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Alberta

It’s time for the Alberta Sovereignty Act – Red Deer South MLA Jason Stephan

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This article submitted by Red Deer South MLA Jason Stephan

THE ALBERTA SOVEREIGNTY ACT IS GOOD FOR ALBERTA

I supported the concept of the Alberta Sovereignty Act before the UCP leadership race. It was developed by the Free Alberta Strategy. I participated in their townhalls supporting their strategies, as did two of the UCP leadership candidates, Danielle Smith and Todd Loewen. Jason Kenney and his cabinet ministers did not.

What is the Alberta Sovereignty Act?

The Sovereignty Act affirms Alberta’s right to refuse and reject Federal Government actions or laws that intrude into provincial areas of jurisdiction or attack the interests of Alberta.

Ottawa recently released a “discussion paper” seeking to limit, or impose additional carbon taxes on, oil and gas development. This is not an isolated incident; this is a pattern of hostile behavior from Ottawa seeking to attack and take advantage of Alberta, holding it back.

Albertans should be aware that this discussion paper is likely a pretext, an excuse to either take more money from Alberta or prevent it from excelling ahead of other provinces.

Albertans should be aware that at any time Ottawa may leverage the Supreme Court of Canada decision permitting carbon taxes, overruling our Court of Appeal describing Ottawa’s carbon taxes as a “constitutional trojan horse”, to impose a targeted windfall or carbon tax on Alberta’s natural resources that discriminates and disproportionately punishes Alberta while sparing Ontario and Quebec from burden or harm.

The Supreme Court of Canada says carbon taxes are a tool that Ottawa has its disposal at any time to punish Alberta, yet under section 92A of the Constitution Act, Alberta has jurisdiction over its natural resources, not Ottawa.

The Alberta Sovereignty Act should be invoked to reject the “discussion paper” and tell Ottawa to leave Alberta and its constitutional jurisdiction alone.

The unfortunate truth is that Ottawa has made itself an unpredictable and hostile variable, a threat to the freedom and prosperity of Alberta businesses and families that should not be underestimated.

Alberta is compelled to protect itself.

Does the Establishment like the Alberta Sovereignty Act? No. Many Eastern politicians and their media pundits do not like the Alberta Sovereignty Act. It challenges the status quo they benefit under.

Their status quo has enabled a pattern of abuse and economic warfare on Alberta, disrespecting its jurisdiction over its resources, creating chaos and injecting commercial uncertainty, chasing away billions in private sector investments and thousands of Alberta jobs.

Albertans are becoming more aware that this is a rigged partnership. Alberta businesses and families give hundreds of millions more to Ottawa than they receive in return, with Ottawa using our money, not to benefit Alberta, but for political gain, primarily in Quebec, the structural welfare recipient under the partnership. Equalization is one of the devices that Ottawa uses for this purpose.

Albertans want change. Alberta held an equalization referendum. Ottawa ignored the result –to them Alberta is means to an end, they want our money. Strongly worded letters from Alberta politicians have accomplished nothing. It is time for less words and more actions.

Boundaries are reasonable and normal.

Boundaries are integral to adult relationships. The Alberta Sovereignty Act seeks to impose boundaries that Ottawa continually disrespects, to discriminate, attack, and force itself into Alberta’s constitutional jurisdictions.

Some of the UCP leadership candidates say the Alberta Sovereignty Act will produce chaos. They are wrong. It is a morally and fiscally bankrupt Ottawa, a trillion dollar plus fiscal train wreck, that is producing chaos. Ottawa is the risk that we can no longer afford, not a law that seeks to do something about it!

The Alberta Sovereignty Act is good for Alberta. Wisely applied it can help protect the Alberta Advantage, as the most attractive Canadian jurisdiction to start and grow a business, to work and raise our families. Alberta is a land of freedom and opportunity for us and our children. We must be vigilant to keep it that way.

The deadline to become a member of the United Conservative Party to vote in this leadership race is this Friday, August 12.  We invite all Alberta conservatives to become a member of the party, to vote and have your say on who will be the next leader and Premier of Alberta!

You can buy a membership here, or check if your membership is up-to-date here.

 

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Alberta

Red Deer Hospital preliminary designs unveiled

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Alberta’s government shared preliminary designs of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre redevelopment with residents from central Alberta.

On March 14, Alberta’s government held its first public information session since January 2023 with Albertans in Red Deer and area about the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre redevelopment. Albertans have long waited for the redevelopment and Alberta’s government made the first significant commitment and progress on the hospital by allocating $100 million in Budget 2020, followed by another $1.8-billion commitment in Budget 2022.

In addition to preliminary design drawings, residents were able to view a video simulating a flyover of the new patient tower and power plant. Project representatives were also on hand to speak about the project. The session was attended by about 150 residents, media and officials including Ken Johnston, mayor of Red Deer.

“We were excited to share preliminary designs for the Red Deer Hospital redevelopment yesterday. The number of people who attended the session validates the importance of this project to the central region. We are proud of the role Infrastructure is playing in delivering one of the most ambitious hospital redevelopment projects in Alberta’s history.”

Pete Guthrie, Minister of Infrastructure

“As the MLA for Red Deer-North and the Health Minister, I’m very proud of the progress we’ve achieved, and I remain dedicated to advocating for this project. Albertans should be able to access health care when and where they need it. This project will improve health outcomes for Albertans living in Red Deer and across central Alberta by increasing the facility’s capacity and providing much-needed services and resources, including new cardiac catheterization labs, close to home.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

Design work began in June 2023. With schematic design now complete, the hospital redevelopment is on schedule and on budget. The next stage of the project, design development, is now underway. Once complete, the new expansion will add up to 200 beds to the existing facility, bringing the total number of beds to up to 570.

