Alberta Minute: Municipal Politics, Attracting Workers, and an Independent Police Force

Alberta Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Alberta politics.

This Week In Alberta:

• There will be afternoon sittings of the Legislature from Monday to Thursday. Bill 10 (​​the Financial Statutes Amendment Act) and Bill 11 (the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act) will receive Second Reading. The 2024-25 Main Estimates Considerations will also continue this week. These are a series of Committee meetings scrutinizing the individual budgets for each Ministry. Rather than list the details of every meeting here, we’ve written an explainer that includes a handy spreadsheet that lists which department is attending which Committee meeting and when.
  
  
• The Province is considering allowing political parties in municipal elections. Premier Danielle Smith indicated that while the debate is ongoing and any changes may be targeted at major cities as a pilot project, the aim is to provide transparency and governance in local elections, similar to provincial and federal politics.
  
  
• The Government of Alberta is planning to allocate $10 million toward attracting skilled workers to the province through the Alberta is Calling Attraction Bonus. This initiative, initially promised during the last election campaign, aims to entice newcomers, especially in high-demand sectors like healthcare and trades, with a $5,000 refundable tax credit.  Matt Jones, Minister for Jobs, Economy, and Trade, said Alberta is in particular need of electricians, pipefitters, heavy-duty mechanics, welders, and crane operators.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Calgary to discuss various issues, including the planned hike in consumer carbon charges. Smith urged Trudeau to consider pausing the increase, highlighting concerns about affordability raised by seven of Canada’s Premiers. Trudeau doubled down and called them “short-term thinker Premiers”. Additionally, Smith mentioned Alberta's interest in exporting ammonia to Japan and sought federal support for this endeavour.
  
  
• The Province has introduced legislation to elevate its sheriff service department into an independent police force. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said that this new police force will work in collaboration with existing law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP, and will not replace them. The proposed changes aim to address staffing gaps and enhance public safety. The Province also introduced a Bill allowing judges to order electronic ankle-bracelet monitoring for high-risk offenders, targeting violent, sexual offenders, and those posing a public safety risk. Judges will determine who wears the GPS-tracked ankle bracelets, ensuring offenders are monitored 24/7 to prevent access to restricted areas like victims' homes or workplaces.
  
  
• The Alberta government said it is working on artificial intelligence (AI) regulations that could be ready within 18 months. These regulations, part of an upcoming privacy protections update, are intended to provide strong privacy safeguards for Albertans and address concerns about deepfake technology. Alberta's Information and Privacy Commissioner emphasized the need for well-crafted regulations to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technology while balancing flexibility and effectiveness.

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