Tessera

Kathleen Hughes, PhD

@kathmhughes.bsky.social

Developmental Psychology Associate Professor (Teaching), UCalgary. Child & Youth Advocate. The Sims, PWHL, Children's Media.

434 Posts766 Follower 1540 Folgt

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Alberta needs a referendum vote on whether Danielle Smith has a Grade 6 level of grammatical understanding. What the hell is this question, and how can you answer with a yes/no vote? #abpoli #cdnpoli

That question again in full: "Should Alberta remain a province of Cana or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"

The referendum, slated for Oct. 19, will be part of a ballot that already has nine questions related to immigration and other constitutional issues.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I'm watching boy hockey Montreal vs Tampa & forgot that assault from behind is just minor penalty. So different from #pwhl #hockey #nhl #montreal

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 6mo ago

I bought myself some patriotic bling. Bracelet chain from Charm Diamond, charm and brooch from Hillberg & Berk. #teamcanada #canadasky #elbowsup #yyc

Pink bag from Hillberg & Berg with a red maple leaf brooch in a red box, and a silver bracelet with maple leaf charm on a pink bracket bag. Bracelet chain from charm Diamond.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 7mo ago

My lab is currently looking for survey participants! We're looking for men in Canada to complete a survey on their hobbies, interests and skills. Please forward this to any men between the ages of 18-29 that you know. They just need to email psycsealab@gmail.com to participate. #psyc #academicsky

Poster for H.I.S. study, please email psycsealab@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Poster for the H.I.S. Study on men's hobbies, interests, and skills. Please email psycsealab@gmail.com to participate if you are a man in Canada between the ages of 18-29.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Is this a declaration of war? Because that's how it feels. #cdnpoli #canada #canadasky

Trump's AI image showing use flags on Canada, Greenland, Venezuela.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Persian food is amazing. Family went to @persianplatecalgary and it was incredible. Photos don't communicate just how aromatic and flavourful everything was. #yyc #calgary #persianfood

Veggie kabob, saffron rice, salad with mint, lemon wedges

Olives in pomegranate molasses, and walnuts

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Canada's new friendliness with China just keeps making me think of a modified quote from 1984. "We've always been friends with EastAsia. Oceania is the enemy." #cdnpoli

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 7mo ago

New blog post: Acts of Peace open.substack.com/pub/kathmhug...

Acts of Peace

I promise not to write about anything gory or grotesque.

open.substack.com

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Premier of Alberta's Chief of Staff makes anti-Semitic dog whistle with "globalist pals" just days after Hanukkah mass shooting. Disgusting. #abpoli #cdnpoli #alberta @bnaibrith.bsky.social @naheednenshi.bsky.social @albertandp.ca @ndpjulia.bsky.social #jewish

Bruce McAllister

@McAllisterBruce

X.com

Breaking: Alberta NDP leader criticizes UCP government. In other timeless news: Water is wet.

Dog bites man. Sun rises in east.

CTV, why bother? Nenshi's job is whining for his union & globalist pals. Never any solutions proposed, just endless complaints. Meanwhile, NDP fights tooth & nail to let kids get irreversible sex changes without parental say.

Protecting vulnerable children? Nah, that's 'hate' to them. Albertans see through it.

#ableg

NCTV Edmonton

@ctvedmonton-

3d

Alberta NDP leader says UCP government is 'largely incompetent' after fall sitting ctvnews.ca/edmonton/

artic...

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Mark Carney wrote a very long book on how he believed in climate action, but his actions as PM show that this was disingenuous. We have a conservative PM, which is better than a Reform/Wildrose PM. I really hope the NDP get their groove back. #cdnpoli

Toronto Sceptres @pwhlsceptres.bsky.social · 9mo ago

TAKING THE PWHL OUT EAST 🦞 See you at @scotiabankctr.bsky.social in Halifax on December 17 for the FIRST stop of the 2025-26 DoorDash PWHL Takeover Tour presented by the Province of Nova Scotia! ➡️ thepwhl.com/en/takeover-tour

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

I'm trying to be patriotic for the blue jays, but white stripes and iron man music are getting redundant. Hockey is better. #cdnpoli #teamcanada

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

I didn't write this; Ryan from the Calgary Common Good did. But I think it's good. Alt text is on the first two images for all the text. #abpoli #cdnpoli #alberta @albertateachers.bsky.social @albertandp.ca @thebreakdownab.bsky.social

The decision yesterday to invoke the “notwithstanding clause” to force teachers back to work and accept an agreement that 89.5% of teachers had voted against is a gross removal of a fundamental right. Rights only exist in reality if people are willing to defend them. History has shown that when those in power violate the rights of one group, it is not long before the rights of other groups are also violated, unless people fight back.

In 2015, the Supreme Court established that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects a right to strike. “The right of employees to strike is vital to protecting the meaningful process of collective bargaining,” wrote Justice Rosailie Abella in their decision. Collective bargaining, backed up by the ability to strike, have been the essential tools that enabled the labour movement to raise wages and improve working conditions. This allows the creation of a prosperous middle class, which we have enjoyed for decades, but now see being eroded. This right is what allows most of us to prosper, and the ease with which our government has chosen to violate this right threatens this shared prosperity.

Rights, backed up by courts, are fundamental to democracy. Since the beginning of democracy, people have recognized that even the rule of a democratically elected government can become dangerous, especially to minority populations, if it is not held in check by legal protections (rights) backed up by the power of the courts. This is why the international movement of human rights grew out of the horrors of what was a democratically elected Nazi Germany. The notwithstanding clause overrides both these rights and the protection of these rights provided by the courts.

