Comment from an Albertan: No Kleenex?? Okay, people should just snort their snot on the floor. Almost makes you want to be in court.
***
Smells like this has nothing to do with saving money, what might be saved is a baby’s piss in the wind. It appears Alberta Justice wants to deflect from its own evil, gross lies, repeatedly passing the buck to no one and unjust horrors courageously and brilliantly exposed by The Fifth Estate, Parts One (Sunday, Jan 12) and Two (Sunday, Jan 20).
And or more sinisterly, to punish the legal profession for a few ethical, courageous, integral lawyers (Thank you!) interviewed by The Fifth Estate. Whatever reason, it’s typical UCP and Alberta “Justice,” both of which are pathetic, cowardly and vulgar.
Kenney’s War Room’s budget = $30 Million annually. Only in Alberta, could such a magnificent judicial farce unfold.
We need a Malcolm Mayes cartoon for this latest vulgarity from Alberta “Justice.”
A few of the comments to the articles below:
Rick Kshyk
Quit buying bottled water and toilet tissue for these idiots at the Legislature
Maureenn Ebel
Penny wise and pound foolish. Alberta is the laughing stock of the world right now.
Gary Prusakowski
Yep that will go a long way to balancing the budget and off set Kenney’s [about $5 Billion] tax gift to the oil industry.
Nester Jacobs
When I read this I started to cry ! Hahahaha UCPs are going nuts !
Shane Jowitt
They need the 30 million for the war room. Also what is the update on the investigation tampering by the UCP? Always a guise of it being something else with this government. Investigate the undemocratic charlitan we call Premier please.
Jimm K Morrison
How much exactly does refusing trauma victims and court witnesses kleenex save?
Leona Boisselle
“I would imagine there would be a minimal supply for as needed.” Apparently not anymore. A huge expense? A couple of lawyers could donate an hour’s ‘wage’ and keep the place in stock. You’re going after the wrong money.
Karen Casey
Honestly, how low can the PC’s go! I invite all Calgarians to buy a case of Kleenex next time your at Costco, WalMart, etc. and drop them off at the Court House.
Let’s let Calgary victims know Calgarians still care. This isn’t about politics, its about being human beings! OMG!
Lloyd Ryan
Whoever masterminded this piece of stupidity should be fired. There’s a lot bigger fish to fry when it comes to controlling Government spending than this nickel and dime nonsense.
To save money, Alberta Justice removes water coolers from courtrooms by Sammy Hudes and ALanna Smith, Jan 22, 2020, Calgary Herald
[It’s not about saving money, it’s about abusing Albertans]
Water coolers will be removed from provincial courtrooms in Alberta in an effort to cut costs, according to Alberta Justice.
The move — expected to take effect Feb. 1 — means lawyers will have to bring their own water from outside the courtroom, whereas witnesses will still be provided water by court clerks if they ask for it.
[Oh ya, sure, while suffering tedium, stresses and fears while enduring endless hours/days in Alberta torture chambers courts (dreadfully boring and tortoise-paced), who is going to know or have the courage to ask for water? Will signs be posted in court rooms? And if so, who will believe them, given Alberta Justice’s thirst for lying?]
Alberta Justice said the move will save Alberta Courts approximately $50,000. [Cancelling Kenney’s totally stupid waste of money War Room for ONE YEAR (it’s costing $30 Million annually), would finance drinking water in Alberta courts for 600 years!]
On Tuesday, Postmedia learned water coolers and tissues would be scrapped from courtrooms, impacting court clerks, witnesses and lawyers. On Wednesday morning, Alberta Justice said witnesses will still be provided with water and tissues, however the move will still impact lawyers.
Lawyers have been advised they may be able to bring their own water bottles into the courtroom, but should first request permission to have a bottle on their counsel table, as various judges “may have particular views of this practice.” [Alberta is already the laughing stock of Canada, this quadruples the farce!] They will have access to water in water fountains, the kitchen and in break areas.
[Lawyers can start carrying straws in their brief cases and drink out of toilets, as long as those are not duct-taped inaccessible too (like how inaccessible “justice” is for nearly all of us).]
Witnesses may also wish to bring a water bottle and tissues to court with them if they anticipate being in court for a lengthy period of time.
A source confirmed that the shift is due to the decision by Alberta Justice in order to reduce spending.
[Smells like it has nothing to do with saving money (what might be saved is a baby’s piss in the wind), but more like Alberta Justice wanting to deflect from its own evil, gross lies, repeatedly passing the buck to no one and unjust horrors recently (courageously and brilliantly) exposed by The Fifth Estate, Parts One (Sunday, Jan 12) and Two (Sunday, Jan 20), and or more sinisterly, to punish the legal profession because of the courageous integral lawyers (Thank you!) interviewed by The Fifth Estate. Whatever the reason, it’s typical UCP and Alberta “Justice,” both of which are pathetic and vulgar.]
Ian Savage, president of the Calgary-based Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, said the decision will have a minimal impact on the province’s bottom line.
“This budget item is not going to add significant value back into the system,” said Savage.
He said it’s unclear what the precise details are of the decision. Currently, he said tissues and water are available to lawyers, court clerks and witnesses in courtrooms but not the general public or judges.
Savage said they fought “long and hard” to install water coolers in the Calgary courthouse and getting rid of them is absurd.
“Is the government going to start requiring me to bring my own toilet paper to court,” asked Savage. [No, cause the govt will likely be soon duct-taping or cementing the toilets shut so that lawyers can’t drink from them!]
“There’s a water fountain in every hallway in the courthouse. What are they going to do turn the water off in those taps? I’m asking a rhetorical question to make the point. I’m wondering how many pennies need to be pinched before the government will be satisfied.”
Savage said providing water is part of being a basic human being. [NOT IN ALBERTA where drinking water aquifers are intentionally and gleefully frac’d with abandon by oil companies like Encana, complete with regulator blessings and cover-up.]
“You’re in the courthouse all day as a witness or a lawyer doing a case and you need water, just like you need a bit of food and need to use the toilet occasionally. It’s really no different,” he said.
***
I am happy to bring my Encana-frac’d water to court, and share it with all! Cigarette addicted lawyers can use it to light their smokes too.
Alberta Justice makes cuts forcing victims to bring own tissues, water to court by Kaylen Small with files from Global News’ Nancy Hixt, Jan 21, 2020, Global News
Alberta Justice will not be supplying people in courtrooms with water or tissues effective immediately, sources confirmed to Global News on Tuesday.
The move to reduce spending in the department will result in victims, police, prosecutors and defence lawyers being required to supply their own tissues and water.
Ian Savage, president of the Calgary-based Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, said the move by Alberta Justice court administration is ridiculous.
“There [are] budget cuts and there’s silliness, and this obviously falls into the line of silliness,” he said.
“The court system, like any other public system, has people coming into it that have basic human needs. Just like toilet paper, running water and soap in the washrooms of the courthouse, individuals that come to the courthouse to participate in the justice system — be it the lawyers, the judges or witnesses — need to drink water in order to carry on in a normal function.”
Savage said many people already buy their own water but the concern would be for witnesses.
“Most witnesses are standing for potentially hours at a time, talking and answering questions in an unfamiliar setting, and to be without water is just silly. The tissues as well,” he said.
Savage said the person most likely to need a tissue in the courthouse is a complainant in a serious case, like a sexual assault, that is becoming emotional.
“[They are] having to recount the trauma they’ve gone through, and that’s the person who the government wants to take the tissues away from, which, again, I said is silliness at the extreme.” [It’s far worse than silly, it’s mean and spiteful, just like Alberta “justice” is. Now we have more proof of it.]
