Throne Speech Analysis 2023

Monday’s Speech from the Throne opened the first session of the thirty-first legislature, providing a roadmap for Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP government while firing plenty of missives at her favourite target of late, the federal government of Justin Trudeau. It was a speech of substance, with an acknowledgement that the incredible growth of the province presents both opportunities and challenges that must be addressed in order to ensure a high quality of life for future generations of Albertans. 

The speech, delivered by Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani, acknowledged some top concerns of Albertans, including affordability, housing and improving the delivery of health care in the province, with a promise of tangible solutions in the fall sitting of the Legislature and beyond.  

Below, you’ll find a recap of some of the top priorities outlined in the Speech from the Throne. 

Continuing to bring the fight to Ottawa  

Since assuming the office of Premier a little over one year ago, the policies of the federal government, in particular those tied to timelines for a carbon-neutral electrical grid and capping oil and gas emissions, have been a constant source of tension for the provincial government.  

The backtracking of the Trudeau government last week on administering the carbon tax for home heating oil, but not homes heated by natural gas, as is predominant in Alberta, has shown a chink in the armour of the Liberals on matters related to climate change. If the Liberal government is blinking on the carbon tax, a policy that was once their signature climate policy, it leads to questions on whether political winds will cause the federal government to back down on other unpopular climate policies, including a 2035 timeline for net neutrality. 

The spectre of applying the Sovereignty Act to introduce motions shielding the province from federal emissions policies was explicitly mentioned in the Speech from the Throne, and could be a blunt weapon used in the ongoing rift between the governments of Danielle Smith and Justin Trudeau. 

Affordability & Housing  

In addition to combative language for the federal government, a good portion of the Speech From the Throne was reserved for offering solutions for the pocketbook issues that are top of mind for many Albertans.  

The speech reaffirmed the UCP’s campaign commitment of creating a new eight per cent tax bracket on income under $60,000. The popular fuel tax pause, which has saving Albertans money at the pumps since January, was also confirmed to be extended to the end of 2023.  

With an impending lift on the current frozen auto insurance rates, the speech also committed to implementing reforms to limit increases in premiums for drivers and maintain competitive rates with the rest of the country going forward. 

When it comes to affordable housing policies and investments, the speech outlined the government’s use of rent supplements, partnerships building rent assistance capacity for low income households, and a commitment to working with municipalities to drastically increase private construction. 

Electricity Costs  

Laying the blame for high electricity costs at the feet of others, including the previous NDP government and federal policies, the Speech from the Throne committed to reducing the price of electricity in the province.  

Reforms will be developed in partnership with industry and support the expansion of the power grid, while incentivizing investments in CCUS and other sources of base load power. 

The roadmap for electricity reforms will have their foundation in ensuring sufficient natural gas generated electricity and moving towards a carbon-neutral grid by 2050.  

Health Care Delivery 

The speech took time to acknowledge progress made since the Smith government introduced their Health Care Action Plan in fall 2023, while acknowledging that more work needs to be done to improve and grow the capacity of Alberta’s health care system. Decentralization of Alberta’s health care decision making and moving additional resources to the front lines is set to be announced in the coming weeks.  

Other Highlights 

An array of other topics were covered in the speech, including working to increase public safety, particularly in Edmonton and Calgary, addressing the province’s addiction crisis, strengthening Alberta’s education system, growing the provincial economy through economic diversification and investing in infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population.