What I learnt on the Twitter while trying to ignore it the last few weeks:
1. In Ontario, from the mouths of babes comes official government strategy 2. In Alberta, drinking cheap booze is a sign of taking personal responsibility 3. In Manitoba it's best to arrive stylishly late
4. Dr Hinshaw can't be sure about proximities in a photo unless she's there in the photo. 5. Dr Williams has decided to retire, now that Doug's neighbour's kids Bert and Ernie gave the okay to open golf courses. 6. Borders bad. Pop-ins at strangers' houses during lockdown okay.
7. In March, inside was good, outside was bad. In June, inside bad, last-minute province-wide graduation ceremonies good. 8. Toronto is an exciting, robust city. Until you visit game 7. 9. Lecce added to Ontario's Endangered Turtles list. 10. Arthur is polling better than Doug.
11. If you lean Left east of Kenora you're Liberal Elite. If you lean Right in Alberta, have fancy meetings with white table clothes and lots of booze, you're for the people. 12. Jason Kenney blames the fancy working meeting on the NDP's history of fancy dinners during pandemics.
13. According to Doug, when Ontario's GDP is good it because of Doug but when Covid stats are bad it's because Ontario is so big. 14. Some say Doug Ford was scared by a border as a kid. 15. Lecce insists schools are safe no matter what Doug says. That's it. That's the funny part.
16. Air Canada execs get taxpayer-funded bonuses because they acted quickly and decisively during trying times and Ontario's frontline healthcare workers got to see the Leafs choke for free. 17. Doug Ford would rather take questions from media than have to speak to children.
18. The National Post wants to sell all inner-city parks to Oil & Gas and give all French Canadians clean drinking water. 19. I find it strange nobody in Ontario has asked if Stephen Harper's middle name is Arthur or if Harper has a butler named Marcus.
20. Doug Ford to be awarded honorary Grade 10 Degree at Arthur's outdoor graduation ceremony. 21. If you're alive or older in Ontario you're eligible for your vaccination but just not by using the provincial vaccination portal. 22. Doug Ford to receive his sixth jab next week.
23. The best way to manage a pandemic in Alberta is to declare a great summer ahead. 24. Montreal is better than Toronto. Except winters. Oh, and the tween-age government policy advisors in Toronto are the best little negotiators.
25. Doug Ford says his cabinet "is the best team I've seen in my 30 years of being in politics!" Doug first won office in Toronto in 2010. Proving Ontario's public education system clearly needs work because even after 10 years in the system the province's Premier can't count.
26. Doug's spending less on mental health supports for kids than the cash he gave parents to help pay for four months of home internet but an hour-long physically-distanced parking lot grad ceremony should get all those kids all fixed up in two shakes of a Happy Meal's tail.
27. There's no such thing as a "well-intended" colonizer. No matter what Erin O'Toole tries to tell us. 28. Pierre Poilievre is Stephen Harper, Brett Wilson and Jason Kenney in a Vivian Krause trench coat. 29. Erin O'Toole likes to shotgun craft beerz after a long half-K run.
30. With vaccination rates across Canada going through the roof, Canadian retailers report a huge increase in orders for patio furniture and hard pants. 31. May has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt Canadians can pull together in a crisis. Despite Conservative governments.
32. Recovering nicely from my cerebral egg scrambling. So much Thank You for all for your concern, messages and best wishes.
Today I'll be having a frosty-cold beer or two in your honours.
Here's to your health, eh.
Here's to 𝘰𝘶𝘳 healths.
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1. Doug Ford to base all emergency health measures on what he sees when driving around in his truck, what his buddies are doing and how many planes fly over his house. 2. Ford says golf not source of virus spread; post-game barley pops is.
3. Ford says Trudeau had two jobs and he's not doing either. Ford outraged, says as a result he's not able to do his one job - cross-province campaigning. 4. Dr. David Williams says Ontarians who got AZ shot will probably maybe hopefully be mostly okay.
