News

A novel way to fund infrastructure in La Crete shows the opportunities available to communities if new and unique abilities are granted by the provincial government. 

Last week, the government announced a toll would be charged to help pay for a new bridge across the Peace River. The plan to replace the seasonal ferry was developed by those who needed the crossing. Local farmers have faced a long drive and increased costs to get their product to market. This is a win-win and is a good example of finding unique funding models to build our communities and shows what we can do when we all collaborate.

The Auditor General’s recent Consolidated Financial Statements of the Province of Alberta 2019-2020 report of more than $1.7B in accounting errors highlights the fact that the UCP government has retained the entitlement mentality of previous conservative governments, disdaining accountability in spending, and using sole source contracts to limit transparency. 

The Canadian Energy Centre, also known as the “Energy War Room”, has spent millions with no oversight or accountability to taxpayers. All with no discernable outcomes in achieving vague and undefined goals. 

Handing out sole source contracts, delaying reporting for AISH, spending without limits and canceling contracts with huge penalties were common knowledge, but the impact was underestimated. 

“Jason Kenney promised Albertans that the books would be put back in order - that cannot be done without transparency and honesty. Good governance includes being transparent with contract sourcing, being accountable for your decisions and responsible with taxpayer dollars.  These are core principles of the Alberta Party, but they should be core for all parties, especially the one with the provincial chequebook.” said Acting Leader Jacquie Fenske

The Alberta Party calls on UCP MLA’s to step forward and hold their own Cabinet to account for the missteps and deliberate obstruction of responsible processes and financial practices.

“UCP MLAs wouldn’t accept this kind of governance from another party, they shouldn’t accept it from their own,” Fenske added. 

The Alberta Party stresses the importance of Arts and Culture as an important tool to help fund Alberta's future and enhance the standard of living for all Albertans.

This morning, October 26, 2020, some members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) walked off the job, undertaking a “wildcat” strike.

This is a result of the Kenney government undertaking massive changes to Alberta Health Services (AHS) without proper consultation and without a willingness to compromise. Ministers Shandro and Toews are approaching our healthcare workers in bad faith. They're behavior has made job action inevitable.

At the same time, they are constrained by the failure of the previous NDP government. It made far-reaching promises and didn't deliver on properly reforming and re-imagining AHS. Fundamentally this is a needless conflict, not over policy, but trust.

Alberta is in a fiscal crisis. Healthcare costs need to be contained, and greater efficiency is needed. However, patient health and workers rights cannot be compromised. Our government needs to get to the bargaining table in good faith to find solutions to our problems that serve patients, workers, and taxpayers.

In Rebuilding Alberta the Alberta Party proposed that the Alberta Government identify inactive oil wells and convert them for geothermal energy. We thank the UCP Government for following the Alberta Party's lead on diversify our economy and putting Albertans back to work.