WEBVTT 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.600 Hyundai Breckenridge in. 00:00:08.600 --> 00:00:12.300 This is under the dell as the province moves through the stages 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:15.700 of it. Open for summer plan a new survey shows premiere. 00:00:15.700 --> 00:00:18.700 Jason Kenny has lost the confidence of albertans when it comes 00:00:18.700 --> 00:00:21.600 to his handling of the pandemic and even the vaccine, 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:25.100 roll out that same survey shows that the UCP is trailing 00:00:25.100 --> 00:00:28.100 the NDP by about 12 points and half of Elberton, 00:00:28.100 --> 00:00:30.900 say they'd like to see Premier Jason Kenney resign. 00:00:30.900 --> 00:00:35.000 What's driving that slump and is there anything the premier 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:36.300 can do to turn those numbers? 00:00:36.300 --> 00:00:41.100 Around that more on today's episode, my guest today Edmonton 00:00:41.100 --> 00:00:43.800 Journal columnist, David Staples, Edmonton, Sun columnist, 00:00:43.800 --> 00:00:45.700 Lord. Gunther. Thanks for being with me. 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:47.900 Hear guys. We've got a lot to get through today as it is a 00:00:47.900 --> 00:00:49.400 busy time in Alberta politics. 00:00:49.400 --> 00:00:52.800 We're in the middle of Alberta's reopening strategy were kind 00:00:52.800 --> 00:00:56.900 of almost through the third wave of the pandemic or looks like 00:00:56.900 --> 00:00:58.500 the third wave is ending in the pandemic. 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:00.800 Andrew to talk about some polling that shows Jason Kenney 00:01:00.800 --> 00:01:03.800 in the ucep not sitting pretty with a lot of albertans, 00:01:03.800 --> 00:01:06.100 but first off we're going to talk about the reopening strategy. 00:01:06.100 --> 00:01:11.800 Jason Kania now, Last week we were talking about three stages 00:01:11.800 --> 00:01:14.400 stage 1, which were in right now, 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.900 stage two, which will possibly get two on June 10th and stage 00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:20.700 3, which we could get two before Canada Day weekend. 00:01:20.700 --> 00:01:23.500 These are tied to hospitalization rates in the amount of people 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:25.700 who have been vaccinated first up. 00:01:25.700 --> 00:01:28.800 David. What do you make of this reopening strategy? 00:01:28.800 --> 00:01:30.900 There's been a lot of talk that it's too fast. 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:32.700 It's faster than any other Province. 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:34.900 And there are others who say, well, 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:37.500 you know, we're on a good track right now. 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:40.600 What was your thought on the reopening strategy that was announced? 00:01:40.600 --> 00:01:44.200 It was extremely sharp politics. 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:44.500 Dave. 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:49.800 If you're going to it, if you want to get attention and you want 00:01:49.800 --> 00:01:54.000 to kind of change that the they change the frequency on while 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:56.600 people are taking in your messaging. 00:01:56.600 --> 00:02:00.300 I think you need to do something bold and being first in reopening 00:02:00.300 --> 00:02:02.500 for the major provinces in Canada. 00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:03.900 That's, that's bold. 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:07.400 You had to know that some people are not going to like that. 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:10.500 But what we did in the United States, 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:13.400 is that places that have been reopened have been fine. 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:15.600 They've had their case is continued to go down, 00:02:15.600 --> 00:02:17.100 taxes opened up. 00:02:17.100 --> 00:02:23.200 They probably had about 15% first Doses and thirty to forty 00:02:23.200 --> 00:02:26.400 percent acquired immunity herd immunity from getting covid. 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:28.400 They've been fine. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:31.100 They're their numbers of crashed all across United States, 00:02:31.100 --> 00:02:32.500 New York Times of the story today, 00:02:32.500 --> 00:02:35.600 saying, since the mask mandate came off, 00:02:35.600 --> 00:02:39.400 they've had continued drop some cases just like before the mask 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:41.600 mandate was on the cdc's mask mandate. 00:02:41.600 --> 00:02:45.700 It seems like the vaccines are just kicking butt on the virus. 00:02:45.700 --> 00:02:51.100 That is that it's the safe thing to do DNA DNA Hinshaw confirm 00:02:51.100 --> 00:02:53.800 that this is all based on what they're seeing in other jurisdictions. 