Rebecca Graff-McRae
@poliscirish.bsky.social
Political researcher. Deconstructor of discourses. Dancer of jigs. Spectator of spectres. Herder of hooligans.
PhD in Irish political history. QUB alum. Research manager at Parkland Institute
PhD in Irish political history. QUB alum. Research manager at Parkland Institute
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters to ask her advisors how/why Sam Mraiche was hanging out with her inner circle, watching the 2023 election results roll in.
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... By @mattscace.bsky.social and Emma Graney
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... By @mattscace.bsky.social and Emma Graney
Danielle Smith punts questions on health CEO’s election night appearance
Alberta NDP uses revelations to reiterate calls for public inquiry into controversy
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters to ask her advisors how/why Sam Mraiche was hanging out with her inner circle, watching the 2023 election results roll in.
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... By @mattscace.bsky.social and Emma Graney
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... By @mattscace.bsky.social and Emma Graney
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
The flag of Palestine was raised above Belfast City Hall shortly after midnight.
A legal challenge is expected to be heard at the High Court later this morning.
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty said: “Flying the flag is a clear message of solidarity with people enduring unimaginable horror.”
A legal challenge is expected to be heard at the High Court later this morning.
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty said: “Flying the flag is a clear message of solidarity with people enduring unimaginable horror.”
December 2, 2025 at 3:26 AM
The flag of Palestine was raised above Belfast City Hall shortly after midnight.
A legal challenge is expected to be heard at the High Court later this morning.
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty said: “Flying the flag is a clear message of solidarity with people enduring unimaginable horror.”
A legal challenge is expected to be heard at the High Court later this morning.
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty said: “Flying the flag is a clear message of solidarity with people enduring unimaginable horror.”
This is arson disguised as policy.
This is how a health system burns to the ground. How Alberta's dual practice plan would drain hospital staff and delay lifesaving care, by Dr. Paul Parks canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/28/t... via @canadahealthwatch.ca @nicktsergas.ca
This is how a health system burns to the ground
Dr. Paul Parks explains how Alberta's dual-billing plan would drain hospital staff and delay lifesaving care.
canadahealthwatch.ca
December 1, 2025 at 11:51 PM
This is arson disguised as policy.
I fear the faith we are placing in referendum tactics like Forever Canadian is misplaced. This petition actually opens the very door that would better remain closed, and hands separatists, this government, and international cyber-ops agents plenty of rope with which to hang us all. 1/
December 1, 2025 at 11:46 PM
I fear the faith we are placing in referendum tactics like Forever Canadian is misplaced. This petition actually opens the very door that would better remain closed, and hands separatists, this government, and international cyber-ops agents plenty of rope with which to hang us all. 1/
Louder for those at the back (i.e. those in the Alberta Legislature).
December 1, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Louder for those at the back (i.e. those in the Alberta Legislature).
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
On Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Sam Mraiche
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... w/ @tomcardoso.bsky.social @markmackinnon.bsky.social @hoserlibrarian.bsky.social
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... w/ @tomcardoso.bsky.social @markmackinnon.bsky.social @hoserlibrarian.bsky.social
Who is Sam Mraiche? Inside Alberta’s health care controversy
A Globe investigation into the provincial health agency’s dealings with a company whose contracts have come under scrutiny
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:57 PM
On Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Sam Mraiche
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... w/ @tomcardoso.bsky.social @markmackinnon.bsky.social @hoserlibrarian.bsky.social
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... w/ @tomcardoso.bsky.social @markmackinnon.bsky.social @hoserlibrarian.bsky.social
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
🧵Alberta is already home to one the most severe flu outbreaks in Canada.
We predicted this.
How did it happen?
The amount of illness transmission in the province is serving as a discouragement for many to get vaccinated, alongside restricted access to seasonal vaccines.
We predicted this.
How did it happen?
The amount of illness transmission in the province is serving as a discouragement for many to get vaccinated, alongside restricted access to seasonal vaccines.
