Gil McGowan
@gilmcgowan
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Proud father of three. President of the Alberta Federation of Labour. My job is to stand up for Alberta workers. https://t.co/4947qWYT2G
Edmonton, Alberta
Joined August 2009
My son had brain surgery that gave him his life back. In the US, the bill would have been at least $500,000. Here in Canada, we paid $0. We Canadians don’t want any part of your con-man games, Mr. Trump.
Trump: "I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadians citizens, if that happened . they'd have much better health coverage."
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I thought the rally in Edmonton was big, but look at Calgary! Holy crap! Take that, Danielle! #ycc #ProtectTransKids #abpoli #AbLeg #cdnpoli.
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Unvaccinated COVID-19 patients put a $61.3-million avoidable burden on the Alberta health-care system during the fourth COVID wave, says University of Alberta study. Their “freedom” is not actually free. They rest of us pay in so many ways. #COVID19AB
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@Travisdhanraj @cafreeland @melaniejoly @JustinTrudeau I’m pretty sure Canadians understand why Trudeau is in Europe, right now. Don’t you? I’m also sure most Canadians approve. In fact, if he wasn’t there, people would be saying “why aren’t you taking the situation in Ukraine more seriously?” What he’s doing is call statesmanship.
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Hey, @PierrePoilievre! Canada Pension Plan (CPP) deductions are NOT taxes — they’re contributions to only pension most Canadians will ever get (no, not everyone gets a huge MP’s pension). And EI is insurance against unemployment. Again, NOT a tax.
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I know haters are gonna hate …and that real Albertans like me are not supposed to say anything nice about the PM… but seriously …watch this whole interview… I mean ACTUALLY watch it …and then explain to me how Pierre Poilievre would be better for our province than this guy.
Despite record low polling, Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau confirms he'll lead the Liberals into the next election in an exclusive interview on #RealTalkRJ. 📺 FULL: 🎧 FULL: #cdnpoli #PMJT
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So, I ruffled a few Conservatives feathers on Parliament Hill today. 🤷♂️ The phrase “they can dish it out, but they can’t take it” comes to mind. Wait until they see what I have to say tomorrow. Stay tuned! 😊.
Today, @gilmcgowan, President @ABFedLabour called out @PierrePoilievre Conservatives on their destructive, self-serving politics while testifying at Industry & Technology committee. Conservatives are in it for themselves. #cndpoli Full Meeting:
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I listened to this clip. The guy didn’t acknowledge that the federal government is protecting his job from being lost to cheap Chinese steel. He didn’t acknowledge that his family has dental coverage because of his union contract. He talked about “40 percent tax,” ….
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Let it be known — if and when a vaccine is developed, it will be a result of public-sector scientists working in public-sector health care and research facilities. I’m so done with right-wingers denigrating and cutting the public sector! #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli.
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Trudeau didn’t call Albertans fools. He said people like you are trying to fool working Albertans. You just proved his point.
Today, Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau spoke with Alberta media during which he managed to call Albertans fools, claimed the carbon tax was saving Alberta families thousands of dollars, and condemned anyone supportive of parental involvement in their child’s education. We.
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A UCP caucus member just called me to ask if there was anything the UCP could do to address the concerns of workers in Alberta. I told him the UCP has lost the moral authority to govern and that the best thing they could do for Albertans is to resign & call an election. #AbLeg.
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I’m not a Liberal, but it’s hard to disagree with these points. Do we really want a science-denying, convoy-loving, crypto-scamming, corporate-coddling, northern Trumpster as Prime Minister?.
Telling people they can opt out of inflation by investing in cryptocurrencies is not responsible leadership. Fighting against life-saving vaccines is not responsible leadership. Opposing the pandemic supports that saved jobs and helped families is not responsible leadership.
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Two years ago, I supported the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act … and, today, I support the decision to appeal this unfortunate ruling. We Canadians need to see the occupation of Ottawa (and Coutts) for what it was: our January 6th. #NorthernMAGA.
"We respect very much Canada's independent judiciary, however we do not agree with this decision," says Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland as she announces the government will appeal a Federal Court ruling that the February 2022 invocation of Emergencies Act was unreasonable. #cdnpoli
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“Anyone who doesn’t take seriously the risk of COVID infection is in denial about the risk of long COVID and its potentially disabling effects.” Renowned doctor and scientist @EricTopol pulls no punches in this must-read column. #CovidIsNotOver
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How, exactly, is it “free debate” when you have three dudes on stage who agree with each other (parroting the same extreme right MAGA lines ad nauseum)? What you’re doing is NOT debate. It’s handing a government-sponsored megaphone to some of the world’s biggest jerks.
A packed house in Edmonton, Alberta to witness free debate, thought, and expression. We need more of this from all sides! . Thank you to @ConradMBlack, @jordanbpeterson, and @TuckerCarlson for coming.
