thumb-2021-08-011
thumb-2021-08-011 This article is more than 1 year old
New

Conservative Candidate Denounced Jason Kenney’s Pandemic Response as ‘Tyranny’

Conservative candidate Arnold Viersen not sure if the pandemic is real

One of Erin O’Toole’s Conservative candidates described Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as “tyranny” and said he did not know if the pandemic itself is real.

Arnold Viersen, the incumbent Conservative candidate in the Alberta riding of Peace River—Westlock, appeared on a right-wing evangelical podcast called “CrossPolitic,” on April 8, 2021 — the same day as Alberta reported broke a record with 1,429 new cases of COVID-19

Viersen was asked for his opinions about a controversy revolving around Edmonton’s GraceLife Church. After its pastor flaunted Kenney’s restrictions with a mass sermon, Alberta Health Services erected a fence around the church.

The controversy was further amplified by American far-right media outlets, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson.

During the interview, Viersen asserted that “AHS is a political actor” and expressed his personal “frustration” with the Premier of Alberta, before concluding that Kenney’s government has brought “tyranny” to Alberta:

“Is it tyranny? Yes. There is tyranny. When the fence goes up around the church, that is tyranny.”

The pastor at GraceLife, James Coates, has also used the word “tyranny” after receiving a fine for ignoring public health rules. Coates has also cast doubts about whether the pandemic is real, referring to COVID-19 as a “so-called pandemic.”

At another point in the podcast, Viersen is asked by one of the three anti-lockdown pastor hosts: “Is COVID real? Is this a pandemic?”

“Well, COVID is a real thing,” Viersen replies, before claiming that “in Alberta we don’t even have a definition of ‘pandemic’.”

“We no longer have a clear definition of a ‘pandemic’,” Viersen said, adding that this “places a whole bunch of power in the hands of the chief public health officer.”

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a “pandemic” in March 2020.

Later in the interview, Viersen suggested the question of whether or not the pandemic is real would be decided in an Alberta courtroom: “We have a court case on May 3rd to establish whether this is a pandemic or not because we don’t have a definition of a ‘pandemic’.”

An Alberta judge later dismissed an application brought forward by Coates challenging his fine on constitutional grounds.

Neither Viersen nor the Conservative Party of Canada responded to requests for comment from PressProgress.

Earlier this month, Conservative MP David Yurdiga abruptly announced he would not be seeking reelection shortly after denouncing vaccination requirements for public servants as a “tyrannical idea.” 

 

Our journalism is powered by readers like you.

We’re an award-winning non-profit news organization that covers topics like social and economic inequality, big business and labour, and right-wing extremism.

Help us build so we can bring to light stories that don’t get the attention they deserve from Canada’s big corporate media outlets.

 

Donate
PressProgress
PressProgress is an award-winning non-profit news organization focused on uncovering and unpacking the news through original investigative and explanatory journalism.

Most Shared

thumb-2023-03-05-doug-ford-education News

Network of Companies Linked to Wealthy Developer Flowed $100,000 to Group Behind Pro-Danielle Smith NHL Hockey Ads

Related Stories

New

Garbage Dumpster CEO Gave Double Legal Amount to Group Running Danielle Smith NHL Hockey Ads

View the post
New

Network of Companies Linked to Wealthy Developer Flowed $100,000 to Group Behind Pro-Danielle Smith NHL Hockey Ads

View the post
New

Ottawa Police Investigated Allegations of ‘Explosives’ at Local Hotel During ‘Freedom Convoy’

View the post

Explainers

Human rights & inclusion

Amira Elghawaby

Here’s The Problem With Hoping Corporations Will Be Socially and Environmentally Responsible On Their Own

View the post
Politics & strategy

Jeremy Appel

The battle of the PACs in Calgary’s municipal election

View the post
Politics & strategy

Jeremy Appel

27 Different Candidates are Vying to be Calgary’s Mayor. Here Are the Biggest Issues at Stake.

View the post
Newspapers always have a business section – why not a labour section? We’ve launched a free newsletter covering labour issues in Canada.
Get Canadian Labour News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers.
We’ve launched a free newsletter covering labour issues in Canada.
Get Canadian Labour News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers