The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - UCP members could OUST Danielle Smith

00:00:00.000 United Conservative Party members will have an opportunity to oust Alberta Premier Daniel Smith at the party's upcoming annual meeting.

00:00:08.000 The party's upcoming annual general meeting on November 1st and 2nd will include a scheduled vote on Alberta Premier Daniel Smith's leadership performance, as well as governance and policy resolutions.

00:00:19.800 I'm Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup.

00:00:30.000 I'm happy to be back on the show with you all this week, but I'll be even happier to see you in person very shortly, and I hope you feel the same way.

00:00:39.640 Sorry if you think I look like death, but I am very sick right now, so I'm going to do my best to get through this show.

00:00:46.820 But for those who haven't heard, I will be speaking at True North Nation in Calgary on October 26th, alongside Alberta Premier Daniel Smith, author Andrew Lawton, and my colleague and former host of the Alberta Roundup, Rachel Parker, along with other True North colleagues.

00:01:01.800 I'm hoping that as fans of the show who eagerly await its release each week, you are also equally excited for this upcoming event.

00:01:08.560 During the conference, I'm going to be going through a top 10 list of the worst and craziest ideas from left-wing leaders these past few years.

00:01:15.520 I asked you guys for some ideas last week, but I didn't get much luck, and I'm hoping that now that we're closer, you can help me out more.

00:01:23.700 I have a list, but it's certainly not all-encompassing, and I'm sure that there are definitely some ideas that I'm still missing, so hopefully this week you'll be able to comment below some terrible left-wing ideas in Alberta over the last few years that I may have missed.

00:01:36.640 You can buy tickets to the conference at truenorthevents.ca, and I can't wait to see you all there.

00:01:41.640 But now, let's get back into the UCP's upcoming AGM, which will feature Danielle Smith's leadership review.

00:01:48.480 This will be the first review Smith has faced since she became leader in 2022.

00:01:53.980 For members to be eligible to vote in the leadership review, they must have been party members since at least October 11, 2024, register for the AGM, and attend in person.

00:02:03.940 Former Premier Jason Kenney resigned after receiving only 51.4% approval in the last review, despite surpassing the 50% approval threshold required to avoid a leadership election.

00:02:16.160 Following the leadership review results, Kenney said, quote,

00:02:18.840 Many of the other candidates who were runner-ups in the leadership review are well-known Alberta ministers like Travis Taves, Brian Jean, Rebecca Schultz, and Todd Lowen.

00:02:41.160 But the AGM will feature more than just a leadership review.

00:02:45.080 A total of 35 policy resolutions have been put forward by UCP members this year.

00:02:50.220 A few proposed policies involve eliminating DEI within Alberta Public Service and Crown corporations and ensuring that hiring practices are based on merit alone.

00:03:00.000 Another policy calls to protect female-only spaces and categories from transgender intrusion. 0.96

00:03:05.400 Smith has already promised upcoming amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights, some of which will strengthen parental rights.

00:03:11.720 However, one of the policies takes it a step further and calls for the provincial government to implement a Bill of Parental Rights to ensure that parents' rights precede government legislation.

00:03:21.740 Some of her other proposed amendments address points called for in some resolutions.

00:03:26.180 Another resolution calls for Alberta to, quote,

00:03:30.500 One resolution calls on the provincial government to support any efforts to, quote, axe the tax, including supporting the federal conservatives' movement.

00:03:56.900 Alberta should follow Quebec's lead when it comes to provincial autonomy, according to another proposed resolution,

00:04:02.680 which calls for Alberta to negotiate an accord with the federal government to grant the province more control over immigration.

00:04:09.060 It reads, quote,

00:04:10.120 One resolution calls on Alberta to continue disting itself from the liberals in as many ways as possible.

00:04:38.500 It reads, quote,

00:04:40.220 Any policy that is implemented outside of Alberta that impedes good management and government on behalf of Albertans should be challenged at a constitutional level.

00:04:48.720 Another resolution calls on the government of Alberta to live up to one of its key campaign promises.

00:04:53.880 Implemented 8% personal income tax bracket for middle-income Albertans and restore the provincial tax rate of 10% as the highest personal income tax bracket, reads the resolution.

00:05:04.540 The tax break would apparently save over $1,500 per family, according to the resolution.

00:05:09.680 Party policy resolutions are, of course, non-binding, meaning the UCP government would not be required to act on the policy if it passes, nor would they be required to pass something that did not garner majority support.

00:05:22.020 Me and Rachel, Parker, and some of the rest of the TrueNorth team will be at the AGM.

00:05:27.520 So if any of you guys are planning to go, I look forward to seeing you there as well as our upcoming TrueNorth conference on the 26th.

