The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - November 19, 2022


Smith fires Hinshaw and AHS Board

Topics
Dina Hinshaw firing
Hosted by
Isaac Lamoureux
Mentioned
Danielle Smith Jack James High School Rachel Notley Dina Hinshaw Vladimir Putin Donald Trump John Kelly Forest Lawn Mark Jeff Searchlight Pictures Pernita McBrien Andrew Stanton Rachel Emanuel Alison Redford Paul Alexander Kate McKinnon Charlie Angus Daveed Diggs Tim Stevens Jeff Park and 3 more
Unvaccinated woman denied organ transplant Alberta tells Ottawa to fire RCMP Commissioner Lucki

Episode Stats


Length

10 minutes

Words per minute

179.74

Word count

1,891

Sentence count

123

Harmful content

Misogyny

1

sentences flagged

Hate speech

3

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Former Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dina Hinshawkinshaw has been fired, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has also let go of 11 members of the Alberta Health Services Board, and they have been replaced with one administrator. And finally, Premier Notley has been sanctioned by Russia, despite claims that she s a pro-Russia propagandist. All that and more happening now on The Alberta Roundup.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
Topics generated with Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct.
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.680 Searchlight Pictures presents In the Blink of an Eye on Hulu on Disney+.
00:00:04.760 A sweeping science fiction drama spanning the Stone Age, the present day, and the distant future.
00:00:10.780 About the essence of what it means to be human, regardless of our place in history.
00:00:15.160 The film is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton and stars Rashida Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Daveed Diggs.
00:00:21.800 Stream In the Blink of an Eye now only on Hulu on Disney+.
00:00:25.400 Sign up at Disneyplus.com.
00:00:30.000 Hey everyone, welcome back to the Alberta Roundup. I'm your host, Rachel Emanuel.
00:00:43.000 I hope you're having a great weekend so far. Let's take a look at what we're going to be talking about on today's show.
00:00:47.680 The former Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Dina Hinshaw, has been fired.
00:00:52.200 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has also let go of 11 members of the Alberta Health Services Board.
00:00:57.080 And they've been replaced with one administrator.
00:00:59.160 We're also going to be taking a look at Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley's plans for healthcare and what Daniel Smith has to say about that.
00:01:05.040 And finally, Danielle Smith has been sanctioned by Russia, despite claims that she's a pro-Russian, pro-Putin propagandist.
00:01:11.220 All that and more happening now on the Alberta Roundup.
00:01:13.440 You guys have probably heard by now, Dina Hinshaw has been removed as the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health.
00:01:18.560 She's been replaced with Dr. Mark Joff, who was also involved in Alberta Health Services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:01:23.820 In a statement, Joff said he was honored to be selected for the new role.
00:01:27.540 Quote,
00:01:28.240 I have always put the needs of my patients first and foremost throughout my career, which will continue as I take on this new challenge.
00:01:33.980 Premier Smith hinted at firing Hinshaw during the United Conservative Party leadership race as she ran on overhauling Alberta Health Services,
00:01:40.300 which she said failed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:01:42.600 And in her first press conference as premier on October 11th, the premier said she will no longer take advice from Hinshaw.
00:01:49.080 So this announcement was only a matter of time.
00:01:51.540 As you guys know, under Hinshaw's leadership, the county government implemented vaccine passports.
00:01:55.840 AHS officers also visited churches during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that their rules were being followed.
00:02:01.100 Those rules included physical distancing and only having a certain number of people in a church at a time.
00:02:05.420 Churches that did not comply were fined or shut down, as you likely remember.
00:02:08.740 We talked about one of these cases last week.
00:02:10.400 Pastor Tim Stevens was in jail for 21 days for not following rules put in place by Alberta Health Services regarding physical distancing.
00:02:16.740 His charges were dropped earlier this month.
00:02:18.960 But that wasn't the only major Alberta Health Services announcement this week.
00:02:22.760 Danielle Smith on Thursday then announced that she had let go of 11 members of the Alberta Health Services board,
00:02:27.680 and they have been replaced with just one administrator.
00:02:30.420 Dr. John Cowell will be a full-time administrator of Alberta Health Services going forward.
