The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - June 29, 2024


UCP sets sights on Nenshi

Topics
Alberta opting out of federal dental care program Nenshi leadership and NDP politics
Hosted by
Isaac Lamoureux
Mentioned
Justin Trudeau Danielle Smith Jody Gonnick Nahid Nenshi Rachel Emanuel Hans Herschen Jagmeet Singh Rachel Notley Pathway Alliance Alberta Roundup Stephen Harper Kevin Buswallo Pierre Poilievre Andrew Fury Blaine Higgs Andy Nichols Joel Antle Mark Henry Scott Moe Doug Ford and 2 more
UCP members want COVID vaxx policies to change Trudeau Won't Show His Face in Alberta

Episode Stats


Length

14 minutes

Words per minute

168.88

Word count

2,415

Sentence count

134

Harmful content

Misogyny

3

sentences flagged

Toxicity

6

sentences flagged


Summary

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

The Alberta government announced this week that it would opt out of the federal dental care program. Meanwhile, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says he s united with Alberta New Democrats, even as that party s new leader seeks to distance himself from Singh.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
Topics generated with Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct.
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.000 The Alberta government announced this week that it would opt out of the federal dental care program.
00:00:04.860 It's the right choice, of course, in the days since long-time business owners and dentists
00:00:09.740 have been reporting that the program is creating chaos at their places of work.
00:00:14.580 It's also being reported that the plan will create confusion,
00:00:17.580 which happens basically any time the Liberal government puts forward new legislation.
00:00:21.940 Justin Trudeau's Liberals are trailing the Conservatives by 20 points,
00:00:25.380 and this week faced a devastating loss in the once-liberal stronghold of Toronto St. Paul's.
00:00:31.700 But until an election is called, we're all just buckling down
00:00:34.680 and praying that the damage done to our country can and will be undone by a strong Conservative government.
00:00:40.480 The reason an election hasn't been called, of course, is the cowardice of Jagmeet Singh's NDP,
00:00:45.300 who make a big show about supporting the working class,
00:00:48.040 even when it's clear the working class no longer supports the government the NDP upholds. 0.97
00:00:52.700 Singh is simultaneously one of the most useless politicians, 0.96
00:00:55.920 who's also wreaking the most havoc on our country, 0.99
00:00:58.820 if you can wrap your head around that seeming paradox.
00:01:01.540 In fact, it's his party that's been pushing for a national dental care program
00:01:05.080 in return for supporting the Liberals.
00:01:07.180 But instead, the Liberals offered him this watered-down plan that Alberta doesn't want,
00:01:11.160 because even Trudeau doesn't respect him.
00:01:13.500 So it should come as no surprise that the new Alberta NDP leader wants to distance himself from Singh.
00:01:18.680 And if the effort to divorce the Alberta NDP from Singh's unpopular federal branch is successful,
00:01:23.960 it could spell a headache for Danielle Smith and the United Conservative Party. 1.00
00:01:27.820 I'm Rachel Emanuel, and this is the Alberta Roundup.
00:01:30.900 Rachel Emanuel brings the news each day
00:01:35.280 On Alberta Roundup, she has her say
00:01:39.900 Okay, everyone, taking a look at our first story here,
00:01:43.760 Alberta is opting out of the federal dental care program
00:01:46.260 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told the federal government this week.
00:01:49.100 In a letter, she said the plan infringes on provincial jurisdiction.
00:01:53.140 She wrote, quote,
00:01:54.360 If a new health program was to be developed by the federal government,
00:01:57.600 it should be done in full collaboration with provinces and territories,
00:02:01.280 and discussions should have occurred before these intentions are announced.
00:02:05.020 Unfortunately, this did not occur.
00:02:06.840 The Premier also said that Alberta is still expecting its monetary portion of the federal program,
00:02:12.140 which they would then use to help low-income Albertans afford dental care.
00:02:16.980 She added, quote,
00:02:17.840 We anticipate our respective officials can negotiate mutually agreeable terms within a two-year time frame
