It only took two days into the fall session before the offensive hyperbole started to fly and the rotten culture inside Alberta's Legislative Assembly is now out in full force. Sixth Grade students visiting the Assembly may easily mistake the men in dark suits as grown ups, but that description is harder to believe when you hear some of the words coming out of their mouths.
Health Minister Ron Liepert has mocked Edmonton-Strathcona MLA Rachel Notley, claiming that she doesn't understand the health care system. Premier Ed Stelmach has referred to the Liberal caucus as "these people" and even ridiculed the attendance at Liberal Party conventions.
This afternoon, following a question from Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood NDP MLA Brian Mason about H1N1 vaccinations, Stelmach responded:
"I'll take the word of this nurse [Minister Yvonne Fritz] over the word of a bus driver any day"On April 30, 2009, Stelmach took issue with comments by Calgary-Currie MLA Dave Taylor and wrote a letter to Liberal leader David Swann, calling for "civil debate in the Assembly." Stelmach may have apologized for his comments this afternoon, but that doesn't excuse the negative tone that the the Premier has already helped set on the floor of our elected Assembly.
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28 comments:
Were you expecting Ed Stelmach and Ron Liepert to have a respectful and mature debate? HAHA.
Welcome to reality Dave.
Yes, how childish. What sort of immature behaviour is this guy going to come up with next? Before you know it he'll be buying domain names and linking them to....oh wait....whoops. Sorry for the mixup there. Anyway, good point. Totally credible. Have a cookie on me.
Oh yeah. Totally the same. A blogger re-directing a $12 dollar domain name to wikipedia and a Premier demeaning the jobs of ordinary hard working Albertans. I don't see a different AT ALL.
Have a cookie on me.
I don't like the sound of the WRA--sounds like more of the same to me, same people under a different party banner--but if any party ever needed to be shaken up it's the Alberta tories. It's too bad left of centre parties in this province seem to think they have the luxury of running against each other.
Time for Ed to go.
I know how I will vote on November 7.
What a bloody disgrace.
Keep watching this afternoon and you'll see a bunch of PC MLAs, including the Whip (who's supposed to set an example for other backbenchers, no?), taking pot shots at an opposition that poses absolutely no threat to them whatsoever.
I'm no lefty... just someone who'd like to see the level and tone of the debate raised in the Leg.
I would take the word of a nurse over most people about H1N1 but Stelmach didn't need to to insult Mason for being a former bus driver.
Why is his automatic position to insult someone he doesn't agree with?
Anonymous 4:10: If Stelmach had just said that he trusted the word of a former nurse over the word of an opposition MLA, I would have completely agreed with him. Instead, he took the low and lazy road by making an insult about a job that Brian Mason had over 20 years ago (Mason was a City Councillor from 1989 to 2000).
Stelmach's statement reminded me of a similar statement made by a backbench MLA last April.
Eating my cookie,
Dave
Stelmach is losing ground in the polls so he is trying the "folksy everyman" approach of his predecessor King Ralph with insults and barbs.
How long before he asks Notley or Smith to "lay down and love me again"?
Hey Dave! The Premier called Brian Mason down in question period today for being a bus driver!
You should write something about this.
What an ass.
Is it bad that I don't expect any better?
The difference between Stelmach's comments about Mason being a bus driver is that he was referring to Mason. The backbencher in April doesn't mention Mason at all and was the victim of this overzealous blogger.
Stand proud and tall, Eddie.
What if bloggers left question period well enough alone until there was useful questions and answers?
In other news, my god, would people shut up about standing in line for the H1N1 shot! 38,000 people in one day get the shot in the province. Isn't that a lot? It's suppose to be for people at risk the first week and yet I see a lot of middle age men and women who aren't wearing scrubs. Could they not have waited a few days?
We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world and yet we whine when we have to stand in line to get preventative care that those in other parts of the world would only dream about.
Sorry for the rant.
I checked the April post and the backbencher doesn't mention Brian Mason at all. What's the connection?
Stelmach likes to pretend he`s this gentleman farmer, but he`s just as coarse and rude as Ralph Klein, without the charisma.
These comments by gov't MLA's and the premier no less insult and shame all Albertans.
Apologies are due not just to the MLA's who are only trying to do their jobs but to all Albertans. I feel personally embarrased by these antics.
Former PC voter and new Wild Rose member (as of today!)
This is what happens when you ask a semi-autistic individual, which Ed Stelmach clearly is, to match wits with some fairly sharp minds from across the aisle.
The people always get the leadership they deserve. Ed Stelmach is a moron, ergo the people must be morons.
My lifetime in Alberta tells me this is true.
Stelmach's 'apology' (people told me to clean the mud off my shoes) rankles me.
As far as I can recall, no NDP MLA ever made negative comments about Stelmach being a farmer. I doubt any Liberal MLA did either. The people who tend to denigrate Stelmach's profession tend to come from his own party - in particular those from Calgary who want to push him out.
If Stelmach doesn't like being called a hick, he sure as heck shouldn't be mocking others who come from blue collar backgrounds.
And he shouldn't blame them for comments he's received from his own supporters.
What I hate is that most Albertans are blue collar workers and 99% of them put in more than what is required on the job.
When Ed Stelmach insults someone for being a bus driver, he is insulting the majority of us in Alberta.
Brian Mason was right not to accept his apology.
Stelmach shouldt have apologized. He was merely staing a fact.
Play the violin for Mason.
Bus drivers, piano teachers, farmers, doctors, nurses... what an eclectic array of cookie eaters.
Will the berry farmer (and cookie eater)
Anonymous at 11:15, you have such a cold heart and mean spirit. If Stelmach has friends like you...
I'm gonna swim against the current here:
All Eddy was saying that he was more apt to believe in health recommendations made by a former nurse than those by a former bus driver. And rightfully so. I can't see myself taking health advice from a former bus driver (unless they were currently a physician or some such). Would you?
I'm a businessman: and I would take no offence if Ed were to say to me that he'd rather take H1N1 advice from a nurse than a businessman. Rightfully so (see above).
Beside which, I can't understand why Mason was offended by this. Being an NDP doesn't embarrass him, why should this?
What if Ed had stood up in regards to some farming issue, for example, and pointed to his own Ag Minister Groeneveld and said, "I'd tend to believe this farmer over that nurse." would people be up in arms over that? I don't think so.
Seriously, people... I think that Mason et al have blown this terribly out of proportion. Ed said something that was not quite appropriate, but let's not burn him in effigy for a slight misstatement.
If you want to burn him in effigy (as I do) let's do it over mismanagement of royalty regimes, government spending and *gasp* the superboard.....
Better yet, why was a post here deleted? So much for openness and transparency.
Hey Anonymous 4:22pm - I meant to post an explanation after I deleted it, so thanks for the reminder. Someone posted something needlessly offensive towards Mason and Stelmach, so I deleted it.
Cheers,
Dave
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