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Editorial: A split in UCP caucus

opinion editorial stock

If division is part of the new K to Grade 6 curriculum in the future, young students got a clear lessons of the outcomes of a cutting things by a quarter last week.

When at least 16 UCP MLAs spoke out or signed a letter against Premier Jason Kenney’s going back to Step 1 restrictions, stating it was hurting businesses, the mental health of Albertans, it indicated a split in the UCP caucus.

Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson, Livingstone-Macleod MLA Roger Reid and Banff-Kananskis MLA Miranda Rosin all signed the letter, which consists of nearly a quarter of the UCP caucus.

Sigurdson stated this was him voicing the opinion of the majority of his constituents — at least the constituents who have voiced their opinion to the MLA.

Kenney has taken the high road stating it’s good for the party to have diverse opinions.

Diverse opinions are good, but not so great publicly.

The pen may come back to haunt those who signed the letter.

If COVID numbers, hospitalization and intensive care units numbers continue to increase, it will not shed a bright light on those opposed to restrictions.

As well, it does little to spread the feeling of “We are all in this together” that has been emphasized since Day 1 of COVID-19. The letter has already come back to bite one of the signatories. Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper, the legislature speaker, apologized in legislature due to a clear understanding the speaker has to be neutral on political issues.

It has not been a good couple of weeks for the UCP.

Many school boards, teachers have come out against the proposed new school curriculum. It will be interesting to hear what constituents are saying to MLAs about that one.

The letter and the split may not necessarily represent diverse opinions in the party. It represents potential disarray.

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