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:55.300 This is going to be fine. 00:02:55.300 --> 00:02:58.500 Looks like everything lines up for him to come up. 00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:03.700 First on terio is is really hesitant other places are far more 00:03:03.700 --> 00:03:07.900 hesitant that he needed to do something bold and he's done. 00:03:07.900 --> 00:03:10.800 So, in any particular need needed to do that because his own 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:15.000 party has actually been pretty much shredded by this covid 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:17.200 bed pandemic and his government's response to. 00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:23.000 It has been a very difficult policy issue for people on the right 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.200 to deal with, and there's been an incredible dissension 00:03:25.200 --> 00:03:25.900 within his ranks. 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.300 Lord, looking at that, the idea that is, 00:03:30.300 --> 00:03:34.500 as, as David said, his policy party has been shredded by this 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:36.600 in both internally in from the outside. 00:03:36.600 --> 00:03:40.300 You know, we've talked a lot on this particular show about 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:43.800 this balancing act that Jason Kenney is had to do to try and 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:47.500 appease people who don't want re-openings or want tougher 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:50.700 restrictions and then people with his own party who say we've 00:03:50.700 --> 00:03:51.200 had enough of this. 00:03:51.200 --> 00:03:54.100 We want things to reopen, I get the sense. 00:03:54.100 --> 00:03:57.500 He's kind of leaning more towards the people within his own party 00:03:57.500 --> 00:04:01.000 that say enough of this we need to reopen where were vaccinated 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:03.500 more people. Now, we've got to we've got to look at getting 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:06.200 out of restriction time. 00:04:06.200 --> 00:04:09.900 Do you get the sense that that's who he was looking at more? 00:04:09.900 --> 00:04:10.800 When he was talking about. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:12.500 Let's reopen by Canada day. 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:13.600 Let's have a Calgary. 00:04:13.600 --> 00:04:21.900 Stampede the shredding, The Balancing Act. 00:04:27.400 --> 00:04:30.600 Still a lot of the old wild, 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:45.600 they're still getting that urban urban problem. 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:55.400 The rate of infection in some of the rural areas are even higher 00:04:55.400 --> 00:04:56.800 than they are in the urban areas. 00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:06.900 The numbers are big and what percentage is it be for the infection 00:05:06.900 --> 00:05:16.400 and they had. 00:05:16.400 --> 00:05:19.700 And I'm sure they didn't know that they had communities 00:05:19.700 --> 00:05:23.100 within their own constituency said, had the highest infection 00:05:23.100 --> 00:05:24.100 rates in the problem. 00:05:24.100 --> 00:05:28.600 But but you know, they know no one whose The constituency 00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:31.500 office has had it. 00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:46.800 And I think that Jason biggest single problem has been that 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:50.000 he has not been a great communicator. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:06:04.000 He did at one point just before he made the percentage 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:10.800 of population. In rural Alberta, spend some time and showing 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:17.100 why that matter he didn't have any of that for the first 12 or 00:06:17.100 --> 00:06:21.500 13 months of the panther the numbers made for people, 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:22.100 but they're worth. 00:06:26.100 --> 00:06:30.600 They put into perspective and I just don't think that he has 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:35.500 done enough of the retail politicking that he needed to do that. 00:06:35.500 --> 00:06:37.700 He was able to do even with zoom and Skype. 00:06:37.700 --> 00:06:40.900 Open, Facebook. I don't think he's done that. 00:06:40.900 --> 00:06:47.800 I think that's what has led to the idea of reopening in the idea 00:06:47.800 --> 00:06:49.900 that he's kind of fighting this battle within his own party. 00:06:49.900 --> 00:06:52.600 And we're going to get to some some more details about this 00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:57.100 leche survey that post media, had this week. 00:06:57.100 --> 00:06:59.900 That the one of the questions in there was asking, 00:06:59.900 --> 00:07:02.400 do you want to see all the restrictions lifted? 00:07:02.400 --> 00:07:07.100 Now, and if you look at the pool is something like 69% of the 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:10.200 people don't want to see all the restrictions lifted now and 00:07:10.200 --> 00:07:11.100 then 30, some odd. 