Our government did not need to use the notwithstanding clause - they could have legislated the teachers back to work, because the strike is causing “irreparable harm,” which would then bring the settlement of this strike to binding arbitration, in which both sides would have to live with the decision of an objective third party. Why did our government choose to violate fundamental rights instead? This is a question that all Canadians need to be asking.

What this means is that the teachers are not only fighting to preserve our public education system so that it can provide a quality education to our children, but they are also fighting to preserve the fundamental rights we all share. This is a fight that we all have a stake in. As a parent, I would rather have my children at home a while longer than have the rights we all rely on violated.

Our strategy team met last night. As an Alliance, our first step is to call on all of our members to write their MLA and the premier to push back against this violation of our rights. This is only an initial response. We will engage with our labour partners to decide on a medium and long-term strategy. In the meantime, we are also calling on all of our members to:

1) Write your MLAs

2) Use your networks to ask others to write as well.

3) Educate your communities about why this is important and why they need to remember what our government is doing, not just in the coming weeks, but in two years when our government faces an election.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Day 1 of Authoritarianism in Alberta #abpoli #cdnpoli @albertateachers.bsky.social @albertandp.ca @naheednenshi.bsky.social @thebreakdownab.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/kathmhug...

Day 1 of Authoritarianism in Alberta

Last night’s proceedings at the Alberta Legislative Assembly were wholly and completely undemocratic, and so much worse than I expected.

open.substack.com

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

I try to break it down simply in my blogpost: Day 1 of Authoritarianism in Alberta. open.substack.com/pub/kathmhug... #alberta #abpoli #cdnpoli @albertandp.ca @naheednenshi.bsky.social @thebreakdownab.bsky.social @cmcalgary.bsky.social @albertateachers.bsky.social

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Happening right now #abpoli #cdbpoli

Today in the Alberta legislature, the UCP government will be introducing a back-to-work bill for public school teachers that will use the notwithstanding clause. I'm currently watching the live legislation feed. So far, they have successfully passed Motion 5, which allows for a bill to be passed in a day. They are working on motion 6 which will bypass debate on Bill 2, which is the back to work legislation.

I just saw the Finance Minister speak and announce that Bill 2 will use the notwithstanding clause.

The combination of Motions 5, 6 and Bill 2 will strip all Albertans of their bargaining rights. The government could have chosen to write back-to-work legislation using binding arbitration. Instead, they went nuclear, to see what they could get away with. If Bill 2 successfully passes tonight, the government will not long need to go to arbitration with unions in Alberta.

Instead, they can simply legislate that workers return to work.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Notes on the Alberta Federation of Labour meeting's tonight: open.substack.com/pub/kathmhug... #cdnpoli #abpoli #yyc @albertandp.ca @thebreakdownab.bsky.social @albertateachers.bsky.social @naheednenshi.bsky.social

Unprecedented Responses

Tonight, I tuned into the Alberta Federation of Labour’s live Facebook meeting.

open.substack.com

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 10mo ago

The Current Status in Alberta - my newest blog post on Smith and Alberta. #cdnpoli #abpoli #yyc

I left social media due to Trump. I came back due to Danielle Smith.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Solidarity to Alberta teachers. If you feel the same, write your MLA & tell them you support public education & funding for education. #abpoli #cdnpoli #yyc

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Shana tova! #roshhashanah

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

My favorite thing about Stampede season is how quiet the YMCA & parks are. Outside of the festival grounds, it's like a ghost town. #yyc #calgary

Damien Fair @drdamienfair.bsky.social · last yr.

Alert! ... for the child development world! @fluxsociety.bsky.social @fitngin.bsky.social ‪ The Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study has released its first data wave - it’s massive. Check here: docs.hbcdstudy.org and here: nbdc-datahub.org Here’s why it matters 🧠🍼

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

First thing Carney has done that I don't like. Really takes the air out of Canada Day. #elbowsup #boycottusa #payyourtaxes #eattherich #teamcanada #cdnpoli

Unofficial CTV News Mirror@ctvnews-mirror.bsky.social · last yr.

Canada rescinds digital services tax in a bid to advance trade talks with U.S.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

My first attendance at a protest was an Iraq war protest my anthropology professor invited the class to. I remember Bush's lies.

Molly Knight@mollyknight.bsky.social · last yr.

If you were too young in 2003 here is what Bush told the American people: 1) The Iraq War won’t cost a lot of money 3) We won’t need a lot of troops 4) We’ll bring peace and freedom to Iraq 5) We’ll find WMDs 6) We’ll be welcomed as liberators 7) It will be easy 8) It won’t take long All lies.

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

Hey world - I passed my Advanced First Aid Professional Responder course! It was an intense 80 hours. I learned so much, & gained so many new skills. A #yyc #canadasky #teamcanada #academicsky

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

I'm currently taking Advanced First Aid / Profession Responder with the Canadian Red Cross. We talked in class how women die because first responders are hesitant to access women's chests in emergencies. Yet the textbook nearly exclusively uses men in diagrams. 1/n @redcrosscanada.bsky.social

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

I'm sorry, Florida is booing our players. Canada boos the national anthems, not the players. Poor sports there Florida. #nhl #hockey

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

Why does the Walter Cup look like the eye of Sauron? #pwhl #hockey

Two women carrying the Walter cup for presentation

Kathleen Hughes, PhD @kathmhughes.bsky.social · last yr.

Noooo hockey is over for the year and Minnesota won the Walter cup again! #pwhl #hockey