Premier used You Tube rather than traditional media for political purposes (CHAT NEWS TODAY file image)

By Brian Konrad

Medicine Hat political consultant says premier’s You Tube video comes ahead of leadership review

Sep 25, 2024 | 12:26 PM

Medicine Hat political consultant Jim Groom says premier Danielle Smith’s You Tube video outlining planned changes to the Alberta Bill of Rights, was simply an exercise to appease members of the UCP ahead of a review of her leadership in November.

Groom says much of the proposed language was born out of a draft from the Medicine Hat riding association, and Smith used non-traditional methods like You Tube to make the announcement in order to avoid questions from traditional media outlets.

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That’s because she needs to take positions that may not be popular with many, in order to please party members ahead of her review, he said.

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That’s because she needs to take positions that may not be popular with many, in order to please party members ahead of her review.

“I think the avoidance of the open media, if you like, the normal media, established media is a technique she uses to avoid those embarrassing questions,” says Groom.

Groom says the proposed Bill of Rights would be a political document, with sections dealing with things like firearms that are not provincial jurisdiction and likely wouldn’t survive legal challenges.

He also questions potential legislation prohibiting vote-counting machines and requiring all ballots to be hand counted as ideologically driven, instead of considering the millions of dollars it will cost to hire those counters.

“The delays will be significant as well”, says Groom who says it “was a knee jerk reaction to get support from the party for the review,” continues Groom.

Groom says nothing in the premiers announcement addressed issues like delays in settling a new pay system for doctors, the cost of food or unemployment.

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