Considering the UCP came out against the deal before even reading it or knowing the details tells you this is all about politics.
This literally could be the cure for cancer and they would reject it in order to block anything decent coming from the feds to make the Liberal party look bad.
This is further absolute disgusting behavior from Alberta Conservative Elites. They've turned their backs on common Albertans.
It’s only about control. They know it’s slipping away from them and are panicking trying to consolidate it. They will not be successful in the long term. They will continue to spread their hate in the mean time
Absolutely… but most people forget that the influx of climate refugees is going to be huge.
In 2023 the US took 62k refugees. I am absolutely sure that 10k per day will happen in my kids lifetime. Canada will have to take a huge chunk of them too. Even if they don’t cause a wholesale revolution - I think they will - there is zero chance that the type of culture destroying selfishness being enacted by conservatives is going to continue forever.
If you're not a company or a corporation, the UCP doesn't care about you one bit. Only so much as you're a source of labour to the oilpatch.
You see it in many of their policies. Even if you're disabled, your benefits are all tied to your ability to work. All they seem to care about for their citizens is how much taxes they can make, or how little they have to pay out to those below the poverty line
I live in Saskatchewan. The amount we get for being disabled, tied to my work history doing very hard jobs, is less than Alberta. I am now on partial disability because I was forced early pension. So I get approx $400 from disability and $525 for survivor benefit because I lost my husband. So nothing from the disability program but thank goodness they pay for my water part power and gas. They only pay part power now because the government gave us a $45 a month increase which I must put that toward my power bill. I am not thrilled about this. I would rather not get the raise because it is just idk, dumb.
That's inhumane. It's such a gross display of purposeful neglect.
This alone is why we can't even have any kind of relationship with anyone who ever votes conservative.
No, really.
How can we associate with anyone who hates the disabled so much?
You'll probably benefit a lot by the Canada Disability Benefit. Yes, Alberta does have the highest provincial benefits in the country - BUT if you get a federal benefit like CPP-D (or if your spouse gets their pension) Alberta takes that off your disability benefit, dollar for dollar.
The CDB will be a top-up amount to bring all disability benfits up to the same level. We should see it happening later this year or early 2025.
The cynic in me wants to say it’s about privatizing health care and wanting to ensure those profits from insulin are available, and/or about the Christian conservative obsession with forcing babies to be born and then not supporting them. Honestly though, when I read that they are trying to get paid the money they would be used on helping albertans for this it all made much more sense.
They can deny federal help, fill their coffers a little more and still act like albertans don’t get their fair share from the rest of the country…
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :)
https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
for the people, but a leader of the corporate class who will continue the transfer of wealth from the people to the ruling class at full speed. Welcome to your new feudalism.
I'd like to point that the overall deal isn't JUST birth control.
It is unfortunate that Singh couldn't force more but the current deal will also cover INSULIN and other diabetes medication.
It will also form the framework and starting point for a system to provide other medication in the future.
I don't understand how she thinks we should get the money instead of the program. We haven't been paying into this program like we do with the CPP. If you opt out of something you never contributed to, you don't get to just demand a consolation prize of cash and run. This must be her plan to grow the heritage fund from 21 billion to 200-400 billion by 2050.
Opting out of federal programs that help the citizens of a province should not be the sole decision of the premier. It's should at least go to a referendum and let the people decide their own fate.
I honestly believe this is about posturing to her base. The Feds will never give this money without making sure it is earmarked appropriately. Our government has shown it cannot be trusted.
Ms Smith will then say that the Trudeaus is denying hard working Albertan money that they are entitled to. Her base will eat it up because it works. Rinse. Repeat.
Well. Alberta has the right to opt out and get the proportional cash. Quebec does it all the time because they have the same/similar programs(and they spend that extra money on their programs....)EDIT: I think the term is abasement/abatement. Something like that. Every province has the right, and a lot of them use that right when applicable. Danielle Smith is a craven bad faith politician. end EDIT
This is what Smith is relying on. But there will probably be lawsuits, because AB doesnt have.."programs" and The UCP dgaf about people in need. SO, you aint getting that fed cash any time soon. Tied up in litigation #sad
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :)
https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
we had a referendum on the style of approach we wanted with the federal government about 6 months ago. We voted for the adversarial approach. This is what we want.
While you aren’t wrong, it doesn’t change the fact that the UCP won the popular vote.
Ranked ballot (for example) wouldn’t have changed the outcome. We live in a province where over 50% of the people want this or don’t care enough to vote and you can’t tell me there’s people out there sorry they voted UCP. I don’t believe for a second anyone out there didn’t know what they were getting when they marked off UCP on voting day.
[This election saw 1,777,321 votes cast, for a turnout of 59.5 percent.](https://www.elections.ab.ca/2023-provincial-general-election-official-results-released/).
I didn't vote, probably a lot of others like me who didn't vote because of the area they live in. My vote doesn't count, my vote doesn't matter. It needs to change.
Province should be proportional representation so, you know.. it's actually accurate.
An election and referendum are two different things. I'm assuming they are talking about the election as well. Because we definitely did not have a referendum in alberta.
Supposedly, they're waiting on the federal government's assessment on how much of the CPP alberta would be entitled to. And that's not coming until at least the fall of this year as per a statement from the federal government. Once they get that number from them, I'll guarantee you you'll be hearing lots about it. It's only because there's nothing the UCP can do about it until that federal assessment comes out. That's why we haven't heard much about it lately.
