Le Fiasco de la politique linguistique canadienne Charles Castonguay, Montréal : Les Éditions du Renouveau québécois, 2021, pp. 65

Abstract

separatism and bolster Alberta autonomy, the Fair Deal gamble may end up setting Alberta backwards on both counts” (106). To what extent Kenney intended to quell rather than agitate sentiments of regionalism is debatable. Nevertheless, Wesley’s analysis of the popularity of the Fair Deal strategy among Albertan voters corroborates the claim that these conflict-based politics were unsuccessful by any measure. Finally, Melanee Thomas unpacks how representation theory can contribute to the growing literature on the instrumentalization of gender in Canadian conservatism. In terms of descriptive, substantive, symbolic and affective representation, the UCP is found to be lacking; indeed, Thomas explains that the UCP “use gender and progressive language when it helps craft a useful victim narrative, and otherwise ignore or refuse to sincerely address gendered issues or policies that differently affect women” (163). With Alberta at the heart of the Canadian right, these chapters represent crucial case studies with implications for both provincial and federal politics. The collection’s overarching analysis of the UCP government hits its stride when discussing specific policy sectors through periods of animosity and “boondoggles” (to use Kenney’s terminology). Case studies by Gillian Steward, Charles Webber and Lisa Young cover health care, public education and post-secondary education, respectively. Lori Williams concludes this section with an overarching chapter on the UCP government’s war with labour before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams observes that the aforementioned antagonistic style of rhetoric, which she argues has been “uncompromising and needlessly punitive” (395), was also pointed inward at the public sector in Alberta. Williams concludes that in their negotiations with the Alberta Medical Association and the Alberta Teachers’ Association (among others), Kenney and his cabinet misjudged Alberta’s political culture and the subsequent unpopularity of curbing public spending with such aggression. Duane Bratt’s analysis of “Public Kenney” and “Private Kenney” and their approach to energy and environmental policy is an excellent example of the asymmetry between UCP rhetoric and action. As a whole, the collection successfully scrutinizes this distinct political theatre and Janus-faced nature of Kenney’s campaigns and policies. Nevertheless, Blue Storm’s true strength lies within specific chapters, such as those discussed above, that focus on the most pressing questions and their deeper implications. These chapters do justice to a roller coaster of a brief political era that will have a lasting impact within Alberta, providing a crucial case study for conservatism and politics in Canada.