00:02:34.060 He held this role previously for a year under former Progressive Conservative Premier Alison Redford.
00:02:38.820 In a news conference, Smith said,
00:02:40.400 he can accelerate the changes that we all need to see.
00:02:43.420 Take a listen to some of Dr. Cowell's remarks on Thursday.
00:02:46.140 The advent of the pandemic that everybody predicted was going to come from our H1N1 experience arrives,
00:02:52.140 and of course, the system was already at capacity, and now it's stressed.
00:02:57.420 How does it handle more?
00:02:59.640 Well, all of that is a factor today, no question about it.
00:03:02.840 But I adhere to the idea that we're in crisis, and we need to have urgent action that starts the process of recovery now.
00:03:13.220 And I am so grateful with the support I'm getting from this Premier and this Health Minister.
00:03:18.740 I've met with the Deputy Minister.
00:03:20.280 Everybody is on this page.
00:03:22.920 And speaking of healthcare, Premier Smith's office says Rachel Notley has no realistic plans to address the crisis facing Alberta's healthcare sector.
00:03:30.700 You guys know that Alberta's healthcare has been plagued by long wait times at emergency rooms, for ambulances, and for surgeries.
00:03:36.020 Now, earlier this month, Rachel Notley told the rural municipalities of Alberta that if elected Premier, she'll return stability to healthcare by undertaking the largest recruitment effort in the province's history to bolster the number of healthcare workers.
00:03:47.900 Take a listen to her remarks for yourself.
00:03:49.340 I mean, overall, Alberta has a lower cost of living than a lot of other places.
00:03:53.980 We have a beautiful quality of life, and I think we have room to compete effectively for those much-needed healthcare professionals.
00:04:04.960 But it's going to be hard to do if they're worried that they're going into a healthcare system, which may be blown up the day after tomorrow because they don't like the structure of it, and then led by somebody who is consulting with conspiracy theorists outside of, you know, from Donald Trump's office.
00:04:22.880 She was, of course, referring to Dr. Paul Alexander at the end there.
00:04:25.540 We spoke about him last week.
00:04:26.880 He was a health advisor to former Republican President Donald Trump during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:04:31.520 He's against lockdowns and the COVID-19 vaccine, and he'll be speaking with some members of Smith's Health Advisory Board later on.
00:04:39.180 But meanwhile, Becca Pollack, Smith's press secretary, said the NDP watched healthcare wait times get longer for four years.
00:04:45.460 Quote,
00:04:45.680 Let's move into the controversy of the week.
00:05:13.500 Some of you probably remember some of the details of this story.
00:05:16.760 Critics have accused Danielle Smith of pushing pro-Russian, pro-Putin separatist propaganda.
00:05:21.680 But they didn't stop the Russians from placing Danielle Smith on their latest sanctions list.
00:05:25.820 She was banned from the country on Monday along with former Alberta Premier Ed Stalmak.
00:05:29.540 It's the family and friends event at Shoppers Drug Mart.
00:05:33.860 Get 20% off almost all regular-priced merchandise.
00:05:37.060 Two days only.
00:05:38.140 Tuesday, February 24th, and Wednesday, February 25th.
00:05:41.680 Open your PC Optimum app to get your coupon.
00:05:46.700 And Danielle Smith's response?
00:05:48.680 Quote,
00:05:49.120 We will be announcing more funding and supports for Ukrainian refugees later today.
00:05:53.420 My response to Europe.
00:05:55.200 Free yourselves of Russian energy. 0.98
00:05:57.280 Alberta is ready to help.
00:05:58.440 I'm planning a trip to Germany soon to talk about deleveraging Russia's hold over European markets for generations. 0.96
00:06:05.360 Of course, after an old video resurfaced of Danielle Smith calling for Ukrainian neutrality to end the war,
00:06:11.040 critics, including NDP MP Charlie Angus, accused her of pushing pro-Russian propaganda.
00:06:16.500 Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley also jumped on the bandwagon,
00:06:19.700 accusing Smith of showing, quote,
00:06:20.900 horrendous judgment and showing sympathy to an international war criminal and an illegal invasion of Ukraine.
00:06:27.740 I guess Vladimir Putin didn't get the memo.
00:06:29.680 What we're watching in the weeks to come.
00:06:31.580 The Alberta Parents Union is reigniting warnings that a Calgary Board of Education plan
00:06:35.380 to relocate a program for pregnant teens and young moms is unsafe.
00:06:39.100 Those warnings come after a boy was arrested in relation to a stabbing at the high school pitched for the relocation.
00:06:45.480 Let's dive into the details here.
00:06:48.220 On Tuesday, Calgary police were called to Jack James High School in Forest Lawn in relation to a stabbing.
00:06:53.920 A 13-year-old boy was arrested.