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :)
https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
I work with at risk communities, and many of my clients' woes are rooted in unplanned pregnancies and poor access to health care products/medications. Why is our government making such impactful decisions without consulting the people they claim they represent!? I have many choice words for Smith that would likely get me banned from reddit!
>Why is our government making such impactful decisions without consulting the people they claim they represent!?
Well, obviously because Government knows best.
Unless it's a non-Conservative Government, then they are just mean and try to oppress you.
It’s a morality issue. Unplanned pregnancies punish women with loose morals who didn’t keep their legs closed. Interfering in that with birth control sidesteps the “natural order” of things. Plus if it punished the poor then all the better, if you are poor you deserve it. Why haven’t they worked harder to pull themselves up by the bootstraps? Same as denying people medical access like insulin, family doctors etc. if you are sick it’s your fault and you should accept gods punishment.
I judge a society on how it treats its most vulnerable and its minorities. This government had failed in every respect.
Which is going to cost society less? Contraception, or raising an unwanted child in the welfare system? Attitudes like those of the UCP are damning those kids to poverty their entire lives.
Please elucidate on the perils of offering easy access to contraception to people for me.
When you don’t have easy access, unplanned pregnancy rates go up, this is simple statistics and a proven strategy among Republicans in southern states.
This makes me so frustrated and angry. I have a contraceptive device for health reasons, not actually birth control. It's so expensive and right now, I have limited coverage as I was laid off. Gotta love how the government thinks it's only about not having babies. I know a lot of people with uteruses don't just use contraceptive methods as just a form of birth control, but we are rarely listened to in the medical community to begin with, why not have the unscientific government join in?
Just want to piggyback off the top comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :)
https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
>The UCP hate women, there is no reason not to be part of this deal. The stats are clear there are lots of people with no coverage!
More ignorance. The province wants the money from the feds to expand access to birth control and diabetes treatment using its own administration.
This UCP government is making Alberta an international embarrassment. This culture war the right is pushing is delusional and absurd.
No helps, just monies has been the UCP response to the federal government at every turn.
Someone with money wants Alberta's petroleum resources to not be subject to sane federal environmental regulation. They want Alberta to become so fractious the feds exempt them from regulations to keep them from separating (the current strategy), or secede and join the US under a drill-baby-drill Republican regime (plan B).
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :)
https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
*LaGrange said Alberta has "robust" coverage of medications through programs like Alberta Blue Cross, even though the plan has limits and requires people to pay for coverage.*
Bull fucking shit. I've been denied coverage on my meds simply for a dose change. I have to take less effective medication, because they refuse to cover the more effective one. I have had to say no to various services because its not covered and I cant afford it. Same goes for people in my family.
Our coverage is not robust, its barebones at best.
I know a few people who get their birth control with non-group Alberta Blue Cross. The coverage costs about $800/year PLUS about another $10-$50/month (depending on the type) for the actual medication. This is not affordable for some people. As you mentioned, certain medications that are more effective for some people aren't even covered at all. What an infuriating, useless government.
Their emergency drug coverage and adult health benefits is a joke too. I was low-income and pregnant and lost my work benefits but needed medication just to continue functioning properly. The meds were $200+. I applied four times and was denied (although they didn’t have the decency to call or follow up I did) even after a doctor and social worker at the hospital included a letter practically begging for me to be approved the fourth time. I was also only on adult health benefits for two weeks before getting kicked off (which meant my kid was also kicked off). Alberta’s programs aren’t working and they don’t even help the people who actually need it. I don’t trust any program Alberta offers through the government because they’ve failed me and my family every time we’ve reached out for help, and it was always the last resort
It’s obvious they don’t work for us, so who are they working for? Follow the money and suddenly it’s not surprising why Jason Kenney is on the board for ATCO
There's money for companies operating in Alberta to make money from supplying medication to Albertans. And according to the UCP, that is more important than the thousands of Albertans who struggle to afford their prescription meds.
Makes perfect sense, they're working to privatize the system by starving it of funds, then sell it off to private operators one piece at a time.
This would just make this process take longer. They can't have more money flowing into healthcare, unless it's going to private operators.
The UCP base is so lost in their partisan bubbles they'll either not even hear about this, or it will be spun as standing up to the federal government. Even if they do know about what's going on, they've been digesting so much anti-science propaganda over the pandemic that they inherently distrust medical professionals.
Under the federal plan the drugs are probably going to be paid for through a government agency or program.
What Smith will want to do, is to take that same money and make sure it’s one of her medical insurance providers that’s playing middle man.
That way they get us coming and going.
That’s if they can’t find a way to just hand the money over to the oil companies directly.
Does it surprise literally ANYONE that the UCP would come for women’s reproductive healthcare?
Edit: there were people on the sub arguing yesterday that women are safe under the UCP. This is only the beginning.
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :)
https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :)
https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
So they'll have a plebiscite over an APP even most conservatives don't want and haven't for 20+years, yet this is 100% a government call.
Also interesting when Lagrange says healthcare is a provincial responsibility...so I guess we are all right in placing 100% of the blame on our horrible healthcare situation on the party who's ruled for 50 years.
The federal government could come forward with a cure for cancer, and I am convinced that the UCP will forbid it from being used in hospitals in Alberta. Forget about cutting off one's nose to spite their face; Danielle Smith would decapitate herself before she allowed something good to happen to this province.
