Byron Hackett

Red Deer

Managing Editor at Red Deer Advocate

Managing Editor @RedDeerAdvocate. Former sports reporter. From Ont, worked for @AHNewspaper & @melfortjournal. Views are my own.

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Articles

Hackett: When a ban isn't a ban, even if it sounds a lot like a ban

1 week ago | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

Have you ever had to explain a joke before? You tell the joke, people don't laugh, and you worry, so you quickly explain the punch line? In politics, the expression goes, if you're explaining, you're losing. So when the province kicks off its grand Monday morning presser by saying "this isn't about banning books" and proceeds to offer explanation after explanation about why what they're doing isn't "banning books", it means you're losing.
Hackett: More ministers, more problems

2 weeks ago | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

If you thought healthcare was marred in bureaucracy before, do I have a story for you. The Alberta Government, on the Friday of a long weekend without a subsequent media conference to answer questions, announced changes to its cabinet and a number of those had to do with "refocusing" the health care system. Alberta now has 27 ministers, more than half of the UCP caucus have a minister's role.
Hackett: More ministers, more problems

2 weeks ago | stettlerindependent.com | Byron Hackett

If you thought healthcare was marred in bureaucracy before, do I have a story for you. The Alberta Government, on the Friday of a long weekend without a subsequent media conference to answer questions, announced changes to its cabinet and a number of those had to do with "refocusing" the health care system. Alberta now has 27 ministers, more than half of the UCP caucus have a minister's role.
Hackett: Put separation to a vote, so we can stop talking about it

1 month ago | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

Until we do it, the talk will never stop. There's only one way to end the shenanigans that continue to plague this province and the endless musing about potentially separating from Canada. Just put it on the ballot. Stop with the insinuations and the rhetoric and just let people have their say. The victim mentality of some Albertans will continue to churn out anger from its grievance factory and dissatisfaction will fester until the people finally get their chance to be heard.
Hackett: Leadership is crucial during health care crisis

1 month ago | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

In the middle of a health care crisis and health reorganization, what better position to leave open than the Chief Medical Officer of Health? Alberta’s government, which routinely likes to argue that it uses little or no intervention in the workings of Alberta Health Services, let Dr. Mark Joffre’s contract casually expire on Monday without hardly a word. Joffre had seemingly been a good soldier for the province, taking over a tumultuous position in November of 2022. And yet, he’s out of a job.
Hackett: It's about more than just popsicles

2 months ago | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

I was about 7 years old when I had my tonsils removed. I still remember it like it was yesterday, struggling and crying through 12 shots of medicine that was disgusting and hurt my throat to swallow. It was the promise of a popsicle that got me through that day. I was just a kid and there are plenty of people in hospitals who have worse days than I did, but that sticks in my mind all these years later. And all these years later, popsicles are at the centre of a government controversy.
Hackett: Proud to see pride in Canadian rising

2 months ago | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

The words were on the page. All 900 or so of them, ready for you to read in Saturday's Red Deer Advocate. And then tragedy struck – a first-world, extremely not serious problem that most people probably won't care about, but can likely can relate to. In an instant, the words were gone. The program I was using to type the column, a Pulitzer prize-winning column, I'm sure, crashed. And the column was gone.
Hackett: This is who he is

Mar 5, 2025 | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

This will come as no surprise to most people, but Donald Trump and JD Vance are petulant children. It became crystal clear if it wasn't clear before Friday (which, my goodness, you simply haven't been paying attention if it wasn't).
Hackett: Finding a way to be better

Feb 26, 2025 | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

“This paper has gone to hell in a hand-basket” I was told by a frustrated reader on Monday morning, just five minutes after arriving into the office. Top notch way to start the week. We made a mistake with the horoscopes. It’s on me, I’ll own it. We have made our fair share of them since I started as Managing Editor nearly three years ago and I can’t guarantee the mistakes will disappear in year four.
Hackett: We're playing Trump's game already

Jan 25, 2025 | reddeeradvocate.com | Byron Hackett

We're just a week in Donald Trump's presidency and for those who enjoy the relatively chaos-less days of Joe Biden's U.S. presidency, it's clear we're on a different path here. It's equal parts terrifying and much-watch television, a real-life version of The Apprentice without the funny taglines. And certainly, you can try and ignore it. The loud calls of "but we're in Canada, this doesn't impact us" are out there.