Say what you will about the United Conservative Party (UCP), they wear their contempt for Parliamentary democracy on their sleeves.
Jason Kenney, the first UCP premier, handed out bright pink earplugs to members of his caucus in June 2019 when the NDP Opposition rose to do its job and debate a government bill intended to override collective bargaining rights.
This was decidedly unparliamentary behaviour, and never would have taken place in a Legislature run by grownups.
Criticized for the obvious disrespect of the Legislature, Kenney, who had campaigned on a promise to restore decorum to the House, blew it off the next morning as a “harmless and light-hearted attempt to boost government caucus morale after being forced to listen to the NDP’s insults, lies and over-the-top rhetoric for hours on end.” (Emphasis added.)
Danielle Smith climbed to her feet in the Legislature to respond to NDP criticism of the UCP government’s aggressive use of “time allocation” to reduce the debate on a series of bills that have been assailed from many quarters, including some rural conservatives, as authoritarian and undemocratic.
During the current spring session, the UCP has used time allocation to stifle debate on Bills 18, 20, 21, and 22, and to pass the appointment of a new ethics commissioner with an obviously partisan history. Only 115 minutes were allocated to debate on legislation to dismantle Alberta Health Services, a policy that has profound implications for Alberta’s struggling health care system.
Opposition Leader Rachel Notley told the House that “the premier has shut down debate from the Opposition and all Albertans at least 10 times in the last four days. Our government used closure only four times in all four years of our term, and when we did it, it was after 10 times the amount of debate that this government has allowed on devastating laws that Albertans do not want.”
Razzing the premier during Question Period about reports of unhappiness among some of the government caucus members with the premier’s determination to push through bills that would prevent municipalities and university researchers from accepting federal cash, and allow cabinet to overturn local bylaws without due process, Notley continued:
“You know, it is ironic that this premier is subverting democracy in this House in order to subvert democracy in houses all across Alberta. Meanwhile, her own caucus is telling reporters they don’t understand her focus on these draconian laws no one asked for.
“Very good question they have,” Notley added, moving to her question. “To the premier, is the real reason she’s ramming this stuff through because she’s gonna lose the support of her own caucus members, hearing from their own constituents they don’t like this?”
Premier Smith, wearing a rather unparliamentary Edmonton Oilers hockey jersey, responded: “Our caucus is unified. In fact, the extra time that they get” … she paused for some applause … “the extra time that the members take between votes, there was actually a push-up contest last night and the honourable member from Calgary-Shaw ended up winning it with 54 push ups!”
“Mr. Speaker,” she continued, “we would be more than happy to be here for some constructive debate …” (Emphasis added again.)
Notwithstanding the performative give and take of Question Period, the answers of both UCP premiers are revealing: They don’t recognize the value of Parliamentary debate and will blithely shut it down on the fatuous basis that the Opposition party isn’t supportive enough in what it has to say.
This, obviously, indicates contempt for the role of the Opposition, and not just the particular Opposition the government faces nowadays.
As for the use of childish gimmicks like pink earplugs and push-up contests, their purpose would seem to be to show disrespect for Parliamentary debate.
All that said, it needs to be observed that the NDP focus on Question Period doesn’t really do much to advance the cause of the Opposition in the House or the broader opposition to UCP policies throughout Alberta.
Most voters, if they notice at all, dismiss it as inside baseball at best and childish shenanigans at worst.
The NDP will have a new leader soon, and whoever that leader is, they need to finally develop a disciplined communications strategy that hammers the government daily inside the House and outside on three or four key issues.
The UCP’s destructive and misguided dismantling of AHS to please its MAGA base, which is still wound up about COVID vaccines, would be an excellent place to start.
By all means, debate the government’s terrible policies as best you can. But the task of the next three years is to persuade Albertans of the harm the UCP is doing, not to have fun in Question Period, which almost no one watches in its entirety and which is reduced to meaningless snippets by news coverage.
As for whether Rebecca Schulz successfully executed 54 push-ups, we’ll just have to take the premier’s word on that.
NOTE: I have skipped much context of the back and forth between Notley and Smith, and probably have included too much as it is. Those who are entertained by Parliamentary debate, as I am, can find the full exchange on pages 1655 and 1656 of Hansard. DJC
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