Good Afternoon,

Welcome to the Members’ Weekly Digest, a newsletter that summarises news, events and activities in one place for Alberta Party members.

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Spotted in Alberta - This sign is by member Daryl Marler in Ardrossan!

Update from Acting Leader Jacquie Fenske

Hear Jacquie’s take on the news this week in Alberta.

I was thinking a lot about the future this week. If you watch my video for the week, you can hear my thoughts on how important it is to support our children, the future of Alberta.

But I was also thinking about summer, the Alberta Party leadership race, and the work that remains to ensure that in future elections Albertans have a real choice.

Next week I’m going to give a speech to the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs. I’ll focus on the importance of the Alberta Party to democracy in Alberta.

I’ll talk about the need Albertans have for a real choice, a political party that doesn’t stand for more government or less government, but smart government.

One that represents the unique character of Albertans, their hopes and their dreams. You can read the details here and the YouTube live link is on this page as well.

It’s a talk about the kind of future we want for our province.

Stay Safe,

Upcoming Events

May 4 at 7 pm, Five Truths to Unlearn: Alberta’s Economy Post Pandemic with Todd Hirsch, ATB Economist

Hosted by Grande Prairie Constituency Association

RSVP to Attend

May 11 at 7:30 pm, Let’s Talk Municipal Issues

Join our Shadow Cabinet and several Municipal Affairs experts from around Alberta to talk about what vibrant thriving communities in the 22nd century in Alberta could look like and how we could get there.

RSVP to Attend

Event Recap: Let’s Talk Water

On Tuesday, a group of South Western Constituency Associations held a panel discussion called “Let’s Talk About Water!” This session brought subject matter experts Shannon Frank (Niitsitapi Water Protectors) and Bob Sandford (Centre for Hydrology at U of S). The event was well-attended and shed light on how threatened our water would be without smart government regulation and conservation policy.

Event Recap: Save Public Education

Yesterday, our Shadow Minister for Education Neil Korotash joined key education stakeholders and NDP MLAs for a discussion about the future of public education and how to support the education system.

All Alberta Party events are listed on the events page.

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Count me in!

Fundraising Update

Last week, we shared news of our tremendous fundraising success in Q1-2021. Part of that success came from our work with a fundraising agency we partnered with to make phone calls to previous donors and members.

They have now finished calling our lists right back to 2018. The positive feedback from those calls has been extremely helpful in reconnecting with past members. Perhaps, if you’re reading this weekly digest, you are one of those who renewed as a result of one of those phone calls and if you are, welcome back!

In the coming weeks, you will begin to hear more about a project we are piloting with the working title “The Alberta Party Stabilization Fund.” This fund will help put in place funding for long-term Party projects, including 2023 election readiness.

We are committed to keeping our operational expenses low and maximizing your donation dollars. Thus, the Stabilization Fund will seek to build a cash reserve from monthly and larger donations, where we can better plan long-term growth in communications, campaign technology and staffing.

If you have any questions, would like to donate specifically to the Fund, or would like to become involved in fundraising please contact me personally at [email protected]. I will be happy to chat with you about these exciting opportunities to contribute to our long-term donation and fundraising strategy.

Until next week,

Troy Wason
Alberta Party Executive Director

This Week in Alberta

The UCP continues to turn their backs on those who elected them. This week we learned that UCP cuts to grant programs will end the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta.

Plant proteins represent a significant economic opportunity for rural Alberta and all Albertans. Acting Leader Jacquie Fenske spoke out against the shortsightedness of the decision:

"This government has constantly ignored rural issues - the growth and diversification of our agriculture industry is integral to growing our rural communities and their economies."

Read the full Alberta Party statement here

Jason Kenney has a blind spot with respect to Albertans’ love of the mountains.

A new annual $90 fee was implemented for those who use the trails, campgrounds and waterways of Kananaskis Country.

The threat of overuse is real. It is essential, as the government has promised, that all collected fees return to the park for conservation and maintenance projects.

The Government announced new regional restrictions on Thursday in an attempt to slow the dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases.

They will also ship more vaccines to especially hard-hit Banff and Fort McMurray.

The failure of the Government to recognize regional differences and failure of the Premier to act quickly and decisively has led to Alberta’s case-rate being among the highest in Canada.

The UCP released their Alberta 2030 strategy to transform higher education on Thursday. Alberta Party Shadow Minister Myles Chykerda responded:

“I’m pleased to see elements of the Alberta Party platform make their way into the Alberta 2030 strategy for higher education. Our member-passed policies specifically target predictable operations funding, caps on tuition increases, and the need for funding mental health supports.”

Read the entire statement here

Want to see the latest Alberta Party news before Sunday? Check out our news page throughout the week for updates.

Interesting Read

The Canadian housing market has looked like a bubble for years, and yet - fortunately - has not burst. Yet. The risk that a burst poses to the Canadian economy remains, but the effects of high home prices today are profound.

This longer piece on the housing market’s effect on personal finances is an important read for anyone who wants to understand just how expensive homes have gotten and the strain it’s putting on our nation’s families.

Public Engagement

Here are some ways to give the government feedback through their public engagement online.

• OHS Review
• K-6 Curriculum

Get Involved with the Party

We're constantly posting new content. If you're not already subscribed to the Party channels, please like and subscribe. Liking and subscribing really helps the Party!

• Become a monthly donor
• Sign up to volunteer
• Join our Shadow Cabinet Feedback Group
• Join your Constituency Association

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If you have any questions or concerns, you can get in touch by replying to this email or using the button below.

See you next week,

Alberta Party Team