The UCP have jumped the shark
With the introduction last week of Bill 18 by the Premier, I wonder if she, like Fonzie, so long ago on Happy Days, has just jumped the shark.
Published Apr 25, 2024 in The Sherwood Park News • 2 minute read
I grew up in Sherwood Park watching reruns of the popular TV show Happy Days.
Richie and Marion Cunningham hanging out at Ralph’s Diner with their pals Potsie, Chachi and the legendary character Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli.
Happy Days was a hit with audiences from the start, but by the fifth season, the show had exhausted its core intent and was introducing new ideas that were inconsistent with, or an extreme exaggeration of, its original purpose.
The fifth season is when the people running the show had ‘Fonzie’ jump over a live shark while on water skis. A spectacle that inspired the popular idiom, ‘jumping the shark.’
Since getting elected, the Premier has prioritized the agenda of a radical activist group of her party membership over the needs and priorities of the majority of Albertans. It seems she will introduce whatever legislation she needs in order to survive her upcoming party leadership review later this year. They know, and she knows, replacing her as leader is a tried and tested strategy for keeping conservatives in power, regardless of the consequences for Albertans.
With the introduction last week of Bill 18 by the Premier, I wonder if she, like Fonzie, so long ago on Happy Days, has just jumped the shark.
Whatever the core intent and original purpose of the United Conservative Party was, now in its fifth season, the Premier and the Cabinet of the government have lost the thread that led them to run for this assembly.
What Danielle Smith hopes to accomplish with Bill 18 is to be the gatekeeper to all federal funding that comes into Alberta. Now, similar to blocking Albertans from accessing the national pharmacare program, this will not change the funding available to provinces from the federal government – this will only change Albertans access to it.
Just like we see in dealing with the housing crisis, every order of government needs to work together to address such a large and complicated problem. Municipal leaders are willing to do their part, but we are not seeing the same cooperation from the province. The province is focused on who gets credit for funding projects and programs rather than serving Albertans.
Bill 18 is an attack on voters who choose their local municipal leaders. It is an attack on research universities and academic freedom. It is a threat to non-profit organizations that receive funding from the federal government. It is a bill of the highest hypocrisy by a kakistocracy.
With Bill 18 the UCP have just jumped the shark.
Please reach out to me if you have any thoughts on this or other issues that are top of mind for you.
Kyle Kasawski is the MLA for Sherwood Park. If you have questions about this column or any provincial issues, he would like to hear from you. Find his contact information at meetkyle.ca