The Weekly Roundup-September 6, 2022
Alberta’s first quarter fiscal update was presented last week and showed the incredible impact that high resource prices can have on the province’s bottom line. While the UCP government announced that they will be making a significant debt repayment, investing in the Heritage Fund and reindexing personal income taxes to inflation due to the $13.2 billion surplus, there was no mention of reindexing other supports for seniors or AISH.
Speaker Nathan Cooper accepted the resignation of Calgary-Elbow MLA Doug Schweitzer last week. It’ll be up to the new leader of the party whether a byelection should be held to replace the former Minister or if the seat will remain vacant until the next general election.
Lieutenant-Governor Salma Lakhani chose to weigh in on the as-of-yet hypothetical Sovereignty Act proposed by Danielle Smith and its constitutionality, saying that if independent legal advice were to tell her it was unconstitutional she could refuse to sign the bill into law.
The new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada will be announced on Saturday, with Pierre Poilievre the presumptive favourite to win the race. You can watch New West CEO Monte Solberg discuss the upcoming party convention here.
Below, you’ll find a recap of the UCP leadership race, government announcements made and Orders in Council passed since our last edition.
UCP Leadership Race Tracker
We’ll be using this section to apprise you of any major platform announcements, endorsements or other items of note related to leadership contestants. You can click through to their websites using the hyperlinks below.
The second and final official leadership debate in the UCP race was held last week in Edmonton. The candidates answered questions on various topics including party unity, the federal fertilizer emission cap, crime, affordability and inflation, arts funding and education. With party membership sales already cut off, the debate was a pitch to the existing members and, Danielle Smith and Travis Toews broke away from the pack.
Ballots have now been mailed to party members, and the deadline for them to be returned is October 3 with results being announced October 6 in Calgary.
Leela Aheer: Aheer committed to reindexing AISH.
Brian Jean: No updates to report.
Todd Loewen: No updates to report.
Rajan Sawhney: Sawhney once again committed to indexing AISH as leader, and penned a response to Smith’s proposed Sovereignty Act.
Danielle Smith: Smith said it was inappropriate for Jason Kenney and Lt. Gov Lakhani to weigh in on her proposed Sovereignty Act.
Rebecca Schulz: Schulz released her fully costed platform.
Travis Toews: Toews highlighted his platform commitments to support farmers and ranchers and received an endorsement from MLA RJ Sigurdson.
Government of Alberta Announcements
Premier Jason Kenney issued a statement on the tragic events in Saskatchewan, offering to provide the province with any assistance that may be needed.
Health-care providers across Alberta can now access real-time 24-7 guidance and support to care for sexual assault patients.
Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides issued a statement regarding ongoing discussions about Athabasca University’s Investment Management Agreement.
The Teacher and Teacher Leader Registry launched on September 1 and will show the professional standing of Alberta’s teachers.
More than $11.3 million in funding will go to 25 projects to increase access to palliative care.
Orders in Council
OC 302/2022: Effective September 14, 2022, reappoints Jason Schulz as a member of the Northern Alberta Development Council for a term to expire on May 6, 2024.
OC 303/2022: Amends Order in Council numbered O.C. 225/2022 to fix a minor naming error.
Upcoming Events Calendar
September 10, 2022: New CPC Leader announced
October 6, 2022: New UCP Leader announced at BMO Centre (Calgary)
October 21-23, 2022: UCP AGM at River Cree Resort
October 31, 2022: Alberta Legislature Session resumes