Alberta Minute: Credential Funding, Aircraft Manufacturing, and the Fuel Tax Returns

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

This Week In Alberta:

• Though the legislature remains on break, there are several Committee meetings this week. The Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund will meet today at 10:00 am to discuss the Fund’s Q1 report. On Tuesday, at 9:00 am, there will be a meeting of the Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future to discuss the Personal Information Protection Act. Finally, on Thursday at 1:00 pm, there will be a meeting of the Standing Committee of Legislative Offices, but no agenda is available yet.
  
  
• This is the last week Albertans can fill up without paying fuel tax. The Province announced a partial reinstatement of the tax beginning October 1st. A 4.5 cents per litre tax will apply at the pumps for the next three months, which Finance Minister Jason Nixon says will result in a revenue of $30 million per month for the Province. 
  
  
• An announcement is expected imminently on the fate of the ArriveCan app. The app has been plagued by problems including privacy issues and glitches which result in travellers receiving unnecessary quarantine notices. Our petition to abolish the app forever is nearing 50,000 signatures. Please sign and share it with your friends so we can get over the finish line and get the government to scrap the app.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Premier Jason Kenney announced that De Havilland will build a new facility in Wheatland County for aircraft manufacturing, bringing 1,500 jobs to the area. The plant, spanning 600 hectares, will be the site of final assembly for the DHC-515 Firefighter aircraft, DHC Twin Otter, and the Dash 8-400 aircraft. The plant is expected to start limited operations in 2025 with the complete buildout taking 10-15 years. De Havilland said they weren’t looking for government handouts and instead are aiming to be self-sufficient. How refreshing - a business focused on being good at business rather than being good at collecting government handouts!
  
  
• The Province announced an $8 million investment into post-secondary schools for the creation of micro-credentials. These short programs allow students to get specialized training and gain skills quickly, as well as help those looking to switch careers learn with more flexibility. Programs related to technology and innovation got the most funding, followed by health care programs. Overall, 69 programs were funded at 21 institutions.

• Criminal defence lawyers announced an escalation to their job action across the province, saying they will no longer take Legal Aid cases as of Monday. This is part of an ongoing dispute between the lawyers and the Province over funding. Some actions have already been taken, including refusal of Legal Aid files for serious crimes like homicide and sexual assault, and walkouts at courthouses in Edmonton and Calgary.

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