Article content
Alberta’s government says it plans to focus on jobs and diversifying the economy while keeping an eye on its COVID-19 response as the fall sitting of the legislature is set to start Monday.
Advertisement
Article content
Government house leader Jason Nixon said Friday the focus in the chamber will be on strengthening Alberta’s workforce, saying the province is starting to see a shortage of workers.
“Overall the theme will be on protecting lives and livelihoods and continuing to make sure that we can pass legislation that will strengthen Alberta and make sure that we continue to be in the best position to take advantage of the large economic recovery that we see coming,” said Nixon in an interview.
There are between 18 and 20 bills the government hopes to pass before Christmas, including one that focuses on building infrastructure, and environmental legislation aimed at conservation and recreation.
NDP house leader Christina Gray told reporters at the legislature Friday the Opposition would be holding the government accountable for the health-care crisis.
Advertisement
Article content
“This fall sitting of the legislature will be laser-focused on getting answers from the UCP on why they have failed Albertans so miserably in managing the devastating fourth wave of the COVID 19 pandemic,” said Gray, who pointed to the more than 85,000 Albertans who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the middle of July, and the more than 700 who have died.
Alberta hospitals and health-care workers have been stretched by surging cases in the fourth wave, with thousands of surgeries cancelled or postponed, extra surge beds added because of an increase in intensive care patients, and support deployed in the province from the Canadian Red Cross, Canadian Armed Forces, and from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Gray plans to introduce a motion to establish an all-party committee Monday to review the government’s COVID-19 response, something Premier Jason Kenney and Nixon have said will happen eventually, but now is not the time.
Advertisement
Article content
No notice of COVID-19-related legislation, but government ‘ready’
Nixon is set to introduce a motion to hold a debate devoted to COVID-19 no later than Nov. 4, according to the legislative order paper . Although there are no COVID-19-related bills on the paper, Nixon said the legislature is ready to pass whatever is needed to be able to deal with the pandemic.
“We will be ready to do that at a moment’s notice,” said Nixon.
Gray reiterated that the legislature needs an all-party committee to examine the pandemic response.
“We’ve had those COVID-19 debates, and yet we still see this government failing in the fourth wave,” said Gray, who added the NDP will be pushing for the government to reinstate the commercial eviction ban first brought in early in the pandemic, and to provide 10 days of paid sick leave to those in quarantine.
Advertisement
Article content
“It does not appear that there is anything new on the agenda. No fighting COVID, no creating jobs, no supporting Albertans when they need it the most — nothing to make life more affordable for families,” said Gray.
Since it is a continuation of a session that began in 2020, there will be no throne speech, and private member’s bills are still on the table, including one from NDP Leader Rachel Notley proposing to curb coal development in some environmentally-sensitive areas and a bill from Muhammad Yaseen — a former backbencher now in cabinet — that would declare rodeo the province’s official sport .
Nixon said the government is aiming to give a fresh throne speech, which traditionally outlines new directions and goals, in the spring of 2022.
Advertisement
Article content
“In the moment, our province and our health officials are dealing with the fourth wave very effectively — I would not want to provide any unnecessary distractions or ceremonial processes like a throne speech,” he said.
Nixon added that the legislature will be aiming to return to a “more normal” procedure, with members appearing in person rather than voting virtually. The NDP has said all of its caucus members and staff are vaccinated from COVID-19, and Nixon confirmed all but one member of the UCP caucus — who would be required to provide negative rapid test results — had received vaccinations.
Kenney has also said he will put forward a motion to ratify a request for a constitutional amendment after the official, province-wide results of Alberta’s referendum on the federal equalization program are declared Tuesday.
Alberta government's focus to be on jobs and economy for fall legislature sitting, starting Monday - Edmonton Journal
Read More
No comments:
Post a Comment