MAKICHUK: Iron Lady: Can we trust Danielle Smith?
While autonomy is a real option, the UCP leader continues to show a shocking lack of humanity
“Your father did business with Hyman Roth, he respected Hyman Roth ... but he never trusted Hyman Roth!”
— Frank Pentangeli, Godfather II
There was a time, I was in full support of UCP Leader, Danielle Smith.
Or Danny, as I used to call her.
I believed, she stood up for us, against the feds. Against that total clown, Trudeau, who should have kept his job, as a drama teacher.
But that’s another story.
Danny, it seemed, was OK? Or was she?
She believed in the Alberta oilpatch, and is now pushing Prime Minister Carney, to make major changes in Canada’s energy policy.
That’s a good thing, folks. Good for Alberta. Good for Canada. Good for everyone, to be honest.
The left-coasters in B.C., are still a problem.
But I learned today, that 66% of people in northern B.C., support Alberta separatism.
No surprise, and you gotta like that.
Hopefully, a deal will be struck, and Alberta oil, or bitumen, or whatever the hell it is, will reach tidewater.
Our very own future, depends on it.
But let’s go back, to Danielle Smith, as a person.
I worked with her, at the Calgary Herald.
Back in the day, she would prance around the newsroom in power suits.
With long white socks, God forbid.
OK, fine. She was kind of clueless, when it came to office fashion.
The other thing, which bothers me — she never said hello to anyone. Not once, not ever.
She came in, wrote her stuff, presented it, and, quite often, it was pointed out to her, that she did not include a balanced opinion.
Danny struck me, as the smart girl in school, the class president, who thought she was smarter than everyone else.
Rather odd, actually. You would think she would strike up a convo at some point, but no. Not ever. She was just too far above us, folks. Too aloof.
Mind you, that was 20 years ago. And hey, nobody is perfect.
So … has she changed?
Well, let’s have a little look-see.
In the blink of an eye, she is now Alberta’s premier, leading the charge against those evil feds. And I believe, she is much stronger.
Not only that, but she’s a popular premier.
She has stuck up for Alberta, brought forward policies that would lead us to autonomy, such as our own pension and police force.
Contrary to the very woke Alberta mainstream media and their political cronies, these are both good ideas, that should go forward.
Only dumb-ass dweebs are in opposition.
Alberta autonomy is clearly our only option, against a staunch and adversarial Liberal government.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, notwithstanding of course.
We still have to give that fellow a chance. He seems to have the bit in his mouth, and that’s great.
And while Smith’s actions in defending Alberta and its energy industry, is admirable.
My issue with Danny, is more personal. It has to do, with character.
If Alberta goes rogue, and votes for separation, can we trust her to do the right thing? It’s a very serious question.
Is she the right person to lead Alberta to a bold new world — a world without Ottawa?
Look folks, we all know, she stands up for big business, right? Some in Calgary’s right-wing media have even called her, “The Iron Lady.”
But … there are concerns.
Par exemple … Smith, and her UCP gang decided it was OK to shoot grizzly bears.
So-called problem bears.
OK, it sounded fair, at the time when she answered my question on QR77 radio.
As you all know, problem bears wear their pants low, their hat backwards, and have tattoos, right? Wrong!
The only problem was, her government did not consult with wildlife experts.
And those experts told us, it was total bullshit.
It was virtual Trudeau-esque, top-down policy. Opposed by everyone in the province, who had any expertise in the field.
I’m talking the experts, not Ralph Klein’s Martha and Henry.
One of Alberta’s greatest treasures, the mighty grizzly, is now at unknown risk, thanks to our Danny.
Now let’s go on to the cougars.
Under her reign, Smith has expanded cougar hunting in several areas, including provincial parks, and increased quotas for the 2024-2025 season.
The province now allows the use of off-leash hunting dogs in Cypress Hills and Castle Provincial Park, so that rich American hunters can easily gun them down.
