AB Today – Daily Report July 25, 2019 Quotation of the day “There was certainly nothing in the UCP platform, which they are really using as their bible, around municipal policing grants.” Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he would be “beyond shocked” if the UCP cut ​ ​ municipal policing grants. Nenshi made the comments after the Calgary Police commissioner told Calgary City Council he got a letter from the province saying the grants are under review. Today in AB On the schedule The House is adjourned until Tuesday, October 22. Premier Watch Premier Jason Kenney took to Twitter to slam Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government for ​ ​ ​ ​ a $2.5 million federal grant that was awarded to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which he called a “left wing special interest group.” The missive came after two senior directors at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation published a column in the Toronto Sun, which ran in Sun ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ newspapers in Alberta as well, arguing the government largesse went to funding a website ​ — the Corporate Mapping Project — that criticizes the oil and gas industry. “The federal government benefits massively from taxes generated by our oil and gas industry and workers,” Kenney tweeted. “So why did the Trudeau Liberals give $2.5 million to a left wing ​ ​ special interest group to attack our energy industry?” The contentious grant was awarded in April 2015, when Stephen Harper’s Conservative ​ ​ ​ ​ government — which included then-cabinet minister Kenney — was still in power. A look inside Jason Kenney’s premier’s office Premier Jason Kenney announced the first of his senior staff hires just days after winning the ​ ​ spring election — but two months into the job a clearer picture has emerged of who is working under his wing. On April 22, a week before his swearing-in ceremony, Premier Kenney announced that two key ​ ​ staffers would lead his office: chief of staff Jamie Huckabay and principal secretary Howard ​ ​ ​ Anglin. ​ Additionally, David Knight Legg was tapped to head the transition into government. Katy ​ ​ ​ Merrifield was chosen as executive director of communications and planning, and Christine ​ ​ Myatt was named deputy director of communications and press secretary. ​ The premier’s office now employs a network of strategists, communicators and managers, many with links to the Conservative Party of Canada and powerful lobbying firms. With the transition complete, Knight Legg is still in the fold, serving as Kenney’s principal advisor. Originally from Lethbridge, he previously worked for consultancy group McKinsey and Company and as the global head of strategy for the Commonwealth Bank in Hong Kong. Amber Griffith is director of talent in the premier’s office, having served in the same role for the ​ ​ United Conservative Party since January (a position she still holds, according to her LinkedIn profile). Prior to working for the UCP, she was a consultant with Global Public Affairs in Calgary. Former journalist for the now-defunct Alberta Report Paul Bunner is Kenney’s official ​ ​ ​ speechwriter. Bunner is no stranger to speechwriting, having done the job for federal, provincial and municipal politicians, including former prime minister Stephen Harper. ​ Kenney has retained executive assistant Clancy Bouwman from his opposition days. ​ ​ Bouwman previously worked as a parliamentary assistant to federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. ​ Terri Kemball, special assistant to the premier, comes from the office of ex-MLA Dave Rodney, ​ ​ ​ who gave up his Calgary—Lougheed seat in 2017 so Kenney could run. Kenney’s tours and scheduling are being managed by Rita Hicks, a long-time staffer for ​ ​ Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party, while the premier’s office’s director of operations is former Manning Centre vice-president John Whittaker. ​ ​ The office’s director of stakeholder relations is Ariella Kimmel, another former lobbyist by way ​ ​ ​ ​ of Crestview Strategy. She also held staffer jobs in Ottawa under the CPC. Casey DesChamp is director of caucus affairs. ​ Communications Office The premier’s office relies on a separate communications office to provide the steady hands required to get Kenney’s message out, an important task given the amount of legislation his government has brought forward in a short period of time. In the comms office, Paul Taillon serves as Kenney’s director of digital strategy. This is old hat ​ ​ for Taillon, who also ran Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall’s social media accounts. ​ ​ Another veteran from the party side is acting as a special advisor for communications. Harrison ​ Fleming was the UCP’s caucus communications advisor and formerly the Alberta co-ordinator ​ for LGBTory, a group that advocates for the inclusion of lesbian, gay, transgender and other queer groups in conservative politics. Flemming also worked in the House of Commons, including as an intern for Kenney during his time as citizenship minister. Edmonton born-and-raised marketer Winston Pon, who previously served on the ​ ​ Edmonton—Whitemud UCP board and on the UCP transition team, joined the communications department as communications co-ordinator in May. Southern Alberta Office Marie Rajic, former senior vice-president and general manager of Hill+Knowlton’s Alberta ​ office, joined Kenney’s team as a special advisor in the premier’s Calgary office — which is run out of the McDougall Centre — in June. Prior to joining the lobbying firm, Rajic was the director of sustainability and strategy for TransCanada Corporation. Rajic is no stranger to political life, having worked for late former premier Jim Prentice when he ​ ​ was an MP as well as for former prime minister Stephen Harper. Under Harper, she was the ​ ​ CPC government’s executive director of regional affairs for Alberta. Lawyer Patrick Donnelly, who was Kenney’s electoral district association president when he ​ ​ was Canada’s multiculturalism minister, now serves as the executive director of Kenney’s southern Alberta office. Donnelley was also chief of staff for ex-CPC interim leader Rona ​ Ambrose when she was minister of public works and government services. ​ Siobain Quinton is the manager of stakeholder relations for the Southern Alberta office. ​ Today’s events July 25 at 9 a.m. – Edmonton ​ ​ The UCP’s Treasury Board committee will meet in the cabinet room of the legislature. July 25 at 7:45 p.m. – Calgary ​ ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the Calgary ​ ​ Folk Music Festival in Prince’s Island Park. Topics of conversation ● Calgary Police Commission chair Brian Thiessen said he received a letter from Justice ​ ​ Minister Doug Schweitzer telling him the Calgary Police Service will be getting just half ​ ​ the annual funding it normally receives in policing grants. That cash will be doled out immediately, but the rest of the expected funds will be on hold until after this fall’s budget deliberations. ○ “The difficulty with that grant funding is [it] goes directly to police officer positions — that represents about 200 to 300 sworn and non-sworn police officer positions,” Thiessen told Calgary City Council Tuesday evening. “It would have a ​ ​ significant, direct effect on the number of police officers [and Calgary Police Service] personnel that the service would be able to continue to fund.” ● A new forecast from RBC Dominion Securities found rig activity and oil well counts are down by between six and eight per cent this year, the Canadian Press reports. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ The lower forecast is a result of wet weather and producers spending less, as well as the province’s ongoing oil production curtailment. ○ Last July, an average of 264 drilling rigs were in action compared to just 146 drilling rigs working or moving across the country this July. There is an available fleet of 547 rigs, according to John Bayko, vice-president of communications for ​ ​ the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors. ○ Drilling is down in Alberta, up in B.C. and flat in Saskatchewan. ● CN Rail reported its highest-ever quarterly revenue in the second quarter of 2019, bringing in $3.96 billion. One major contributor was a 26 per cent growth in revenue from petroleum and chemicals shipments, due to a higher volume of crude-by-rail shipments. Crude traffic increased each month in the quarter, up to 200,000 barrels a day in June over 150,000 in April. Revenues, according to company financials, are expected to grow by double digits this year. ○ “Our crude-oil shipments increased significantly in the quarter, and we’re optimistic that the Alberta government will enable that momentum to continue for the balance of the year,” said chief financial officer Ghislain Houle on an ​ ​ investor’s conference call. ○ Energy Minister Sonya Savage has said her department is working on a deal to ​ ​ offload the former NDP government’s crude-by-rail contracts onto the private sector. ● The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) told the Red Deer Advocate the UCP’s pause ​ ​ on implementing the new curriculum is welcome given the rewrite’s broad and ambitious scope. ○ Jonathan Teghtmeyer, ATA’s associate coordinator for communications, told ​ the Advocate that teachers “support the idea of a phased-in implementation that ​ ​ allows a bit more time and opportunity of development of classroom resources and strategies.” ● The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) is calling on the provincial government to build new lab infrastructure after cancelling the Edmonton superlab project, CTV Edmonton reports. ​ ○ The CSMLS warned there are currently problems housing equipment without overheating and having to send samples to multiple locations, including out of province. ● UCP MLA for Brooks—Medicine Hat Michaela Glasgo released a social media video ​ ​ accusing the NDP of belittling “strong conservative women” by saying female MLAs were “set up to say certain things in the House.” The remark was made by NDP MLA Sarah ​ Hoffman, who was seemingly implying female UCP MLAs were being used as ​ mouthpieces on contentious issues. ○ “Not only is it insulting to have my character questioned like this, but honestly, I’m downright disgusted,” Glasgo said.