November 29, 2025 at 12:40 PM
🧵Alberta is already home to one the most severe flu outbreaks in Canada.
We predicted this.
How did it happen?
The amount of illness transmission in the province is serving as a discouragement for many to get vaccinated, alongside restricted access to seasonal vaccines.
We predicted this.
How did it happen?
The amount of illness transmission in the province is serving as a discouragement for many to get vaccinated, alongside restricted access to seasonal vaccines.
A dear friend - a most discerning & distinguished poet - shares a birth month with me. It is also the birth month of my daughter & grandmother, a lost mentor, 2 uncles.
So I wrote this off-the-cuff for my friend on his day. Since today is mine, let me share it here for all the November birthdays.
So I wrote this off-the-cuff for my friend on his day. Since today is mine, let me share it here for all the November birthdays.
November 26, 2025 at 7:28 PM
A dear friend - a most discerning & distinguished poet - shares a birth month with me. It is also the birth month of my daughter & grandmother, a lost mentor, 2 uncles.
So I wrote this off-the-cuff for my friend on his day. Since today is mine, let me share it here for all the November birthdays.
So I wrote this off-the-cuff for my friend on his day. Since today is mine, let me share it here for all the November birthdays.
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
In normal democracy terms, we've in bad shape and things are getting worse.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
It is good to see the pushback on Trump lead to real losses for him. But it's hard to be optimistic when he still wields the enormous power of the presidency. ICE is still rampaging, HHS is harming people, the U.S. may be about to sell out Ukraine, the boat strikes...he's still doing so much damage.
November 22, 2025 at 5:48 PM
In normal democracy terms, we've in bad shape and things are getting worse.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
This is no longer a slippery slope to privatized & commodified healthcare: this is the Alberta Government pushing us off the cliff and telling us to enjoy the ride.
www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?...
www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?...
Enhancing access through dual practice
Alberta is introducing a dual practice health care model to increase options and shorten wait times while maintaining strong protection for publicly funded services.
www.alberta.ca
November 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
This is no longer a slippery slope to privatized & commodified healthcare: this is the Alberta Government pushing us off the cliff and telling us to enjoy the ride.
www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?...
www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?...
"What you have to remember is that healthcare is politics. And politics is healthcare ... Healthcare has huge paybacks... Healthcare is going to be there. People are going to get ill."
-Lyle Oberg, former AB cabinet minister & sole chair of AHS (appointed by Smith after dismissing board in 2023).
-Lyle Oberg, former AB cabinet minister & sole chair of AHS (appointed by Smith after dismissing board in 2023).
Healthcare is really expensive though - I think it's the largest piece of Alberta's budget. Any time there's a big stream of money going on, companies try to find ways to get in on it & siphon some of those dollars off for themselves.
Public healthcare takes away the opportunity, & they hate that.
Public healthcare takes away the opportunity, & they hate that.
November 18, 2025 at 5:39 PM
"What you have to remember is that healthcare is politics. And politics is healthcare ... Healthcare has huge paybacks... Healthcare is going to be there. People are going to get ill."
-Lyle Oberg, former AB cabinet minister & sole chair of AHS (appointed by Smith after dismissing board in 2023).
-Lyle Oberg, former AB cabinet minister & sole chair of AHS (appointed by Smith after dismissing board in 2023).
Absolutely incredible reporting by @charlesrusnell.bsky.social on the blatant intervention by the AB govt to skew our healthcare even further in flavour of privatization & commodification.
PSA: these policies *will* deteriorate quality & access.
PSA: these policies *will* deteriorate quality & access.
“I am not working in those facilities because I find it morally inappropriate.”
A Tyee investigation found that Calgary anesthesiologists are being scheduled by managers, in response to government directives, to work in for-profit chartered surgical facilities, sometimes against their will. #abpoli
A Tyee investigation found that Calgary anesthesiologists are being scheduled by managers, in response to government directives, to work in for-profit chartered surgical facilities, sometimes against their will. #abpoli
Insiders Detail Ways Alberta’s For-Profit Surgery Push Is Failing | The Tyee
The shift strong-arms doctors but hasn’t saved money or shortened waits for critical operations, sources say. A Tyee investigation.
thetyee.ca
November 18, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Absolutely incredible reporting by @charlesrusnell.bsky.social on the blatant intervention by the AB govt to skew our healthcare even further in flavour of privatization & commodification.
