Alberta Minute: Golf Carts, Homelessness Funding, and a Regulatory Body Review

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

This Week In Alberta:

• Premier Danielle Smith says that her government will introduce legislation in 2025 to restrict professional regulatory bodies in Alberta from policing members’ personal beliefs or expressions outside their professional roles. Justice Minister Mickey Amery noted that many professionals face lengthy disciplinary processes for expressing opinions unrelated to their work, often due to complaints from individuals they haven’t served. The review will assess issues such as unnecessary training, the scope of regulatory oversight, and complaints made in bad faith.
  
  
• The Alberta government is launching a five-year pilot program allowing golf carts on roads in seven rural communities. Changes to the Traffic Safety Act now permit these vehicles in Acme, Coaldale, Whispering Hills, Linden, Delburne, Lacombe County, and Half Moon Bay. Only those 14 and older will be allowed to drive them, and there must only be as many passengers as there are seats in the cart.
  
  
• Our friends at Project Confederation are hosting a virtual event tonight at 6:00 pm, to discuss Canada’s fiscal transfer framework and its effects on Alberta. Josh Andrus, Executive Director of Project Confederation, will provide an economic analysis of equalization costs and the fiscal transfer system, exploring how these financial burdens impact Alberta's economy. The event is free but attendees must register online to receive the Zoom link.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Bill C-293, the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act, has raised concerns among Alberta's agricultural leaders and officials over its potential impact on the livestock industry. This federal bill would grant the government authority to regulate industrial agriculture practices to reduce pandemic risks, which some argue could lead to shutting down facilities like livestock operations. Alberta’s Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson said that such provisions could harm Alberta’s economy, threatening the livelihoods of producers and processors. He emphasized the need for collaboration with the federal government to find solutions that protect both public health and the agricultural sector. The bill, currently in the Senate, has also raised jurisdictional concerns over provincial autonomy in handling public health matters.
  
  
• Alberta and Ottawa have agreed to collaborate on new funding aimed at addressing homelessness and encampments in Alberta’s urban areas. The initial funding will prioritize Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Red Deer, with further negotiations expected soon to determine specific allocations. Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser and Alberta’s Seniors, Community, and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon reached the agreement after recent tensions. Originally, the federal government said it would be working directly with Edmonton and Calgary, accusing the Province of not accepting its multimillion-dollar cost-sharing offer.
  
  
• The Province criticized Canada’s decision to only slightly lower immigration targets, arguing that a much larger reduction is necessary to address housing shortages, hospital capacity issues, and rising living costs. Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Muhammad Yaseen argued that the reduction won’t alleviate the pressures caused by nearly two million new arrivals each year. Alberta, which has experienced rapid growth from both international and interprovincial migration, is asking the federal government to cut the total number of newcomers to Canada to “well under 500,000 annually until further notice.”

-----

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.