AB Today – Daily Report March 9, 2020 Quotation of the day “We Albertans are not an island.” Premier Jason Kenney speaks to the economic impact of the global coronavirus outbreak. ​ ​ Today in AB On the schedule The house is on a constituency break this week; MLAs reconvene on March 16. Premier watch On Friday, Premier Jason Kenney went on 630 CHED’s morning show to defend the ​ ​ ​ government’s $30-million-a-year war room. He also made an announcement with Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda about the ​ ​ government’s 2020 Capital Plan. On Sunday, Kenney issued a statement for International Women’s Day. “History has taught us that when women are treated as equals in their homes, communities and workplaces, everyone prospers,” Kenney said in a statement that pledged to break down the “economic and physical barriers that hold women back from realizing their potential.” The Alberta Federation of Labour countered with a blog post outlining the impacts of the UCP ​ ​ government’s policies on women, including cuts to child care, children’s services, seniors’ programs, education and health care. “Women still are responsible for the majority of unpaid care, so they are the ones who pay the price when our public social services are being undermined,” AFL’s secretary treasurer Siobhan ​ Vipond said in a news release. “It is also clear that these cuts will have a negative impact on ​ non-binary folks, those with different abilities, racialized folks, and others whose intersectionality is being ignored by this government.” Coronavirus could knock government off path to balance: Kenney The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus may force Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to ​ ​ abandon one of his biggest election promises — to balance the provincial budget by 2023. Speaking in Morinville on Friday, Kenney said the uncertain long-term impacts COVID-19 may have on the economy, coupled with low oil prices, could mean Alberta’s budget will remain in deficit at the end of his term. “We are reducing overall Government of Alberta spending by 2.8 per cent over four years and this just underscores the importance of getting our fiscal house in order,” Kenney said. “Because if indeed we do end up in a prolonged global downturn, that deficit will go back up and we need to be prepared for the future.” Kenney maintained that his government must get Alberta’s fiscal house in order because successive governments over the past five years failed to pay down the province’s $70 billion in debt. Last month when he delivered the provincial budget, Finance Minister Travis Toews said he did ​ ​ not believe COVID-19 would substantially impact the government’s fiscal plans. Since then, however, the spread of coronavirus has accelerated, with significant outbreaks in Iran and Italy. Kenney said the government may reassess its budget plans midway through the year, if there has been real volatility in the economy, but added there is “no point” in making significant changes to policies right now. On Sunday, Alberta announced its first confirmed case of coronavirus, with three other presumptive cases still awaiting final tests. Worldwide, there have been more than 3,800 deaths and more than 109,000 cases. Oil prices plummet amidst price war, COVID-19 fears Meanwhile, global oil demand has dropped amidst travel restrictions in reaction to the virus, and the fallout on markets has been dramatic. Saudi Arabia launched a price war over the weekend by boosting production in an effort to ​ ​ expand its market share. The move was in response to failed talks between OPEC and Russia — both had been curbing oil supply since early 2017 in an effort to boost prices, but failed to extend the agreement when Russia balked at the suggestion of further cuts to production to offset the impact of coronavirus. By late Sunday, markets were showing signs of historic collapse. The Brent crude global benchmark fell more than 20 per cent, its biggest price drop in almost 30 ​ ​ years. The West Texas Intermediate benchmark — which the Alberta government’s latest provincial budget assumed will average US$58 a barrel — also fell more than 20 per cent to US$31.73 per ​ ​ ​ ​ barrel after markets opened in Europe Monday morning. Minister of Energy Sonya Savage said the government is monitoring the impacts the Saudi ​ ​ outpike hike is having on markets. “There are challenges ahead but our energy industry has lowered costs and become efficient over the years,” she tweeted. “Albertans are resilient and we’ll get through this.” ​ ​ “It does appear, based on all evidence right now, that there is a significant global economic downturn beginning right now,” Kenney said. “We surely hope that it will be brief and that the virus is contained and starts to diminish in terms of the number of people affected. We hope confidence will restore to markets and growth will return to the global economy.” Today’s events March 9 at 11:15 a.m. — Edmonton ​ ​ Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish will reveal the province’s top baby names of 2019 at the ​ ​ Callingwood branch of the Edmonton Public