Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
MoreBack to News Headlines
COVID restrictions would've been more stringent if not for rural cabinet voices, Toews says

COVID restrictions would've been more stringent if not for rural cabinet voices, Toews says

CBC
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 4:10 AM GMT

United Conservative Party leadership candidate Travis Toews says his presence at the cabinet table lessened the intensity of COVID-19 restrictions in Alberta. 

Toews, who was Alberta's finance minister from 2019 until he stepped down to run for leader, insists input from him and a handful of ministers led to less stringent public health measures during earlier waves of the pandemic. 

"The fact that there were a couple of rural cabinet ministers around that table no doubt made a difference in terms of outcomes," he told CBC News. 

Toews said he considered resigning his position and that those COVID cabinet meetings were "the hardest hours of my life." 

Ultimately, he said he decided Albertans and his constituents in Grande Prairie-Wapiti were better served with him in cabinet. 

Alberta's government has been heavily criticized for policy decisions around the virus, including its "open for summer" plan that many health experts say contributed to more serious outcomes for patients and the health-care system. 

The province has experienced intense polarization over COVID since the spring of 2020 — both regarding measures to control it and vaccination against it.

The government's COVID decisions have featured prominently in the UCP leadership race thus far, with large portions of debates and candidate forums devoted to discussing the province's response to the virus and what each candidate would have done differently. 

"You're hearing someone who was part of that COVID committee implying that it was political considerations that were being made," said Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University.

Bratt added that Toews is playing to the anticipated 100,000 UCP members who will be eligible to vote in this leadership election. 

"He's fighting against [candidates] who are very anti-COVID restrictions. But in the wider population of Albertans, there was deep suspicion that the Kenney government did not go far enough, that they instituted restrictions too late, they removed them too quickly."

Alberta has recently seen a seventh wave of COVID, with the seven-day PCR test-positivity rate average around 23 per cent. However, the province is doing only a limited number of tests. Wastewater data indicates the trend is starting to dip again. 

Despite his resistance to some of the COVID public health proposals, Toews stood by the results that came out of cabinet. 

"Regardless of the personal views you've held and the positions you've taken during the debate, when you emerge, you support the outcome," he said. "It's the principle of basic board governance."

Read full story on CBC
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
Montreal should stop dismantling homeless encampments, public consultation office says

A new report says Montreal should stop dismantling homeless encampments until the city develops a policy to better care for the unhoused.

Suspect in Saskatoon stolen truck pursuit facing 21 charges

A 32-year-old Saskatoon man is facing more than 20 charges after police pursued a stolen truck across the city on Wednesday morning.

SHA announces reduced hours at Regina Urgent Care Centre for 2nd time in a week

Further reductions to operating hours are set to go into effect at the Regina Urgent Care Centre (UCC) beginning Friday. 

3 Ontarians to have big P.E.I. drug seizure case heard in Supreme Court

The three people from Ontario accused in one of the largest drug busts in Prince Edward Island history will have their case heard in the P.E.I. Supreme Court after one of the accused people made that choice for the group without the other two being on board.

A volatile supply: how organizations are responding to constantly evolving street drugs

Danielle Lake has been sober for about six months. After spending five years addicted to opioids and a year on the streets, she made the decision to stop.

Serval owner says regulation and permitting for exotic cats is needed, not a full-on ban

A serval owner and Bengal and Savannah cat breeder in B.C.'s Central Okanagan is raising concerns about the province's proposal to ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including servals, ocelots and European wildcats. 

Alberta rules on school library books to start Oct. 1

Alberta's education minister says school libraries must pull explicit, sexual content from their shelves starting Oct. 1.

Teen charged with 1st-degree murder in stabbing death of 14-year-old: Toronto police

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of Abdoul Aziz Sarr, 14, Toronto police say.

Teen fatally stabbed last weekend remembered as kind, hardworking person

Staff at a community health centre in Scarborough say a 14-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed in the city's east end last weekend was a kind, hardworking teenager who had a bright future ahead of him. 

President of Stratford Soccer Club warns someone is sending scam emails in her name

The president of the Stratford Soccer Club in central P.E.I. is warning parents of players that scammers are emailing requests for them to buy gift cards.

Garden Hill issues full-scale evacuation after wildfire enters northern Manitoba community

A wildfire has breached the northern Manitoba community of Garden Hill Anisininew Nation, prompting a "full-scale" evacuation order.

Ontario's needle distribution ban at HART Hubs puts people at risk, critics say

More than 600 individuals and organizations from across Ontario have signed a letter calling on the province to allow the distribution of syringes at Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, saying prohibiting them will put more people at risk of HIV and hepatitis C transmission.

Motion to dismiss Kamloops' mayor's defamation suit against councillor adjourned until September

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has adjourned a hearing on a defamation suit filed by Kamloops, B.C., Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, against one of the city's councillors until September.

Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
City of Yellowknife lifts fire ban, thanks to recent rain

The City of Yellowknife has lifted its local fire ban.

People on edge after 6 suspicious fires at abandoned buildings in New Annan, P.E.I.

Police in Prince Edward Island say they're stepping up patrols in the eastern part of Prince County after a string of six fires in the span of two weeks. 

Indigenous Services Canada warns 'difficult decisions' in budget cuts will impact programs

Indigenous Services Canada's top officials have warned staff that meeting Prime Minister Mark Carney's budget cut targets won't be easy and will impact jobs and operations.

Canadian travel to the U.S. plummets — but Americans are staying home, too

It's not just Canadians who are holding back on cross-border travel amid a U.S. trade war that has soured bilateral relations.

Presumed drowning death reignites calls for river safety in Kamloops, B.C., but city says it's not that simple

The presumed death of an international student who was swept away in the Thompson River last weekend was "entirely foreseeable [and] entirely preventable," according to a Kamloops, B.C., resident who saved two students from a similar fate last year.

Motorcyclist charged after 'flying' across Toronto area at nearly 300 km/h: police

A motorcyclist has been charged with a slew of offences after "flying" across two major highways at nearly 300 km/h to dodge police, York Regional Police say. 

Some craft vendors say resold and AI art popping up at markets is 'disingenuous'

It's festival season. Artists, crafters and makers are setting up tables to get their homemade products in the hands of local shoppers. 

Manitoba premier shoots back at U.S. lawmakers over smoke complaint

Manitoba's premier shot back on Thursday at six U.S. lawmakers who recently complained about Canadian wildfire smoke travelling south, which they said was making it difficult for some Americans to enjoy their summer.

Fitzgerald warns of rabies in Labrador after dog tests positive from fox encounter in Hopedale

Newfoundland and Labrador's top doctor is warning residents in the Big Land about rabies after a dog in Hopedale tested positive after coming into contact with a fox.

Premier blasts Halifax council, cites 'serious disconnect' from citizens

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has issued a scathing appraisal of Halifax regional council, saying there's a "serious disconnect" between the decisions being made and the desires of citizens, and indicating the province is examining whether to give the mayor more power.

Vehicle thefts in N.B. pave way for double-digit insurance rate hikes

Nicole Wilby's Jeep Grand Cherokee hasn't moved for the past few weeks. The rims and body of the vehicle are dented, scratched and covered in mud.  

Peel police say repeat drunk driver out on bail after Brampton crash should be 'behind bars right now'

A man arrested for impaired driving after a four-vehicle collision in Brampton, Ont., over the weekend is a repeat offender who has since been released on bail, Peel police say.

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us