From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

An Alberta politician who was kicked out of her party for speaking out against the LGBT agenda in schools has been overwhelmingly voted back into the ruling United Conservative Party by caucus members. 

In a statement Wednesday, the United Conservative Party (UCP) caucus under Premier Danielle Smith confirmed that after an internal vote, MLA Jennifer Johnson will again be a member of the party.

“I am pleased to join the United Conservative Caucus, where I will be able to continue representing my constituents and help make life better for all Albertans,” Johnson said. “Over the past 17 months, I have grown both personally and professionally. Now, I am eager to apply what I have learned to benefit everyone who calls this province home.” 

It is worth noting that Johnson won her seat after she was booted from the UCP, securing the backing of her constituents as an independent.

The UCP did mention that Johnson has met with “numerous groups and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community” since her election, and has “engaged on topics of importance to the community and is committed to continuing that work as a member of the government caucus.” 

While Johnson did meet with various pro-LGBT activists, she seemed to do so without endorsing the opinions of those activists, with one video in particular going viral showing Johnson refusing to state that “trans women” – men who call themselves women – are real women.

Johnson’s refusal to go along with the demand that she affirm that men are women if they say they are even gained the attention of U.K. author J.K. Rowling.

Rowling, seemingly impressed with Johnson, posted a link of the video of Johnson and the activist and wrote, “It never seems to occur to them that there’s no bigger indicator of not being a woman than trying to bully people into agreeing you’re a woman.”

LifeSiteNews was given information from a well-connected member of the UCP, who asked to not be named, that many MLAs in the party supported Johnson and wanted her back in the party.   

Smith slowly opened up to the demands of her caucus members who wanted Johnson back into the party, which led to the recent vote allowing her back in.  

Regarding the incident with the transgender activist, Johnson made it clear that contrary to rumors, it was not Smith who ordered her to attend the meeting with the activists.

Johnson said that she “supports” the work of Smith and her UCP government and looks “forward to working with all Members of the Legislature in the fall session on the Parental Rights legislation and other important bills.”  

While Smith has been largely soft on social issues of important to conservatives, earlier this year the premier did announce what is effectively the strongest pro-family legislation in the country, strengthening parental rights and protecting kids from life-altering so-called “top and bottom” surgeries as well as other extreme forms of transgender ideology.

 From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

If the case is allowed to proceed, any business operator in Alberta from 2020 to 2022 who was negatively impacted by COVID orders would be eligible to join the lawsuit. Any payout from the lawsuit would come from the taxpayers, which ironically includes the business owners themselves.

Alberta business owners who faced massive losses or permanent closures due to COVID mandates might soon be able to proceed with a class-action lawsuit against the provincial government after lawyers representing the businesses were in court for a certification hearing.

The court heard from the business group’s lawyers regarding the lawsuit proposal, which comes from Alberta-based Rath & Company. Lead counsel Jeffrey Rath said the Alberta government has been placed on notice for its actions against businesses during the COVID lockdown era.

The Rath lawsuit proposal names Rebecca Ingram, a gym owner, and Chris Scott, a restaurant owner, as “representative plaintiffs who suffered significant financial harm due to (former Alberta Chief Medical Officer) Dr. (Deena) Hinshaw’s Public Health Orders.”

Well-known freedom-oriented constitutional lawyer Eva Chipiuk was with Rath in court for the certification hearing. In an X post on October 3, she shared that it was an “interesting two days in court arguing on behalf of businesses impacted by Alberta’s public health orders.”

“In the heart of democratic societies lies a fundamental principle: Justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done. When justice systems operate in the open, public trust is maintained. People need to witness fairness, impartiality, and due process in action,” she wrote.

“When governments operate in the light of public scrutiny, they uphold not just the law but the trust of their citizens, ensuring that governance is not just a mechanism of power but a beacon of justice and equality.”

Chipiuk shared that a decision on whether or not the lawsuit will be allowed to proceed will be coming in a few months. She noted it will be “interesting how the judge decides in this case.”

“And will be very interesting how the government responds. They had an opportunity to get ahead of this issue but chose not to. We shall see if they took the right path or if they will be catching up and making up later,” she said.

Alberta Justice Colin Feasby noted at the end of the court certification hearing that both sides made good arguments, but the earliest a decision would be ready is December 1.

In court, representatives for the Alberta government eventually conceded that Ingram could be allowed to be a representative plaintiff but questioned whether Scott could be considering his case is more officially known.

Chipiuk and Rath told the judge that the government’s public health orders exceeded their legal authority and, as a result, all businesses affected by the COVID orders should be compensated.

The government’s legal team claimed that the COVID orders were put in place on a good faith initiative and that it was Alberta Health Services, not the government, that oversaw enforcement of the rules.

If the case is allowed to proceed, any business operator in Alberta from 2020 to 2022 who was negatively impacted by COVID orders would be eligible to join the lawsuit. Any payout from the lawsuit would come from the taxpayers, which ironically includes the business owners themselves.

The Alberta Court of King’s Bench’s Ingram v. Alberta decision put into doubt all cases involving those facing non-criminal COVID-related charges in the province, which in effect has allowed the class action to get this far.

As a result of the court ruling, Alberta Crown Prosecutions Service (ACPS) said Albertans facing COVID-related charges will not be convicted but instead have their charges stayed.

Thus far, Dr. Michal Princ, pizzeria owner Jesse Johnson, Scott, and Alberta pastors James Coates, Tim Stephens, and Artur Pawlowski, who were jailed for keeping churches open under then-Premier Jason Kenney, have had COVID charges against them dropped due to the court ruling.

Under Kenney, thousands of businesses, notably restaurants and small shops, were negatively impacted by severe COVID restrictions, mostly in 2020-21, that forced them to close for a time. Many never reopened. At the same time, as in the rest of Canada, big box stores were allowed to operate unimpeded.

Class action is about ‘accountability, transparency, and justice,’ lawyer says

Before the hearing, Chipiuk said it is crucial for the public to “understand the significant impact of the unlawful public health orders on Albertans. The financial, psychological, and tragic consequences cannot be ignored.”

“At the end of the day, Premier Smith must recognize the gravity and optics of this situation. Fighting against those harmed by the Province’s unlawful orders, while the Province heavily favored the public sector over the private sector, does not foster an environment that encourages entrepreneurs or promotes business and investment in Alberta,” she wrote on X.

“This case calls for accountability, transparency, and justice. The Province must acknowledge the devastation caused by its illegal actions and stop evading responsibility. This case also presents an opportunity for Premier Smith to demonstrate to Albertans that government overreach will not go unnoticed, and those harmed by it will be compensated — principles that align with the proposed amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights.”

Danielle Smith took over the United Conservative Party (UCP) on October 11, 2022, after winning the leadership. Kenney was ousted due to low approval ratings and for reneging on promises not to lock Alberta down as well as enacting a vaccine passport.

Smith, however, has been mum on the class action as well as other lawsuits against the government that are in the works. She has promised that changes will be coming to the Alberta Bill of Rights that she said will offer Albertans more protections against government overreach.