Dear Editor:
The demonstrators in front of the Alberta legislature who chanted “lock her up” made it on the national news this time.
Conservative leadership candidate Chris Alexander was widely criticized for not breaking it up and Wildrose leader Brian Jean stood with his arm out in complete agreement. Chanting ‘locking her up’ about a democratically elected Premier is ironically the communist/dictator style behavior/politics the alt-right is saying the NDP is practicing.
Only in communist/dictator regimes, people are locked up for policies or thinking differently than the regime in power. In a democracy, as in Alberta however, we don’t lock anybody up for policy.
You have to wonder about recent occurrences, such as when Sandra Janson crossed the floor from the PCs to the NDP because she was harassed on her social media accounts for her more progressive stand on abortion and LGTBQ issues. Now that she’s crossed the floor, she needs official protection because of death threats towards her. Premier Notley also has had death threats and every female MLA in Alberta has ongoing harassment, misogynistic comments and physical threats on their social media sites, in letters and in phone calls.
Is this what Alberta is all about — misogynistic, threatening violent behavior towards women in politics? Has the 44 years of PC government done better for Alberta?
No, they stooped to catering to the industry. Alberta had the lowest corporate tax, the lowest minimum wage and flattest income tax. The resources were pumped out as fast as possible in exchange for lowest royalties anywhere, in spite of billions of dollars rolling in, nothing was saved for a rainy day. The province was kept depending on resources and not diversified.
When Ed Stelmach, following corporate outrage backtracked on royalty raises, furious oil companies started to give their donations to the Wildrose. It was plain to see how money can buy policy. The founder of Canada’s big oil lobbyist (CAPP) was put in charge of enforcing environmental laws with the result of heavily polluted rivers, many Alberta plant/animal species disappearing in an alarming rate and the dirtiest air in the country.
Ilse Quick
Lacombe County