The Weekly Roundup - April 7, 2023
With a 28 day writ period, an official election call in Alberta isn’t set to occur until May. However, with many families gathering around the dining table this weekend to mark Easter, Passover or Sunday at the Masters, the long weekend could be considered the unofficial start to the campaign. Albertans who up to this point haven’t paid much attention to politics may begin to consider their options. It’s those undecided voters, particularly in Calgary who will determine which party comes out on top in late May.
Below, you’ll find the top federal and provincial stories of the week and key announcements made since our last edition.
Top Federal Stories of the Week
Liberal ministers continue to fan out across the country sharing the common theme of how Budget 2023 makes life more affordable for Canadians. You can expect that to continue into next week as the governing party seeks a much needed reset from daily breaking stories concerning alleged Chinese election interference.
Opposition members of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee are aiming to keep the issue of electoral interference alive with a new letter sent to the Clerk of the Privy Council, Janice Charette, pushing for answers on when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was briefed on electoral interference. Meanwhile, additional details on the mandate of Special Rapporteur David Johnston have been released.
Top Alberta Stories of the Week
A look at the United Conservative Party this week would show the governing party going on the offensive to set their own agenda. First, Premier Danielle Smith sent a notice of defamation to CBC for their coverage of her conversations with Artur Pawlowski. The notice could benefit the UCP Leader on two fronts; it allows Smith to stop talking about the subject, citing the potential of a future court appearance, and serves up some red meat to party faithful who are distrustful of the CBC.
Second, UCP Leader Smith leaned on Calgary-area MLA Rebecca Schulz to hold a party news conference in battleground Calgary on a topic that has traditionally been bread and butter for conservative parties, law and order. Schulz called into question previous comments about law enforcement made by NDP candidates a day after the Premier held a government announcement with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Edmonton and Calgary’s Chiefs of Police with a commitment to hire 100 more street-level police officers over the next 18 months to tackle high-crime locations in Calgary and Edmonton. The focus on law and order comes as a new Leger poll shows that 68 per cent of Albertans think the level of crime and violence in Alberta has gotten worse compared to pre-pandemic.
Key Government Announcements
A new regulation restricting municipalities and police from entering into unilateral agreements with the federal government has been created under the Alberta Firearms Act.
Minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development Brian Jean issued a statement on the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada.
The UCP government continues to roll out announcements tied to Budget 2023, including additional funding for the justice system, investing in medical research, adding new EMS supports, diversifying the tourism industry, upgrading hospital pharmacies, expanding eating disorder treatment for youth and supporting non-profit organizations through the Family and Community Support Services program and the Civil Society Fund.
Effective August 1, Alberta is increasing the civil claims limit to $100,000 from $50,000.
Upcoming Events Calendar
May 29, 2023: The next Alberta Provincial General Election is scheduled to be held
The provincial pre-election period acts as a rare, opportune moment for organizations to be heard. As the UCP and NDP look to the May 29th election, both sides of the aisle are listening — and listening hard. It will be instrumental for companies across the province to engage with and catalyze the support of champions from both parties, with the help of a strong and strategic government relations plan.
Because of this advantageous time in Alberta politics, New West is launching Lighthouse: a unique pre-election offering that makes government relations accessible and affordable. Lighthouse is a subsidized version of our full suite of government relations & public affairs services, tailored to the provincial election.