00:05:35.160 It's the family and friends event at Shoppers Drug Mart.

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00:05:48.180 Sticking with Alberta politics for our next story, the Alberta government is launching a nationwide advertising campaign to warn Canadians about the consequences of a federal cap on the oil and gas sector.

00:06:02.080 Smith said that $7 million would be spent on the ad campaign, which includes TV, online, video, print, and social media.

00:06:10.040 The ads won't only reach Alberta, but will also be aired in British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia until the end of November.

00:06:18.180 Alberta's strategy cites three previous reports in its press release highlighting the economic damage the proposed cap would inflict on the Canadian economy.

00:06:26.360 I've previously covered all three of those reports at TrueNorth.

00:06:29.860 The Conference Board of Canada's report estimated that the cap would reduce Canada's GDP by up to $1 trillion between 2030 and 2040 and lead to the loss of 151,000 jobs by 2030.

00:06:42.360 An S&P study showed that if implemented the cap would cut production by 2 million barrels of oil daily, resulting in a projected 51,000 lost jobs and $247 billion in lost GDP by 2035.

00:06:56.540 Similarly, a Deloitte Canada report indicated that the emissions cap would cause Alberta's GDP to fall by 4.5% by 2040, while the rest of the countries would see a 0.4% decline.

00:07:07.960 The three reports I just mentioned prompted Alberta to send a 24-page response to the federal government's draft regulatory framework to cap oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions.

00:07:19.780 We already know that Canada is suffering from a production standpoint.

00:07:23.780 Smith said that while the Liberals say they're cutting emissions, their true intention is to cut production and, as a consequence, decimate jobs and revenues countrywide.

00:07:32.960 She added that Alberta's oil and gas industry provides tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in federal revenues to fund critical programs, services, and infrastructure.

00:07:43.700 Smith said, quote,

00:07:45.020 All of this will be jeopardized if this ideological, irresponsible, and frankly terrible policy moves forward.

00:07:51.820 Alberta's Environment Minister, Rebecca Schultz, said that the province is already leading the country in terms of emissions reductions.

00:07:58.240 Emissions intensity per barrel has fallen 23%, which Schultz said can be doubled within the next few years.

00:08:05.820 Additionally, she said that the methane emissions reduction target of 45% was hit three years ahead of schedule.

00:08:12.800 She said, quote,

00:08:14.420 Just like Stephen Guibault knows that capping our production does not lower global emissions,

00:08:18.760 it simply increases how much coal and other higher polluting energy is consumed from less clean jurisdictions around the world.

00:08:26.000 Ironically, she said that the Liberals have missed every emissions target they've set in the last nine years.

00:08:32.160 Smith and Schultz confirmed that this new ad campaign is a follow-up to the initial Tell the Feds campaign,

00:08:37.640 which warned Canadians about the Liberals' clean electricity regulations.

00:08:42.000 Following the campaign, the Canada Electricity Advisory Council released a final report,

00:08:46.780 concluding that the Liberals' 2035 net zero grid goal was, quote,

00:08:50.860 unrealistic and unattainable.

00:08:52.900 Smith warned that the Liberals are dangerous right now because the last few months of a government's life

00:08:57.820 is when they're most volatile if they don't see a path to re-election.

00:09:01.880 She added that COP29 is coming up in Baku, where she expects devastating unilateral announcements,

00:09:07.960 like this very announcement that came from COP28.

00:09:10.900 After the latter, Smith called Environment Minister Stephen Guibault a, quote,

00:09:15.020 national embarrassment.

00:09:17.160 Smith said, quote,

00:09:18.060 So that's the reason why we would do it now.

00:09:20.960 I think there's a real danger that we're going to see some ridiculous policies announced in Baku in the coming weeks.

00:09:26.580 Alberta's Energy Minister Brian Jean said that with the province's feats in reducing emissions,

00:09:31.620 there was no reason to impose a cap that negatively affects the entire country.

00:09:36.520 If the federal government proceeds, Jean said Alberta would take them to court.

00:09:41.860 He said, quote,

00:09:42.640 Moving on to our next story, which sticks with the theme of Alberta versus the federal government.

00:09:52.560 The Alberta government has warned that the newly enacted Liberal Pharmacare scheme

00:09:56.640 will result in needless costs and may infringe on the province's jurisdiction.

00:10:01.620 Alberta Minister of Health Adriana Lagrange issued a statement on the passing of the Pharmacare law,

00:10:07.220 Bill C-64, on Friday.

