PREMIER FACES THREATS
Paula Simons: Hate crosses the line
Premier Rachel Notley says she won’t be deterred by the “small, radical, extreme” group of people behind a series of threats directed at her hours after her government passed a highly controversial farm-safety bill.
“I’m not particularly concerned. I think it’s a very small group of people and I don’t think they reflect who Albertans are,” Notley said Friday in an interview with the Journal.
While the government’s muchcriticized farm-safety legislation sparked noisy protests across the province — including several that brought thousands of farmers and ranchers to the steps of the legislature — Notley said the few people
I think it’s a very small group of people and I don’t think they reflect who Albertans are.
posting threats against her don’t represent the province’s agricultural sector.
As of Jan. 1, Bill 6 will introduce basic occupational health and safety standards and make Workers Compensation Board coverage mandatory for paid farm workers. The remaining changes will be developed after 18 months of consultations.
The government will “engage with people whether they’re angry, whether they agree with us or not, to work together on coming up with a common-sense application of these regulations,” Notley said.
Screen captures of the threats against Notley posted to various Facebook pages and news websites began spreading on social media late Thursday night.
“Someone’s gotta man up and kill her, dibs out,” reads just one of the dozens of threatening comments.
“Maybe we need to go back to the old west and just shoot her already,” reads another.
Wildrose Leader Brian Jean condemned the death threats in a statement Friday morning after a series of violent comments posted to his Facebook page began circulating on social media.
“Over the last few days, I’ve seen far too many hateful and even violent social media posts directed towards our political opponents,” Jean wrote on his Facebook page.
“This needs to stop. These kinds of comments cross all bounds of respect and decency and have absolutely no place in our political discourse. This is not how Albertans behave.”
He pledged to forward any threats to the appropriate authorities.
Sergeant-at-Arms Brian Hodgson, who heads up security for the Legislative Assembly, said his team of sheriffs do a rigorous “threat and risk assessment” any time a threat of violence is directed at an MLA or legislature staff. The premier also has her own security detail.
“Without getting into specifics, we deal with about two to three (threats) a week,” Hodgson said.
If one requires further investigation, the appropriate law enforcement agency is notified to assist, he added.
Dozens of comments applauded Jean’s statement, but many also criticized him and defended the threats against Notley and her government.
“Well said Brian but you also have to realize that these HARD WORKING tax payers are ‘ANGRY’ and sometimes this is the only way they can vent their frustrations,” reads one comment.
Criticism over the government’s Bill 6 reached a boiling point this week as MLAs debated the contentious legislation morning, afternoon and night.
Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd, a former cow-calf operator, broke down in tears in the legislature Thursday as she described being threatened and cyber-bullied.
“I myself was somewhat concerned to go home last week,” she said.
Former NDP MLA Leo Piquette, whose son sits in the NDP caucus, posted a comment under Jean’s statement saying the opposition leader should have done more.
“My son Colin, MLA for Athabasca who was raised on a farm raising cattle, was abused, bullied, shouted out, threatened physically by your supporters for weeks,” he wrote.