Demetrios Nicolaides: licking whatever boots he needs to

Hey, Calgary Bow! Ready to meet your MLA? Let's dive in!

You remember that saying "There's no honor among thieves"? Demetrios Nicolaides is the textbook example of this. Danielle Smith might think she's got him on side, but he'll happily turn tail for whatever treat his owner puts out for him. In 2016 and 2017, Demetrios was a champion for Jason Kenney, and fought hard to keep him as leader. But now, suddenly, he's a real champion for Marlaina! What loyalty! What integrity!

What a bunch of garbage.

Demetrios is the one who accredited MaKami College, a for-profit private college in Edmonton and Calgary. (Was this a red flag? Yes, yes it was, and it was just the beginning of the UCP's privatization of education and healthcare. But, let's get back to Dem.)

Back in 2023, when Demetrios managed to scoop his seat in Calgary Bow, he did it with only 623 votes, 49.74% to his NDP opponent's 47.39% . This was, by no stretch of the imagination, a desperate scoop into that seat. This might have come as a shock to old Demmy, since he won in 2019 with 55% of the vote. Maybe folks in Calgary Bow are starting to connect the dots. 

We can't forget his appearance on the website Unemployed Professor... Or rather, someone who shares his name and his university education does. We're sure someone with this degree of integrity would never! But, we can tell you - rumor and conjecture aside - that as Minister of Advanced Education, Demetrios Nicolaides slashed funding to post secondary institutions, brought in US style performance based funding (proven to be worst in class model), and fired the board of Athabasca University after they wouldn’t fundamentally change their mandate of providing education primarily online to a more in person rural setting. 

Demetrios was also the same guy whose K-6 proposed curriculum was so bad that Keneny's UCP actually had to postpone its implication (largely because it was full of racist dog whistles.) Demetrios and team went back to Albertans seeking "feedback" which 13,000 of them cheerfully provided. Naturally, this was completely ignored by the UCP and Demetrios, leaving us with a version that offers the following pathetic attempts at some form of preparing our province's kids: 

• virtually no skill development (like historical/geographical thinking, creative thinking, problem-solving and decision-making)
• refusing to encourage kids to ask questions (like "what strengthens or weakens democracy?")
• TONS of right wing bias (no, Demetrios, colonization did NOT benefit First Nations peoples.)

We've paraphrased language from this compelling editorial by Dr. Maren Aukerman, Dr. James Miles, and Dr. Carla Peck - they do a far better job of explaining why Demetrios' curriculum is an absolute dumpster fire. Please go check it out. 

Most of you are familiar with the blatant vote buying attempt by Danielle Smith when promising new schools in Alberta (which is its own wormhole, and we'll come back to it later.) We all know, however, that class sizes have grown in Alberta since the UCP took office, thanks to the Alberta is Calling campaign and their utter refusal to support Albertan families. When asked why his ministry would not longer report class sizes, in typical UCP fashion, Demetrios hemmed and hawed and provided no answer. In fact, Demetrios' silence is alarming: he's quietly sat by while MAGA heads move into our school boards - pushing for anti-transgender legislation, infiltrating school boards, and pushing for the Parental Rights Act.

Well sure, you might say. Demetrios is an MLA. He's going to march to the beat of Danielle Smith and David Parker's right wing christo fascism drum. Father of 2 daughters, Demetrios has voted YEA to:

Bill 22, Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, which "enables the transition to a unified health care system of 4 sector-based provincial health agencies." Bill 22 will separate Alberta Health Services into four segments (primary care, acute care, continuing care and mental health and addiction) who will be run by four new health agencies. Remember that these include giving operation to Covenant Health who has made their stance on women's right to healthcare pretty clear. But Demetrios is okay with that, right, Dem? Why would your little girls - or any little girls, really - deserve the right to healthcare they choose to pursue? Surely a white man can decide for them, right?

Bill 20, The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, which makes it very clear that any municipal councillor anywhere in Alberta better not piss off Ric McIver. Now, the UCP government has set up Ric McIver to turf any councillor he doesn't like or approve of, forcing municipalities to spend millions on hand-counting votes (because the UCP doesn't like computers - those big old machines are scary!) and intervene into any bylaw they deem unconstitutional. THIS is your Freedom party? 

Bill 18, The Provincial Priorities Act, 2024, comes hot on the heels of authoritarianism with Bill 20 and says that no municipality in Alberta is permitted to work directly with the federal government. All interactions with the feds MUST go through Dani and her cronies. Federal entities included within the scope of the Act include the federal Crown, federal Ministers, federal Crown corporations, federal agencies, boards, commissions, councils and bodies. Long story short: Mickey believes that Alberta cities cannot manage their own affairs. Full stop.

Bill 1, Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act is Danielle's baby: the "nuh uh" tool she intends to leverage for anytime that she decides to disagree with the rest of Canada. It is, in the words of many, "turning Alberta in a banana republic" and an embarassment for rational and normal Albertans. 

Bill 207 wasn't a good choice for Demetrios, our devout Christian who'd prefer to make Albertans with terminal illnesses die long, slow, painful deaths rather than allow them to die with dignity and on their own terms. 

Demetrios was an obedient little bootlicker and supported the efforts to get more gun ownership under the control of the province, rather than the feds, even though women - which Demetrios' daughters will one day become - are 66% more likely to die by domestic violence than men and particularly in rural areas, where 33% of victims die by firearm. Yes. We absolutely need more guns. SAID NO ONE EVER.

It looks like Demetrios won't stick up for the rights that his little girls should have protected. Will you? Join us and we can protect them, and all Albertans, from the damage the UCP is causing.