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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Leader's Update

Update from Jacquie Fenske

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

By the time we’re back at work after the long weekend, the race to lead the Alberta Party will have begun. Starting May 25, nominations will be open to lead our Party into the 2023 election, and the Legislature. While I don’t expect anyone to announce this early, I know we will have incredible candidates vying to lead this province.

Of course, the day is bitter-sweet. I so thoroughly enjoy leading the Alberta Party. I love you, our members, and I love talking to Albertans who are passionate about our province. I wish I could have visited more of you in person, but that wasn’t in the cards for my tenure.

I do have a few months left, though, and with vaccine rates increasing, there’s an excellent chance we’ll be able to gather at least a little bit this summer. I really, truly hope I’ll see you all soon. The BBQ will be on me.

Stay Safe,

Upcoming Events

May 27 at 7:00 pm, Alberta Party 101

Join Alberta Party President Conrad Guay and learn more about the Alberta Party. This is a great event to share with people who have expressed interest in the party and have questions.

RSVP to Attend

June 4 at 7:00 pm, Joint Sherwood Park / Strathcona - Sherwood Park AGM

Join the boards from both constituency associations for their annual general meeting. All members in good standing of the Sherwood Park and the Strathcona-Sherwood Park Constituency Associations are invited to attend.

RSVP to Attend

June 22 at 7:30 pm, Let’s Talk Municipal Issues

Shadow Cabinet and several Municipal Affairs experts from around Alberta to talk about what vibrant thriving communities could look like and how we could get there.

RSVP to Attend

All Alberta Party events are listed on the events page.

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Count me in!

This Week in Alberta

ICU CAPACITY

While vaccine rates are steadily increasing throughout the province, a sign of good things to come, the province reached another major milestone. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed use reached an all-time high for Alberta.

On May 17, Alberta Health Services reported that ICU beds were treating about 240 patients, including 181 COVID-19 patients and 220 patients on ventilators. The system is at risk of being overwhelmed. COVID-19 has strained the system, but it shows that Alberta has underinvested in ICU beds for years.

In the 2019 election, the Alberta Party called for more non-acute care beds outside hospitals so patients could transition out of ICU more quickly, freeing up space.

INQUIRY DELAYED AGAIN

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

The UCP has yet again extended the deadline of the public inquiry report on foreign activity in anti-oil and gas activism.

The report has been criticized for lending legitimacy to conspiracy theories and accusing organizations of interference without providing them with an opportunity to defend themselves.

Further reinforcing that the inquiry isn’t going well, the CBC reported that the commissioner of the inquiry, Steve Allen, regrets signing on to lead it.

The Alberta Party continues to call for the wasteful public inquiry report to be shelved and for the UCP to focus their energy on helping Albertans.

NEW HIRING PROGRAM

The Alberta Government announced a grant program aimed at helping employers cover the cost of hiring unemployed and under-employed workers.

The Alberta Party is cautiously optimistic about the benefits this program will have to Albertans across the province. While we are optimistic about the program and its potential positive impact for Albertans, the UCP does not have a good track record for implementing new programs.

The program consists of a $370 million grant with funding from both the provincial and federal governments. The grant will cover 25 percent of an employee’s salary for a year, or up to 37.5 percent of the salary for an employee with disabilities.

Click here to apply for the program.

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

Interesting Read

Have all the great inventions of the world been discovered? Why has the pace of new inventions slowed? Or has it?

This article from City Journal outlines a few new technologies that could be as consequential as electrification, the internal combustion engine, chemistry, telecommunications, and indoor plumbing.

Public Engagement

Here is a way to give the government feedback through their public engagement online:

• K-6 Curriculum

Get Involved with the Party

Are you on Instagram? Every week we post a video from Jacquie and sharing that video on your story would really help expand our reach.

We are recruiting volunteers with HTML experience. Is that you? Let our comms team know! Email us!

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

On Facebook? Check out the Alberta Party profile picture frame! Go to your profile picture and click add frame — search for Alberta Party and click apply.

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and tell your friends about how the Alberta Party has a plan to make Alberta work!

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