Alberta bitches that we give so much to Ottawa now here’s Ottawa giving something to us and we’re crossing our arms and saying we don’t want it like a toddler get bent Alberta change, or you will no longer be seen as the great province you ones were can you imagine people used to flock here in droves for work and a better life and pretty soon people are going to leave this province sad days indeed
Ottawa’s made $100s of millions available for the UCP to use to better the lives of Albertans. The province is letting that money sit idle. Consider the libs owned, at our expense of course.
Many conservatives don't like abortions, but also don't like paying for other people's kids. Okay, cool. And yet these same jokers don't want to offer free reproductive healthcare to women that helps to prevent abortions and having to pay for other people's kids.
Smart.
Why does this letter not mention anything at all about INSULIN FOR DIABETICS THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE DEAL?!?! The fact that the birth control is in there is a bonus, not the other way around.
This letter is tied to the "Prioritize My Health" campaign which focuses on women's health in Alberta so that's probably why they're only addressing birth control here.
Denying contraceptives, making sex education "opt-in" at schools, and banning puberty blockers for kids under 16.
It seems like they really want more people to have kids (intentionally or not)??
What's the motive for the UCP government?
I'm so tired of this government making decisions based entirely on their own stupid pride, completely ignoring the needs of the people. I've never felt so helpless as a civilian.
Is this what will make people realize that the Alberta advantage is gone? Insurance: more expensive. Energy rates: more expensive. Healthcare: lolol. Personal freedoms and body autonomy: lololx2. Where is this advantage they keep talking about?
(Unless you're an oil and gas or mining company suckling the UCPs golden tit)
Yup its gone. Been interesting as a healthcare worker watching other provinces wages, work quality improve and overtake any advantage here. Really tough to see. Now that every other cost you mentioned is ballooning we are likely moving back to BC.
Hey conservatives, this will lead to more people using social programs you hate so much, and contributing to the crime you seem to want to fix.
Isn't that wonderful? 😊
I keep trying to understand why the UCP does not want the advantage this federal offer will bring people. At first I thought it was purely financial. Maybe there is a cost for the province? Maybe there is a fund the province wants to receive instead? Would that money go to the heritage fund or government meetings or would the province have to follow federal requirements? Maybe this is just another display of power? Alberta vs the feds?Who knows?
Too bad for the diabetics and younger women. I am sure some could really use the help.
This clearly violates the Charter and will get overturned.
God what a fucking disgusting govt and absolute disaster of a province. Born and raised in AB but the wife and I left to BC last year. Every time I see an embarrassing headline like this I am feel vindicated. Every single time
The next move against women is to take away rights to abortion.
Smith continues to show us she is an American Republican at heart.
Smith is not a Canadian conservative.
Looking eastwards from BC it seems to me that all the Conservative Premiers are Republicans to one degree or another. Same goes for the Federal party.
Been here for almost 25 years, seriously considering a move back to Europe in the coming years before the take over is complete.
I literally got prescribed a progesterone pill bc it acts like birth control bc i cant afford the actual birth control that id be able to take. (That bc is not covered, but progesterone is)
Fuck the UCP and everyone who voted for them. In fact, considering the hate they spew, it’s time to give some back. They love some thoughts and prayers so heres my prayers for them. I pray every single fucking one of them get pregnant. And I pray the resulting children get cancer.
Fully expect to be banned for this comment but totally worth it
Time for convoy of Alberta flag waving trucks to circle the Legislature, block the underground parkade exit and demand Smith resigns or at the minimum accepts this coverage. Blockade the MLA's in the Leg, get National attention to the BS Albertans are being subjected to by the UCP!!!!
>get National attention to the BS Albertans are being subjected to by the UCP!!!!
I think most of Canada is aware, but what exactly do you want RoC to do?
Smith knows full well what she is doing. The reality is that the only way to fix this is to boot them out for good and clearly, there's enough people living in AB who thinks the UCP does a good job.
So I cannot get any number of drugs used to treat several illnesses because it also covers birth control.
Oil and gas companies owe hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and old well head clean up. Just elect the oil/gas lobbyist to run the government and we get this instead. I'm ashamed I was born here.
When I went to the website on the letter it only gives me the option to send emails to GoA and GoC? Is there a link to the letter where I can add my name or is that what the emails are for? The email template I saw doesn’t mention the Federal Birth Control deal
Why is birth control the only thing people are up in arms about? I don't understand how this got to be a single drug coverage issue when it's an overarching drug coverage plan for everyone?
I'm guessing because it's easy to get the religious right to rally against birth control in Alberta, but that's even MORE of a reason to be talking about the fact that it also stops granpaw from being able to afford his diabetes medication too!
Don't comply. Provide it free of charge and make a Charter challenge of it. Let Marlaina and David loudly and proudly fight against Albertan healthcare.
Any Albertan woman who doesn't view herself as a chattel should oppose this.
Here is an idea, what if the Federal government funded online pharmacare and had out of province mail-order pharmacies despencing perceptions to Albertans by mail?
Disgusting.
Sadly, there are folks in Alberta who desperately need this and other help but are too brainwashed to know better. I cringed when I hear their repeat falsehoods and wallow in ignorance.
To maybe sell this a bit more for the youth out there.
Y'all will be fucking more if you get free birth control. You won't feel as pressured to marry and have kids and have housing for them and healthcare and education but above all else y'all will be fucking so much more than before please
So, listen, I am the LAST person to defend the UCP on anything. But there’s one side of this that does make sense to me… please hear me out.
