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Jason Kenny the Premier of Alberta is making the definitive case for the Federal Government to take over handling public health decisions during a pandemic event.  Captain Clownshow is making noises about ending public health measures early (*again* – Open for SUMMER!!!?!).

“Premier Jason Kenney said that a plan to end COVID-19 restrictions in Alberta will come in a matter of days, during a live address on Facebook Thursday night.

“As COVID changes, our response to it must change as well. That is why early next week, Alberta will announce a firm date to end the Restrictions Exemptions Program and to do so in the very near future,” Kenney said.

“We will also lay out a simple, phased, plan to remove almost all public health restrictions later this month, as long as we see a trend of declining pressure on our hospitals.”

If our Premier had a record of exercising the precautionary principle I just might believe his last sentence.  He doesn’t, so I won’t.  Open For Spriiiiiiiiing! is the next UCP foray into overtaxing our healthcare system and letting more people become COVID-19 statistics.

   “Kenney faced political pressure from many directions Thursday to both ditch restrictions immediately and keep them in place.

A week ago, he said a plan to remove restrictions would likely come “by the end of March.” Five days later, he changed the timeline when he said he hoped to relax measures this month.

On Thursday, a UCP statement said the premier will begin lifting restrictions “within days.”

Since Saturday, a convoy has been protesting vaccine rules, and occasionally blocking roads and a border crossing in southern Alberta.

“It certainly gives the impression that Mr. Kenney is caving to the far right, rural fringes of his political base,” said Keith Brownsey, a political scientist at Mount Royal University.”

Yep, because this is what good government looks like – allowing the vaccine skeptical science deniers make public health policy.  Pandering to the false populist fringe in Alberta on important public health matters goes quite beyond the pale.  It’s like asking Flat-Earther Society for their ‘facts’ for a science textbook.

Ludicrous.

“A political scientist said it certainly looks like the truck convoys and MLA demands are forcing Kenney to dump restrictions quicker than he originally planned.

“All you have to do is look at the timeline,” said Duanne Bratt from Mount Royal University. “It is not about COVID, it is not about health, it is about politics.”

Alberta had a pandemic high of 1,648 patients with COVID-19 in hospital on Thursday, and although new cases appeared to be dropping, the province’s doctor warned it was still too soon to move to an endemic response.”

This is what happens when stupid gets enough people together peddling the same bullshite at same time – they start to dictate the public agenda despite expert medical opinion and medical facts.  It is fucking scary.

Unfortunately it’s my home province that is ground zero for this second public health clownshow fiasco sponsored by Jason Kenny and the Alberta UCP.

What a time to be alive!