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Our health care system is collapsing. Doctors are leaving the province. Our classrooms are bursting at the seams. Working Albertans are being flattened by an affordability crisis. And, amidst all of this, our Premier’s priority is … plastic straws?! What an absolute failure. 🤦♂️.
Calgary is one step closer to getting free napkins, cutlery, condiments, and bags back… next, plastic straws!
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For folks saying “Smith is right to stop gender reassignment surgery for kids under 18” the truth is this kind of surgery is NOT being done on kids under 18. The question people SHOULD be asking is: “why is Smith making such a big deal out of something that’s not happening?”.
Is what "they're" saying on the internet true? Are little kids REALLY having gender reassignment surgery in Alberta? . Dr. Kate Greenaway brings 20+ years of experience to our #RealTalkRoundTable. 📺 FULL: 🎧 FULL: #abpoli #ableg
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I know many people in my province have decided that they don’t like Trudeau. But, pitting personalities aside, the current government’s plan to lease federal land for housing is objectively better than the Conservative’s plan to simply sell it off to their developer friends.
The federal government owns tons of public land that’s not being used anymore. The Conservative Party wants to sell it all off for a quick profit. We’ve got a better idea.
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Finally, someone in the federal government is fighting back & saying what many Albertans are thinking: Danielle Smith’s focus on to stoking fears and embracing MAGA-style conspiracy theories is “bonkers.” She is burning our province down. Boissonnault is right to call her out!.
MP Boissonnault criticizing Premier Smith today:. “She is simply not doing her job and she's going off soaking fears about somehow the US putting chemtrails in the air? It's simply bonkers.”. #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli
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Jasper and Jasper National Park are treasures for the world … and they’re a special haven for those of us lucky enough to live close by. What’s happening tonight breaks my heart. Prayers for those displaced by the fire and heartfelt thanks to those fighting it. #JasperFire
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Rachel is absolutely right: Danielle Smith should not be normalizing Tucker Carlson’s dangerous views by sharing a stage with him. He’s free to spew is authoritarian, Putin-aligned bile. But what does it say about a Premier gives him a platform for magnify these views? #UCPisMAGA.
Smith has restated her intent to meet with extremist Tucker Carlson. By appearing on stage beside a person with such hateful, harmful views, Smith shows a total disregard for the negative consequences this will have on Alberta’s reputation, and casts severe doubt on her own.
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Our Premier is weird. Albertans are worried about the cost of living; a failing health care system; overcrowded schools; climate change, wildfires & droughts; and wages that don’t keep up with inflation. But she wants to talk about pronouns. Completely out of touch!.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government will introduce legislation on pronouns in schools after classes begin in September. READ MORE:
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Child care. Dental care. Now Pharmacare. In the wings: anti-scab legislation (that will support workers in bargaining) and sustainable jobs legislation (that will give workers a seat at the table for economic policy). I’m so sick of hearing that “Canada is broken.” It’s not.
BREAKING: The Liberal government and the NDP have come to an agreement on pharmacare, clearing the way for the two parties to continue operating under the confidence-and-supply agreement that has helped keep the government in power over the past 2 years.
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Question for conservatives. You’ve spent the past two decades extolling the virtues of uniting the right, but when the left unites around a shared agenda, you lose your minds. Why is what’s good for the goose not good for the gander? #CognitiveDissonance #NeverVoteConservative.
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Today, I made it clear to Danielle Smith that if she wins the UCP leadership and tries to pull Alberta out of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), she’ll have a big fight on her hands. That money belongs to Albertans, not the UCP! #HandsOffOurCPP #AbLeg #abpoli
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“We believe in choice,” says Danielle Smith. How about the choice to drive on the wrong side of the road? Or to dump toxic waste in our water supply? Ruling out sensible public health measures when they’re needed isn’t “freedom”; it’s negligence. #AbLeg
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You can’t make this stuff up. One of the guys who orchestrated the Coutts border blockade that disrupted the lives of thousands of Albertans for three weeks is complaining that the long wait for his court date is disrupting his life. Oh, the irony. #abpoli
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Recent events make it clear we have a serious problem here in Alberta. Trumpy extremists are feeling emboldened. They’re also in charge of the governing party. No one is going to fix this for us. It’s up to the rest of us to stand up & push back. #BetterIsPossible for Alberta.
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Wildcat strikes have apparently begun at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton and the Foothills Hospital in Calgary. When Kenney and the UCP decided to attack health care during a pandemic did he really think workers wouldn’t fight back? #Solidarity #AbLeg #canlab #cdnpoli.
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I’m troubled by Kenney’s argument that we shouldn’t have rules because people won’t follow them. Does that mean we shouldn’t have rules about speeding, consumer protection, workplace safety? This is dangerous libertarian nonsense. #AbLeg #abpoli #COVID19AB.
