Alberta Minute: Public Safety, Firearms Prosecutions, and a Legislature Holiday Break

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

This Week In Alberta:

• The Legislature wrapped up its session and is now on break for the holidays, with the exception of Committee meetings.
  
  
• There are three Committee meetings this week. Today, the Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services will meet at 9:00 am to discuss budget estimates and insurance. On Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts will meet at 8:00 am to discuss the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services. Finally, at 9:00 am on Wednesday, the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship will meet, but an agenda is not available yet.
  
  
• It’s Christmas this weekend! Thank you to every single one of our readers and supporters who reached out, donated, volunteered, or shared our content this year. We appreciate every single one of you. From everyone at the Alberta Institute - Peter, Jeff, Josh, Kristy, Laura, Ronnie, Will, and all of our volunteers - we wish you a Merry Christmas with all of your loved ones.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Alberta launched two Public Safety and Community Response Task Forces, one in Calgary and another in Edmonton, to help tackle addiction, homelessness and crime. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she was pleased that action is being taken. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi reacted rather differently, saying that, despite including City Councillors, the appointees were hand-picked by the Province and do not speak for his Council.
  
  
• The Alberta government announced it will be taking over prosecutions of federal firearm charges. In opposition to the federal government’s gun grab, Justice Minister Tyler Shandro said the Province may even decide not to take offenders to court. The Province believes the federal government is targeting legal gun owners in western Canada, like hunters, farmers and sport shooters.
  
  
• The Province announced a $20 million top-up to the Business Costs Program that supports doctors with operating expenses for their office-based practices. The average medical professional will receive an extra $2,300 to cover expenses as an inflation-fighting measure.

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