00:02:23.240 and plan to opt out by 2026.
00:02:26.060 Last December, Ottawa promised to spend $13 billion over five years on the plan.
00:02:30.940 Canadians who filed a tax return earning less than $90,000 per year
00:02:34.600 and have no access to dental care insurance are eligible.
00:02:38.020 The program already covers kids under 12 and seniors over the age of 65,
00:02:42.860 and it's now been expanded to cover those under the age of 18,
00:02:46.800 as well as those with a valid disability tax credit certificate.
00:02:50.260 The Alberta Dental Association president-elect said the program creates a lot more paperwork.
00:02:55.340 He added, quote,
00:02:55.980 On top of that, though, there is just such an unknown.
00:02:59.540 We don't quite know who is even covered.
00:03:01.900 Dr. Hans Herschen is one of the 60 to 70 percent of Alberta dentists not yet signed up for the program.
00:03:08.040 He's concerned over misinformation and said patients come in expecting free dental care
00:03:12.740 when they may still have to pay out of pocket.
00:03:14.880 Dr. Herschen also said, quote,
00:03:16.220 Meanwhile, president of the Canadian Dental Association said he's hearing reports of dental offices
00:03:27.500 where administrators are now spending up to an hour a day explaining the program to patients.
00:03:32.560 Dr. Joel Antle also said the program will limit patient choice, saying, quote,
00:03:37.000 You are also going to have people left in a very sad situation of having to go to dental office, to dental office,
00:03:43.680 asking, are you taking part?
00:03:45.200 Taking a look at our next story here, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says he's united with Alberta New Democrats,
00:03:51.680 even as that party's new leader seeks to distance himself from Jagmeet Singh's NDP.
00:03:56.780 On Saturday, former Calgary mayor Nahed Nanshi was crowned leader of the Alberta NDP in a decisive leadership contest.
00:04:04.000 And he quickly told reporters that he would be putting the question to his membership
00:04:07.520 of whether they should divorce from the federal party, something he first pitched during his campaign.
00:04:12.420 But Singh says the two parties remain united in their goal of defeating conservatives federally and provincially.
00:04:17.880 Take a listen.
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00:04:36.800 Right now, at the provincial level in Alberta, provincially in a lot of places, conservatives are a threat to the people.
00:04:50.120 Conservatives are directly attacking healthcare, education.
00:04:53.680 They're even attacking pensions.
00:04:55.480 So in Alberta, New Democrats are united with a very clear goal of defeating Daniel Smith, who is a real threat to Canadians, who is a real threat to Albertans.
00:05:05.640 And nationally, New Democrats are also united.
00:05:09.360 We've got to replace Justin Trudeau.
00:05:12.200 We've got to defeat conservatives.
00:05:13.760 Pierre Polyev also wants to do the same things as Daniel Smith.
00:05:17.580 He wants to cut healthcare.
00:05:19.160 He wants to take away people's services.
00:05:21.300 He wants to cut and gut the things that you need.
00:05:23.220 Members of provincial NDP branches automatically become members of the federal NDP.
00:05:28.420 That feature is unique to the NDP of Canada's major political parties.
00:05:32.500 And it's also something the United Conservative Party government has used to successfully attack the Alberta NDP,
00:05:38.720 considering Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's extreme unpopularity across Canada, but of course in Alberta as well,
00:05:44.820 and the fact that the federal NDP continue propping him up.
00:05:48.120 They are the reason we are not already in an election.
00:05:50.520 On Saturday, Nenshi told reporters,
00:05:52.480 Differences in party policy has created problems for the provincial party in energy-rich Alberta.
00:06:08.780 For example, Nenshi and former Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley both supported the Trans Mountain Pipeline project,
00:06:14.360 but federal leader Jagmeet Singh didn't.
00:06:16.840 Still, Notley told the Calgary Herald last week that plans to divorce from the federal party are, quote, 0.89
00:06:22.680 silly, superficial, and short-sighted. 0.74
00:06:25.280 It's been one week since former Calgary Mayor Nahed Nenshi was crowned leader of the Alberta NDP, 0.97
