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Government of Alberta

30th LEGISLATURE- SPEAKER ELECTION AND SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

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2 minute read

May 15, 2019

Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta will meet on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. to elect the presiding officers for Alberta’s 30th Legislative Assembly.

Presiding officers include the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees and Deputy Chair of Committees. All elections are conducted by secret ballot in the Chamber.

The First Session of the 30th Legislature will open at 3 p.m. on May 22, 2019, with the Speech from the Throne by Her Honour the Honourable Lois E. Mitchell, CM, AOE, LLD, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. The ceremony begins with a 15-gun salute on the South Legislature Grounds, followed by an inspection of a quarter guard in the Legislature rotunda. The event will also feature performances by soprano Cara Lianne McLeod and the Royal Canadian Artillery Band.

Media MUST register via e-mail for each event separately to [email protected] before Friday, May 17 at noon. Upon registration media will receive a confirmation e-mail with details regarding the collection of press passes. While in the Chamber media must wear business attire. Media wearing jeans or sneakers will not be permitted entry. Space is limited in the Chamber, so media will be given access on a first-come, first-served basis and must be in place 15 minutes prior to the ceremony. Video and still photography are allowed, but flash photography is prohibited.

The Chamber ceremonies will be broadcast on Assembly Online at assembly.ab.ca and on Alberta Assembly TV on Telus channel 843, Shaw Cable channel 930 and Shaw BlueSky channel 263 to give access to all Albertans. Photos of the ceremony will be available on Flickr (legassemblyofab) and the video will be posted on YouTube (AlbertaLegislature).

President Todayville Inc., Honorary Colonel 41 Signal Regiment, Board Member Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award Foundation, Director Canadian Forces Liaison Council (Alberta) musician, photographer, former VP/GM CTV Edmonton.

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Alberta

Alberta Next: Taxation

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A new video from the Alberta Next panel looks at whether Alberta should stop relying on Ottawa to collect our provincial income taxes. Quebec already does it, and Alberta already collects corporate taxes directly. Doing the same for personal income taxes could mean better tax policy, thousands of new jobs, and less federal interference. But it would take time, cost money, and require building new systems from the ground up.

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Alberta

Alberta school boards required to meet new standards for school library materials with regard to sexual content

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Alberta’s government has introduced new standards to ensure school library materials are age-appropriate.

School libraries should be safe and supportive places where students can learn and explore without being exposed to inappropriate sexual content. However, in the absence of a consistent standard for selecting age-appropriate library materials, school boards have taken different approaches, leading to concerns about safeguards in place.

In response to these concerns, and informed by feedback from education partners and the public, Alberta’s government has created standards to provide school boards with clear direction on the selection, availability and access to school library materials, such as books.

“Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don’t expose children to sexual content were never about banning books. These new standards are to ensure that school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access to school library materials, while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare

The new standards set clear expectations for school library materials with regard to sexual content and require school boards to implement policies to support these standards.

Standards for school library materials

Under the new standards, school libraries are not permitted to include library materials containing explicit sexual content. Non-explicit sexual content may be accessible to students in Grade 10 and above, provided it is age-appropriate.

“Protecting kids from explicit content is common sense. LGBTQ youth, like all children, deserve to see themselves in stories that are age-appropriate, supportive and affirming – not in material that sexualizes or confuses them.”

Blaine Badiuk, education and LGBTQ advocate

School boards must also regularly review their school library collections, publish a full list of available materials and ensure that a staff member supervises students’ access to school library materials. School boards will have to remove any materials with explicit sexual content from their school libraries by October 1.

School board policies and procedures

All school boards must have publicly available policies that align with the new standards for selecting and managing library materials by January 1, 2026. School boards can either create new policies or update existing ones to meet these requirements.

These policies must outline how school library materials are selected and reviewed, how staff supervise students’ access throughout the school day, and how a student, parent, school board employee or other member of the school community can request a review or removal of materials in the school library. School boards are also required to clearly communicate these policies to employees, students and parents before January 2026.

“A robust, grade- and age-appropriate library catalogue is vital for student success. We welcome the ministry’s initiative to establish consistent standards and appreciate the ongoing consultation to help craft a plan that will serve our families and communities well.”

Holly Bilton, trustee, Chinook’s Edge School Division

“Red Deer Public Schools welcomes the new provincial standards for school library materials. Our division is committed to maintaining welcoming, respectful learning spaces where students can grow and thrive. Under the new standards for school libraries, we remain dedicated to providing learning resources that reflect our values and support student success.”

Nicole Buchanan, chair, Red Deer Public Schools

Quick facts

  • The new standards will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools.
  • The ministerial order does not apply to municipal libraries located within schools or materials selected for use by teachers as learning and teaching resources.
  • From May 26 to June 6, almost 80,000 people completed an online survey to provide feedback on the creation of consistent standards to ensure the age-appropriateness of materials available to students in school libraries.

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