COVID in Kenney's staff stirs political battle
An ugly partisan battle between the UCP and NDP is brewing amid COVID crisis
COVID-19 has hit Premier Jason Kenney's legislature staff in a worrisome way.
And this has led, if you can believe it, to a furious partisan blow-up between the UCP and NDP.
Three staffers have tested positive in the premier's office area of the legislature. Two more are infected among UCP political staffers outside that circle.
The three close positives work in room 202. Eight others based there tested negative, but all are isolating at home, says Brock
Harrison, Kenney's executive director of communications. He tested negative but is also in isolation.
Kenney himself has been tested for the third time since all this began, and once again he's COVID-FREE.
The premier is actually working temporarily at the nearby Federal building — in the notorious Sky Palace of the Alison Redford era — because of legislature renovations.
This brings Kenney a lot of needling but also, perhaps, a real health benefit.
The legislature infections are stressful and difficult for people who work insane hours in the midst of the greatest health crisis of our age.
Beyond politics, there has to be some room for simple humanity when people get sick and a crucial organization is turned on its head. But in this case, empathy takes a back seat to brutal Twitter attacks and counterattacks. .
The NDP implies that by failing to proactively notify, the UCP is making them vulnerable to infection, since the two warring camps of the legislature do have some contact.
They say that earlier there was agreement to share information if cases arose. They were upset when the government went several days without confirming.
But Harrison says: “If any NDP MLAS or staff were close contacts of the infected staff, that would have been communicated to them through AHS contact tracers . . . there's simply no context where UCP and NDP MLAS and staff would be close contacts.”
In a blistering Twitter exchange with Jeremy Nolais, Opposition Leader Rachel Notley's chief of staff, Harrison said it more colourfully: “It shouldn't surprise you that UCP staff don't spend longer than 15 minutes inside of six feet of NDP staff.”
Nolais said to Harrison: “Hey pookie, can I provide a different reality. You ACTUALLY TELL US when you have cases so I can sort who on my staff and in our Caucus has been near your staff so we can prevent an outbreak. Like, you do understand that COVID-19 is contagious, right?”
Harrison said “Please don't call me that (pookie). And unless you're an AHS contact tracer, you have no right to know anything like that.”
And more from Nolais: “Cut the crap Brock Harrison. Grow up, act worthy of the office you work for.”
Very uplifting, don't you think? In the legislature Tuesday,
NDP member Thomas Dang acknowledged that the Opposition was, in fact, given details.
“On Friday morning (last week) our caucus was informed by the media that there was a confirmed case of COVID-19 involving a staff person in the Premier's office,” Dang said.
“We confirmed this with the government, but the Premier's office refused to confirm this to members of the media for over three days.”
He argued that by failing to make a public announcement, the premier's office was jeopardizing everyone working in the building, from cleaners to officials in the chamber.
Kenney said: “Like any individual who has come into close contact with COVID, they are notified. They're notified by contact tracers and, by courtesy, by the people who have tested positive.”
Confused? You're entitled. The public fight is beyond childish.
But amid the rhetorical backflips designed only to hurt, there were at least some goodwill wishes from the NDP for the sick people, flickers of maturity in a schoolyard brawl.