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I think the families of the people who have died from Covid and the people who have died as a result of the cancellation of surgeries over the past month should sue Kenney, Shandro and Hinshaw for criminal negligence causing death. #SocialMurder #intentionallycruelwave #COVID19AB.
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I can personally attest to the toll that high-stress, public-facing careers can take on relationships. Being PM during Covid and having to deal with the never ending venom of the Trumpified right, would take it to a whole other level. My heart goes out to both Justin & Sophie.
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Spare me your phoney sentiments. Just days ago, you literally told the angry anti-vax/anti-democracy crowd to target me and my staff at our offices (because we stood up for disabled kids & workplace health & safety). You have ZERO credibility on this issue. #AbLeg #cdnpoli.
Very sorry to see this, @R_Boissonnault. This kind of behaviour undermines democracy, making it more difficult for elected representatives & their staff to be accessible. We have seen a growing volume of threats & intimidation against elected officials recently. It must stop.
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Dear, John. On behalf of the Alberta labour movement, I’d like to formally ask you to take your Dad’s place as a speaker at our convention in Calgary. We want to make sure Harry’s message is heard by as many people as possible. We’ll help you carry the torch. @Harryslaststand.
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“You just can’t put 4 1/2 million people under a permanent lockdown,” whines Kenney. No one was calling for a lockdown over the summer. They were asking for masking, contact tracing, air filtration etc. Those are NOT lockdowns. In fact they would’ve helped AVOID lockdowns! #AbLeg.
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Wow! This is the definitive rebuttal to @ABDanielleSmith’s whitewashing of Canadian history. Every Canadian should watch this powerful video. Bravo @Songstress28! #AbLeg #abpoli #cdnpoli.
@ABDanielleSmith whitewashed version of how so-called Canada was founded left out truths which “might help shape the future of where we are going” & as she’s the leader of my home province, it’s time for her to face the facts instead of perpetuating an inaccurate, harmful fantasy
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Pharmacare is now established in Canada! This is a tremendous victory for the generations of Canadians who campaigned to extend the Medicare umbrella to cover prescription drugs. Now the job is to expand the program … and protect it from being eliminated by Pierre Poilievre.
Moments ago, Canada made history! @SenateCA passed Bill C-64, the Pharmacare Act. Congratulations @markhollandlib @MPJulian @jyduclos @DonDavies @KPateontheHill Thanks to the many thousands of ppl who called for #pharmacarenow & our amazing ldrs @jmacl3an @PaulineWorsfold <3
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Former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi: urban progressive conservative voters should “lend” their votes to the NDP. If they don’t, and Danielle Smith wins, the UCP will complete its transformation into a northern version of Trump’s Republican Party. #abvotes
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@ABDanielleSmith @JustinTrudeau Trudeau didn’t call Albertans fools. He said people like you are trying to fool working Albertans. You just proved his point.
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Like Harper’s son, Ben, I also got a job at the Alberta Legislature when I was a university student. But there were a few differences. I had to compete with dozens of others for the job. I didn’t have the benefit of a well-connected parent. And, oh, I got paid $4.50/hour. #AbLeg.
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That red dot in the sky? That’s the sun. And the air isn’t just smoky; it’s filled with ash from the unprecedented number of wildfires. Just another summer morning in Alberta. Can we really afford a government that doesn’t believe in #climatechange? #abfires #abwildfires #abvotes
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I’m so jealous of my friends in Manitoba. Their Premier loves to read books to kids. Here in Alberta, our Premier … well … you know. 🤦♂️.
Happy I ❤️ to Read Month! . Now's the perfect time to finally dive into that book you bought months ago or make progress on your Goodreads shelf. Let me know what’s on your reading list!
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In Question Period, UCP health minister @shandro unequivocally said Alberta’s contact tracing system has NOT been overwhelmed. Half an hour later, in her daily news conference, @CMOH_Alberta said unequivocally that it has, indeed, been overwhelmed. 🤯 #AbLeg #abpoli #COVID19AB.
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Finally! The federal government is challenging the Alberta government’s dangerous and unjustified scheme to pull Alberta out of the Canada Pension Plan. Welcome to the fray Prime Minister. #HandsOffOurCPP.
Letter today from PM Justin Trudeau to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on the province's proposal to exit the CPP: "The harm it would cause is undeniable," he writes. "We will not stand by as anyone seeks to weaken pensions and reduce the retirement income of Canadians." #ableg
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So, Jason Kenney (who is being investigated by the RCMP for possible election fraud) and the UCP cabinet (which is filled with folks with sketchy records) want to replace the RCMP with a police force more directly under AB govt control. What could go wrong? 🤷♂️ #CopsOfTheirOwn.
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Someone flew Tamara Lich’s husband to Ottawa on a private jet? I thought this was supposed to be about “ordinary Canadians”? Last time I checked, most ordinary Canadians don’t have private jets. Weird. #FluTruckKlan #ottawaoccupiers #OttawaOccupation #ottawaseige #cdnpoli.
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