PSA: these policies *will* deteriorate quality & access.
PSA: these policies *will* deteriorate quality & access.
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
SCOOP: Alberta intends to allow doctors working in the public health care system to simultaneously offers services in a parallel private market, according to draft amendments obtained by The Globe and Mail
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...
Alberta plans to allow doctors to deliver public and private services
Draft legislation would establish a model for medicine unlike any other in Canada
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
SCOOP: Alberta intends to allow doctors working in the public health care system to simultaneously offers services in a parallel private market, according to draft amendments obtained by The Globe and Mail
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
With this leaked document it will be difficult for the UCP to deny their endgame is to privatize healthcare in Alberta. As is the case with the dismantling of AHS, there is no evidence to support this. To the contrary, both will further weaken the public healthcare system.
SCOOP: Alberta intends to allow doctors working in the public health care system to simultaneously offers services in a parallel private market, according to draft amendments obtained by The Globe and Mail
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...
Alberta plans to allow doctors to deliver public and private services
Draft legislation would establish a model for medicine unlike any other in Canada
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:23 PM
With this leaked document it will be difficult for the UCP to deny their endgame is to privatize healthcare in Alberta. As is the case with the dismantling of AHS, there is no evidence to support this. To the contrary, both will further weaken the public healthcare system.
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
“Every doctor and nurse diverted to private-pay clinics is a resource taken away from the collective effort to rebuild universal primary care." writes Broadbent Research fellow @danyaalraza.com
Read his latest @thestar.com op-ed: www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Read his latest @thestar.com op-ed: www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
November 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
“Every doctor and nurse diverted to private-pay clinics is a resource taken away from the collective effort to rebuild universal primary care." writes Broadbent Research fellow @danyaalraza.com
Read his latest @thestar.com op-ed: www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Read his latest @thestar.com op-ed: www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
As the toxic drugs crisis continues to tragically end lives & devastate communities across Alberta, healthcare workers are struggling to provide evidence-based, empathetic care with too few supports. UofC's Dr Jennifer Jackson for Parkland Institute
www.parklandinstitute.ca/ripple_effects
www.parklandinstitute.ca/ripple_effects
Ripple Effects: The Drug Toxicity Crisis and Its Impact on Frontline Health Workers
As deaths due to the province’s poisoned drug supply climb, a new report by Parkland Institute shows how this crisis affects the frontline health workers struggling to manage patient care, as well as ...
www.parklandinstitute.ca
November 6, 2025 at 9:08 PM
As the toxic drugs crisis continues to tragically end lives & devastate communities across Alberta, healthcare workers are struggling to provide evidence-based, empathetic care with too few supports. UofC's Dr Jennifer Jackson for Parkland Institute
www.parklandinstitute.ca/ripple_effects
www.parklandinstitute.ca/ripple_effects
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
At the end of the day I'm not sure how much difference it makes. But it is striking to put out a budget that axes a luxury tax on yachts and adds a co-pay for refugee claimants accessing drugs and dental care.
November 4, 2025 at 10:57 PM
At the end of the day I'm not sure how much difference it makes. But it is striking to put out a budget that axes a luxury tax on yachts and adds a co-pay for refugee claimants accessing drugs and dental care.
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
Join us & Dr. Paul Parks on our Alberta tour to talk public health care issues & solutions!
➕ Lethbridge: TODAY
➕ Medicine Hat: Tuesday, Nov. 4
& many more coming soon! Find an event near you & RSVP: www.friendsofmedicare.org/UrgentConver...
➕ Lethbridge: TODAY
➕ Medicine Hat: Tuesday, Nov. 4
& many more coming soon! Find an event near you & RSVP: www.friendsofmedicare.org/UrgentConver...