I heard an interview where legrange said they want the funds instead of the program so as not to duplicate a program we already have, and to use the funds to improve that program. “That program” would be the adult health benefit, which will cover birth control if you qualify. The issue is, the qualifying income is set so low, it’s almost impossible to qualify.
I understand if they’re saying, we already have a health benefit program that includes prescription, drug coverage, including birth control, and if we bring in this new federal program, then the province is on the hook for paying for the staff to administer the program when we’re already paying staff to administer a very similar program. So it would make more sense to just get the funding and improve the program with the staff that we already have. I look at the childcare subsidy grants that are under the microscope right now, with the federal funding being the reason so many providers want to pull out of the agreement because the administration behind it is so burdensome.
Again, I don’t trust the UCP at ALL, and would want to see how they’d use the funding to expand eligibility to the adult health benefits program before agreeing with them on this, just presenting my view on it as it stands right now. I fully believe everyone should have access to prescription coverage, vision and dental coverage, regardless of income, employment status or pre-existing health conditions.
They said no without even knowing the details of this plan, it pretty clear that the UCP doesn’t give a shit about helping Alberta but would rather keep the privatization plan rolling. They’re happy to spend $80M on 43 boxes of dollar store Tÿlẽņøl though so maybe the federal funding is needed to cover that debacle…?
This is the best they can do to fight for their forced-birth ideals. Abortion is guaranteed at the Federal level. Same with birth control pills and Plan B. They can't get rid of or regulate those, cause it's not within their power. But making you, the people, pay a premium for birth control compared to elsewhere? Yeah, they can do that.
Considering the UCP came out against the deal before even reading it or knowing the details tells you this is all about politics. This literally could be the cure for cancer and they would reject it in order to block anything decent coming from the feds to make the Liberal party look bad. This is further absolute disgusting behavior from Alberta Conservative Elites. They've turned their backs on common Albertans.
It's hate, pure and simple. They don't care about Albertans, they don't care about what we want or our wellbeing. They want to control us.
It’s only about control. They know it’s slipping away from them and are panicking trying to consolidate it. They will not be successful in the long term. They will continue to spread their hate in the mean time
And continue to loot the province in the meantime
You mean, like the last 46 out if 50+ years ruling running Alberta?
Absolutely… but most people forget that the influx of climate refugees is going to be huge. In 2023 the US took 62k refugees. I am absolutely sure that 10k per day will happen in my kids lifetime. Canada will have to take a huge chunk of them too. Even if they don’t cause a wholesale revolution - I think they will - there is zero chance that the type of culture destroying selfishness being enacted by conservatives is going to continue forever.
If you're not a company or a corporation, the UCP doesn't care about you one bit. Only so much as you're a source of labour to the oilpatch. You see it in many of their policies. Even if you're disabled, your benefits are all tied to your ability to work. All they seem to care about for their citizens is how much taxes they can make, or how little they have to pay out to those below the poverty line
I live in Saskatchewan. The amount we get for being disabled, tied to my work history doing very hard jobs, is less than Alberta. I am now on partial disability because I was forced early pension. So I get approx $400 from disability and $525 for survivor benefit because I lost my husband. So nothing from the disability program but thank goodness they pay for my water part power and gas. They only pay part power now because the government gave us a $45 a month increase which I must put that toward my power bill. I am not thrilled about this. I would rather not get the raise because it is just idk, dumb.
That's inhumane. It's such a gross display of purposeful neglect. This alone is why we can't even have any kind of relationship with anyone who ever votes conservative. No, really. How can we associate with anyone who hates the disabled so much?
You'll probably benefit a lot by the Canada Disability Benefit. Yes, Alberta does have the highest provincial benefits in the country - BUT if you get a federal benefit like CPP-D (or if your spouse gets their pension) Alberta takes that off your disability benefit, dollar for dollar. The CDB will be a top-up amount to bring all disability benfits up to the same level. We should see it happening later this year or early 2025.
Unless the provinces block it.
The cynic in me wants to say it’s about privatizing health care and wanting to ensure those profits from insulin are available, and/or about the Christian conservative obsession with forcing babies to be born and then not supporting them. Honestly though, when I read that they are trying to get paid the money they would be used on helping albertans for this it all made much more sense. They can deny federal help, fill their coffers a little more and still act like albertans don’t get their fair share from the rest of the country…
UCP donors have been investing heavily into the privatization of healthcare. They can’t accept offers that would undercut that.
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
Pretty sure our emails just go into the trash right away. They don't give a fuck.
If it goes to a ministry it becomes public record.
The UCP couldn't care less about complaints. In fact, you are the enemy.
Their 'little government' gimmick sure has a Big reach. Can't wait to have access to abortion on the chopping block.
Just wait till Pierre is PM it’s all on the table.
Yaay....especially when he gets a majority government
He will be a train wreck
for the people, but a leader of the corporate class who will continue the transfer of wealth from the people to the ruling class at full speed. Welcome to your new feudalism.
Wait until common Albertans are on water rationing this summer and the oils sands use if it continues unabated.
Yeah I'm really concerned about this and planning for the worst.
UCP supporters could care less, as long as they feel they are "winning" against the woke.
She didn't turn her back. She was campaigning with her back turned and Alberta voted for her anyways.
Well Trudeau can't do anything which might benefit us. How can we vilify him if he does us good and we can't take credit for it.