00:06:30.480 and already the United Conservative Party has released two attack ads about the new leader.
00:06:34.460 Those ads have criticized his record on taxes as the mayor of Calgary,
00:06:38.080 and his relationship to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
00:06:40.680 Take a look.
00:06:41.200 New NDP leader Nahed Nenshi is Justin Trudeau's choice for Alberta.
00:06:46.320 That's Nenshi helping Justin Trudeau defeat Stephen Harper in the 2015 federal election.
00:06:51.880 When asked about Nenshi running for the NDP,
00:06:54.840 Trudeau called Nenshi a strong mayor and said we should welcome his candidacy.
00:07:00.100 Trudeau even tried to get Nenshi to run for his federal liberal party.
00:07:04.040 We've had enough of Trudeau in Ottawa.
00:07:06.360 We don't need one in Alberta.
00:07:08.340 Nahed Nenshi, Trudeau's choice for Alberta.
00:07:10.480 The Calgary mayor has responded in kind. Here's what he had to say.
00:07:14.320 You know what? They are nothing, if not predictable.
00:07:20.100 I've said for a long time that Danielle Smith and the UCP government only know how to do two things.
00:07:25.000 They know how to pick fights and they know how to waste money. 0.86
00:07:27.500 And now here they are, picking a fight with me and wasting big bucks on ads doing so.
00:07:32.540 What do you think they're so scared of?
00:07:34.900 They're trying to define me for you, but they can't do it.
00:07:38.060 Because you know me. I've been around.
00:07:40.160 And Lord knows no one has ever accused me of being quiet.
00:07:43.460 And I am proud of what we've built together.
00:07:45.460 Moving into our next story here, a new survey from the Angus Reid Institute found that Alberta Premier Daniel Smith is the fourth most popular premier in Canada.
00:07:54.160 She received the green light from 45% of Albertans, trailing Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furry,
00:08:02.900 and in first place, Manitoba Premier Wob Canoe, Ontario's Doug Ford and New Brunswick's Blaine Higgs tied for dead last.
00:08:10.480 Moving into our controversy of the week, while speaking at the Black Canadian Women in Action Conference in Calgary on Thursday,
00:08:16.560 Alberta Premier Daniel Smith said that the province has to address systemic barriers to entrepreneurs of colour to grow international and domestic trade.
00:08:24.720 The Premier said, quote,
00:08:25.660 We recognise that local businesses and entrepreneurs face challenges relating to this community,
00:08:31.140 and support for the Black community must extend beyond strictly business supports.
00:08:35.580 And we're happy to address anti-racism and systemic barriers faced by offering feedback that some face difficulty addressing capital.
00:08:42.660 Meanwhile, Calgary Mayor Jodi Gonick tried to draw commonalities between the water crisis in Calgary and women in sub-Saharan Africa dragging water to their homes.
00:08:52.560 She said, quote,
00:08:53.480 I am, of course, not surprised to see Calgary Mayor Jodi Gonick resort to race posturing,
00:09:15.500 although I do think it is quite ironic that she's comparing women who have to carry water to their homes to the crisis ongoing in Calgary,
00:09:23.140 which, of course, was caused by her government. 0.51
00:09:25.400 So please don't try to seem relatable on that front.
00:09:27.580 Maybe if your government was less focused on banning plastic bags and Canada Day celebrations,
00:09:32.960 you would have had a little more time to check out what's going on with our basic water infrastructure.
00:09:37.340 However, I was disappointed to see Alberta Premier Daniel Smith resort to this race posturing.
00:09:41.680 I think people are getting a little tired of it.
00:09:43.760 It's my question of the week for you all.
00:09:45.500 Do you think these comments are appropriate or are you, too, tired of the race pandering?
00:09:50.260 Speaking of Calgary Mayor Jodi Gonick, that brings us to what we're watching in the weeks to come.
00:09:54.600 There's only one politician in Canada who's less popular than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
00:10:00.320 and it's the Calgary Mayor herself.
00:10:02.500 According to new data from Think HQ, Calgary Mayor Jodi Gonick has an approval rating of just 26%.
00:10:09.000 That's two point less than Justin Trudeau, who sits at 28%.
00:10:13.360 Think HQ has been collecting data since 2014 when Hed Nenshi was the mayor.
