{"id":341364,"date":"2021-09-17T17:20:52","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T14:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/otoole-wont-comment-on-albertas-covid-emergency\/"},"modified":"2021-09-17T17:20:52","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T14:20:52","slug":"otoole-wont-comment-on-albertas-covid-emergency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/otoole-wont-comment-on-albertas-covid-emergency\/","title":{"rendered":"#O’Toole won’t comment on Alberta’s COVID emergency"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#O’Toole won’t comment on Alberta’s COVID emergency<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n Politics Insider for Sept. 17, 2021: Questions about Kenney pile up; the Liberals pounce; and Obama backs Trudeau\n <\/div>\n
\n Welcome to a sneak peek of the <\/em>Maclean\u2019s Politics Insider news<\/a>letter. Sign up to get it delivered straight to your inbox in the morning.<\/em><\/p>\n

In Saint John, N.B., on Thursday, Erin O\u2019Toole<\/strong> declined to\u00a0say if he still thinks Jason Kenney<\/strong>\u2014who declared a public health emergency on Wednesday\u2014has handled the pandemic better than the federal government, CTV reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Toole, who won the CPC leadership with the help of a Kenney endorsement<\/a>, repeatedly dodged questions<\/strong>: \u201cThroughout this crisis, all the provinces have tried to make the balance between making public health paramount and balancing off the economic needs. All provinces have shifted and adjusted based on various reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grilled in N.S.:<\/strong> O\u2019Toole was later campaigning in Nova Scotia, where he got a good grilling<\/a> from ATV\u2019s Steve Murphy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Deeply apologetic:<\/strong> One member of Kenney\u2019s caucus was more forthcoming than O\u2019Toole, saying on Facebook<\/a> late Wednesday that\u00a0his government\u2019s inaction \u201cwill cost us lives,\u201d CBC reports<\/a>.\u00a0Richard Gotfried<\/strong> said: \u201cI am deeply apologetic that my persistent efforts and unequivocal internal advocacy have now proven to have lacked the required urgency. I am truly sorry, but even more wracked by sadness for the collateral impact on other vulnerable Albertans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Resign:<\/strong> As Alberta\u2019s ICUs have filled up, \u201ccalls for Jason Kenney, Tyler Shandro<\/strong>, and Dr. Deena Hinshaw<\/strong> to step down from their respective roles have increased exponentially,\u201d 660News reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trash politics:<\/strong> Veteran Calgary Herald<\/em> columnist Don Braid<\/strong> gives it to Kenney with both barrels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

This is trash politics.\u00a0<\/span>No politician in Canada wants permanent COVID-19 restrictions. No sane leader would keep them a second longer than necessary, when the key to popularity is lifting measures once and for all.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/section>\n

Liberals pounce:<\/strong>\u00a0Justin Trudeau<\/strong>, who has sought to frame the election around the question of pandemic management,\u00a0pointed to O\u2019Toole\u2019s past praise for Kenney\u2019s pandemic management, CBC reports<\/a>. \u201cJust a few days ago, Mr. O\u2019Toole was still app<\/a>lauding Kenney for his management of the pandemic. That\u2019s at the heart of the choice Canadians need to make in this election.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not today Jason Kenney, not today:<\/strong>\u00a0In Maclean\u2019s<\/em>,\u00a0Marie-Danielle Smith<\/strong>\u00a0amusingly reimagines the Conservative leader\u2019s New Brunswick newser.<\/p>\n

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O\u2019Toole stares into the camera, steeled to push ahead. Jason Kenney won\u2019t take this day away from him. No. The words \u201cAlberta\u201d and \u201cJason\u201d and \u201cKenney\u201d will not come out of his mouth. Not today. Not when he\u2019s this close to securing the future. Nothing will stop him now.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Whither the dial?<\/strong> Will the terrible news out of Alberta give the Liberals a boost in the last days of a tight election campaign? Only time will tell. The parties remain in statistical tie, according to Nanos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hard to decide:<\/strong> CTV\u2019s Don Martin lists good reasons<\/a> to vote either for or against Trudeau.<\/p>\n

Now, at best, there is passive enthusiasm for Trudeau to remain in power and that is tainted by widespread fury-driven loathing of the Liberal leader on this campaign, which is hard to fathom given his two difficult years in the pandemic hot seat. But while there are good reasons to grant Trudeau an extension to his six years as prime minister, there are equally strong justifications to vote against giving him a third term in office.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Prince Max:<\/strong> In the Sun<\/em>, Brian Lilley warns<\/a> that anyone thinking about voting for Maxime Bernier<\/strong> will only help Trudeau stay in office.<\/p>\n

Without an extra boost of support at the ballot box, Trudeau will be Prime Minister once again. Yes, I\u2019m looking at you, PPC voters. Voting for Maxime Bernier<\/strong> and his People\u2019s Party will only give us Justin Trudeau as PM. Prince Max may as well be crowning Trudeau King.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hope, not fear:<\/strong> Pre-emptively countering a similar argument from the Liberals,\u00a0Olivia Chow<\/strong> urged people to vote with hope, not fear as she campaigned with Jagmeet Singh<\/strong> in her late husband\u2019s former riding, CTV reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish other leaders, especially Liberals, don\u2019t use fear as a factor,\u201d Chow said in Toronto-Danforth. \u201cBecause fear is very short term. Hope is much longer term, is much more optimistic and it builds confidence, builds our country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Obama backs JT:<\/strong> Barack Obama endorsed Trudeau<\/a> on Thursday, but that might not have much impact, professors\u00a0tell<\/a> the Post<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Woman in office:<\/strong>\u00a0 Manitoba will soon have its first female premier, Global reports<\/a>. Former MP Shelly Glover<\/strong> and Health Minister Heather Stefanson<\/strong> are the only candidates to qualify for the leadership contest. Brian Pallister<\/strong> stepped down earlier this month, triggering a leadership vote on Oct. 30.<\/p>\n

New names for jabs:<\/strong>\u00a0Health Canada has approved brand names for Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, CBC reports<\/a>. Pfizer-BioNTech: Comirnaty. Moderna: SpikeVax. AstraZeneca: Vaxzevria.<\/p>\n

Indigenous\u00a0kingmakers:<\/strong>\u00a0The Hill Times<\/em> has an interesting story<\/a>\u00a0on the crucial role that Indigenous voters could play on Monday, if they are motivated enough to get out to vote, which it does not appear they are.<\/p>\n

Even more election talk:<\/strong> If all these stories haven\u2019t slaked your thirst for election news, join Maclean\u2019s<\/em> writers today at 12:30 for a Twitter chat\u00a0(with special guest former Trudeau advisor Gerald Butts).<\/p>\n

\u2014 Stephen Maher<\/strong>
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