowski in his comments today and strongly questions the credibility of his claims.”
This is a tepid response given the seriousness of the accusations. Also, the statement is not a direct denial but a claim of “lack of awareness.”
Some on Twitter were asking Smith to sue Pawlowski for defamation. It was just a short time ago that Smith was threatening the CBC with a lawsuit related to their reporting of evidence that pressure was put on crown prosecutors to drop Pawlowski’s (and others) charges.
Meanwhile, there was an outpouring of outrage and denial of any connections to Pawlowski from UCP supporters online, and even by a small group of protesters who showed up in person with signs proclaiming love for Smith.
Polished performance over public embarrassment
So much of politics is about the way the person says things. The focus is on the outward appearance, the body language, and the emotions that are expressed. People say some pretty outrageous things, but the reaction is often more about the way it was said than the content of their speech.
Let’s look at Pawlowski, who was overflowing with bombastic rhetoric at the news conference. He projected a narcissistic, cult leader vibe. There were many comments about the fact he was sweating profusely, and had a dishevelled appearance. He seemed barely in control of his anger as he lashed out at his political opponents and paced back and forth in front of the media throng.
But WHAT he said in the news conference (and in his many videos) is not that much different from positions taken by Take Back Alberta (TBA), the far right movement that now controls half of the UCP board.
TBA, by the way, is part of the Pacific Prosperity Network (PPN) funded by billionaire Lululemon founder Chip Wilson (and others). Their main spokesperson has been David Parker, a much quieter and more reserved character by all accounts.
Shiny, happy people with shockingly similar messages
Smith has said some pretty awful things, but she says them in a more polished, calm, broadcaster voice. For the most part, she is composed, well-dressed, and doesn’t easily lose her cool or show emotions.
It’s easy to gloss over her awful statements when they are delivered with a straight face, rather than in a sweaty, ranting circus-like atmosphere.
With that in mind, let’s look more closely at how much of a difference there actually is between Pawlowski, Smith and TBA.
Forced birth, barefoot and pregnant
✔️ Pawlowski is staunchly against people having the choice to have an abortion. The concept of reproductive rights is definitely not on his party’s platform, despite their constant “bodily autonomy” claims. Pawlowski quoted the feminist pro-choice slogan first used in 1969 – “My body, my choice” – but he was referring to vaccination.
✔️ Parker from TBA/UCP has been a little more nuanced in his public statements. He has equated families not having children and women putting careers before kids as a “war between the pro-humans and anti-humans.” He called himself “pro-procreation” saying he’s against policies that “discourage women from having children.”
Do not say gay, trans, or anything queer
✔️ Pawlowski is adamantly opposed to 2SLGTBQIA+ rights, calling drag performers pedophiles and all queer people “perverts.” He infamously wrote about the 2013 flood in Calgary that “Jesus is weeping for this province, for the over 10,000 murdered children by abortion per year in Alberta alone. He is weeping for the perversions of homosexuality which includes the walking out the pride of their abominations in the streets of our cities.”
✔️ Smith is on record publicly “singing the praises of hard-right politicians, like Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida…for creating ‘little bastions of freedom’ in their states – ones she’d like to replicate in Alberta.” The UCP approved a candidate in central Alberta who went on to compare transgender children to "feces in food." Smith quickly cut her off from the UCP but the next day, said she could find her way back into caucus with "a lot of work."
Revenge and hysteria around vaccines
✔️ Pawlowski objected to the way the UCP government handled the Covid-19 pandemic and called for all charges to be dropped against those who disobeyed health orders. He also wants to see the people in power punished for their role in offering vaccination. He has been quoted as wanting to “end vaccinations.”
✔️ Smith compared those who got the COVID-19 vaccine to followers of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, saying they had been “swayed by tyrants.” One of the first things she did when appointed Premier by the party was fire Alberta’s top chief medical officer of health. She also removed all 11 remaining members of the Alberta Health Services board and said they "manufactured" the shortage of health-care workers. Smith shamelessly ran on a platform of amnesty for anti-vaxxers charged with disobeying health orders.
Dehumanizing language and violence
✔️ Pawlowski called many of his opponents “evil,” “liars” and even called Smith a murderer for giving the vaccine to babies. He also said he sees no difference between Nazis, communists and socialists. He called Rachel Notley a “witch,” although it’s not clear whether he meant he thought she was an actual witch?
✔️ Parker told a Postmedia reporter that the NDP represented a “toxic and disease-ridden ideology.” Society, Parker says, is under attack. “You can vote your way into socialism,” he said in a speech a few months ago. “You almost always have to shoot your way out.”
As we head into the election, we need to ask ourselves whether we’re really listening to what is being said. It’s easy to dismiss a loud, sweaty, “preacher,” throwing around Bible verses and creating a modern day satanic panic. But a closer examination of what the mainstream UCP party, their leader and new overlords, Take Back Alberta, have been saying, reveals a surprising similarity of thought.
Is the veneer of civility on some fundamentally uncivil statements preventing us from seeing how far conservatives in Alberta have fallen?
Links:
https://globalnews.ca/news/9697493/take-back-alberta-david-parker-may-2023/
https://www.streetchurch.ca/journals/flooding-the-gentle-reminder/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-can-alberta-take-four-more-years-of-danielle-smith/
https://rabble.ca/politics/canadian-politics/far-right-extremists-form-new-provincial-alta-party/
https://globalnews.ca/news/9683595/danielle-smith-covid-vaccine-nazi-comments/