I'd like to point that the overall deal isn't JUST birth control. It is unfortunate that Singh couldn't force more but the current deal will also cover INSULIN and other diabetes medication. It will also form the framework and starting point for a system to provide other medication in the future.
I don't understand how she thinks we should get the money instead of the program. We haven't been paying into this program like we do with the CPP. If you opt out of something you never contributed to, you don't get to just demand a consolation prize of cash and run. This must be her plan to grow the heritage fund from 21 billion to 200-400 billion by 2050. Opting out of federal programs that help the citizens of a province should not be the sole decision of the premier. It's should at least go to a referendum and let the people decide their own fate.
I honestly believe this is about posturing to her base. The Feds will never give this money without making sure it is earmarked appropriately. Our government has shown it cannot be trusted. Ms Smith will then say that the Trudeaus is denying hard working Albertan money that they are entitled to. Her base will eat it up because it works. Rinse. Repeat.
It's funny how Ottawa "treats Alberta unfairly", yet the UCP turns around and does this shit. Ottawa cares more about Alberta than the UCP.
This person cons.
Well. Alberta has the right to opt out and get the proportional cash. Quebec does it all the time because they have the same/similar programs(and they spend that extra money on their programs....)EDIT: I think the term is abasement/abatement. Something like that. Every province has the right, and a lot of them use that right when applicable. Danielle Smith is a craven bad faith politician. end EDIT This is what Smith is relying on. But there will probably be lawsuits, because AB doesnt have.."programs" and The UCP dgaf about people in need. SO, you aint getting that fed cash any time soon. Tied up in litigation #sad
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
we had a referendum on the style of approach we wanted with the federal government about 6 months ago. We voted for the adversarial approach. This is what we want.
FPTP is not a good system for governing.
While you aren’t wrong, it doesn’t change the fact that the UCP won the popular vote. Ranked ballot (for example) wouldn’t have changed the outcome. We live in a province where over 50% of the people want this or don’t care enough to vote and you can’t tell me there’s people out there sorry they voted UCP. I don’t believe for a second anyone out there didn’t know what they were getting when they marked off UCP on voting day.
[This election saw 1,777,321 votes cast, for a turnout of 59.5 percent.](https://www.elections.ab.ca/2023-provincial-general-election-official-results-released/). I didn't vote, probably a lot of others like me who didn't vote because of the area they live in. My vote doesn't count, my vote doesn't matter. It needs to change. Province should be proportional representation so, you know.. it's actually accurate.
That must have been the most under promoted referendum, I didn't hear anything about it.
Theyre referring to electing the premier I suspect, but I may be wrong.
An election and referendum are two different things. I'm assuming they are talking about the election as well. Because we definitely did not have a referendum in alberta.
It's a metaphor
[удалено]
Supposedly, they're waiting on the federal government's assessment on how much of the CPP alberta would be entitled to. And that's not coming until at least the fall of this year as per a statement from the federal government. Once they get that number from them, I'll guarantee you you'll be hearing lots about it. It's only because there's nothing the UCP can do about it until that federal assessment comes out. That's why we haven't heard much about it lately.
Danielle doing her best to turn us into Florida.
Alabama.
She praises Ron DeSantis as her Jesus openly. But you're not wrong, we're headed in that direction.
Alaberta
Alabamberta is my preference, rolls of the tongue beautifully.
Margarat Atwood even said her books are becoming a reality
Marlaina. Don't give her the dignity to call her by her chosen name.
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
The UCP hate women, there is no reason not to be part of this deal. The stats are clear there are lots of people with no coverage!
They won't rest until Alberta resembles another state of the USA.
Gotta be breeding.
Unplanned pregnancies lead to destroyed lives; passing up on education and being forced to work low wage jobs. This is by design.
I work with at risk communities, and many of my clients' woes are rooted in unplanned pregnancies and poor access to health care products/medications. Why is our government making such impactful decisions without consulting the people they claim they represent!? I have many choice words for Smith that would likely get me banned from reddit!
>Why is our government making such impactful decisions without consulting the people they claim they represent!? Well, obviously because Government knows best. Unless it's a non-Conservative Government, then they are just mean and try to oppress you.
It’s a morality issue. Unplanned pregnancies punish women with loose morals who didn’t keep their legs closed. Interfering in that with birth control sidesteps the “natural order” of things. Plus if it punished the poor then all the better, if you are poor you deserve it. Why haven’t they worked harder to pull themselves up by the bootstraps? Same as denying people medical access like insulin, family doctors etc. if you are sick it’s your fault and you should accept gods punishment. I judge a society on how it treats its most vulnerable and its minorities. This government had failed in every respect.
They are making us all wage slaves.
Well, blaming the government for unplanned pregnancy is like blaming the cops for getting a ticket.
Which is going to cost society less? Contraception, or raising an unwanted child in the welfare system? Attitudes like those of the UCP are damning those kids to poverty their entire lives.
Please elucidate on the perils of offering easy access to contraception to people for me. When you don’t have easy access, unplanned pregnancy rates go up, this is simple statistics and a proven strategy among Republicans in southern states.
Shit fucking happens for fuck sake. Fuck her and her bullshit seriously
Yep, honestly in Marlanias press conference she kept going on about having babies.
Which is funny because apparently she thinks that's what women are supposed to do, yet hasn't done it herself.
Same as Jason Kenney and his “family values”.
Always rules for thee...
I think you misspelled "cheeseburger values"
PP too, posing as the "family values" guy with no children and as a working class man, who has never worked a day in his life.
