Alberta Minute: Hockey Wager, Election Date, and Mental Health Classrooms

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

This Week In Alberta:

• There will be afternoon sittings of the Legislature Monday through Thursday. This morning, at 9:00 am, the Standing Committee on Families and Communities will meet to review the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts will meet on Tuesday at 8:00 am. On the agenda is the Mental Health and Addiction Annual Report, 2022-23.
  
  
• Alberta plans to expand mental health support classrooms in schools, with $148 million allocated over two years to CASA Mental Health. Premier Danielle Smith said that $40 million of that funding will go toward tripling the number of mental health classrooms to 60 by 2026, helping students with complex challenges. Each classroom accommodates up to 12 students from grades four to 12, with a full-time teacher, mental health therapist, aide, and support staff.
  
  
• Premier Danielle Smith and her BC counterpart David Eby have an ongoing wager as the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks continue their playoff matchup. On Friday, they attended a game at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, and previously made a bet over social media regarding the series outcome, where the loser will deliver a statement, written by the winner, in the winner's provincial Legislature while wearing the opponent's jersey. The next matchup is in Edmonton on Tuesday at 7:30 pm.

Last Week In Alberta:

• The Province introduced legislation to enhance emergency response and shift the fixed election date to the third Monday in October, instead of the last Monday in May, due to increased disaster risks in spring. Premier Danielle Smith emphasized the need for government focus during emergencies, referencing disruptions caused by wildfires last spring. The new legislation also addresses water management during emergencies and enables the Province to take command of local emergency responses from the municipalities.
  
  
• Alberta announced a new ethics commissioner, Shawn McLeod, who brings a wealth of experience from both private and public sectors to the role, having worked as a lawyer at McLennan Ross LLP before serving in legal capacities at the Federal Department of Justice and Alberta Labour Relations Board. He also held in-house counsel positions at Alberta industrial construction company JV Driver Group and energy company Canadian Natural Resources Limited. In the public sector, McLeod served as deputy minister of labour relations and currently acts as a special advisor.
  
  
• The Province announced plans to explore methods to accelerate the reclamation of tailings ponds in the oilsands through its newly formed committee, the Oilsands Mine Water Steering Committee. The Committee comprises six members with diverse expertise, supported by an external facilitator. It will be chaired by Tany Yao, MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo and will also include Jim Boucher, the former chief of the Fort McKay First Nation.

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