Alberta Minute: Affordability Measures, Legislature Resumes, and School Masking Prohibited

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

This Week In Alberta:

• We don't usually ask for a favour in these emails, but right now, we're running our Black Friday / Giving Tuesday fundraiser, and if we can raise $25,000 by the end of the month, a very generous donor has offered to double every single donation. So, if you like the research and advocacy work we do, and the information we bring you, and would like to make a donation to support the cause of freedom, now is the perfect time! Info on how to donate online, or by cheque is available here.
  
  
• The Legislature is back, and there will be a new Speech from the Throne tomorrow at 3:00 pm to open the session and outline the government’s direction. Premier Danielle Smith has indicated that her priorities will include affordability, reforming Alberta Health Services, and standing up to Ottawa.
  
  
• Committee meetings also return this week. The Select Special Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner Search Committee meets at 8:30 am on Thursday. On Friday, the Standing Committee of Legislative Offices will meet at 8:45 am. At the latter meeting, various Legislative Offices will give presentations in consideration of the 2023-2024 Budget Estimates.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Premier Danielle Smith addressed Albertans and announced measures to help with the affordability crisis. Some of the measures include providing $600 over six months for each child under 18 and every senior (for those with household incomes under $180,000), providing $600 over six months to people receiving income supports, suspending the provincial fuel tax for at least six months, and providing a $200 rebate on electricity bills per home. Smith also plans to reindex benefits and tax brackets.
  
  
• The Alberta government passed two Orders in Council which prohibit schools from implementing mask mandates or from moving to online-only classes for grades 1 through 12. The new regulations are intended to provide stability for students and prevent further loss of learning. Thank you to the thousands of Albertans who signed our petitions calling for the government to step in and prevent school boards from imposing these mandates.
  
  
• Justice Minister Tyler Shandro called for RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki to be fired. He said Alberta had lost confidence in her ability to lead the Mounties. Shandro cited the failure to deal with the “RCMP’s history of systemic racism” and accused her of compromising the integrity of the investigation into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia. The federal government reiterated their confidence in Lucki.

-----

Donate:

The Alberta Institute doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here.

-----

Share:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please forward this email to your friends, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and help make sure every Albertan knows what's going on in our province.