Category: Politics

Shannon Stubbs – Member of Parliament for Lakeland, rose in the house (Mon, March 9) to make a statement concerning Alberta’s track record on the environment. Stubbs read a shortlist of historical facts in terms of Alberta as a first mover on environmental stewardship and legislation in Canada. Alberta earns the first place in Canadian,…

March 6, 2020 OTTAWA, ON – John Barlow, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food, Randy Hoback, Shadow Minister for International Trade, and Garnett Genuis, Shadow Minister for Canada-China Relations and Multiculturalism, released the following statement marking one year since the Chinese government banned the import of Canadian canola: “One year ago, the Chinese government banned imports…

Government brings down deficit and is on track to balance the budget by 2022-23. Third-quarter results show the deficit has declined more than expected. With the deficit $1.2 billion lower than projected in Budget 2019, Alberta taxpayers can expect to pay $35 million less in debt-servicing costs. Budget 2020 also provides stable funding for health,…

As we have since 2015, today we release our Shadow Budget. This is our alternative to reckless spending and heartless cuts.  Unlike in past years when we had paid legislative staff, this was done with volunteer power only. To those who toiled countless hours on this, thank you. The Shadow Budget proposes a number of…

What does the withdrawal of the Frontier oil sands project have in common with the dismantling of Ontario windmills?  Both are victims of an unstable policy climate that ought to give any energy company a reason to think twice. Why would a company invest when today’s environmental regulations could change abruptly in less than four…

February 21, 2020 – The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), as amended by the Protocol of Amendment signed December 10, 2019, represents a major overhaul of the now-dated 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), according to Dan Ciuriak, Ali Dadkhah, and Jingliang Xiao. However, as the authors note in “Quantifying CUSMA: The Economic Consequences of…

Minister of Health Tyler Shandro issued the following statement on physician negotiations: “The Government of Alberta is spending more than ever before on our public health care system and we will maintain current spending. “In order to ensure that our public health care system remains sustainable, we must act to maintain physician spending at current…

Travis Toews, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, will table Budget 2020 on Feb. 27. Budget 2020 will provide an update on the government’s fiscal and capital plans. “I have listened to the comments that thousands of Albertans have shared with me and I hear your concerns about the need to continue to…

EDMONTON, AB (February 11, 2020): The Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta (NPAA) responded to Ernst & Young’s Alberta Health Services Review commissioned by the Government of Alberta suggesting how to reduce costs and promote efficiencies in the Alberta healthcare system.  The NPAA is interested in seeing how AHS will implement these changes as well as how nurse…

Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon issued the following statement on Alberta’s position regarding the Teck Frontier oilsands mine project: “I want to be crystal clear. Albertans are proud people. We have never viewed our relationship with the federal government as one based on charity, and we’re not about to start now. “Albertans want…

Minister of Finance Travis Toews issued the following statement on collective bargaining negotiations between the Public Service Commission and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. “The Public Service Commission has brought a common-sense proposal to the bargaining table that prioritizes service delivery over salary increases for the public sector. “The proposal aligns with government’s commitment…

Government has opened consultation on the rules that govern municipal and school board elections in order to ensure they meet the needs and expectations of Albertans. While the Local Authorities Election Act was reviewed and revised following local elections in 2017, government continues to receive feedback suggesting gaps exist in the legislation. As a result, government wants…

Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer issued the following statement on the matter of Consumers’ Co-Operative Refineries Limited and Federated Co-Operatives Limited vs. Unifor Canada, Local 594 and Unifor National Union and Persons Unknown in relation to the situation in Carseland: (Feb 8, 2020) “As I previously stated, our democracy is predicated on the…

Premier Jason Kenney issued the following statement on the U.S. ratification of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement: (January 29, 2020) “This is a key step in the completion of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. Our trading relationship with the United States – our largest trading partner – is vital to Alberta’s prosperity. “Now that the United States and…

Alberta government debt grew by more than 200%—largest increase among provinces CALGARY—Since 2007/2008, one year before the last recession, Alberta’s nominal provincial debt has increased by 204.5 per cent, the largest increase among the provinces, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “The Alberta government’s…