With an investment of $810 million over three years in the Budget 2024 Capital Plan, the expansion of the Red Deer Regional Hospital is Alberta’s biggest infrastructure project. Last night’s information session keeps Central Albertans informed about this exciting, transformative investment in our hospital, supporting principles of transparency and accountability in the use of taxpayer dollars.”

Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-South

Quick facts

  • There are two major components of this redevelopment:  
  • Project 1: construction of a new patient tower and expansion and renovation of the existing hospital’s main building
  • Project 2: construction of an ambulatory building
  • The project will upgrade several services throughout the hospital site including:
  • an additional patient tower
  • six new operating rooms
  • new Medical Device Reprocessing department
  • new cardiac catheterization labs
  • renovations to various areas within the main building
  • newly renovated and expanded emergency department, and
  • a new ambulatory clinic building to be located adjacent to the surface parkade

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Alberta

Alberta Chiefs demand Ottawa return funding for orphan well clean up

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News release from Dennis Burnside, VP & Indigenous Practice Lead, Political Intelligence

Alberta Chiefs and the IRC call on Federal Government to fulfill its environmental obligations and commitments by releasing funding to First Nations

Government of Canada seeking to return $135 million in previously committed funding to federal coffers to use as savings, instead of empowering First Nations to clean up inactive and orphan wells on their lands.

ENOCH CREE NATION, AB, March 11, 2024

Chief Cody Thomas, Enoch Cree Nation, Chief Roy Whitney, Tsuut’ina Nation, and Chief Ivan Sawan, Loon River First Nation, joined with Chiefs from across Alberta today to call on the Federal Government to release unspent funding committed to the Site Rehabilitation Program (SRP) – approximately $135 million –to be utilized by Indigenous people to reclaim additional inactive and orphan wells on their lands. These funds are still in Alberta, but Ottawa is demanding them back.

On December 12, 2023, Chiefs from Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 territories wrote to Minister Jonathan Wilkinson appealing to the federal government to allow the government of Alberta to place unspent SRP monies into the FNSR Program, providing much needed funding to continue the successful work that has been accomplished by First Nations, for First Nations. Without these funds, governments and industry would be leaving over 2,000 sites to be abandoned or reclaimed on First Nations lands and territories.

Chief Thomas stated: “We still have many inactive wells on our lands that need to be reclaimed properly; we estimate nearly 2,000 sites which will cost over $225 million. We acknowledge the work that has been done under the SRP but there is more to be done. This is a liability of the lessees, and the Alberta Government is holding them accountable through the Well Closure Program. However, time is not on our side. We have a very limited land base and a growing population. We must do the necessary land stewardship immediately”.

Chief Ivan Sawan stated: “Many Alberta First Nations have felt the greatest impacts of natural resource developments which have swept through our lands and ancestral territories for generations, leaving behind environmental wreckage, while being deprived of the opportunity to meaningfully participate or benefit. We are calling on the federal government to do the right thing and release these funds for the environmental and economic purposes they were intended, so that First Nations can create meaningful job opportunities, clean up our lands, and create a healthier and more prosperous future for our people.”

Chief Roy Whitney stated: “Too many oil and gas companies have simply walked away from their obligation to remediate their well sites on First Nation Lands. The SRP was a way for First Nations to have abandoned sites reclaimed. Accordingly, it was with great disappointment when we learned that the Federal Government was not going to release the remaining funds for the SRP. We fully support the request for the remaining funds being held to be released to continue the work to clean up our Lands.”

Under the previous Alberta Site Rehabilitation Program (ASRP) $130 million was allocated to 32 Alberta First Nations and Metis communities to clean up 2,145 sites. First Nations were able to abandon 988 wells and 411 km of pipelines as well as complete 793 reclamations while working on 4,188 projects. The result was a reduction of over $123 million in liability on reserves in Alberta while creating jobs, business development and training, and improving Indigenous community engagement and capacity.

The Indian Resource Council, an advocacy group that negotiated the set aside funding for First Nations, has detailed data on inactive and orphan wells on Indigenous lands. Stephen Buffalo, President and CEO of the IRC stated that the Federal regulator, IOGC, dropped the ball by failing to hold companies liable for their liabilities. He stated that First Nations can no longer depend on IOGC to get this work done.

Mr. Buffalo added: “Under Alberta’s SRP program, the government allocated more than $130 million for cleanup projects for First Nations and the Metis. So, we are doing what we can to keep that program going to maintain the success of the initial FNSRP. About 350 community members received jobs and skills training. By removing the aging wells and pipelines we can free up land to use for housing and other purposes” This is why we need the surplus funds.

A sign, from Alberta’s Orphan Well Association (OWA), identifies a non-producing and abandoned oil well near Carseland, Alberta on Sunday, July 21, 2019. Orphan wells do not have parties responsible for decommissioning or reclamation activities. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Larry MacDougal

When SRP funding was earmarked to support Indigenous-led projects in 2021, it was celebrated that this was an area where the federal and provincial governments were in “perfect alignment”. This spirit of collaboration was good news for the environment, for Canada’s fight against climate change, and for First Nations. Alberta Chiefs are continuing to call on the federal government to rekindle this spirit of collaboration, however, Minister Wilkinson has recently stated that the federal government has “no plans to provide additional funding for the clean-
up of inactive and orphan wells.”

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