Library. Upcoming events March 11 at 7:30 a.m. — Edmonton ​ ​ Finance Minister Travis Toews will deliver a budget breakfast address to the Edmonton ​ ​ Chamber of Commerce and CPA Alberta at the Sutton Place Hotel. Topics of conversation ● The Alberta Medical Association is calling for decorum after its own social media campaign to raise awareness about physician compensation backfired, with several personal attacks levelled against Health Minister Tyler Shandro. ​ ​ ○ “Unfortunately the tone and tenor of public discourse about this dispute has become increasingly hostile, negative and personal,” a statement from the AMA reads. “Regrettably, this has led to some comments that have become personal, ​ with those towards the Minister of Health as an important example.” ○ Meanwhile, the AMA and Alberta Health agreed to form a working group. The government side will be represented by former PC finance minister Dr. Lyle ​ Oberg, Dr. Kabir Jivraj, Feisal Keshavjee and Ivan Bernardo. The AMA will be ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ represented by former PC operative and Kenney campaign organizer Hal ​ Danchilla, Dr. Darryl LaBuick, Dr. Michael Giuffre and Mike Gormley. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ● Statistics Canada’s latest labour force survey shows employment in Alberta remains roughly unchanged from a year ago, despite the province adding 11,400 jobs in February. ○ February marked the first month of job gains following three months of decline. Compared to February 2019, employment has increased by just 0.1 per cent. ○ Alberta had the fourth highest unemployment rate in the country at 7.2 per cent in February, down from 7.3 per cent in January. ● This year’s six per cent spending cut to post-secondary institutions won’t be applied evenly, according to government figures. ○ Three institutions will receive a nine per cent cut in their annual budget — the University of Alberta, Grande Prairie Regional College and Keyano College, CBC reports. ​ ○ Meanwhile, Athabasca University and Concordia University will see a one per cent cut. ○ The MacKinnon panel on finances called for a reduction in post-secondary spending, stating Alberta spends more per student on university, despite having lower participation rates than other provinces. ● UCP MLA for Cypress—Medicine Hat Drew Barnes will attend a conference put on by ​ ​ Friends of Science, a climate change denial group. ○ Barnes told Medicine Hat News he acknowledges the reality of man-made ​ ​ ​ ​ climate change, but that he wants to listen to other perspectives. ○ “I’m always interested in listening and learning,” he said. ● The Alberta Federation of Labour said the UCP’s Bill 1, Critical Infrastructure Defence ​ ​ Act, has far-reaching consequences aimed at silencing dissent and called on the government to withdraw the bill. ○ “Bill 1 further restricts activities that are, for now, constitutionally protected activities, like freedom of assembly and expression,” AFL president Gil ​ McGowan said in a statement. “Meanwhile, many of the things the UCP ​ government are claiming to be stopping with Bill 1 are already prohibited activities under other legislation including the Canadian Criminal Code.” ○ While the UCP government touted the bill as an answer to the rail blockades aimed at protesting the Coastal GasLink project in B.C., the legislation expands the definition of essential infrastructure to include pipelines and related infrastructure, oil and gas production and refinery sites, highways, railways, utilities, telecommunication equipment and mines. ○ Section five of the bill would also allow cabinet to expand the definition of essential infrastructure through regulation to include “buildings, structures, devices or other things.” ● The federal Liberal government is set to introduce a bill criminalizing conversion therapy. ​ ​ ○ Alberta’s former NDP government had established a working group to study potential legislation to ban conversion therapy, but it was discontinued after the UCP government took office. ○ Health Minister Tyler Shandro has said a ban is unneccessary because health ​ ​ practitioners are already barred from billing the province for conversion therapy. ○ Typically, conversion therapy is conducted by spiritual or psychological counselling. ○ In lieu of action from the province, several Alberta municipalities passed bylaws banning the practice, including Edmonton and Calgary. ● Former NDP environment and parks minister Shannon Phillips, who remains the MLA ​ ​ for Lethbridge—West, spoke to Chatelaine about the misogyny she experienced as a ​ ​ ​ ​ woman taking action against climate change. ○ “Change is worth it,” Phillips said. “And from my perspective of being a partisan politician, being the boss is worth it.” ● NDP Leader Rachel Notley spoke at Carleton University in Ottawa last week, where she ​ ​ ​ ​ argued tackling climate change and building pipelines are not mutually exclusive goals. News briefs Majority of Albertans in favour of scrapping daylight saving time ● Albertans are hoping Sunday was the last time they have to “spring forward,” according to a survey from Service Alberta.