These changes have been met with mixed reactions, as you can imagine, with some conservationists expressing concerns, and … get this: lack of public consultation.
This is Danny style folks. And very reminiscent, of our pal Justin Trudeau.
One might even say, she’s Justin in a dress! LOL!
No public consultation. That’s right out of the Trudeau-Guilbeault playbook.
Top down, and if you don’t like it, go fuck yourself. I’m right. You’re wrong. Too bad. So sad.
OK fine, she hates animals. Doesn’t give a fuck.
Doesn’t care are if grizzlies or cougars go extinct. What a fine lady, she truly is.
There is a word for people like that, and it stars with a “B.”
But let’s not go there.
Let’s try to be fair.
Probably, the worst telling of Smith’s character, is her diabolical treatment of disabled people.
I only learned of this recently, and it left me quite shocked.
Smith’s cold brutality, toward people in wheelchairs — people I know — left me absolutely dumbfounded.
I’ve come across evil people, people in high places. But my God, never this cold and uncaring.
Get this: Smith, in all her wisdom, decided to pick on folks in wheelchairs.
Can you imagine?
She announced, proudly, a plan to “claw back” the new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) from residents receiving the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).
Punishing these poor folks, who are trying to scrape out a living amid a tidal wave of inflationary costs.
The only province, in the country to do so.
REPEAT.
The only province, in the country, to do so.
What does this mean for disabled Albertans?
AISH recipient Kavin Sheikheldin told CTV News she feels the province’s decision is unfair and directly harmful to vulnerable Albertans.
“I don’t think it’s right or fair what they’re doing, especially to vulnerable Albertans who need and deserve this benefit,” Sheikheldin said. “With my special diet — I have celiac disease — my groceries are quite expensive. Even $200 extra would help.”
Sheikheldin said she receives about $2,000 monthly through AISH, which includes a supplement for her dietary needs, but it doesn’t go far.
“Rent is around $1,700, and then there’s food,” she said. “The money doesn’t stretch far enough.”
Sheikheldin believes the government is taking advantage of people who may struggle to advocate for themselves.
“Vulnerable people usually don’t have the capacity to speak up for themselves. I think that’s why they think no one will complain and they can do whatever they want.”
She urged the province to stop treating federal benefits as income that reduces provincial support.
“We need this benefit to help us with other expenses. Even though $200 is still insufficient, we at least need it for our basic needs like groceries.”
And do you know what Smith’s reply was, to worried disabled Albertans, concerned about possible separation?
“We will figure it out,” she said. No assurances, no nothing. Fuck you, I’m busy.
This, my friends, is Danielle Smith in a nutshell.
Totally cold. Totally unfeeling. Just as I saw her in the Herald newsroom. The aloof girl, in the power suit, ignoring the common rabble.
My friends, I had planned to vote for separation, if a referendum happened.
Now, I’m unsure. Very unsure.
Our future, and that of our children and grand-children, is just too important.
Can we trust her, to do the right thing? To look after the disabled. To be kind to those Albertans who need help. Or those Albertans, below the line.
And … to preserve our wildlife, for future generations.
We know she’s OK with open pit mining, and acid mine drainage (AMD) in downstream waters. What else, is she OK with?
And what of our First Nations people? Has she given them strong assurances, that Treaties will be honoured should a Yes vote happen? Looks to me like that has not happened.
All I’m seeing, is a lot of angry chiefs who’ve been left out in the cold.
If I was First Nation, I would be worried too. Very worried.
I won’t even go into LGBTQ stuff, but my friends tell me, she doesn’t give a hoot about them either. Nice, eh?
I fear the only room in Premier Smith’s heart, is for Premier Smith. A tiger doesn’t change its stripes.
The great American writer, Mark Twain, once said:
"When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction."
I think the same can be said about the flora and fauna of our great province, and those we elect, to keep it great. Strength and compassion, for our fellow man.
We deserve it, don’t you think?