AB Today – Daily Report August 21, 2020

Quotation of the day

“Alberta’s government has employed pressure tactics against physicians, devaluing their role in keeping Albertans healthy in and outside of this pandemic.”

The Canadian Medical Association accuses the UCP government of refusing to “collaborate” ​ ​ with Alberta doctors.

Today in AB

On the schedule The swearing-in ceremony for Alberta’s first-ever Muslim lieutenat-governor, Salma Lakhani, ​ ​ will take place next week in the legislature.

Finance Minister Travis Toews’ economic update drops next Thursday. ​ ​

Premier watch Ahead of Friday's Conservative Party of Canada leadership vote, contender Erin O’Toole ​ reminded the Twitter crowd of his endorsement from Premier Jason Kenney (and contrasted it ​ ​ ​ ​ with the Toronto Star’s endorsement of his rival, Peter MacKay). ​ ​ ​ ​

Last year, Kenney said Rona Ambrose would be his “first choice” for CPC leader, but when she ​ ​ decided not to run, he backed O’Toole.

Kenney, O’Toole and MacKay all served as cabinet ministers under ex-prime minister Stephen ​ Harper.

O’Toole has also garnered public endorsements from 15 other UCP MLAs and cabinet ministers, including Jason and Jeremy Nixon, Demetrios Nicolaides, Tanya Fir, Kaycee ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Madu, Josephine Pon, Michaela Glasgo, Miranda Rosin, Mike Ellis, Nicholas Milliken, Ric ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ McIver, Rajan Sawhney, Rebecca Schulz, Dale Nally and Rick Wilson. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

While MacKay has advertised his endorsements from provincial lawmakers in other provinces, such as Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, he doesn’t appear to have got much traction with the UCP.

A number of federal MPs from Alberta ridings have backed him, and so did ex-Wildrose leader Brian Jean. ​

UCP backbencher Dan Williams has thrown his support behind social conservative candidate ​ ​ Leslyn Lewis, as has ex-PC finance minister Lyle Oberg. ​ ​ ​

The winner of the CPC leadership race will be announced Sunday evening.

Topics of conversation

● Alberta reported 103 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. The province has 1,084 active ​ ​ cases, a decrease of 23. ○ Another person died, bringing the provincial death toll to 228. ○ As of yesterday afternoon, there were 48 people hospitalized, including 12 in intensive care (up one). ○ There is an outbreak at the Imperial Oil refinery in Strathcona County with six cases, three active and three recovered.

● The Canadian Medical Association, a national physicians advocacy organization, sided with Alberta doctors in an open letter. The CMA bemoans the UCP’s failure to ​ ​ collaborate with doctors during the pandemic and its use of pressure tactics against them. ○ “While physicians in other provinces have experienced open lines of communication with their governments — something understood to be essential in a public health crisis — Alberta’s government has refused to collaborate. At a time when all efforts must be on defeating COVID-19, the Alberta government’s efforts have undermined doctors,” reads the letter.

● Wholesale trade in Alberta was up 7.2 per cent in June, but sales remained down 5.9 per cent year-over-year, according to ATB Financial. ​ ​

○ The only subsectors that have seen a year-to-date increase are food, beverage and tobacco.

● The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) marked Alberta Farm Workers Day on Thursday by attacking the UCP for last fall’s Farm Freedom and Safety Act. ​ ○ The federation said it made things worse for farm workers by exempting workers in greenhouses and mushroom farms from employment standards, removing mandatory workers’ compensation coverage, and stripping them of the right to collective bargaining and union membership.

● The Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench announced four locations — two in Edmonton and ​ ​ two in Calgary — where jury selection and off-site jury trials will be held beginning September 8.

● UCP MLA Drew Barnes took to the pages of the Western Standard to opine on how ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Alberta’s landlocked geography doesn’t mean it couldn’t succeed as a separate nation.

News briefs

NDP calls for premier to apologize for undermining public health advice ● NDP Education critic Sarah Hoffman called on Premier Jason Kenney to apologize for ​ ​ ​ ​ undermining the chief medical officer of health by sharing an op-ed on social media that included spurious Covid science. ○ The column from pediatrician Dr. Joan Robinson, published in the Edmonton ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Journal, claimed it is rare or maybe not possible to acquire the coronavirus by ​ being in the same room as an infected person. ○ “It is totally irresponsible for the Premier of Alberta to direct Albertans’ attention to advice that contradicts everything public health officials have been telling us,” Hoffman said in a news release. ○ The Journal has since published a correction to the column. ​ ​

Lobbyist registrations

Consultants who registered, renewed or amended registrations from August 13 – August 20, 2020

● Denis Painchaud, Baneret Consulting Inc. ​ o Clients: Resource Diversification Council; AMGAS Services Inc. ​

● Christopher Ghazouly, Alberta North Projects Ltd. ​ o Clients: Melcor Developments Ltd.; Coalition - Airdrie Developer Group ​

● Christian von Donat, Impact Public Affairs ​ o Clients: Mortgage Professionals Canada ​

● Hal Danchilla, Michael Lohner, Melissa Caouette and Taylor Hides, CSG Canadian ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Strategy Group Inc. o Clients: The Calgary Airport Authority ​

● Jeff Sterzuk and Marnie Dawson, Prairie Sky Enterprises Ltd. (Prairie Sky Strategy) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: EDP Renewables Canada Ltd. ​

● Jeff Sterzuk, Prairie Sky Enterprises Ltd. (Prairie Sky Strategy) ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Canadian National Railway Company (CN) ​

● Melanie Paradis, McMillan Vantage Policy Group ​ ​ ​ o Clients: POST Promise ​

● Mark Taylor, Mark B Taylor Consulting Inc. (Taylor Energy Advisors) ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Radicle ​

● Brian Senio, Farid Foroud, Elan MacDonald and Randy Pettipas, Global Public ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Affairs o Clients: Providence Therapeutics ​

● Erin Iverson, The Capital Hill Group ​ ​ ​ Clients: Maple Bear Canadian School Corp; Sanofi Pasteur Limited ​

● Farid Foroud, Global Public Affairs ​ ​ ​ o Clients: University Hospital Foundation ​

● Dave Quist, Osborne Group Contract Executives Corp ​ o Clients: Advanced Safety Paramedics, Inc. ​

● Elan MacDonald, Philip Cartwright, Yonathan Sumamo and Brian Senio, Global ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Public Affairs o Clients: Parkland County ​

● Erika Barootes and Peter Csillage, Enterprise Canada Inc. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Cattleland Feedyards Ltd. ​

● Bronte Valk, Zack Ziolkowski, Cam MacKay, Jonathon Wescott, Shayne Saskiw, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Pascal Ryffel, Bronte Valk, Keith Pridgen, Aaron Singleton and James Johnson, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Alberta Counsel o Clients: Alberta Teachers Association ​

Organizations that registered in-house lobbyists from August 14, 2020 – August 20, 2020

● Shell Canada Limited ● Alberta North Projects Ltd. ● 7-Eleven Canada ● Ovintiv Canada ULC ● Husky Energy Inc. ● ENMAX Corporation ● Canadian Bar Association Alberta Branch ● Desjardins General Insurance Group ● Alberta Seniors & Community Housing Association (ASCHA) ● TC Energy Corporation ● Northeast Capital Industrial Association ● Supply Chain Management Association (operating as Supply Chain Canada) ● University of Alberta Students’ Union ● College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta ● Hoffmann-La Roche ● The Coal Association of Canada ● Chevron Canada Limited ● Tilray Inc. ● Microsoft Canada Inc. ● Lafarge Canada Inc. ● Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors ● GS1 Canada