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:14.800 People say, no, we want to see the restrictions lifted now, 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:17.000 and I assumed that there might be some cross-pollination 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:20.500 between party. Some you see, CP supporters don't want to see 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:21.400 all the restrictions lifted. 00:07:21.400 --> 00:07:23.300 Now, whatever people say in the polls, 00:07:23.300 --> 00:07:25.100 Dave, it doesn't really matter. 00:07:25.100 --> 00:07:27.000 What matter. Is getting it, right? 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:29.700 And if he gets this policy, right, 00:07:29.700 --> 00:07:33.300 if he real if Alberto reopens in this isn't just him, 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:36.200 it's Hinshaw is clearly Hinshaw's policy as well. 00:07:36.200 --> 00:07:38.200 If they get this policy, right? 00:07:38.200 --> 00:07:44.100 They'll get the credit for the Kenny was listening to the libertarian 00:07:44.100 --> 00:07:47.000 wing of his party more in the fall and he was more hesitant 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:47.900 to put in measures. 00:07:47.900 --> 00:07:52.200 And if you could hear it in his rhetoric and he got, 00:07:52.200 --> 00:07:54.200 I think it just hit him Square in the face. 00:07:54.200 --> 00:07:59.000 People die. Because because of that, they got the balance 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:00.500 wrong. He's been trying to get this Middle, 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:02.600 Ground balance all the way up along, 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:05.300 and then suddenly it occurred to you like Square in the face. 00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:07.700 Okay, we got the balance wrong and there's more people, 00:08:07.700 --> 00:08:11.800 and I see you, and there's more people dying because we got the 00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:13.100 balance, right? He made the decision. 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:14.700 That that's not happening again. 00:08:14.700 --> 00:08:18.300 It was incredibly politically unpopular, because he got it wrong 00:08:18.300 --> 00:08:21.400 in that moment, and he paid a political price. 00:08:22.400 --> 00:08:23.600 Now, he's got to get it. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:25.400 Right? And if he gets it, right, 00:08:25.400 --> 00:08:27.000 whatever people's fears are. 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.400 It doesn't matter because when you get it, 00:08:29.400 --> 00:08:32.600 right, when the hospitalizations go down, when the case counts 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:36.200 go down and you're able to, then there's real harm in lockdown 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:38.500 and when you can and that, he's going to get the benefit 00:08:38.500 --> 00:08:40.200 of that because people say all he got it right? 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:41.500 This time in the hospital. 00:08:41.500 --> 00:08:43.500 I'm packed and we can live our normal lives. 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:46.800 There's going to be a memory, the people will have all Kenny. 00:08:46.800 --> 00:08:48.000 Kenny said this would happen. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:48.800 Did it happen? 00:08:48.800 --> 00:08:49.500 Any might get some. 00:08:49.500 --> 00:08:53.400 He might get some up, taking his popularity because of it. 00:08:53.400 --> 00:08:57.000 And I and I think that the NDP has been playing it and it's 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:00.000 been interesting to see the MP's reaction in the legislature 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:02.000 because initially, they were a little bit, 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:06.100 they were Rachel, notley was betraying it as a bad thing to reopen. 00:09:06.100 --> 00:09:07.700 She was portraying like in Quebec. 00:09:07.700 --> 00:09:10.800 They're not open until the end of summer in BC. 00:09:10.800 --> 00:09:12.300 It's not until then it look at what you're doing. 00:09:12.300 --> 00:09:13.200 You're rushing ahead. 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:18.000 That was a big political mistake early on in their their initial 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:20.400 response was to create more fear. 00:09:20.400 --> 00:09:21.800 I think that's kind of personal. 00:09:21.800 --> 00:09:25.200 I think it Stop with with the science with what's going to happen 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:28.400 and public moods going to follow that because I'm 10. 00:09:28.400 --> 00:09:29.200 He's proven, right. 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:33.600 I'll even be further in people's heads that he was right on this. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:35.400 In the final stage. 