00:06:56.000 That boy did not attend the school, but was able to enter the premises nonetheless.
00:07:00.580 The Alberta Parents Union has long been warning that the area is not safe for pregnant teens and young moms,
00:07:05.200 and they're even more concerned now.
00:07:07.420 Here's what Executive Director Jeff Park told me earlier this week.
00:07:10.740 The Calgary Board of Education has insisted that the safety of the teen moms entering Jack James High School
00:07:15.720 is their number one priority.
00:07:17.460 But just today, a 13-year-old boy that does not attend Jack James was able to enter and stab another student.
00:07:23.820 We believe these women when they say this location is not safe 0.99
00:07:26.740 and call upon the Calgary Board of Education to do the same.
00:07:30.040 The Calgary Board of Education wants to relocate the program because the building it's currently held in,
00:07:34.060 the Kensington building, is very old and requires quite a bit of money in repair work,
00:07:38.300 whereas it would be less expensive to give a one-time funding investment to Jack James.
00:07:42.560 But let's take a look at some statistics here.
00:07:44.640 According to data enthusiasts, the residential area of Forest Lawn had 2,875 counts of crime
00:07:50.300 from January 2017 to July 2022.
00:07:54.260 That includes 657 counts of non-domestic assault,
00:07:58.060 208 counts of non-domestic violence,
00:08:00.580 and 118 counts of street crime.
00:08:02.360 In Calgary's all-crime category, Forest Lawn was surpassed only by Beltline
00:08:07.180 and the Downtown Commercial Corps.
00:08:09.440 The Calgary Board of Education will vote on November 29th
00:08:12.200 on whether to proceed with the relocation plans,
00:08:14.700 and I'll be sure to give you an update then.
00:08:16.340 Okay guys, let's move into the Alberta politics funniest moment of the week.
00:08:19.500 For the first time since 1999,
00:08:21.580 the Edmonton Downtown Business Association
00:08:23.500 will not have a giant Christmas tree at their holiday light-up event,
00:08:27.000 and the city of Edmonton says it won't step in to provide a tree
00:08:29.640 due to the environmental impact.
00:08:32.060 Edmonton Downtown Business Association Executive Director Pernita McBrien
00:08:35.420 said the Christmas tree typically draws in a lot of residents,
00:08:38.960 but that doesn't translate into foot traffic in the city's businesses,
00:08:42.120 which is what the event is for.
00:08:43.620 The group has rethought the event to fix this oversight,
00:08:46.240 which includes other large light installations,
00:08:48.380 but no Christmas tree.
00:08:49.460 Meanwhile, the city of Edmonton has confirmed there won't be a Christmas tree.
00:08:52.120 It estimated the cost to install a tree
00:08:54.540 and provide public programming at $124,000.
00:08:58.760 This is what the city told me.
00:09:00.460 The city factored in the cost and the environmental implications
00:09:03.040 of cutting down and transporting a mature, natural forest tree
00:09:06.580 and decided to explore other opportunities
00:09:08.580 to bring vibrancy to Churchill Square
00:09:10.260 that would complement the new holiday light-up event
00:09:12.760 being planned by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association.
00:09:15.500 Now, here's a couple details for you about trees in the past.
00:09:18.400 In 2020, the holiday light-up event had a 77-foot Christmas tree,
00:09:21.700 with 22,000 LED lights.
00:09:24.580 Last year, the Christmas tree was 65 feet tall
00:09:27.100 and held more than 14,000 lights.
00:09:29.220 There will be no tree this year,
00:09:30.460 but there's other large light installations,
00:09:32.240 including a life-size bison named Brian.
00:09:35.080 I have to be honest with you guys,
00:09:36.020 I'm pretty devastated about this news.
00:09:37.720 I love a good Christmas tree.
00:09:39.240 It does seem rather unlucky that they're not doing it this year.
00:09:41.660 My first Christmas in Edmonton,
00:09:43.500 I went and I looked at some of the photos from years past
00:09:45.560 and it does seem like it was something to behold,
00:09:48.020 so I'm very disappointed about that.
00:09:50.000 That being said,
00:09:50.460 if you know where I can see a good Christmas tree
00:09:52.160 in Edmonton this year
00:09:53.020 or where other Christmas light shows are happening,
00:09:54.780 please let me know.
00:09:55.880 That's all I have for you guys today.
00:09:57.160 As always, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
00:09:59.460 Let me know what you liked about the show.
00:10:00.640 Let me know what you think I missed
00:10:01.600 and let me know where I can find some Christmas lights.
00:10:04.160 As always, please visit donate.tnc.news
00:10:06.340 to show us your appreciation.
00:10:07.980 Have a great week and God bless.
00:10:09.300 Have a great week and God bless you.
00:10:19.740 Bye!
00:10:29.120 Bye!