EDMONTON – Alberta’s Wildrose Opposition leader apologized Wednesday for hinting at violence against Premier Rachel Notley. Brian Jean was responding to concerns from the crowd at a townhall meeting about the level of seniors care and housing in Fort McMurray. “Let’s be honest. I’ve been beating this drum for 10, 11, 12 years now, so I will continue to beat it, I promise. But it is against the law to beat Rachel Notley, so …” he said before being cut off by laughter and applause.
Here are some other instances when anger directed at Alberta politicians boiled over and made headlines:
NOTLEY IN THE CROSSHAIRS: In August, a picture was posted to Twitter of Notley’s face sitting inside the crosshairs of a scope. The photo was later taken down. Jason Kenney, who has said he intends to run for the leadership of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party, called it the work of “lunatic trolls.”
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NOTLEY’S HEAD AS A TARGET ON THE GOLF COURSE: Controversy erupted in June when it was revealed that a cutout of Notley’s head was used on the 11th hole during the Big Country Oilmen’s Association golf tournament in Brooks, Alta. Association president Ernest Bothi said the cutout was meant to be humorous and was never intended to promote violence. “Everybody had a good laugh and that’s all it was … Nobody’s going to hop into their vehicles and head off to Edmonton and do something horrible,” he said. He added that he doubted there would have been an uproar if former prime minister Stephen Harper’s face was on a target.
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ANGRY CARBON TAX PHONE CALL: A man was charged with uttering threats after staff reported that someone phoned the legislature office of Environment Minister Shannon Phillips at the end of March and threatened to shoot everyone over the carbon tax. The staffer told police the caller referred to the minister as a man and, when he was reminded Phillips was female, “he told me the NDP only hire people with boobs, not qualified people.” In an interview with The Canadian Press, the man denied making any threats. He said he was just having a bad day.
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FUROR AROUND FARM SAFETY BILL: Anger late last year over the NDP government’s plan to extend occupational health and safety rules and workers compensation coverage to paid farm workers prompted people to post online death threats aimed at Notley. Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd rose in the legislature and tearfully spoke about feeling cyberbullied and concerned to go home. She said “a climate had been created where people are afraid to speak.” Jean condemned the attacks. “These kinds of comments cross all bounds of respect and decency and have absolutely no place in our political discourse,” he posted on Facebook. “This is not how Albertans behave.”
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