Politicians return to Alberta legislature for fall sitting
EDMONTON The fall sitting of the Alberta legislature starts Monday, promising another season of raucous debate and political nerdery. Here’s what to expect:
LEGISLATION ON HEALTH CARE, TUITION
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said the province will introduce legislation aiming to better protect patients from sexual abuse by health-care providers.
The bill follows legislation in Ontario, which increased the list of sexual abuses that can lead to the mandatory revocation of a health professional’s licence.
Hoffman is also planning to sit down with Edmonton-Castle Downs backbench NDP MLA Nicole Goehring, who confirmed in September that she’s developing legislation to ban conversion therapy.
The controversial practice, which was prohibited in Manitoba and Ontario through legislation, is based on the unfounded idea that psychological or spiritual intervention can change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
On Monday, Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt is holding a news conference on post-secondary tuition.
He has said the NDP implemented a tuition freeze in 2015 knowing it was a temporary solution and confirmed that legislation this fall will address the issue.
Advocacy groups such as the Council of Alberta University Students have called for a tuition cap linked to the consumer price index to control rising tuition rates.
GEARING UP FOR THE SPRING ELECTION
The fall sitting launches fresh off the NDP convention held over the weekend in Edmonton, where Premier Rachel Notley rallied her troops and the party passed policy resolutions.
The resolutions, which will inform the NDP election platform, included plans to improve healthcare staffing numbers, rural broadband internet and expand affordable child care.
Opposition leader Jason Kenney has continued to slam the NDP’s carbon tax and vowed to repeal it should the UCP be elected government next year.
At a recent Calgary Chamber of Commerce speech, he outlined some of the other priorities for the UCP if they win. These include a “war room” to defend Alberta’s energy industry, a freeze to minimum wage increases and the appointment of a minister tasked solely with decreasing regulations by one-third. The minister of de-regulation would lighten the regulatory burden on Alberta’s economy, Kenney said.
At the recent Alberta Party annual general meeting, leader Stephen Mandel touted his party ’s focus on fiscal responsibility ahead of releasing an election platform early next year.
Alberta Party house leader Greg Clark said during the fall sitting his caucus will push for better dementia care, more long-term care beds and fiscal prudence.
He also said Calgary-MackayNose Hill MLA Karen McPherson will present the party ’s first private member’s bill focusing on getting help for under-employed and unemployed Albertans.
There will also be a new party in the legislature — former UCP MLA turned Independent Derek Fildebrandt launched the Freedom Conservative Party in July. He was acclaimed leader earlier this month.
TRANS MOUNTAIN SAGA
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is also bound to remain at the centre of political debate this fall as Alberta waits for the National Energy Board to redo an environmental review that is necessary to restart construction on the beleaguered project.
The Federal Court of Appeal had quashed approval given to the Trans Mountain expansion by the NEB and cabinet in 2016, citing lack of consultation with Indigenous communities and a failure to properly consider marine shipping in the environmental review.
Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi said Ottawa was taking steps to redo some of the consultations with Indigenous communities and spelled out a 22-week deadline for the NEB to complete its environmental review, this time taking into account the impact of additional oil tanker traffic off the coast of British Columbia.
That gives the NEB until February to review the risk of oil spills and the impact on marine life. The federal government hasn’t laid out a timeline for when Indigenous consultations will be complete.
Earlier this month, Notley said Alberta needs to let the federal process play out, but voiced concern over Ottawa’s decision not to appeal the landmark ruling that stalled construction.
Ottawa made a $4.5-billion investment to purchase the existing Trans Mountain pipeline. That sale was approved by Kinder Morgan shareholders shortly after the court ruling in August.
The expansion to twin the existing pipeline from Strathcona County to Burnaby, B.C. is pegged at an additional $7.4 billion.
Government house leader Brian Mason will hold a news conference Monday at 10:15 a.m. to speak about the fall sitting, which is scheduled to continue into December.