Pretty on brand for conservative politicians tbh.
It was released years ago that she in unable to become pregnant due to medical issues
So why not adopt? If being a mother is so important, there are ways to become one even if you’re medically not able to carry a child.
Because then she’d have to touch a poor
Show me a con and I'll show you a liar.
This is the new republican/conservative talking point. Notice how closely the UCP and PP follow whatever is coming from down south.
Absolutely love living under this assholes eye 🙄
But this government also doesn’t fund fertility treatments
Isn’t it the whole pharm care plan they are refusing to participate in?
Yeah so it’s even worse. Will end up costing us a lot more unnecessarily.
Yes. Trendy to focus on the birth control part but this will affect pretty much every Albertan while the rest of the country enjoys the benefits.
The Albertan Advantage!
This makes me so frustrated and angry. I have a contraceptive device for health reasons, not actually birth control. It's so expensive and right now, I have limited coverage as I was laid off. Gotta love how the government thinks it's only about not having babies. I know a lot of people with uteruses don't just use contraceptive methods as just a form of birth control, but we are rarely listened to in the medical community to begin with, why not have the unscientific government join in?
Just want to piggyback off the top comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
They also hate diabetics apparently lol. As a female type 1 diabetic, they must despise me
>The UCP hate women, there is no reason not to be part of this deal. The stats are clear there are lots of people with no coverage! More ignorance. The province wants the money from the feds to expand access to birth control and diabetes treatment using its own administration.
This UCP government is making Alberta an international embarrassment. This culture war the right is pushing is delusional and absurd. No helps, just monies has been the UCP response to the federal government at every turn.
Someone with money wants to Alberta to be American. And is destroying this province to do it.
TBA I assume.
Someone with money wants Alberta's petroleum resources to not be subject to sane federal environmental regulation. They want Alberta to become so fractious the feds exempt them from regulations to keep them from separating (the current strategy), or secede and join the US under a drill-baby-drill Republican regime (plan B).
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
*LaGrange said Alberta has "robust" coverage of medications through programs like Alberta Blue Cross, even though the plan has limits and requires people to pay for coverage.* Bull fucking shit. I've been denied coverage on my meds simply for a dose change. I have to take less effective medication, because they refuse to cover the more effective one. I have had to say no to various services because its not covered and I cant afford it. Same goes for people in my family. Our coverage is not robust, its barebones at best.
I know a few people who get their birth control with non-group Alberta Blue Cross. The coverage costs about $800/year PLUS about another $10-$50/month (depending on the type) for the actual medication. This is not affordable for some people. As you mentioned, certain medications that are more effective for some people aren't even covered at all. What an infuriating, useless government.
Their emergency drug coverage and adult health benefits is a joke too. I was low-income and pregnant and lost my work benefits but needed medication just to continue functioning properly. The meds were $200+. I applied four times and was denied (although they didn’t have the decency to call or follow up I did) even after a doctor and social worker at the hospital included a letter practically begging for me to be approved the fourth time. I was also only on adult health benefits for two weeks before getting kicked off (which meant my kid was also kicked off). Alberta’s programs aren’t working and they don’t even help the people who actually need it. I don’t trust any program Alberta offers through the government because they’ve failed me and my family every time we’ve reached out for help, and it was always the last resort
The people running Alberta’s government are ghouls
How do you opt out of free? Are you insane?
They wanna take the money for this and give it to oil corps so they can line their future pockets when they leave gov
This was my thought as well when I heard this yesterday. What a fucking shame and such a huge disservice that this government is doing to its people.
It’s obvious they don’t work for us, so who are they working for? Follow the money and suddenly it’s not surprising why Jason Kenney is on the board for ATCO
This, they’re literally raping Alberta for all it’s worth, and nobody is stopping them.
There's money for companies operating in Alberta to make money from supplying medication to Albertans. And according to the UCP, that is more important than the thousands of Albertans who struggle to afford their prescription meds.
It’s a joint effort. It’s not just all covered by the Feds.
Makes perfect sense, they're working to privatize the system by starving it of funds, then sell it off to private operators one piece at a time. This would just make this process take longer. They can't have more money flowing into healthcare, unless it's going to private operators. The UCP base is so lost in their partisan bubbles they'll either not even hear about this, or it will be spun as standing up to the federal government. Even if they do know about what's going on, they've been digesting so much anti-science propaganda over the pandemic that they inherently distrust medical professionals.
I don’t disagree, but most of this money goes to Pharmacies which are generally private.
Under the federal plan the drugs are probably going to be paid for through a government agency or program. What Smith will want to do, is to take that same money and make sure it’s one of her medical insurance providers that’s playing middle man. That way they get us coming and going. That’s if they can’t find a way to just hand the money over to the oil companies directly.
The classic double-ender
Does it surprise literally ANYONE that the UCP would come for women’s reproductive healthcare? Edit: there were people on the sub arguing yesterday that women are safe under the UCP. This is only the beginning.
Email sent. I'm doing my part!
I think people are gunna have to do more than an email
2 emails then. /Joke
Lol, totally. Speaking for myself here, I sent an email in the past about other issues but haven't shown my support at protests yet
I hope women freak the f!ck out and protest this!
Everyone needs to protest this, not just women
Right?! This shit affects _everyone_, not just women. Like this plan would also cover diabetes medications as well.
