Jann Arden plans WestJet boycott after Pierre Poilievre plane speech

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‘You and I will not be doing business ever again,’ Juno winner says after Conservative Leader takes the mic on flight to Calgary

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Published Sep 13, 2023  •  Last updated 21 hours ago  •  3 minute read

Jann Arden and Pierre Poilievre are pictured in a combination photo. Photo by file photos /Postmedia Network/The Canadian Press Article content

Jann Arden won’t be flying the friendly skies with WestJet after the airline allowed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to commandeer the public address system on a flight from Quebec City to Calgary this week.

After speaking to party members at the Conservative convention in Quebec, Poilievre was en route back to Calgary when he was handed the plane’s mic. In videos that were shared to social media, Poilievre was seen making a a slew of jokes to fellow passengers, which included a mix of Conservatives and regular travellers.

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“Who’s ready for a home you can afford?” Poilievre said to cheers. “Who’s ready for some common sense? Who’s ready to give a big thank you to the WestJet pilots and crew?”

As the Liberal government’s economic strategy continues to fail, Poilievre then warned that the country was still in for a few more years of “turbulence.”

“This is your captain’s warning, a little bit of turbulence but it will only last about two years,” he joked. “At which time we’ll have a totally new crew and pilot in charge of the plane. We’ll pierce through the storm, safely land in our home, in the country we know and love. Your home, my home, our home. Let’s bring it home.”

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As Poilievre’s impromptu speech went viral, Arden, 61, put the Alberta-based airline on blast. “Hey @WestJet you and I will not be doing business ever again. This is so ridiculously disappointing,” she wrote. “A PA System on a plane is for the flight crew — full stop. Not a political soap box for social media.”

The Juno winner later returned to X to drag Poilievre’s right-wing politics.

“Good morning freedom lovers!!” she wrote alongside a photo of the Conservative Leader on the plane. “I would like to point out the exits on this plane—um, hang on—There are four—- oh— wait a minute… sorry— there is no way out— if you’re trans— or a woman—or indigenous— or a book. Ya — I’m (talking) to you BOOKS — if you’re about stuff that you shouldn’t be reading.”

Arden failed to garner much support for her planned WestJet boycott, but she had fun retweeting some of of her critics.

When one person said he “trashed” his collection of Arden CDs and vowed to never listen to one of her songs again, she replied: “Foreplay is so weird these days… but okay— I’ll bite!! Swiping right!!!!”

With numerous people taking aim at her weight, Arden said: “All the conservatives have is fat jokes. It’s really fantastic. That’s it. I’m an irrelevant fat person. That’s all they got.”

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While Arden might not be a fan of Poilievre, many Canadians are shifting to the right.

Recent polls show the Liberals have sunken to their lowest levels of support since taking government in 2015, largely to the benefit of the Conservatives.

As the controversy unfolded, the union representing WestJet cabin crew demanded an apology from the airline.

In a statement posted on X, CUPE Alberta’s local president Alia Hussain says the cabin crew had no input in the decision to allow Poilievre to address passengers and that WestJet’s rules say only crew members can use the PA.

In an email to Postmedia, Julia Kaiser, a spokesperson for WestJet pointed to a statement from the airline’s CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech in which he said the company is “nonpartisan by nature.”

“The leader of the party was given the opportunity to greet delegates onboard (which is not unusual), but this was not a political endorsement nor should it be interpreted as such. We are non-partisan by nature and will revisit our policy on this,” von Hoensbroech wrote on X.

Kaiser said the flight was added specifically for the convention.

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“To assist demand for the CPC convention, WestJet added two commercial flights for service between Western Canada and Quebec City,” Kaiser wrote in an email. “The use of the PA microphone onboard our aircraft, while infrequent, may be approved occasionally, for unique occasions and individuals, like this one. WestJet routinely adds capacity for conventions, sports, festivals and key events.”

Over a decade ago, Arden unleashed a furious Twitter tirade against Via Rail after she was kicked off a train for travelling with her pint-sized dog Midi.

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After she claimed she was dropped “in the middle of nowhere,” Arden told the company to “eat my bra” and asked what it would have done “with an 86 yr old woman with a little dog in a bag? Dump HER at the next station?”

mdaniell@postmedia.com

X: @markhdaniell

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