The Weekly Roundup-February 28,2022
After a very busy first week back in the Alberta Legislature, MLAs are now back in their ridings for a constituency week, with UCP MLAs tasked with sharing the good news found in the budget tabled Thursday. You can expect a slew of announcements highlighting some of the key initiatives from cabinet ministers and the Premier while the government tries to strike the right tone, being mindful of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Alberta’s government announced a $1 million contribution to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to help coordinate and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Finance Minister Travis Toews will be speaking to various chambers of commerce across the province throughout the week including Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie.
New West did a deep dive on both the Speech from the Throne and the Budget, but a coles notes version can be found below. The bottom line? The UCP government is feeling confident that these two documents are a strong roadmap to the election a year from now, if they can only pass the hurdle of the leadership vote coming up on April 9.
Speech from the Throne
Jobs and health care were the two key pillars of the Speech from the Throne, with a focus on economic recovery and building capacity within Alberta’s health care system. There was also a nod to changes to Alberta’s electricity system, and some boutique items that will appeal to the UCP base of rural and socially conservative Albertans (have we mentioned the upcoming leadership review on April 9?) You can read New West’s full recap of the Speech from the Throne here.
Budget 2022
It was telling that on the 6’oclock news the evening the Budget was tabled, the war in Ukraine took the lead story spot that would normally be reserved for the tabling of the province’s financial document. It’ll be up to the UCP government to sell what is an incredibly flattering and good news tome into digestible snippets for everyday Albertans. The bottom line? Last year’s massive projected $18.3 billion deficit has become a forecast $511 million surplus this year. The debt is expected to drop by about three billion next fiscal year. GDP growth should lead all of Canada’s provinces. Alberta’s lowest-in-the-country tax rates will stay that way. You can read New West’s full recap of Budget 2022 here.
The past week also saw a cabinet shuffle in light of the less than flattering report completed by former Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Adèle Kent with respect to a phone call made by Minister Kaycee Madu to Chief Dale McPhee of the Edmonton Police Service. As a result, Minister Madu is now Minister of Labour and Immigration and Tyler Shandro has been appointed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
Attention to COVID-19 has taken a significant backseat in the past week, but on Saturday the Premier announced that effective March 1, Alberta will begin step two of their COVID-19 plan which includes the end of limits on:
social gatherings
capacity limits for large venues
remaining school requirements
screening of youth for activities
the mandatory work-from-home order, and
public masking requirements except in high-risk settings
In Edmonton a mask mandate will continue to remain in place and requires all individuals 2 years of age and older to wear a face covering in Edmonton’s indoor public spaces and public vehicles until further notice. While positive case counts no longer reflect how many Albertans have COVID-19 due to testing capacity, as of February 25 there are 1,295 in hospital with 88 in intensive care and 3,898 deaths.
Below you’ll find a summary of government legislation introduced and Orders in Council passed since our last edition.
Government Legislation Recap
Bill 1: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Recognition Act ($)
Stage: First Reading passed February 22, 2022
Notes: This bill will honour Albertans who have done remarkable things caring for their communities. The honours include the presentation of 7,000 medals to recognize 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s service.
Orders in Council
OC 29/2022: Reappoints Patricia Pelton as a public member to the council of the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors for a term to expire on May 30, 2024.
OC 30/2022: Appoints Oluwayemisi Tosin Osiberu as a public member to the council of the Alberta College of Paramedics for a term to expire on February 22, 2025.
OC 31/2022: Appoints Scott Stevens Garner and Susan Jill Taylor as public members to the council of the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta, each for a term to expire on February 22, 2025.
OC 32/2022: Appoints Larry Bohn, to succeed Elsy Marie-Denise Gagné, as a public member to the council of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta for a term to expire on February 22, 2025.
OC 33/2022: Effective April 1, 2022, reappoints Peter J. Dobbie, Q.C., as Property Rights Advocate for a term to expire on March 31, 2025.
OC 34/2022: Makes the Designation and Transfer of Responsibility Amendment Regulation updating which pieces of legislation fall under the responsibility of various ministries.
OC 35/2022: Effective April 1, 2022, reappoints NnaEmeka Nwachukwu as a member of The Board of Governors of Red Deer Polytechnic for a term to expire on February 16, 2024; effective April 1, 2022, reappoints Scott Robinson as a member of The Board of Governors of Red Deer Polytechnic for a term to expire on March 31, 2025.
OC 36/2022: Proclaims the Trails Act, except section 5, in force on February 23, 2022.
OC 37/2022: Makes the Procedures (Environment and Parks) Amendment Regulation updating the fees associated with various offences.
OC 38/2022: Makes the Public Lands Administration (Recreation) Amendment Regulation updating the definitions for terms including camping accommodation unit, camping on public land, direction to leave, firearm and trail manager.
OC 39/2022: Makes the Exploration Dispute Resolution (Expiry Date Extension) Amendment Regulation extending the expiry to March 31, 2027.
OC 40/2022: Makes the Recreational Access (Expiry Date Extension) Amendment Regulation extending the expiry to March 31, 2025.
OC 41/2022: Makes the Specified Enactments (Jurisdiction) Amendment Regulation to align with the Trails Act coming into force.
OC 42/2022: Appoints Richard A. Wong and Melody McKnight as members of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, each for a term to expire on February 22, 2025.
OC 43/2022: Proclaiming sections 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2021 (No. 2) in force on March 31, 2022.
OC 44/2022: Makes the Regional Health Authority Collective Bargaining Amendment Regulation, repealing various clauses and extending the expiry to March 31, 2027.
OC 45/2022: Proclaims section 11(3)(b) of the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, 2021 (No. 2) in force on February 23, 2022.
OC 46/2022: Repeals the Certificate Expiry, Penalties and Fees Regulation to align with the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, 2021 (No. 2) coming into force.
OC 47/2022: Makes the Insurance Agents and Adjusters Amendment Regulation.
OC 48/2022: Makes the Insurance Councils Amendment Regulation to align with the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, 2021 (No. 2) coming into force.
OC 49/2022: Reappoints Emilian Groch as a member of the board of directors of the PSPP Corporation for a term to expire on February 28, 2025; appoints Todd Gilchrist and David Lardner as members of the board of directors of the PSPP Corporation, each for a term to expire on February 28, 2025.
OC 50/2022: Proclaiming the Builders’ Lien (Prompt Payment) Amendment Act, 2020 in force on August 29, 2022.
OC 51/2022: Makes the Builders’ Lien Forms Amendment Regulation.
OC 52/2022: As amended by Builders’ Lien (Prompt Payment) Amendment Act, 2020 (section 25) - Makes the Prompt Payment and Adjudication Regulation.
Upcoming Events Calendar
March 15, 2022: Fort McMurray - Lac La Biche by-election
April 9, 2022: United Conservative Party Special General Meeting (Leadership Review)
If you made it this far, we assume it's because you want more hot takes from New West. So here's a link to our Alberta Budget 2022 webinar featuring pollster Janet Brown!