Thread by @SPhillipsAB

We start out with a serious look in the rearview mirror. Our R value is higher than the rest of the country and our cases per 100k some of the highest in the industrialized world. So, that's the first fact check. #ableg

This is part of the govt message, I've noticed. "But we started out great!" Which is not really the point when you look at what's happened since mid-October. #Covid19AB

Yeah, modeling isn't theoretical when you do nothing. It shows the exponential growth without measures. So, if they had released what we know they must have been looking at for past two months, it would probably track pretty closely with projections. #Covid19AB #ableg

Should probably hold off on the victory laps, @jkenney. You may withhold the data but @imgrund tracks it down anyway. And it's not great. #ableg #covid19AB

Yes, just look at the American states, @jkenney. A number of them in better shape than Alberta right now. #ableg

"Everyone has a civic duty to do their part." Yes, that means probably taking leadership on the mask issue and not feeding the anti-mask conspiracies both within the caucus and across the province for months now.

Kenney admits that his contact tracing system was overwhelmed, though he lied about this repeatedly in the house.

Never mind he promised ambitious plan to test, trace, isolate that did not ever live up to expectations or his stated intentions. He gave up with the Churchill routine a long time ago.

Good news: the grant for small business will be expanded to $20,000, short of what @albertaNDP asked for, but it's an important addition to supports. If UCP is going to force biz to close, they need to provide assistance. #Covid19AB

This is a stunning admission of failure to provide adequate support to small biz in the first instance, and still leaves the question of commercial rent support top-up to federal programs unanswered.

As to the indoor masking requirement: so late, absolutely required, but also a stunning admission of stupidity with respect to the previous decisions made.

I don't know why we need a second minister to come in and say the same thing a second time. Do we also have to listen to this from Schweitzer? Let's get to the questions, please.

Me, I'm interested in hearing the health minister talk about how he is going to be handling the surge staffing required for an overwhelmed acute care and ICU system. Anytime now, Tyler. Anytime. #ableg

Schweitzer starts out by making a compelling case to those who don't want to follow public health orders: that they're putting small biz at risk. Maybe tell your caucus mates? Last week, for example, we had to watch Stephan wear a half-mask in the Chamber...

Getson thinks wearing a mask spreads covid. Neudorf wrote to Lethbridge City Council urging them not to bring in a mask bylaw. Save your lectures for the yahoo caucus on your own team, Doug. #ableg

Schweitzer is making a compelling case here, much better than the Premier did. Someone's looking at those approval ratings, the Calgary numbers, hearing from his constituents that are done with the far-right pandering, and seeing an opportunity, methinks!

18% of schools with an outbreak - holy hanna. Notice we heard nothing about supporting kids or parents from the dude-parade of Ministers just now. You'd think that almost 1 in 5 schools dealing with an outbreak might merit the Premier or Health Minister's attention. Nah. #ableg

Surgeries being postponed as well. Notice @GoAHealth put this bad news in CMOH update. Not the Health Minister...that would actually require the govt minister take responsibility for his file. Just as it would require the MIA Education Minister to be seen in public maybe

While I completely agree with the next 28 days, my question is, what did @jkenney and his various sycophants and yes-men *THINK* was going to happen with the half-assery they announced on Nov 22?

Every single time @jkenney says "which we know is responsible for a lot of transmission," it's just not true. He doesn't know sweet-tweet. When you don't know the origin of 80% of cases, you are a liar when you know that and persist in this definitive statement.

Kenney banging on now about the asymmetry of the spring policies of shutting small biz &keeping big boxes open. I don't disagree. Esp when you layer on the $4.7b big corp tax giveaway they ALSO got. Puts the $200m for small biz they brag about in perspective. #ableg #COVID19AB

Please, someone ask Shandro about how his consultations about the mask policy went with the guy in Cold Lake #ableg #COVID19AB

Isn't @jkenney worried about a "backlash?" I thought that was a real problem, not at all a made-up thing to make Getson and Stephan stop yelling in the caucus meeting?

Question about R value, and a damn fine one at that. Govt withholding R value from the public, and Kenney now justifying the politicization of information and its release that is standard in other jurisdictions. #ableg #COVID19AB

And here we go with the strawman argument that Kenney LOVES to make. He loves to say "some people want to shut everything down but we don't." Look, several months ago we proposed a number of specific solutions when the numbers began to grow. albertasfuture.ca

better than the vast majority of jurisdictions, and our surge is typical, says Kenney. That's false. Via @imgrund

*Kenney added that AB is doing better than the vast majority of jurisdictions. That's incorrect. He is mistaken, and it's immediately verifiable when he lies, @GoAHealth, so maybe stop him from abusing the podium and the public interest in this way

And in fact, Kenney told the public that our R value is 1.2 right now, which is higher than the numbers @imgrund has been able to extract.

At 271 cases per 100,000 population, have a look at that list of countries' cases per 100k above. There are very few above Alberta right now. So, don't even with me, as I say to my kids. Don't even! #ableg #COVID19AB

*274, sorry, typo

@jkenney indulges a little bit of FAKE NEWS Trumpian yelling in the media room at @SammyHudes for asking a basic question about taking responsibility. He does it in more complete sentences and with more syllables, but it's the same playbook. Watch for it clipped on his FB later.

Kenney trying to hitch his wagon to @jjhorgan success now. Well, so many differences, including rent support, mask mandate, child care and today's $1000 in time for xmas. No comparison in terms of having ppl&biz backs. #ableg #COVID19AB