Alberta Minute: Upcoming Events, Carbon Tax, and RCMP Back Pay

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

This Week In Alberta:

• The Legislature now stands adjourned until after the May election. There are no committee meetings either.
  
  
• After two days of hearings, the Supreme Court of Canada is now deliberating on whether or not the federal government has overstepped its jurisdictional authority with the Impact Assessment Act, also known as the “No More Pipelines” law. The decision could take up to a year.
  
  
• The Alberta Institute is joining Alberta Proud to hold a “Can’t Stop Alberta” tour. The first two events will be taking place this week in Calgary, one tonight and the other on Tuesday. This evening, two expert panels will discuss the economy, affordability, inflation, jobs, and our energy industry, as well as education, school choice, curriculum, and the future of learning. Tomorrow evening, the economy and affordability will be discussed, in addition to crime, public safety, and the future of our cities. There will also be events next week in Edmonton and St. Albert, followed by Red Deer and Lethbridge in the coming weeks. Tickets are $10 for each event and can be purchased online at the links above.

Last Week In Alberta:

• The Alberta government announced a plan to invest $211 million into parks, campgrounds, and trails. The Province will spend $7.6 million to establish Big Island Provincial Park in southwest Edmonton, $6.2 million to repair and upgrade sanitary stations and wastewater systems at seven provincial parks Trail upgrades and campground refurbishment will also happen at a variety of other sites. Blue Rapids Provincial Recreation Area, Castle Provincial Park and Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park were identified as being in need of immediate expansion.
  
  
• A study was released by the Parliamentary Budget Office showing that the carbon tax hit families in Alberta and Saskatchewan the hardest. On April 1st, the federal government raised the carbon tax 30%, from $50 per tonne of emissions to $65. Even with the rebates, the Parliamentary Budget Office estimates that the carbon tax will still cost Alberta families $710. Scrap the tax!
  
  
• Municipalities in Alberta have been told by Ottawa that they will be responsible for $60 million in back pay for RCMP personnel - expenses that may force some cities to cut back on essential services, or pass on the cost to residents. The federal budget revealed that towns and cities will be responsible for unbudgeted expenses following the announcement of a new collective bargaining agreement with RCMP staff. Under the new agreement, officers will receive a pay increase of 1.75% for each year between 2017 and 2023.

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