Sometimes Joyful Dinos put on our human disguises — we didn’t think they’d let a dinosaur near the pancakes. So in plain clothes, on the south lawn of the Alberta Legislature, at the Premier’s own pancake breakfast, I walked up and asked her a simple question.
Why is she supporting right-wing Christian nationalists — misogynist, racist, transphobic — and letting them run this province at the rest of our expense?
She said she hoped she wasn’t.
She is.
She told me: I’m talking about regular Albertans.
Not the majority, I said. And I I named who I meant: the separatists — as in, she supports the separatists.
“I’m voting for Canada,” she said. “And I hope you do too.” Suddenly post-new-pipeline, she has become a federalist.
And then I asked her the question she didn’t answer, because security moved the line along before she had to:
Are you voting for trans kids? Are you voting for women? Are you voting for the immigrants you’re targeting with your nine referendum questions?
Full transcript:
Premier Smith: Oh, hi — how are you doing?
Dino: Premier, I don’t understand why you are supporting right-wing Christian nationalists who are misogynist and racist and transphobic.
Premier Smith: Well, I hope I’m not supporting anyone like that.
Dino: Well, you are. You are letting them run the province… at the expense of all of us.
Premier Smith: [indistinct]…
Dino: Well, you’re not talking about Albertans…
Premier Smith: I’m talking about regular Albertans.
Dino: … the majority.
Premier Smith: Yeah, … if you can’t name who you’re talking about, then I guess I am misunderstood.
Dino: The Separatists…
Premier Smith: I’m voting for Canada. And I hope you do too.
Dino: And are you voting for trans kids? Are you voting for women? Are you voting for immigrants that you’re targeting with your 9 [referendum] questions?
Security cuts in: you need to keep the line moving.
Note: “[referendum]” is our own added clarification, not part of the spoken exchange. Some portions marked [indistinct] where audio was unclear.
