By Zamboni
The polls in the Canadian federal election are neck-and-neck between the Liberals and the Tories, so tight that even the US has noticed. (The True North isn't on American journalists' radar screens very much.) But something happened last night that may shake the race up a bit.
Alberta, a mess of a province that we've blogged about before, declared a public health emergency. COVID-19 is so out of control there — thanks to some very DeSantis-y responses to the pandemic — that Tory Premier Jason Kenney was forced to reimpose lockdown-like restrictions.
Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to go to a restaurant. No more than 50 people at weddings and funerals. Social distancing at outdoor events. Mandatory work-from-home. But muh freedom!
All this and more, because Kenney and his Conservative provincial government have tried to out-Trump Trump in pandemic mismanagement. They lifted restrictions too early in the summer and opposed vaccine passports, and now, Albertans are paying the price. "I've never seen a government this incompetent," Mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary said.
You'll be interested to know that in the past, federal Tory leader Erin O'Toole has lavishly praised Kenney's COVID approach. Today, though, he ducked questions from reporters and refused to even mention Kenney's name. (Until now, they were political besties.)
Note to Canadians: If you think Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have done a good job fighting the coronavirus pandemic, please turn out on Monday to give them your support. But if you're thinking of voting Conservative and events in Alberta haven't convinced you otherwise — well, enjoy your lockdown. We cats HISS.
(IMAGE: @JasonKDiary)
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