5. Lecce says classes in September will be held at local LCBOs since all stores already have closed circuit TV installed. 6. McNaughton says Ontario university too expensive so solution is for kids to become welders and get good-paying jobs building the 403/Doug Ford Expressway.
1. After two weeks "working 24/7" in self-isolation Doug Ford returns to work to announce he's now laser focused on his re-election 14 months away. 2. Ford says "the buck stops with me." Usually in unmarked envelopes slid under his door.
3. Kenney reveals Alberta's new Covid-fighting slogan: Stop the Spike. Kenney says other slogans considered included: Given'r to the Flu, Wranglin' the Wuhan, and Immunity: Have You Herd? 4. Kenney says as a kid who grew up in Oakville no Albertan appreciates rodeo like he does.
5. Doug Ford launches his well-oiled campaign to communicate risk at the borders by tweeting a fabricated news article. Deletes tweet after people point out to Ford Comms team that CTV isn't spelled SEE-TV. 6. Lecce demands Feds stop all international flights into public schools.
What I learnt on the Twitter whilst trying to ignore it all this week:
1. Ontario's Premier pops his head out from his self-isolation den, doesn't see his own shadow, predicts fourth wave for Ontario in six weeks. 2. Jason Kenney says Alberta experiences lockdowns differently.
3. Ford says people using airports to visit Ontario to go golfing, use playgrounds and camp on crown land and he's done his part now so the Feds need to step up. 4. Ontario's Auditor General says investigation reveals Ford government's iron ring around LTCs was used pool noodle.
5. Ford government changes stance after a year and votes for paid sick leave. Says Doug's two weeks of self-isolation taught them people need three days paid sick leave. 6. MPP Caroline Mulroney announces Ontario clamping down on stunt driving. That's it. That's the funny part.
1. Doug Ford insists Ontario's online vaccination is easy to use and his three Administrative Assistants and IT team booked his vaccination for him in no time at all. 2. After five days of hiding Doug Ford apologizes for acting too fast.
3. Trudeau government releases new budget and Erin O'Toole argues lack of personal unicorns for every Canadian is outrageous. 4. Federal budget offers much-needed childcare support subsidies. Kenney says Fed childcare funds will be used in Alberta to support orphaned oil wells.
5. Anti-lockdown groups hold protests in Toronto and Peterborough. Say lifesaving surgeries are being cancelled because people are faking Covid and demanding elective intubations. 6. OPC MPP Randy Hillier collects six-figure MPP salary for yelling misinformation and bible verses.
1. After a gruelling week of working his back off 24/7 Doug Ford closes golf courses and ban strippers from construction sites. 2. Ford government says science says Covid spreads rapidly in community playgrounds but not school playgrounds.
3. Doug Ford unveils his new Viradar™. Ford says the Ontario-made Viradar™ helps him detect co-vedd in playgrounds as he drives by. 4. Doug announces in Friday's presser "logging is essential work because that's where the aspirins come from." 5. Doug's disappointed in not Doug.
6. Friday Doug says playgrounds aren't safe. Saturday Doug announces children won't be tazed by OPP for using swings. 7. Sunday Lecce says schools are safe. Monday Doug says schools aren't safe. Tuesday Lecce says closing schools was part of the plan he never had until tomorrow.
1. Doug Ford issues official Hunker Down Order on Thursday. Says he only found out about Ontario's Coe-VEDD positivity levels and ICU crisis on Wednesday because he's been very busy lately and hasn't had time to drive around much.
2. Doug Ford pretends to die after getting AZ shot. Ford says he hopes his fun-filled death-related antics help eliminate vaccination hesitancy and then asks for his free vaccination lollipop. 3. Ford says his government "is listening to the experts." Doesn't specify which ones.
4. Ford says people should be more positive. Ontario responds by reaching record number of positive test results. 5. Stephen Lecce adheres to Stay-at-Home order by visiting vaccination centre to talk about how he's working hard to redouble layers of safety across the planet.