Election 2023: Campaign Roundup - Day 13

Welcome to Day 13 of our Alberta 2023 Campaign Roundup!

With the 2023 Alberta election now finally underway, I'll be bringing you daily updates on all the policy proclamations, platform promises, and political point-scoring from the campaign trail.

Campaign Roundup - Day 13:

• Danielle Smith reiterated the UCP’s commitment to public health care. She promised Albertans that they will never need to pay out of pocket to see a family doctor or access needed medical care and that any information to the contrary is completely false.
  
  
• The UCP also held a press conference to announce a new maternal and children’s health strategy. Danielle Smith announced that, if reelected, she will expand newborn screening to test for more diseases and conditions. She also committed to improving obstetrics services and implementing a province-wide midwives strategy.
  
  
• Smith also announced that doctors, nurses, and midwives will be eligible for the Alberta Is Calling signing bonus and Graduate Retention Tax Credit. A reelected UCP government would provide a legacy grant to the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, fund cervical cancer and heart disease research, implement fetal heart rate monitoring in rural hospitals, and fund women's health empowerment initiatives.
  
  
• Recently released Alberta Health Services data showed that EMS response times have improved greatly since November. Danielle Smith reiterated how proud she is of Alberta doctors, nurses, and frontline health professionals and their commitment to reducing surgical, hospital, and ambulance wait times.
  
  
• Rachel Notley also announced a health care plan. Her plan to attract doctors and nurses to Alberta promises signing bonuses of up to $10,000 for doctors and nurses. The NDP criticized the idea of a signing bonus just last week when the UCP proposed a similar policy.
  
  
• The NDP also pledged to assist foreign-trained medical graduates. Notley promised to develop a program to support or supplement the income of foreign-trained health professionals who are taking classes to upgrade their credentials as a condition of their licensing.
  
  
• Karen Shaw, NDP Candidate for Morinville-St Albert, promised to keep the RCMP in Alberta. She promised that an NDP government would not implement an Alberta Police Force, saying it would not improve community safety.
  
  
• Irfan Sabir, NDP candidate for Calgary-Bhullar-McCall, drew attention to the NDP’s plan to spend $39 million on anti-racism initiatives like establishing an anti-racism office, as well as providing a streamlined process and support for foreign credentials recognition.

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