November 2, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Join us & Dr. Paul Parks on our Alberta tour to talk public health care issues & solutions!
➕ Lethbridge: TODAY
➕ Medicine Hat: Tuesday, Nov. 4
& many more coming soon! Find an event near you & RSVP: www.friendsofmedicare.org/UrgentConver...
➕ Lethbridge: TODAY
➕ Medicine Hat: Tuesday, Nov. 4
& many more coming soon! Find an event near you & RSVP: www.friendsofmedicare.org/UrgentConver...
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
We’re sorry, but The Void is full of screams today, so please try these alternatives:
- headbutt the sea
- have a dance battle with squirrels
- write a bad Yelp review of the moon
- mutter obscenities into your soup bowl
- headbutt the sea
- have a dance battle with squirrels
- write a bad Yelp review of the moon
- mutter obscenities into your soup bowl
November 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
We’re sorry, but The Void is full of screams today, so please try these alternatives:
- headbutt the sea
- have a dance battle with squirrels
- write a bad Yelp review of the moon
- mutter obscenities into your soup bowl
- headbutt the sea
- have a dance battle with squirrels
- write a bad Yelp review of the moon
- mutter obscenities into your soup bowl
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
The budget is coming up next week, and it's amidst all the nation-building talk, it's great time to ask what kind of country we want to be.
My vote is one that invests heavily in social supports and worker control of the economy.
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
My vote is one that invests heavily in social supports and worker control of the economy.
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: With their long-awaited budget, Liberals must answer the question: What do we want Canada to be about?
Mark Carney ought to put an expansion of the welfare state at the centre of his nation-building strategy
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:56 PM
The budget is coming up next week, and it's amidst all the nation-building talk, it's great time to ask what kind of country we want to be.
My vote is one that invests heavily in social supports and worker control of the economy.
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
My vote is one that invests heavily in social supports and worker control of the economy.
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
Reposted by Rebecca Graff-McRae
“Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause continues an alarming trend of provincial governments putting political expediency ahead of people’s human rights.”
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli #abed
amnesty.ca/press-releas...
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli #abed
amnesty.ca/press-releas...
Amnesty International Canada condemns Alberta government’s use of notwithstanding clause in Bill 2
Alberta's use of the notwithstanding clause in Bill 2 means that courts won’t be able to strike down the law even if it violates the Charter.
amnesty.ca
October 29, 2025 at 12:38 AM
“Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause continues an alarming trend of provincial governments putting political expediency ahead of people’s human rights.”
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli #abed
amnesty.ca/press-releas...
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli #abed
amnesty.ca/press-releas...
In 2021, waiting in the queue to access Covid-19 vaccinations felt like agency.
In 2025, waiting in the queue to possibly, perhaps get an opportunity to pre-book a vaccine for $100 feels like powerlessness.
Challenging the claims of the new AB vax policy:
www.parklandinstitute.ca/sabotaging_p...
In 2025, waiting in the queue to possibly, perhaps get an opportunity to pre-book a vaccine for $100 feels like powerlessness.
Challenging the claims of the new AB vax policy:
www.parklandinstitute.ca/sabotaging_p...
Sabotaging Prevention: Alberta’s ‘Preventative Health’ Ministry Is Anything But
The Alberta government has justified its new protocols for distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by claiming they will minimize wastage, save money, and prioritize the most vulnerable. In this blog, Parkl...
www.parklandinstitute.ca
October 28, 2025 at 11:32 PM
In 2021, waiting in the queue to access Covid-19 vaccinations felt like agency.
In 2025, waiting in the queue to possibly, perhaps get an opportunity to pre-book a vaccine for $100 feels like powerlessness.
Challenging the claims of the new AB vax policy:
www.parklandinstitute.ca/sabotaging_p...
In 2025, waiting in the queue to possibly, perhaps get an opportunity to pre-book a vaccine for $100 feels like powerlessness.
Challenging the claims of the new AB vax policy:
www.parklandinstitute.ca/sabotaging_p...