Alberta Minute: Issue 311

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

📅 This Week In Alberta: 📅

• Alberta’s government has introduced Bill 54, a piece of legislation aimed at changing how elections and democratic processes operate in the province. The bill would reintroduce union and corporate donations, raise election spending limits, ban electronic vote tabulators, remove vouching, and end the "vote anywhere" system, among other reforms. Under the proposed changes, political parties could spend up to $5 million in a general election, while individual candidate limits would rise from $60,800 to $75,000. In byelections, party spending limits would increase from $28,000 to $75,000. Third-party advertisers would also see expanded limits, with general election spending capped at $1 million, including a maximum of $225,000 in any single electoral division. The bill also proposes lowering thresholds for citizen-initiated referendums and MLA recalls, making it easier for voters to trigger political change.
  
  
• Premier Danielle Smith described her first meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney as a “positive first step” toward repairing Ottawa-Alberta relations. The two discussed barriers to Alberta’s energy sector, the ongoing trade dispute with the US, and the need for federal cooperation. Smith emphasized that reversing the damage from Ottawa’s past decade of anti-resource policies would require effort and collaboration. Meanwhile, the Province has launched a constitutional challenge against federal clean electricity regulations and is pressing for guarantees on new pipeline development. Smith will also address Albertans this afternoon at 3:00 pm to outline a “path forward with the federal government” following her meeting with Carney, and her recent caucus meeting.
  
  
• Conservative MP Damien Kurek has announced he will resign his Alberta seat in Battle River-Crowfoot to allow party leader Pierre Poilievre to re-enter the House of Commons after losing his Carleton riding in the recent federal election. Kurek, who won re-election with over 80% of the vote, said he believes this move is best for both his riding and the country. Poilievre accepted the offer with appreciation and committed to representing the riding and holding the Liberal minority government accountable. Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to call the by-election quickly. Although Poilievre won’t be in Parliament for its May 26th return, he plans to run in the by-election and later support Kurek's re-election in the next general election.
  
  
• Alberta recorded its highest federal election voter turnout since 1988, with approximately 70% of eligible voters casting a ballot, surpassing the national turnout of 68.7%. This marked the third consecutive election where Alberta outpaced the rest of Canada. Significant issues like US trade tensions and the rising cost of living were issues that motivated voters. Alberta also saw plenty of advance voting, with over 800,000 ballots cast in advance. The Conservatives dominated Alberta's seats, winning 34 of 37. Notably, voter turnout was particularly strong in the Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan riding, where nearly 80% of voters participated.
  
  
• Former Alberta cabinet minister Peter Guthrie, now sitting as an Independent, is publicly sharing handwritten cabinet notes in an effort to, as he calls it, increase transparency around an ongoing healthcare contract scandal. Guthrie was expelled from the UCP caucus after calling for a public inquiry and criticizing the government's handling of allegations made by former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos, who claims she was fired to stop internal investigations into political interference and corruption. Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange deny any wrongdoing, stating Mentzelopoulos was dismissed for poor performance. Guthrie claims his concerns were dismissed by colleagues, prompting his resignation.
  
  
• The Alberta government will spend $185 million over three years to expand job training and employment services under Budget 2025. The funding aims to support more than 820,000 Albertans and includes over $20 million for simulated worksites that offer paid, hands-on experience. These sites help workers develop practical skills in real-world conditions. The initiative comes as Alberta’s unemployment rate rose to 7.1% in March, one of the highest in the country. Speaking of employment, the Province has opened applications for its "Alberta is Calling" moving bonus, offering $5,000 to cover relocation costs for up to 2,000 skilled tradespeople who moved to the province between May 1st and December 31st, 2024. The bonus is available to full-time workers in eligible occupations, such as aircraft mechanics and construction labourers, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. While the program has received praise, industry groups stress that Alberta still faces a significant shortage of skilled tradespeople, a problem that could worsen with a projected 700,000 retirements nationwide by 2028. The Business Council of Alberta and the Calgary Construction Association say there is a need for more comprehensive solutions to address the ongoing workforce gap.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

The Liberals have won again, and Alberta is once more stuck with a federal government that doesn’t share our values or priorities.

But we’re not powerless - Alberta can push back and move forward, with the right plan. We have launched our Alberta’s Future survey to hear directly from you. 

We want to know how you’re feeling, what concerns you most, and what you think Alberta should do next. 

This is your chance to help shape Alberta’s future - please take a few minutes to complete our survey today:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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