This Week in Alberta
Last year was the deadliest year on record for drug related deaths. This week, government data showed the opioid problem is not going away. There were 228 more opioid related deaths in the first two months of 2021.
The Kenney government has ignored the opioid epidemic and actively undermined anti-harm initiatives by targeting safe consumption sites.
More work needs to be done to reduce deaths, and key to that is providing more mental health supports. The Alberta Party has been a strong voice on this issue and we will remain one.
Data from ATB show the number of businesses in Alberta has dramatically declined. From February to December 2020, Alberta lost 5,507 businesses.
There has been some growth in new startups since then, but we remain behind. Every lost business is a family devastated or life savings wiped out. It means job losses and devastated communities.
Business losses highlight the importance of a stable investment environment, access to cash, supports for innovation, and infrastructure spending to enable a prosperous environment for business.
The Alberta Party has a plan to help Alberta businesses thrive - Rebuilding Alberta is the Alberta Party framework for growth.
Alberta’s municipalities have been ignored by governments of all stripes. There have been ten different Municipal Affairs Ministers in ten years; the current government is on their third.
Mayors, Reeves, and Councillors are the elected representatives closest to the people they serve. And municipalities are the order of government most willing to find pragmatic strategies to improve communities.
The province must work with them to build a great future for all Albertans. Municipal bonds, increasing autonomy, and empowering communities to be innovative are all ideas that could help.
Read the full Alberta Party statement here
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