00:10:18.860 And for context, he had an approval rating of 74% at the start of his term,
00:10:23.260 and that dropped to 57% by the time he left the role in 2021.
00:10:27.520 Think HQ President Mark Henry said,
00:10:29.460 Finally, moving into our weekly comment roundup, and make sure you stick around till the end
00:10:49.200 as I have a very exciting announcement, as I promised you all, this week on Wednesday.
00:10:54.520 But first, taking a look at some of these comments, user Kevin Buswallo says,
00:10:58.220 If you have the best lawyers and an endless budget, then why jump to Trudeau's Bozo laws?
00:11:03.680 Confront them and challenge them in court.
00:11:05.700 This is lunacy.
00:11:06.780 That was, of course, in response to my question last week as to whether or not companies should
00:11:12.620 fight the Trudeau government when they infringe on our charter rights.
00:11:15.300 That was in response to news that Pathways Alliance had scrubbed their website
00:11:19.560 because of new legislation proposed by the Trudeau government,
00:11:22.920 which would force companies to prove their environmental record
00:11:26.100 against some undefined global standard.
00:11:30.480 Companies responded and said,
00:11:32.020 This is unclear, and we could be held liable for this.
00:11:34.920 So companies like Pathway Alliance scrubbed their website.
00:11:37.680 And I said, you know, maybe some people with the big bucks should stick around
00:11:41.160 and actually fight the Trudeau government.
00:11:43.020 I think this is a big problem that we have in Canada.
00:11:45.060 Nobody wants to put their money where their mouth is.
00:11:47.260 People are very apathetic.
00:11:48.480 They also don't want to put their time where their mouth is.
00:11:52.000 So they roll over and they comply too quickly with bogus policies and laws
00:11:56.860 when they should stand up and fight.
00:11:58.840 And that's the reason why our country looks the way it does today.
00:12:01.980 Finally, user Andy Nichols said,
00:12:03.920 Why are you living in Alberta?
00:12:05.640 You obviously don't understand the Western culture.
00:12:08.600 Albertans work hard and play hard.
00:12:10.660 The Stampede is a celebration of agriculture, ranching, and yes,
00:12:13.740 Indigenous contribution to the Western way of life.
00:12:16.220 If you think that the Midway is what it's about, you missed the boat,
00:12:18.720 or should I say the chuck wagon, when you moved here.
00:12:21.400 Calgary brings in the best Canadian and international country and Western musicians,
00:12:25.320 as well as popular music.
00:12:26.820 So put on a cowboy hat and cowboy boots and learn to square dance.
00:12:29.760 You might actually have fun.
00:12:30.800 He was responding to my controversial statement last week that I don't really enjoy the Calgary
00:12:35.560 Stampede.
00:12:36.640 I would prefer to spend my free time in a bit of a quieter and more relaxing environment.
00:12:42.160 Listen, this may come as a surprise to you, but not everyone moves to Alberta or even to
00:12:46.080 Calgary for the Calgary Stampede.
00:12:48.320 And some of us don't enjoy loud crowds and lots of drinking.
00:12:52.560 There are other ways to enjoy Western culture.
00:12:54.520 I would argue that if you want to get a true Stampede feel,
00:12:57.260 you're probably better off doing that in Pinocchio.
00:13:00.300 I definitely enjoyed seeing all the races like the chuck wagon races there a few years
00:13:05.960 ago, and I think I would prefer to drive up and check out their Stampede than be stuck
00:13:10.620 in busy and loud Calgary, but to each their own.
00:13:13.600 Okay, everyone.
00:13:14.260 And as promised, my big announcement for you all beginning next week,
00:13:18.020 I will be starting a new podcast on Wednesdays called Rachel and the Republic in which you
00:13:23.360 guessed it, I will be covering American politics, beginning with a close look at the US election.
00:13:29.880 I hope that you all caught Thursday's debate, but if you didn't, I'll be sure to have a
00:13:33.180 rundown for you on Wednesday.
00:13:34.780 So make sure that you are subscribed to True North so you don't miss that show.
00:13:38.320 Okay, everyone.
00:13:38.860 That's all we have time for today.
00:13:40.020 Thank you so much for tuning in.
00:13:41.100 As always, I hope that you guys have a great weekend and I will see you on Wednesday.
00:13:48.020 Thank you.