00:09:35.400 --> 00:09:38.300 He didn't get it right all along but in the final stage you did. 00:09:38.300 --> 00:09:42.100 So I think that that's what's key for him is to have the right 00:09:42.100 --> 00:09:46.100 policy and to follow through on it and and and see where you'll 00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:47.700 reap. The rewards are the negativity. 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:51.000 Depending on how it turns out, or what do you make it? 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:54.900 The, the idea that albertans don't feel he's doing well on those 00:09:54.900 --> 00:09:57.800 items like communication and managing the pandemic. 00:09:57.800 --> 00:10:01.900 And even on the vaccine ruler forgotten, 00:10:01.900 --> 00:10:13.700 as it had enough, restrictions, not enough restrictions 00:10:13.700 --> 00:10:14.700 are just about, right. 00:10:14.700 --> 00:10:18.300 We had the tiniest sliver of any province in the just about, 00:10:18.300 --> 00:10:21.300 right? And the highest way too many. 00:10:22.400 --> 00:10:29.300 Yeah, probably the fewest of any problems even a month ago. 00:10:29.300 --> 00:10:36.700 When they from from May of 2020, 00:10:36.700 --> 00:10:48.200 didn't have the small retail shut down. 00:10:48.200 --> 00:11:03.100 Stay at home with the new announcement. 00:11:03.100 --> 00:11:08.100 You just going to stand from people that I think it's almost 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:12.800 over there going to stop worrying about whether well, 00:11:12.800 --> 00:11:13.800 as of the tents. 00:11:13.800 --> 00:11:15.900 Can I have 11 people in my house? 00:11:15.900 --> 00:11:18.500 At one? Has a foot in the door and one has a foot out 00:11:18.500 --> 00:11:22.200 the door. Do I get to go to the mall? 00:11:22.400 --> 00:11:27.000 Without waiting. Can I put my mask on over one nostril? 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:36.400 Ignoring all that, within reason, for the next month after 00:11:36.400 --> 00:11:39.800 that? I'm burning the damn mask and and we're free. 00:11:39.800 --> 00:11:44.800 Why I was just going to say just a little under two years away. 00:11:44.800 --> 00:11:50.200 From, from our next election horse race polls are more snapshot 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:52.000 in, in time than than anything. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.200 But obviously, the feelings about Jason Kenny's handling. 00:11:56.200 --> 00:12:00.100 The pandemic have hurt, where his party sits in the pool, 00:12:00.100 --> 00:12:04.200 and we're looking at like 10 of the mid-to-high 30s for the NDP 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:05.100 in popular support. 00:12:05.100 --> 00:12:09.400 Where is the you CPR in the mid-20s and then further down in that 00:12:09.400 --> 00:12:11.400 laisy, pull the butt have two. 00:12:11.400 --> 00:12:13.400 People, feel the Jason Kenney should resign. 00:12:13.400 --> 00:12:19.000 Where does this put the premier in terms of in a meeting 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:20.700 to really turn things around 1 or what? 00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:22.200 What does he need? 00:12:22.400 --> 00:12:35.200 I do to turn things around for himself after the first round 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:38.500 of big cuts by the Klein government Ralph's, 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:40.400 got a cellphone, which at the time, 00:12:40.400 --> 00:12:42.400 was the size of the shoe box, 00:12:42.400 --> 00:12:59.900 and Colleen, his wife, and most of the driving option at remember 00:12:59.900 --> 00:13:02.700 one time, falling through the mall in Portsmouth, 00:13:02.700 --> 00:13:13.700 and he just kind of politician. 00:13:22.400 --> 00:13:39.800 Good sign yesterday in Yukon, not a great sign in investment 00:13:39.800 --> 00:14:01.400 Agents, Association has as re-up, albertus bundles of bricks 00:14:01.400 --> 00:14:08.100 and personal popularity. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.200 And he has to spend a lot of time. 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:24.900 Flipping pancake shaking hands. 00:14:24.900 --> 00:14:27.400 May be sitting at events that he doesn't realize. 00:14:27.400 --> 00:14:35.900 I don't know whether you go to a rodeo by the crowd and laughed 00:14:35.900 --> 00:14:41.000 it off, and there's nothing, but the hard, 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:47.700 the hard work of him and his party back on top, 00:14:47.700 --> 00:14:50.000 but good news for them. 00:14:53.400 --> 00:14:56.600 The NDP is only three percentage points above where they were 00:14:56.600 --> 00:14:59.400 in the election in 2019 that they lost. 00:14:59.400 --> 00:15:07.500 So this has not really benefited, the 36% that got in the ledge, 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:11.000 a pole is as strong as 36% that they've ever seen. 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:17.400 But they did not get huge pick up among swing voters undecided 00:15:17.400 --> 00:15:24.400 Roketa. Oh, and and that's where you should come from. 00:15:24.400 --> 00:15:31.500 Alberta after you know much talked seeing other provinces 00:15:31.500 --> 00:15:34.700 roll out there their second dose plan for covid-19 vaccine 00:15:34.700 --> 00:15:37.200 Jason Kenney. Dr. 