00:10:09.020 She said, quote,

00:10:11.020 Unfortunately, the federal government has yet to share its vision for the future of national pharmacare

00:10:16.000 beyond coverage for contraceptives and diabetes medications

00:10:19.300 and how pharmacare will be financially supported in the long term while respecting Alberta's current offerings.

00:10:25.500 Alberta's public drug programs cover more than 5,000 drugs,

00:10:29.340 which Lagrange said is one of the most comprehensive programs in the country.

00:10:33.900 She added that the province intends to maintain its current benefit offerings.

00:10:38.100 The Liberals can assist them in doing so, but should not waste their time duplicating programs

00:10:43.020 or creating unnecessary and costly administrative burdens.

00:10:46.880 It's the same old story of the federal government unilaterally passing legislation without consulting the provinces.

00:10:53.180 Schultz said, quote,

00:10:54.100 As mentioned, the first phase of Canada's Pharmacare legislation covers diabetes and contraception medications.

00:11:20.100 Alberta announced its intent to opt out of the national pharmacare program in February 2024,

00:11:27.080 saying that the province was not consulted.

00:11:29.380 Quebec has also previously signaled its intent to opt out of the federal pharmacare program,

00:11:33.540 arguing that health care is within its provincial jurisdiction.

00:11:37.020 Quebec has the longest list of drugs covered by a public insurance plan,

00:11:40.700 yet private plans still cover 59.6% of more medications than the public option.

00:11:45.840 The Liberals' 2024 budget proposed dedicating $1.5 billion over five years to develop the Pharmacare Act.

00:11:53.700 However, between 2024 and 2027,

00:11:57.540 the parliamentary budget officer calculated that the total drug expenditure under Pharmacare

00:12:02.440 would cost between $33.2 billion and $38.9 billion annually,

00:12:08.360 totaling $143.9 billion in the four years.

00:12:11.960 The total incremental cost to the public sector would be between $11.2 billion and $13.4 billion annually,

00:12:19.140 totaling $49.1 billion for the first four years.

00:12:23.520 Look, that's a lot of debt that Canada simply can't afford.

00:12:27.280 We'll remember that Trudeau officially doubled Canada's debt on August 30th,

00:12:31.620 meaning he spent more himself than every other prime minister before him combined,

00:12:35.980 bringing in the debt from $616 billion when he took office to $1.232 trillion on August 30th.

00:12:44.820 The Liberals said in a press release on Thursday that Pharmacare will help 3.7 million people in Canada

00:12:50.200 living with diabetes have universal access to various medications that improve their way of life.

00:12:55.600 However, a previous study conducted by the Montreal Economic Institute

00:12:59.340 showed that 21.5 million Canadians will have their coverage jeopardized by Pharmacare.

00:13:05.880 The study also showed that Canadians with private insurance obtain drugs within 226 days

00:13:10.980 compared to the 732 days it takes for those same drugs to be covered by public insurance.

00:13:17.060 The study also showed that while public plans across the country covered 54,954 unique drugs between 2018 and 2021,

00:13:25.520 private plans covered 84,529.

00:13:29.080 A previous poll showed that the majority of Canadians don't think Pharmacare should be a priority,

00:13:33.460 but that the government should focus on wait times and other pressing concerns within the healthcare system.

00:13:39.740 Canada's healthcare system has already experienced record wait times,

00:13:42.820 and it was recently uncovered that the system will need $2 trillion to deal with the country's aging population.

00:13:49.720 Now moving on to a different story,

00:13:51.280 which covers something that we've covered quite extensively at True North, food banks.

00:13:55.520 So as Calgarians prepared for Thanksgiving this year,

00:13:59.280 the number of Calgary households relying on food banks more than doubled since two years ago.

00:14:05.280 This doubling was confirmed by Melissa Frum, president and CEO of Calgary Food Bank.

00:14:11.300 She said that now more than 750 households are relying on using the food bank every single day.

00:14:18.260 The most concerning part about this doubling is that it's working class people who are now turning towards food banks.

00:14:25.520 And Frum said that this is always a last resort.

00:14:29.020 So using food banks follows using coupons, pinching pennies, going without meals,

00:14:34.440 and people even turning off their electricity before they turn to their last resort, which of course is food banks.

00:14:40.720 A previous study highlighted that food bank usage had been reaching unprecedented levels across Canada.

00:14:47.080 Demand surged 30% nationwide last year, with some regions experiencing even sharper increases.

00:14:53.840 However, it's even worse in some locations.

00:14:57.000 In British Columbia, for example, food bank visits rose by 57% since 2019,

00:15:02.160 climbing over 100% in rural areas with populations under 10,000.

