MLA Dave Hanson says inconsistency in COVID-19 rules is one of the biggest problems

MLA Dave Hanson was on set for an exclusive interview with Lakeland Connect, on January 19th, 2022, during the interview he said the inconsistency in COVID-19 rules is one of the biggest problems we are facing.

“I get this from folks and I feel the same way myself,” MLA Hanson said. “When I look at our kids riding school buses and they have to have mandatory masks on when they have to stand six feet apart in the hallway going from class to class with masks on and if you’re watching an NFL football game with 60,000 people in the stands and not a mask in sight.”

MLA Hanson talked about how at NHL games some arenas have masking rules and no beverages being served while others do.

“That’s the inconsistency that, I think frustrates a lot of people,” MLA Hanson said. “And you know, I understand that.”

MLA Hanson says he has voiced concerns from the people in his constituent to the government.

“We have caucus meetings and we get a chance to voice the concerns of our constituents and then it goes to the audit committee,” MLA Hanson said. “And that’s where the decisions are made.”

Minster of Education, Adriana LaGrange’s recently said that she is confident schools are still safe, despite the inconsistency in COVID-19 rules.

On January 24, NDP Critic for Education Sarah Hoffman issued the following statement regarding Adriana LaGrange’s comments that she is confident schools are still safe:

 “How much more out of touch can this education minister be to say things are going “relatively well” in Alberta’s schools?” Hoffman said. “Absenteeism rates are soaring and parents are fundraising to buy PPE. Alberta has the worst vaccination rate for children aged five to 11 in the entire country, and the UCP refuses to offer the in-school clinics that other Canadian families have access to.”

 “The UCP government’s complete lack of respect for Alberta’s teachers and families is outrageous,” Hoffman said. “Teachers, students and families don’t feel schools are as safe as they could be and they have been left to fend for themselves. This minister needs to start listening to what teachers, families and our NDP caucus have been saying for months. To keep Alberta’s schools as safe as they can be during this highly contagious fifth wave of the pandemic, the UCP must provide N95 masks for students and staff, HEPA filters for schools, funding to make substitute teachers full-time, funding for mental health counsellors in schools, accurate public reporting of infections and absenteeism in schools, and financial support for families.”