By rdnewsNOW Staff

Provincial Politics

Affordability, health care, standing up for Alberta key features of throne speech

Nov 29, 2022 | 3:43 PM

The provincial government says Albertans will benefit from their planned efforts to address affordability, increase jobs, strengthen the economy, improve health care and stand up for Alberta’s interests, as outlined in the speech from the throne on Tuesday.

“During this legislative session and in the coming months, we will take unprecedented and substantial action to help Albertans and their families. We will take quick, effective action to assist vulnerable Albertans, seniors and families with children with the dramatic increases to their cost of living. And we will be taking active steps to defend and promote our province’s prosperity and constitutional jurisdiction,” said Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta.

Central to standing up for Alberta, says the government, will be Bill 1, the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act – designed to protect the province against unconstitutional federal measures, policies and legislation.

If passed, this legislation aims to defend Alberta’s rights under the Canadian Constitution, respect the boundaries between federal and provincial jurisdiction, and ensure Alberta continues to be strong and free within Confederation, says the government.

The throne speech also outlined an array of measures the government is expected to act on quickly to protect Albertans from the rising cost of living and to improve health-care services, say provincial officials.

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More details from the throne speech include:

Affordability measures

• Implementing targeted inflation-relief and affordability measures to support all Albertans.
• Extending the energy price protection and reviewing the electricity pricing system to look at lowering costs for power transmission and distribution.
• Providing additional support for foodbanks and helping low-income Albertans with the cost of transit.
• Providing additional support and indexing benefits for vulnerable Albertans.
• Indexing personal income taxes.

Jobs and the economy

• Creating conditions to grow industries, businesses and job opportunities.
• Enhancing trade infrastructure and agreements.
• Reducing barriers to interprovincial trade for agriculture and food production.
• Continued leadership in hydrogen and petrochemicals, and development in helium, lithium, liquefied natural gas, geothermal energy and minerals.
• Providing clear and environmentally responsible direction for developing tourism amenities such as campgrounds, trails and other attractions.
• Developing strategies to address labour market gaps.
• Enhanced funding to engage with minority communities and support anti-racism initiatives.

Health care

• Taking action to improve health-care delivery and health outcomes.
• Restoring local decision-making closer to point of care and directing more resources to front-line care.
• Improving EMS response times and cutting emergency wait times.
• Improving access to primary care and address staffing challenges, especially in rural areas.
• Reducing wait times for surgeries.
• Expanding supports for mental health and addictions, including for schools and families.

Standing Up for Alberta

• Defending Alberta’s rights under the Canadian Constitution.
• Accessing federal funding, without strings, to meet Albertans’ needs, values and priorities.
• Pushing back against federal programs that create hardships for farmers and ranchers.
• Developing stronger relationships with other provinces and territories for areas of cooperation and mutual economic prosperity.

Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani outlined the legislative lineup and its benefits in her speech from the throne on Nov. 29 to open the fourth session of Alberta’s 30th legislature.

Watch: Speech from the Throne

Throne Speech text

Bill 1: Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act

Watch Below: Premier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Tyler Shandro share details on legislation intended to defend Alberta’s interests.

“Rather than taking this important opportunity to prioritize our public health care system for all Albertans, today’s Throne Speech continues the government’s ideological push to see more of our public health dollars going to boost private profits,” said Chris Gallaway, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. “This Speech from the Throne and the agenda they’ve laid out for the coming legislative session will do little to help our struggling public health care system.”

“We are in an urgent situation that requires urgent action with a workforce plan to deal with the widespread short-staffing, worker burnout, and closures impacting our entire public health care system,” added Gallaway. “Empty platitudes from this government are nothing without action. We need to put an end to the government’s failed privatization agenda which is only adding chaos to the system, and worsening the dire staffing situation facing our public health care.”