00:15:06.720 Stéphane Ciroir, executive director of Food Bank Depot Alimentaire in New Brunswick,

00:15:14.000 previously told me that the system was, quote, close to a breaking point.

00:15:18.980 He too said that working class people were visiting food banks, often for the first time, but not the last.

00:15:25.940 Ciroir said, quote,

00:15:27.040 Dan Huang Taylor, executive director of Food Banks BC, told me that more people were turning toward food banks in BC

00:15:48.120 than seen in the 40-year history of operation.

00:15:51.080 He said, quote,

00:15:52.920 We're seeing this alarming trend of people who are working full-time, maybe two jobs,

00:15:57.740 and they're still not able to make ends meet.

00:16:00.920 The sharp rise in food bank visits can be partially attributed to higher food prices

00:16:05.160 and rising costs of everything else.

00:16:08.500 A Dalhousie University research study showed that 84.1% of its 3,000 survey respondents

00:16:15.380 noted that their food expenses had increased in the last year,

00:16:19.580 adding that they had to adjust their shopping habits to adapt to the rising costs.

00:16:23.940 While official reports estimate food inflation between 2.4% and 3.4%,

00:16:28.040 the study said that 54.5% of Canadians believe food inflation to be higher than government estimates.

00:16:35.400 Things became so bad in Canada that a church from the United States stepped in

00:16:39.580 and previously donated $2 million to a Toronto food bank.

00:16:42.680 And the $2 million was a saving grace,

00:16:45.300 considering the number of monthly visits skyrocketed from 65,000 to over 350,000 since 2020.

00:16:52.820 Calgary's nonprofits are ramping up efforts to meet the growing need.

00:16:56.520 Meals on Wheels has surpassed 1 million meals delivered this year

00:16:59.500 and is preparing to distribute another 400,000 by the end of 2024.

00:17:03.760 The CEO of Meals on Wheels, Esther Elder,

00:17:06.640 said it's the third time in three years that the number of meals has exceeded 1 million.

00:17:10.700 The organization plans to boost production by 180,000 meals annually with new equipment.

00:17:17.360 The surge in food bank dependency is not unique to Alberta.

00:17:20.820 Nearly 20% of Canadians now know someone who relies on a food bank.

00:17:25.260 National food insecurity rates reached 22.9% according to Foodbanks Canada's 2024 poverty report card,

00:17:32.560 which gave the country a D- overall.

00:17:35.000 The report cited rapid population growth, high interest rates, and housing shortages as contributing factors to the crisis.

00:17:42.860 True North previously reported that international students in Canada were filming themselves visiting food banks to get free food to save money.

00:17:50.580 Canada's rent growth recently hit a three-year low due to international student enrollments plummeting.

00:17:55.760 Maybe food banks will follow.

00:17:57.060 I don't know if I'll have time to put this on the show, but just a quick hockey update on the Alberta teams.

00:18:03.640 The Oilers won Thursday night, which was a great game, probably their best they've played so far.

00:18:07.860 So I think they're 2-3 now.

00:18:09.540 And of course, Calgary is somehow undefeated.

00:18:13.100 It was predicted that they'd be like a bottom five team in the league, but now they're like,

00:18:18.180 well, based on the record, they're obviously the best team in the league because they're undefeated.

00:18:22.080 So they're among the best, tied for the best.

00:18:24.680 So I don't know what's going on in the NHL.

00:18:28.800 The Oilers can't seem to start the season off with any sense of urgency, heart, or it doesn't even look like they want to be there.

00:18:36.820 So thank God they're being paid millions of dollars to not show up to their jobs.

00:18:42.460 Unlike me, doing the Alberta Roundup when I'm extremely sick, as you can see, and I look terrible, but it's okay.

00:18:48.500 We're getting through it slowly but surely.

00:18:50.780 Now hopping into the comment roundup, again, please, please, please comment ideas this week for crazy things that left-wing leaders have done in Alberta over the last few years.

00:19:04.280 I'm supposed to already have my list in, sorry, my whole script and my presentation, PowerPoint, everything in, which obviously I don't have.

00:19:12.300 I have a list, but that's about it.

00:19:14.240 This sickness has set me back quite a bit, so hopefully I can finish that list and script and everything today, but I certainly can change it afterwards if there are some good ideas you guys provide that I've missed, and I certainly think I have missed something.

00:19:29.980 But hopping into the comment roundup from last week, the first comment I'll go with was from Dovali2024-YQ4YY.

00:19:39.580 They said Randy should be suspended from his job immediately and without pay until this scandal has been resolved and the truth made public.

00:19:48.140 If this had happened to anyone who works in the real world, he would have been suspended as soon as it was revealed,

00:19:53.240 and if he was found innocent, then he could have re-established back into his job role and paid for his suspended time lost.

