From: brewnoser2@gmail.com   
      
   . . . You know they have a long, long road to travel before they could   
   convince Canadians that they qualify as a federal government.   
   ________________________________________   
   CBC News · Posted: Apr 02, 2021   
      
   Alberta MLAs quit coalition against public health restrictions after Ontario   
   MPP invokes Hitler   
      
   Two members of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party caucus   
   have quit a national coalition against public health restrictions, after the   
   group's founder compared measures to slow the spread of coronavirus to Nazi   
   Germany.   
      
   Drew Barnes, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, and Angela Pitt, MLA for Airdrie   
   East, the deputy speaker of the house and chair of committees, said in a   
   letter to the End the Lockdowns national caucus that they have withdrawn from   
   the group, as they "can no    
   longer be affiliated with someone who trivializes the horrific history of   
   Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany."   
      
   Ontario MPP Randy Hillier is the founder of the caucus, which includes other   
   current and former federal and provincial politicians, including Maxime   
   Bernier, leader of the federal People's Party of Canada, Independent Ontario   
   MP Derek Sloan and Paul    
   Hinman, the interim leader of the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.   
      
   On Thursday, Hillier posted a photo of Adolf Hitler on Twitter, comparing   
   Ontario's response to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic — which is   
   seeing fitness centres and restaurants close for on-site dining for a few   
   weeks to stem a surge of    
   thousands of new daily cases — to the Third Reich.   
      
   "It is fair to debate decisions made during the pandemic. But comparing the   
   actions of democratically-elected governments today to a regime that   
   deliberately murdered millions of innocents is truly beyond the pale," Pitt   
   and Barnes wrote in the letter,    
   which was sent to media by the United Conservative Caucus on Friday.   
      
   "Our focus will continue to be representing our constituents of Airdrie-East   
   and Cypress-Medicine Hat, speaking for the small businesses, gym owners, dance   
   studios, and other organizations in our communities."   
      
   The two MLAs said they would also continue to stand against lockdowns as a   
   public health measure. Alberta has not experienced a lockdown during the   
   entire pandemic.   
      
   Premier Jason Kenney called Ontario MPP Randy Hillier's post vile — and   
   'bonkers'   
      
   Kenney called Hillier's post vile on Twitter.   
      
   "There is — and should be — a vibrant debate about how best to deal with   
   the pandemic. But equating the public health measures of democratically   
   elected and accountable governments to the genocidal antisemitism of the Nazi   
   Third Reich is odious. And    
   bonkers," he wrote.   
      
   On Friday, Kenney begged Albertans to abide by health restrictions amid rising   
   cases.   
      
   "Instead of delivering a message of openness and optimism, I'm here instead   
   with a plea: Please, please, follow Alberta's health restrictions and   
   guidelines this weekend and in the weeks to come," the premier said.   
      
   "All of our leading indicators are telling us that we are now in a significant   
   new wave of COVID-19. How bad that wave will be is up to all of us."   
      
   'Egregious' views   
      
   Duane Bratt, a political science professor at Mount Royal University, said it   
   was a bad move from the beginning for sitting MLAs to join the anti-public   
   health measure group due to the "egregious" views of many members.   
      
   "When you look at specifically Randy Hillier, he was ejected from the PC   
   caucus in Ontario, pre-COVID. You know, for mocking … parents of kids with   
   autism. So, lining up with these people on any issue was just playing with   
   fire," Bratt said.   
      
   Hillier has repeatedly stated misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and   
   has broken public health rules in Ontario. In February, he was temporarily   
   banned from Twitter for urging his followers to shame those who wear masks.   
      
   Another member, Sloan, was ejected from the federal Conservative caucus over a   
   variety of concerns, including accepting a donation from a white nationalist.   
      
   "It's good that Barnes and Angela Pitt have removed themselves from these   
   other individuals, but it was expected that something crazier would have   
   emerged because this group of people are not just about COVID restrictions.   
   They hold a lot of other    
   abhorrent thoughts, and that is why they were … kicked out of their parties."   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)