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:38.800 Hinshaw's Health. Minister. 00:15:38.800 --> 00:15:42.600 Tyler shan-dro introduced Alberta's, second dose plan. 00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:47.800 I know that the the reopening was was based just on the 70% of 00:15:47.800 --> 00:15:49.500 12 and over with a first dosed. 00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:52.400 How important is it to the reopening. 00:15:53.400 --> 00:15:57.200 We have S doses kind of rolling out and how important is it for 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:00.400 Jason Kenney to get that that rolling out as he's going to vaccinate his 00:16:00.400 --> 00:16:02.600 way back into everybody's heart. 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:08.200 Stay with the goal of the pandemic management is always be avoided, 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:09.500 a Public Health crisis. 00:16:09.500 --> 00:16:10.600 How do you do that? 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:14.100 Well, if you're most vulnerable people are protected, 00:16:14.100 --> 00:16:18.200 then you avoid, you know, the the ramp and hospitalization 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:19.000 and Ice to you, right? 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.300 So what we have already is. 00:16:21.300 --> 00:16:25.900 I think it was Kenny said 74% of people over 75 have their 00:16:25.900 --> 00:16:30.900 second dose. It's just in terms of doing the right thing. 00:16:30.900 --> 00:16:33.600 The right inhumane thing this day for, 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:35.200 we can make our most vulnerable people. 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:38.700 That's the best plan to have before reopening and it looks 00:16:38.700 --> 00:16:39.600 like we're going to get there. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:41.500 I think it's 10% now and I'll burn that. 00:16:41.500 --> 00:16:46.600 I've had two doses was doing beginning to feel 20% 30% by the 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:50.600 time of full reopening what will be out for second dose has 40 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:52.700 50% maybe so 00:16:53.400 --> 00:16:57.300 This is really important and giving people who are most worried about 00:16:57.300 --> 00:17:00.200 the virus, a great sense of security, 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:01.300 a safety blanket. 00:17:01.300 --> 00:17:05.300 And so it's it's crucial in it. 00:17:05.300 --> 00:17:06.200 And it's great news, Robert. 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:08.700 I don't know how we can be so far ahead of other problems 00:17:08.700 --> 00:17:10.800 on this maybe cuz I think it's because we have a younger 00:17:10.800 --> 00:17:14.500 population. So we were able to get two people quicker with the 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:17.800 second dose. But it it's it's a big part of the reopening 00:17:17.800 --> 00:17:22.600 plan. Is it to the kind of the optimism in the province 00:17:22.600 --> 00:17:24.700 that we get this second dose. 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:31.000 Roll out as quickly as as Jason Kenny's hoping that we do somewhat 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:38.700 important, but I think even the first to the point where a lot of 00:17:38.700 --> 00:17:44.300 people are quite the real openings been announced that we got 00:17:44.300 --> 00:17:48.900 another month left a little bit less than a month left in in restrictions, 00:17:48.900 --> 00:17:53.000 and the second dose has not been as 00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:57.100 Psychologically important, I'm happy to see as many people 00:17:57.100 --> 00:18:00.900 showing up as many people getting ready to book. 00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:08.200 Appointment for second dose, in Texas is one of them is at once 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:12.600 you got the first ocean people and the infection rate fell through 00:18:12.600 --> 00:18:25.000 the floor. I'm so I think we're a little more upright than a sin 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:29.700 in Canada. And, and a large freedom-loving group. 00:18:29.700 --> 00:18:42.900 We've been talking about, I'll be there and then and then, 00:18:42.900 --> 00:18:45.000 and then we can really truly start, 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:46.500 stop worrying about stuff. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:50.100 And on that will leave it there. 00:18:50.100 --> 00:18:51.800 Lord councillor David Staples. 00:18:51.800 --> 00:18:52.800 Thanks very much for your time. 00:18:54.500 --> 00:18:55.800 That's it for Under the Dome. 00:18:55.800 --> 00:18:58.600 You can find all past episodes at Edmonton Journal. 00:18:58.600 --> 00:19:01.200 Calm, Under the Dome, where you can hit that subscribe 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:05.300 button on YouTube on Dave, breakenridge will see you next time.