00:19:59.840 If found guilty, then he should be punished accordingly and lose his pension as well.

00:20:04.100 The government has got to start setting examples for anyone who's been convicted for such behavior and corruption.

00:20:09.900 Yeah, Dovali, yeah, I really agreed with this comment.

00:20:12.820 I mean, I can't think of anyone in the real world, even coming back to professional hockey, professional athletes,

00:20:18.200 if they were in some sort of controversy. We've seen them get punished before it was even proven, by the way.

00:20:24.140 They've just, like, they're suspended without pay from their team until their allegations are not proven.

00:20:30.600 So I don't know why the government has this special protection where it seems like they can do anything,

00:20:36.700 break the law even, and get away with it scot-free.

00:20:39.940 I guess it comes down to rules for thee, but not for me.

00:20:43.020 The next comment will be two comments that I chose because they really made me think.

00:20:49.280 Obviously, we're talking about that class action last week, which is still ongoing.

00:20:52.760 So the first comment from Kathy8395 said,

00:20:56.960 I hope there is a successful class action suit, and yes, I am Albertan and understand I will have to pay,

00:21:02.720 but so will all the people that supported the lockdowns.

00:21:05.200 I also want to see a clear message sent to our government that this was unacceptable.

00:21:09.360 And then the next comment was from 69123.

00:21:15.300 They said,

00:21:15.740 The point, I think, would be to set a legal precedent.

00:21:18.860 Yes, it will cost us money, but this will also protect future generations from government overreach.

00:21:24.060 We should not practice boomer ideology, which passed on issues and debt to the future generations. 1.00

00:21:28.960 We are all hurting because of that.

00:21:30.760 The principle is always more important than the money.

00:21:33.460 I really like that quote at the end there from you.

00:21:35.440 You said the principle is more important than the money, and both these comments got me thinking, obviously,

00:21:40.760 because I'm an Albertan taxpayer, and I was questioning how I felt about the class action last week,

00:21:47.860 given that I would be a part of the people paying it out, which are the Albertan taxpayers.

00:21:52.380 But you're right, that in sending this message that this is not acceptable, I think is more important,

00:21:58.840 and especially how that will last in history or in the future, I should say.

00:22:05.060 Yeah, so it's interesting.

00:22:08.160 I read through your guys' comments each weekend, and they help develop my own thoughts.

00:22:12.420 Yeah, I definitely agree with you.

00:22:25.560 I think Jennifer Johnson definitely showed absolute control. 1.00

00:22:29.200 I don't know that I would have been able to stay that reserved in the meeting. 0.93

00:22:33.960 I would have certainly called the transgender person, what was her name, Victoria, out on her hypocrisy. 1.00

00:22:42.320 I would say, look, you're really, to even be in this meeting with you, I have to agree to your set of authoritarian rules. 0.90

00:22:48.820 Yeah, that's not how the world works, and I'm not doing that.

00:22:51.900 And if you can't respect me, why the hell would I respect you?

00:22:56.340 Okay, now getting into the outro.

00:22:58.480 So, we somehow got through this episode despite my sickness.

00:23:05.080 I have to submit this in like 30 minutes, so I don't know how I'm going to manage that, but whatever.

00:23:11.040 Because I do have to do some editing.

00:23:12.560 Anyways, I'd like to thank everybody for staying tuned throughout the entirety of this Alberta Roundup.

00:23:17.740 As I said before, it's one of my greatest pleasures and honors to be able to host the show for you all.

00:23:22.300 And once again, a reminder that I will be speaking at True North Nation in Calgary on October 26th alongside Alberta Premier Daniel Smith, author Andrew Lawton, and my colleague and former host of the Alberta Roundup, Rachel Parker, among other True North colleagues.

00:23:37.220 So, during the show, I'll be going through a top 10 list of the worst and craziest ideas from Alberta left-wing leaders these past few years.

00:23:43.860 Again, please comment any of your ideas and buy tickets to the show to see if your idea made the list.

00:23:49.960 You can buy tickets at truenorthevents.ca.

00:23:54.420 Like I said, I have a pretty decent sized list, but I know there are some things that I'm missing, and I'm hoping that some of your comments can be about these crazy leftist ideas or quotes, although I understand that's hard when we talk about so many compelling stories on this show.

00:24:07.960 As for the conference, I'll be speaking around 9.35am, and I can't wait to see you guys all there.

00:24:13.020 Thank you so much, God bless, and have a great week.

00:24:19.960 Thank you so much, God bless.

The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - October 19, 2024

UCP members could OUST Danielle Smith

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