Jason Kenney was positively fizzing with happiness as he announced the arrival of the Pfizer Covid vaccine on the Calgary airport tarmac on Monday.
Clad in a brown UPS jacket, the Alberta premier was so overcome by the event, he even thanked the federal government in passing. Oh, and vaccine scientists, front-line health workers and UPS all got a little love from Kenney as well.
On Tuesday Kenney appeared at the daily Covid afternoon briefing to announce a provincial outreach program to economically challenged neighbourhoods and communities particularly hard hit by Covid. Support workers will hand out information and free masks and sanitizer. The government is also providing new financial aid and free hotels for those who need to self isolate.
Gratitude and care for the most vulnerable — it's almost like the spirit of Christmas is carried in those little vials of vaccine, lowering the levels of political acrimony and toning down the shrillness of partisan rhetoric.
A little political unity is exactly what's needed at the moment.
Alberta, and Canada, are at a perilous stage of the pandemic. Covid infection rates have climbed into untenable numbers. In Alberta there are more than 700 people in hospital and more than 20,000 active cases. Ontario is adding about 2,000 new cases a day. B.C. recorded 21 Covid deaths the day the vaccine arrived in that province.
Much of the country is under increased gathering restrictions and full or partial retail and restaurant shutdowns.
There's a lot of track to traverse before getting to the light at the end of the Covid tunnel.
There have been plenty of missteps so far in the journey. In Alberta, polls show voters are particularly unhappy with the government's handling of the crisis so far. The UCP's right wing base disputes economic restrictions and mask requirements. It can be argued that Kenney opened the door to that opposition by declaring his reluctance to take away "constitutional rights."
Much of the medical community and the left of the political spectrum argued that restrictions have been inadequate and inconsistent, leading to leaps in spread that threaten to overwhelm the health system.
There will be time to rehash and analyze the government's response when the virus is wrestled to the ground, but for now the way forward should be constructive and unified.
Kenney, at least this week, is modelling that attitude.
His Tuesday press conference appearance was positively statesmanlike, full of resolve without unnecessary rhetoric. And he even warned against politicization of the vaccine process.
"No minister, no MLA, nobody involved in the political side of government should be picking up any phone to say that so-and-so should be jumping this queue," Kenney declared, when asked about how the vaccine will be rolled out.
The issue of politicians overruling medical advice has been a particularly hot topic in Alberta. A lead of provincial medical official meeting tapes showed that policy throughout the pandemic has been driven by political considerations as well as medical.
The Alberta government is sounding more sure and steady on the Covid file and it appears that there is some corresponding response on the part of citizens.
While Albertans still have the lowest percentage of people willing to get the vaccine when it is available, pollster Angus Reid reports a sea change happening in the province. This week close to half of Albertans would roll up their sleeves immediately, while a month ago less than a third were sure about taking the vaccine.
Given Covid-restriction exhaustion and a sense that the vaccine will ultimately solve the problem, keeping the will to fight the pandemic alive will be a huge challenge in the next couple of months. Sporadic small demonstrations against masks in Edmonton and Calgary show there is still an element of the population that needs convincing the danger is real.
In the spirit of Christmas, Kenney should follow up his good judgment of this week by extending a non-partisan holly bough to all the players in the fight against Covid. Making peace with the federal Liberals, the Alberta NDP and the provincial medical community would do a lot to focus the fight against the real viral enemy.
Photo Credit: Twitter