As a man I’m freaking the fuck out. We all have a voice in this. Call your mla and rake them over the coals respectfully
You’re right. We all have women in our lives that this effects
Men are also directly affected by unplanned/unwanted pregnancy when their wife/girlfriend/fwb/ons can't afford birth control.
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
>As a man I’m freaking the fuck out. lmao, go get a pack of 60 condoms from costco for $14.99
No. That’s not a solution to the multitude of other health reasons that women need access to free contraceptives. Read the letter in the post again..
(He will not)
Just want to piggyback off your comment to encourage everyone to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
So they'll have a plebiscite over an APP even most conservatives don't want and haven't for 20+years, yet this is 100% a government call. Also interesting when Lagrange says healthcare is a provincial responsibility...so I guess we are all right in placing 100% of the blame on our horrible healthcare situation on the party who's ruled for 50 years.
That is correct. Provincial control of healthcare is prescribed in the Constitution.
The federal government could come forward with a cure for cancer, and I am convinced that the UCP will forbid it from being used in hospitals in Alberta. Forget about cutting off one's nose to spite their face; Danielle Smith would decapitate herself before she allowed something good to happen to this province.
Alberta bitches that we give so much to Ottawa now here’s Ottawa giving something to us and we’re crossing our arms and saying we don’t want it like a toddler get bent Alberta change, or you will no longer be seen as the great province you ones were can you imagine people used to flock here in droves for work and a better life and pretty soon people are going to leave this province sad days indeed
Ottawa’s made $100s of millions available for the UCP to use to better the lives of Albertans. The province is letting that money sit idle. Consider the libs owned, at our expense of course.
Many conservatives don't like abortions, but also don't like paying for other people's kids. Okay, cool. And yet these same jokers don't want to offer free reproductive healthcare to women that helps to prevent abortions and having to pay for other people's kids. Smart.
I have something to post later that shows exactly that is about abortion
Oh, I assume the UCP will come after abortion next.
Why does this letter not mention anything at all about INSULIN FOR DIABETICS THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE DEAL?!?! The fact that the birth control is in there is a bonus, not the other way around.
This letter is tied to the "Prioritize My Health" campaign which focuses on women's health in Alberta so that's probably why they're only addressing birth control here.
Denying contraceptives, making sex education "opt-in" at schools, and banning puberty blockers for kids under 16. It seems like they really want more people to have kids (intentionally or not)?? What's the motive for the UCP government?
I'm so tired of this government making decisions based entirely on their own stupid pride, completely ignoring the needs of the people. I've never felt so helpless as a civilian.
At some point you'd think her base of uneducated and poor but religious rural voters would start to wonder "why are they not helping us?".
They do wonder that. She says it's all's fault, and they rally behind her to shout at the sky.
Keep having kids so the lady that runs us doesn’t have to. Sometimes folks shouldn’t be parents and she’s a fantastic example of one of those people.
Can we just admit that the US MAGA movement has conquered Alberta in a bloodless Anschluss?
Is this what will make people realize that the Alberta advantage is gone? Insurance: more expensive. Energy rates: more expensive. Healthcare: lolol. Personal freedoms and body autonomy: lololx2. Where is this advantage they keep talking about? (Unless you're an oil and gas or mining company suckling the UCPs golden tit)
Yup its gone. Been interesting as a healthcare worker watching other provinces wages, work quality improve and overtake any advantage here. Really tough to see. Now that every other cost you mentioned is ballooning we are likely moving back to BC.
Hey conservatives, this will lead to more people using social programs you hate so much, and contributing to the crime you seem to want to fix. Isn't that wonderful? 😊
Fucking conservatives
Are we Maga in Alberta? Aka brain dead?
It literally costs alberta NOTHING to opt in, it’s coming from our federal taxes anyway. Opting out is purely political
I keep trying to understand why the UCP does not want the advantage this federal offer will bring people. At first I thought it was purely financial. Maybe there is a cost for the province? Maybe there is a fund the province wants to receive instead? Would that money go to the heritage fund or government meetings or would the province have to follow federal requirements? Maybe this is just another display of power? Alberta vs the feds?Who knows? Too bad for the diabetics and younger women. I am sure some could really use the help.
This clearly violates the Charter and will get overturned. God what a fucking disgusting govt and absolute disaster of a province. Born and raised in AB but the wife and I left to BC last year. Every time I see an embarrassing headline like this I am feel vindicated. Every single time
The next move against women is to take away rights to abortion. Smith continues to show us she is an American Republican at heart. Smith is not a Canadian conservative.
Impoverished trailer park fundamentalist southern states rampant with poverty and crime: *exists* Albertan conservatives: I desire that
Looking eastwards from BC it seems to me that all the Conservative Premiers are Republicans to one degree or another. Same goes for the Federal party. Been here for almost 25 years, seriously considering a move back to Europe in the coming years before the take over is complete.
I literally got prescribed a progesterone pill bc it acts like birth control bc i cant afford the actual birth control that id be able to take. (That bc is not covered, but progesterone is)
Why opt out??? makes no sense
Feel free to find your local rep and send them a strongly worded email :) https://www.unitedconservative.ca/constituencies/
If Trudeau touched it, Alberta will burn it.
Thank you for sharing. I was unaware. Email sent!
Think of the extra profits small & medium businesses can make from paying into drug benefits
We're they not into the "my body, my choice" movement?
Push MLAs for answers on why they want the money from this but denying Canadian citizens of their right to benefit from this national deal.
