The Weekly Roundup - November 14, 2022
Premier Danielle Smith garnered 54.5 per cent of the vote in her Brooks - Medicine Hat by-election win last Tuesday and will take her seat in the Legislature when the Assembly resumes business November 29. While her vote total of 54.5 per cent does not meet what previous UCP MLA Michaela Frey captured in 2019 (61 per cent), the Premier does not have close ties to the riding and Alberta Party leader Barry Morishita likely captured a better portion of the vote (16.5 per cent) because of his former role as Mayor of Brooks. A decision will need to be made by the Premier whether she will run again in Brooks - Medicine Hat in the 2023 election or move to her home constituency of Livingstone - Macleod where the sole candidate was confirmed ineligible based on past statements by the UCP last week.
With the by-election out of the way, the Premier spent the rest of the week shifting gears to highlight what the key focus of her fall Legislative agenda will revolve around, affordability. Smith released a statement calling for federal action, including canceling planned increases to the carbon tax. The Premier has also released mandate letters for some of her government’s ministries, all with three key areas of focus; inflation and affordability, job creation and strengthening the economy and addressing challenges in the health care system.
Below are links to the mandate letters already released, with the rest expected early this week:
The Premier and some of her cabinet along with opposition leader Rachel Notley participated last week in the Rural Municipalities of Alberta Fall Convention where the so-called R-Star program to incentivize reclamation of inactive legacy oil and natural gas sites did not go over well with the audience. The Premier touched again on themes of affordability and listening to municipalities in her keynote along with a proposal to make changes to the Education Property Tax to assist municipalities with retaining more funding for local priorities.
Last week’s health first minister’s meeting ended without a new funding deal with the Federal Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos and both sides pointing fingers at one another for the breakdown in talks.
Below, you’ll find a recap of other government announcements made since our last edition.
Government of Alberta Announcements
Alberta’s government is awarding more than $32 million in funding support from the Alberta Petrochemical Incentive Program (APIP) for Dow Canada’s expansion of its Fort Saskatchewan ethylene production facility.
A new Premier’s Advisory Task Force on Ukraine will identify ways to support Ukrainian evacuees coming to Alberta with their financial, physical and spiritual needs.
The Governments of Canada and Alberta are investing a combined $2.6 million to connect approximately 300 households in Tsuut’ina Nation with high-speed Internet.
The provincial government has appointed 10 members from Indigenous communities across Alberta to the Public Security Indigenous Advisory Committee.
Alberta has joined the federal government and other provinces and territories in officially endorsing the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
More than $161 million in provincial funding will be awarded from the APIP to grow Alberta’s clean hydrogen sector.
Alberta’s government is reinstating fire services training grants of $500,000 a year to help fire departments across the province better protect their communities. The program previously ended in 2020.
Albertans can share their views and ideas for the next budget until January 15 by filling out an online survey and joining telephone town halls with Finance Minister Travis Toews. Businesses, municipalities, industry associations, community organizations and other groups can send budget submissions through an online portal on behalf of their organizations.
Environment and Protected Areas Minister Sonya Savage is in Egypt at COP27 until November 16 to showcase Alberta’s achievements on emissions reductions and responsible resource development.
Upcoming Events Calendar
November 29, 2022: Alberta Legislature Session scheduled to resume at 3 p.m. with a Throne Speech