Alberta premier Danielle Smith has launched the next phase of saving her political skin with an address to her party to declare that separatists should exit the party and form their own. Contrast this to a few days ago where she said that they need to remain united in order to keep the NDP from forming government, and she’s not actually threatening expulsion, torn-up membership cards, or unsigned nomination papers. Instead, she’s appealing them to respect the vote, and saying that in a democracy, when you don’t win, you respect the result.
Being absolutely pedantic, the "block" on their supposed "path to prosperity" was the collapse of global oil prices in 2014. It had fuck all to do with Trudeau.
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-21T20:30:18.844Z
I’m sorry, what? She and her predecessors spent a decade ginning up crybaby separatist threats because the Liberals were in power federally. She overturned legitimate municipal zoning regulations because she doesn’t like the mayors who won in Calgary and Edmonton. The whole reason the UCP exists is because people like Jason Kenney were so outraged that the NDP dared to win an election in a one-party state like Alberta that they needed to pull out all of the stops and bring all of the crazies into the party, including the separatists, in order to gain an overwhelming numerical superiority to force them out. She is in the process of literally gerrymandering the electoral map so that she can’t lose the next provincial election. And she has the absolute gods damned temerity to say that you need to respect the result when you lose? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.
This is just Smith trying to play both sides so that she can keep everyone inside the tent for the time being so that she can survive long enough until the next election. It won’t stop the separatists from plotting against her, but she probably thinks she can out-organize them, even though she literally handed them the ability to level up their own organizing on a silver platter. I can’t wait to see this blow up in her face, but for the time being, I’m just going to continue to boggle at her sheer shameless hypocrisy.
Danielle Smith Hopes Alberta Is Happy Now youtu.be/bkk04sAzcMM?…
— Clare Blackwood (@clareblackwood.bsky.social) 2026-10-21T14:20:05.460Z
American election interference
The US Embassy released a statement that contained claims that Canada was engaging in “election interference” in the US, and it included things like Doug Ford’s Ronald Regan ads months ago, Mélanie Joly’s counter-tariffs strategy, and the fact that a Liberal MP *gasp!* canvased with a Democrat candidate for a primary earlier this year. Oh, and eleven Canadians illegally voted in US elections between 2012 and 2024. It’s so patently absurd, but they are trying to build up their “Blame Canada” narrative so that they can find new excuses to punish us after the midterms. Just risible.
The U.S. Embassy Wants Canada To Stop Interfering In Its Electionsyoutu.be/thdHKQ4hMcs
— Clare Blackwood (@clareblackwood.bsky.social) 2026-10-21T23:12:08.377Z
My Latest:
Ukraine Dispatch:
At least six people have been injured in an overnight missile attack on Kyiv. The US’ envoy, Steve Witkoff, called Putin a “humanitarian” during his meeting, and I feel sick.
Noteworthy:
- Canada’s outgoing ambassador to Russia describes the “cognitive warfare” that Russia is waging on NATO and western countries.
- CIGI president Paul Samson puts some meat on the bones of Carney’s “AI Stability Board” idea, how it could work, and the role Canada could play.
The government has released its Charter statement for Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act. As expected, it's full of hand-waving with no substantial engagement with the impact on freedom of expression. www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/…
— David TS Fraser (@privacylawyer.ca) 2026-10-21T12:13:40.766Z
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