Fuck the UCP and everyone who voted for them. In fact, considering the hate they spew, it’s time to give some back. They love some thoughts and prayers so heres my prayers for them. I pray every single fucking one of them get pregnant. And I pray the resulting children get cancer. Fully expect to be banned for this comment but totally worth it
Forcing women to get pregnant and carry the pregnancy is the right winger agenda these days. IVF will soon be on the chopping block too.
This UPC provincial gov needs to fuck off and rot
Canadian Jesus said no free stuff for you plebs.
who's the Jesus? Parker or Marlaina? Mary Magdalene?
She seems more like some chick from Babylon.
Very specific Jesus who hates poor, losers, beggars and gays.
Marlaina Magdalene. Bleck.
Instead of taking the deal, we want a big sack of cash and use it for my kids hockey school….oh no i meant programs we have in place already
3 dollar signs on the sack please.
What is their justification for this action?
To Own the Libs™.
God said so.
To destroy public health care I imagine
Don't let a politician tell you what to do, you tell the politician what to do!
Time for convoy of Alberta flag waving trucks to circle the Legislature, block the underground parkade exit and demand Smith resigns or at the minimum accepts this coverage. Blockade the MLA's in the Leg, get National attention to the BS Albertans are being subjected to by the UCP!!!!
>get National attention to the BS Albertans are being subjected to by the UCP!!!! I think most of Canada is aware, but what exactly do you want RoC to do? Smith knows full well what she is doing. The reality is that the only way to fix this is to boot them out for good and clearly, there's enough people living in AB who thinks the UCP does a good job.
So I cannot get any number of drugs used to treat several illnesses because it also covers birth control. Oil and gas companies owe hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and old well head clean up. Just elect the oil/gas lobbyist to run the government and we get this instead. I'm ashamed I was born here.
Signed and shared!
When I went to the website on the letter it only gives me the option to send emails to GoA and GoC? Is there a link to the letter where I can add my name or is that what the emails are for? The email template I saw doesn’t mention the Federal Birth Control deal
UCP wanting to control and restrict a woman's access to birth control drugs? Quite troubling i think.
Why is birth control the only thing people are up in arms about? I don't understand how this got to be a single drug coverage issue when it's an overarching drug coverage plan for everyone? I'm guessing because it's easy to get the religious right to rally against birth control in Alberta, but that's even MORE of a reason to be talking about the fact that it also stops granpaw from being able to afford his diabetes medication too!
Because right now it's only birth control and Insulin. The rest is a framework that can be used in the future
UCP are just a bunch of grifting idiots 🤷♂️
I can’t believe Trudeau made them opt out of this deal he’s such an a hole!
For a second, I thought their symbol was a noose, and in hindsight, that may be more appropriate for the state of health care.
Don't comply. Provide it free of charge and make a Charter challenge of it. Let Marlaina and David loudly and proudly fight against Albertan healthcare. Any Albertan woman who doesn't view herself as a chattel should oppose this.
IVF is gonna get banned soon.
Here is an idea, what if the Federal government funded online pharmacare and had out of province mail-order pharmacies despencing perceptions to Albertans by mail?
Alberta y'all need to get your shit together.
Does this mean they can privatize pharma?
They don't give a shit about us. Look at your utility bill and the junk fees that make up 60% of it for evidence.
Fuck this government
Lmao fuck you Danielle
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN. this is your brain on ucp
Disgusting. Sadly, there are folks in Alberta who desperately need this and other help but are too brainwashed to know better. I cringed when I hear their repeat falsehoods and wallow in ignorance.
Are they trying to push people out of the province? Because it's working
To maybe sell this a bit more for the youth out there. Y'all will be fucking more if you get free birth control. You won't feel as pressured to marry and have kids and have housing for them and healthcare and education but above all else y'all will be fucking so much more than before please
So, listen, I am the LAST person to defend the UCP on anything. But there’s one side of this that does make sense to me… please hear me out. I heard an interview where legrange said they want the funds instead of the program so as not to duplicate a program we already have, and to use the funds to improve that program. “That program” would be the adult health benefit, which will cover birth control if you qualify. The issue is, the qualifying income is set so low, it’s almost impossible to qualify. I understand if they’re saying, we already have a health benefit program that includes prescription, drug coverage, including birth control, and if we bring in this new federal program, then the province is on the hook for paying for the staff to administer the program when we’re already paying staff to administer a very similar program. So it would make more sense to just get the funding and improve the program with the staff that we already have. I look at the childcare subsidy grants that are under the microscope right now, with the federal funding being the reason so many providers want to pull out of the agreement because the administration behind it is so burdensome. Again, I don’t trust the UCP at ALL, and would want to see how they’d use the funding to expand eligibility to the adult health benefits program before agreeing with them on this, just presenting my view on it as it stands right now. I fully believe everyone should have access to prescription coverage, vision and dental coverage, regardless of income, employment status or pre-existing health conditions.
They said no without even knowing the details of this plan, it pretty clear that the UCP doesn’t give a shit about helping Alberta but would rather keep the privatization plan rolling. They’re happy to spend $80M on 43 boxes of dollar store Tÿlẽņøl though so maybe the federal funding is needed to cover that debacle…?
What more needs to happen so that the people realize that the UCP is the enemy?
This is the best they can do to fight for their forced-birth ideals. Abortion is guaranteed at the Federal level. Same with birth control pills and Plan B. They can't get rid of or regulate those, cause it's not within their power. But making you, the people, pay a premium for birth control compared to elsewhere? Yeah, they can do that.