Thread by @JasonOnTheDrums

#Ableg News 🧵

Despite it being “Good Friday”, it’s been a BAD News Week for the @UCPCaucus:

🧳- Alberta has the WORST job growth in Canada (Story #1)

🤦🏻‍♂️- LaGrange’s BRUTAL Presser (#8)

📈 - Alberta Insurance Profits Skyrocket (#13)

Here’s 13 Bad News UCP Stories
(@OrrsArt)

#Ableg News 🧵

1. Despite record job growth all across Canada - Alberta is being left behind under Kenney!

#YEG saw the unemployment rate jump to 7.1% (from 6.9%); #YYC saw a tiny drop at 7.7% (8%) — these are some of the HIGHEST unemployment rates among major Canadian cities

#Ableg News 🧵

2. In just 3-months in 2022, Alberta Health Services has posted 52 news releases alerting the public that Alberta emergency rooms and urgent care centres were closed or relying only on nursing staff because there wasn't a doctor available.

This is a crisis 😬

#Ableg News 🧵

3. While the results of the UCP leadership review will be known soon, the validity of the outcome is l under scrutiny due to Kenney’s last minute changes.

UCP loyalists question whether the results can be trusted, and if this will inevitably split the party

#Ableg News 🧵

4. Uh oh! 😬

Emails suggest Kenney’s good pal, Jonathan Denis, hired a political fixer to illegally pull phone logs of a reporter to trace her sources. It appears he was trying to protect UCP MLA Mike Ellis.

“Denis is also deeply tied to Kenney and the UCP."

#Ableg News 🧵

5. Denis is the 3rd Kenney linked Alberta Justice Minister linked to corrupt practices.

Reporters note UCP MLA’s Madu (who lost the Justice post after calling the #YEG police chief over a traffic ticket) and Tyler Shandro, who is under a Law Society investigation

#Ableg News 🧵

6. An Alberta Seniors and Community Housing Association analysis says the UCP has not used $187 million of federal funding for affordable housing!

UCP MLA Pon said she’s still “reviewing the federal budget & housing commitments”, despite having the data for weeks

#Ableg News 🧵

7. During a bizarre speech to party members’, Kenney said he was fighting “critical race theory” in the Alberta NDP curriculum

Experts say the concept, which is about understanding patterns of racial discrimination, has been in the curriculum for over 40-years.

#Ableg News 🧵

OOOOF!

8. During a BRUTAL press conference about the UCP curriculum, LaGrange was asked l what “critical race theory” was and where it was in the curriculum.

In a painful response, LaGrange said she knew what it was, but was unable to answer the question.

#Ableg News 🧵

9. Transmission, wastewater levels & hospitalizations are all increasing, but the UCP wont announce a "sixth wave," despite warnings from doctors & scientists.

Experts say “It's dangerous because it's stopping the messaging that COVID has not gone away,"

#Ableg News 🧵

10. Despite Alberta reporting more hospitalizations and ICU numbers, Hinshaw did not directly answer a reporter’s question if Alberta is in the sixth wave of COVID-19.

Instead, she said there are many questions the province does not have the answers to.

#Ableg News 🧵

11. As the 6th wave begins, Albertan pharmacies are receiving less compensation from the UCP for giving out kits, as demand for the self-administered tests remains.

Remaining pharmacies are now saying they’re taking a financial loss for distributing the tests

#Ableg News 🧵

12. For the first time in Alberta’s history, Crown prosecutors are considering strike action because of mental-health concerns, non-competitive wages the face of difficult work conditions under the UCP Government

#Ableg News 🧵

13. Based on a new report, Alberta’s Auto Insurance Companies saw record profits after Kenney removed the rate cap in 2019

Despite collecting more in premiums and paid out less in claims in 2020 compared to 2019 - Albertans saw insurance premiums surge by 19.2%!

Quick #Ableg shoutout to @skipthechris. Honestly a fantastic human who had his birthday this week.

Chris - your positivity and compassion makes this feed a far better place. Thank you.

Thanks to: @AB_AgainstUCP (co-writer) @youseepeeYYC @MichelletypoQ @SeanDunn10 @JasonPYYC @KikkiPlanet @Mitchell_AB @YYCCowboy @TheBreakdownAB @scottdellinger @kim_siever @yesssi @high_tequila @StephWKBach @alisoncassis1 @allisonjade @AlbertastanLive @MondoAlberta @TheBlueGem3

@SkipIsChris gah!