October 6th, 2024

Danielle Smith showing she’s not a quality leader for Alberta


By Lethbridge Herald on November 4, 2022.

Editor:

In less than a month, Danielle Smith has proven she is not a wise and thoughtful leader. 

She publicly messaged her base claiming they’d been ‘discriminated against like nothing [she has] ever seen’ implying, ‘The non-vaccinated among you may have made the wrong decision. Now you need my help. I will now stand on your shoulders to make myself look better.’ I am hugely insulted by this. Smith should have acted more responsibly before she waded into this issue. Smith has certainly assured us there will be no return of medical professionals to Alberta. On Oct. 24, she stated, “I think that the staffing shortages have been manufactured by the bad decisions of Alberta Health Services.” Another year for me without a local family doctor. Another year for our superheroes and heroines in health care struggling under so-called UCP leadership. Another thoughtless comment by our leader.

What exactly is her proposal regarding the Sovereignty Act and the Supreme Court of Canada? She claims to want to keep money in Alberta and will challenge the federal government. This means time and money spent on skilled politicians, academics, lawyers, their aides and assistants, poring over law books and government documents determining if it’s in Alberta’s best interest to fight the federal government. She wants to wage this war now? She’ll be spending a lot of Alberta’s money in defiance of Ottawa. 

Smith most recently is quoted as saying, her new cabinet would provide “… some of the stability that they’ve (Albertans) been looking for.” She openly admits the former cabinet was unstable (I agree, but she said it publicly.) A leader normally rallies the troops based on the strengths of the past. A leader doesn’t throw supporters, old and new, under the bus. 

To Danielle Smith, I say: You have made Alberta the laughing stock of the country in less than a month. You are a wrecking ball. Please just say the words, “I resign.” 

M.A. Thomas 

Lethbridge

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johnny57

How sad is it when a newly minted leader stands up for Alberta and Albertans and their rights then she is quickly branded as an extremist or a radical! Maybe the Province should be swept-clean of the Toronto-trash here that calls Alberta home.
Oh and M.A Thomas you are full of S..T!

Mrs. Kidd (she/her)

Whatever you think of Danielle Smith, or of those who exercise their democratic right to criticize her actions, you have to admit that she does not enjoy a mandate. She was elected, on the 6th ballet, with only 53% support of the UCP members who attended their AGM. And those who finally supported her, represent just under 40% of total party membership.

And don’t think for one second you can tell me to go back to where I came from. Not only am I a proud fourth-generation Albertan (my great-great grandfather was granted land on his retirement from the NWMP), and a proud Canadian, but whether one has generational roots here or is a relatively recent arrival, we must all respect a person’s right to express their views.

Last edited 1 year ago by Mrs. Kidd (she/her)
johnny57

Especially when the mandate comes from Ottawa with anti-Alberta overtones written all over it!
If you can’t it make back, then by all means please send the anti-Alberta contempt back east!
Oh, and by the way a win is a win is a win no matter how you cut the cake.

Last edited 1 year ago by johnny57
Mrs. Kidd (she/her)

Yes, under our parliamentary first-past-the-post system, Danielle Smith is our Premier by virtue of winning her party’s leadership race and that her party holds a majority of seats in the legislature. However, owing to the circumstances of her win, she has not tested her leadership in a general election, and by that fact alone she does not enjoy a mandate from the Alberta electorate. While her actions are perfectly legal, they are in my view as a relatively conservative person, contrary to parliamentary tradition and without moral justification. And that view has nothing to do with whether or not I agree with her.

buckwheat

So Shannon was elected by 255 votes. What’s your point

Learjet

How sad it is when the fringe elements are able to hijack a mainstream party and put an ideologue with no practical experience to lead the gullible over the edge and into the abyss. This should work out well.. for the idiots on the left.

Southern Albertan

A double-edged comment. 🙂 I’ll give it a + for the first sentence.

Herbert

Jason Kenney was born in Oakville, ON. That’s close enough to Toronto for me and he has left no doubt in anyone’s mind that he is trash at best. He is absolutely one of the eastern scumbags Ralph warned us about. Him and Stephen Harper.

Southern Albertan

Agreed….this:
“As by-election test nears for UCP Premier Danielle Smith, new poll show NDP in majority territory”
http://www.albertapolitics.ca
The low approval rating for Smith, as compared to Notley, further down in the blog, is revealing as well.

zulu1

Part of the problem is that we need a better informed public in Alberta. For example, Smith has stated that the non vaccinated have suffered unprecedented discrimination. This was true across Canada during the pandemic. Health authorities insisted that the unvaccinated were a danger not only to themselves but to the vaccinated also, with regard to the transmission of the disease, and one has to wonder what evidence was presented to verify such claims ? Only recently Pfizer , and other drug companies admitted that they never conducted any research on transmission of the disease,thus invalidating health authoriy claims about the unvaccinated.
In other words, Smith has a point.

lumpy

..and it’s at the top of her head.

