Kenney's calendar suggests light vacation workload while Alberta's fourth wave grew
A calendar obtained through Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act suggests Premier Jason Kenney only had two COVID-19 briefings while on vacation in August.
That's despite Kenney insisting on multiple occasions that he was "in daily contact" with staff and senior officials during his holiday.
The calendar shows "personal" time scheduled from Aug. 12 to Aug. 30.
Two meetings, both labeled "Weekly COVID Update," were scheduled on Aug. 18 and Aug. 25.
Apart from those updates, the calendar remains relatively blank for 19 days.
The premier previously claimed he was away for a couple of weeks.
"I, every single day, was on my phone in connection with the government, my office and getting regular briefings on COVID and everything else," Kenney said upon his September return.
"There is nothing on the record that shows Jason Kenney was willing to interrupt his best summer ever to address a very real and pressing crisis," NDP MLA David Shepard told CTV News. "If he was taking any substantial action, it would be showing there in that calendar. It shows that this premier was more concerned about potentially his own vacation than he was about taking responsible action to protect the health of Albertans."
FOURTH WAVE HIT
While Kenney was absent from the public eye, COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions began to trend upwards.
The province tallied nearly 14,000 new cases in that time, and ICU admissions rose into the triple digits.
"It was amazingly bad optics," political scientist Keith Brownsey said. "Weekly meetings aren't enough. That doesn't give you the sense of the distress and the anger that was festering in Alberta with his absence. He left us and I think that has a lasting impact on his political career."
CTV News reached out to the Premier's Office for comment on his vacation schedule.
"The Premier maintains a weekly COVID update with a wide range of officials from his office, Alberta Health, and Alberta Health Services and he continued with those meetings while he was away," acting press secretary Harrison Fleming wrote. "He also maintained daily contact with his staff and other officials throughout. Impromptu (sp) discussions would not be reflected in the formal calendar."
But one former high-ranking Alberta government staffer is still skeptical.
Alison Redford's former chief of staff Stephen Carter told CTV News that "if it's not in the schedule, it's simple: it doesn't happen."
"There's absolutely zero way you can actually plan these meetings without putting them into the premier's schedule," Carter continued. "A briefing is not something that can be pulled together ad hoc."
The calendar was very thorough.
Every five minute drive, personal meal -- even casual walks -- were listed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.