Some members of Kenney’s cabinet frustrated by the premier's recent actions
Two notable members of Premier Jason Kenney’s cabinet are asking he apologize to Albertans for what appears to be the breaking of COVID-19 health guidelines on the first day Stage 1 was introduced.
Rajan Sawhney and Leela Aheer, who are both Calgary-area MLAs, are taking Kenney to task for refusing to take responsibility for photos that appear to show him and other high-ranking UCP members and staff ignoring health rules while enjoying drinks and dinner on the penthouse patio of a building near the legislature grounds.
“All of us make mistakes, but this one is a big one, and I am truly sorry,” said Aheer in a Facebook post. “Our leadership should sincerely apologize.”
Aheer is Alberta’s minister for culture and multiculturalism while Sawhney is the minister responsible for social services.
“We don’t see cabinet ministers criticizing premiers anywhere,” said Duane Bratt, a political scientist with Mount Royal University.
Bratt says the longer this controversy lingers, the deeper Kenney is digging himself into a hole.
“Let’s say you’re Leela Aheer, and Kenney kicks you out. What is he kicking you out for?” he said.
“For saying that it was bad optics for you to have a party on the Sky Palace patio?”
Aheer was also very critical of Kenney on his recent comments around ‘cancel culture’ on renaming of some Calgary schools including Langevin school.
"If we want to get into cancelling every figure in our history who took positions on issues at the time that we now judge harshly, and rightly in historical retrospective, but if that's the new standard, then I think almost the entire founding leadership of our country gets cancelled,” said Kenney last week.
Aheer says Hector Louis Langevin was an architect of the residential schools.
“Changing the names of schools and educating people about these atrocities is not ‘cancel culture,’” read Aheer’s statement.
“Cancel culture is what happened to our First Nations by not acknowledging these atrocities and those responsible.”
Meanwhile, Sawhney spoke to Punjabi radio station RED FM on Friday.
She says she has been following the rules very seriously.
“We have to take them very seriously,” she said. “I would say if they committed a mistake they must accept it openly.”
Sawhney was interviewed in Punjabi, and her responses were translated by CTV News to English.
Bratt believes if Kenney was to kick either women out of caucus or from their cabinet positions, it would be detrimental.
“I’m not sure how he gets out of this but I think, kicking them out of cabinet could make things worse for him,” said Bratt.
CTV News has reached out to Aheer, Sawhney and Kenney’s offices for further comment, but have not received any responses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.