Herbert

Only recently Pfizer , and other drug companies admitted that they never conducted any research on transmission of the disease,thus invalidating health authoriy claims about the unvaccinated.”

The drug companies are concerned with the virus once it is inside the body not how it is transmitted so of course they didn’t do transmission studies. Those studies were done by other agencies/experts/scientists. Health authority claims about the unvaccinated are valid, Smith is an idiot and so are you.

HaroldP

Sorry M.A. Thomas, your comments equal that of a goose egg…zero, nadda, zip, zilch. You are indeed free to express them.

Not sure what circles you run in, but suspect the NDP leading, of course you would not support our Premier, Danielle Smith…I and onviously the vast majority of Albertans and more specifically those in the elected UPC do!

Wake up and smell the coffee, we as Lethbridgites are already seeing recognition from Premier Smith in her appointment of our very own MLA the now Honourable Nathan Neudorf as Minister of Infrastructure as well as one of our two Deputy Premiers!

M.A. Thomas, standby for the upcoming provincial election and you will wittness the greatest victory and mandate support for our Premier, Danielle Smith, ever witnessed before in Alberta!

Southern Albertan

This:
“If small-town Alberta is wary of Danielle Smith, nothing is a given anymore. Think the UCP has ridings outside of Edmonton and Calgary sewn up? Think again, or read this poll.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/danielle-smith-otherland-alberta-janet-brown-poll-ucp-1.6641581

HaroldP

Polls???? Do you “really” believe in polls? Remember it is the votes that count.

Albertan’s have learned our lesson from the Notley regime, and in particlular from what our current West MLA, proven liar, Shannon Phillips have done to our City/Province.

Never again!

Southern Albertan

I understand that it could be quite unnerving for UCP supporters to realize that the UCP are where they are with Albertan’s voting intentions.

SophieR

“Do you really beleve in polls?” … “Do you really believe in science?” … “Do you really believe in expertise?” … “Do you really believe in democracy?” … “Do you really believe in the separation of church and state?”

Yes, Harold. We do.

HaroldP

Do you ever use the thing between your ears that God has given you?

SophieR

Why is it, my ambassador of Christ, that I can picture your gleefully shiny eyes and spittle-flecked chin gleaming in the light of the torch you hold at an auto-da-fe?

The Dude

HaroldP: Any given poll is simply a snapshot in time. But if well-constructed and administered properly, will produce results with known confidence limits. So, it’s not a matter of placing belief in polling results, rather well trained and experienced pollsters and analysts interpret the poll results accordingly. 
 
The poll showing a slide in UCP support following Danielle Smith’s election was conducted by one of Canada’s most respected polling firms. They know what they are doing. And while you might not “believe” the polls, rest assured that the leadership and professional staff of political parties across the spectrum do pay attention polling data.

Mrs. Kidd (she/her)

Nathan Neudorf is I’ll suited for either of his recent appointments. His performance in office has been unremarkable at best, and he lacks both the experience and skill set for such important positions. He was appointed for two reasons: First, he will be loyal to Danielle Smith, and second, his seat is in play.

Last edited 1 year ago by Mrs. Kidd (she/her)
Southern Albertan

Exactly! Could not be said better. The UCP are desperate to win Lethbridge East.

zulu1

Not as desperate as the NDP are to win Lethbridge West.

HaroldP

The Hon. Nathan Nuedorf is absolutely suited for his appointments. Why do you suggest otherwise? Is it the fact of his uncontested moral standing, the fact that he has a professional background in agriculture, that he is hands on in business in Southern Alberta, or that perhaps because he happily married with a fine family? “ill suited” seriously NOT!

Mrs. Kidd (she/her)

I did not impugn Mr. Neudorf’s character, nor did I reference his family life; so we can leave that alone. That said, Mr. Neudorf has held his seat for less that one term and according to his official biography has never managed an organization as important, large or as complex as the Infrastructure Portfolio, let alone doing so while serving concurrently as Deputy Premier. That’s what I meant by a poor fit between his appointments and his experience.

zulu1

The NDP placed a former bus driver in cabinet, and a former high school teacher as energy minister, compared to these appointment Neudorf may be considered a good fit.

This Red Neck Has No Neck

That the NDP appointed people who lacked the requisite experience does not absolve the UCP from being criticized for the same thing. The “What About” argument is about the weakest argument that could have been advanced here.

Last edited 1 year ago by This Red Neck Has No Neck