AB Today – Daily Report February 7, 2020
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AB Today – Daily Report February 7, 2020 Quotation of the day “It’s more than a slap in the face to people — it’s dangerous.” NDP Community and Social Services critic Marie Renaud slams the UCP government after several people claimed that their medical transportation benefit was cut off without warning. Today in AB Premier watch Premier Jason Kenney was in Washington, D.C., Thursday, where he met with several U.S. senators and governors as part of a trade mission. He started the day by meeting Canada’s acting Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, who is rumoured to be getting the permanent position. At the National Prayer Breakfast, he met with Calgary-born Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Montana Senator Steve Daines, who both support the Keystone XL project. Kenney met with Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, to speak about the possibility of an Alaska-Alberta railway. Later, he met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. Government cut medical transportation benefit funding without warning, NDP alleges Recipients of the province’s Barriers to Full Employment (BFE) benefit are raising the alarm bell that the government has stopped medical transportation payments without warning. The medical transportation supplement was missing from benefit payments this month, advocates told journalists at a news conference held by the NDP on Thursday. However, the UCP government said that there has been no change to the BFE criteria and that benefits have always been evaluated on a month-to-month basis. Milo Gallant, who has scoliosis and post-traumatic stress disorder, said he and others received cheques with a $97 payment missing at the beginning of the month. “We couldn’t budget or prepare for it,” he said. “We were never warned about the decrease or given an explanation. It’s isolating and frightening when the provincial government is showing no empathy for a vulnerable and valuable community.” BFE is one of Alberta’s Income Support (IS) programs, designed for Albertans who have serious medical conditions that prevent them from working full-time. Diane Carter, spokesperson for Minister of Community and Social Services Rajan Sahwney, said the government’s base IS benefit already includes cash for general transportation, and the supplementary benefit was for medical transportation only. In a statement to AB Today, Carter said the requirement to receive medical transportation benefits has not changed, but the amount each individual gets can fluctuate month-to-month depending on needs and assessment. The government allocates BFE based on individual needs, while accounting for the lowest cost travel option available. However, advocates say the funding needs to stay intact so they can attend medical appointments. The benefit change coincided with the UCP shuffling the date for when BFE and other benefits such as Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) are paid out. Previously, payments were delivered the last week of every month, but beginning this month they will be made on the first day of the month. The scheduling change means approximately $189 million in government spending will appear in the books in the next fiscal year, according to the NDP. NDP critic for Community and Social Services Marie Renaud said she asked about the planned decrease to the ministry’s budget during estimates debate, but was not given specifics. Renaud said the government’s advice for people who receive benefits has been to contact their caseworker, something made more difficult by the reduction of approximately 200 staff members in the Community and Social Services department. “[The UCP government] have created chaos and pain — preventable pain,” Renaud said. Today’s events February 7 at 12:30 p.m. — Red Deer Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen will speak at the Outstanding Young Farmers of Alberta Awards Banquet at the Holiday Inn and Suites Red Deer South. February 7 at 5 p.m. — Red Deer Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon will speak at a Chinese New Year celebration at the Federal Building. Upcoming events February 8 at 8 p.m. — Calgary Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the Sien Lok Society of Calgary’s Chinese New Year Gala and Fundraiser at Regency Palace Restaurant. February 10 at 9 a.m. — Washington, D.C. Premier Jason Kenney will join Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Quebec Premier François Legault, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs for a news conference at The Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C. February 10 at 6 p.m. — Grande Prairie The UCP will hold a $150-per-ticket fundraiser with Premier Jason Kenney and other UCP MLAs at Revolution Place. Topics of conversation ● The federal cabinet is considering the province’s request for money to clean up inactive oil and gas wells as part of a potential budget package, Reuters reports. ○ Five sources said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet is divided over whether to approve the Teck Frontier mining project, but is considering the proposed aid package to soften the blow if the mine is rejected. ● Alberta Health Services (AHS) told CBC the province will maintain its existing air ambulance contracts, despite a suggestion in the Ernst and Young review of AHS that the province consolidate four of its 10 air ambulance bases. ○ Steve Buick, a spokesperson for Health Minister Tyler Shandro, said the government will maintain the status quo (the province is one year into a 10-year contract). ● An Angus Reid survey on social issues found only 14 per cent of Albertans are “adamant” the party they vote for is in line with their values on issues like abortion and LGBTQ acceptance. ○ Voters on the political left were most likely to be in the adamant category. ○ The pollster argues the results show the Conservative Party of Canada has room to move to the centre. ○ “The handful of moderate would-be Conservative leadership hopefuls who ended their putative campaigns before they began may find themselves persuaded to reconsider their decisions,” Angus Reid said in a news release. ● Education Minister Adriana LaGrange penned an op-ed in Medicine Hat News rebutting an editorial that questioned the Curriculum Advisory Panel’s mandate to have “a balance of perspectives” about Alberta’s energy industry, government services and social issues in the classroom. ○ She said her position is that climate change is real but that it “must be taught in a way that prepares our students to address the issue rationally, not in a way that purposely seeks to cause fear and anxiety.” ○ “There is no room in our classrooms for radical activists, like Extinction Rebellion, whose demands include shutting-down Alberta’s oil and gas sector by 2025,” added LaGrange. ○ In the column being rebutted, staff writer Jeremy Appel spoke to Extinction Rebellion activist Chris Gusen. Gusen said he speaks to students in a nuanced way about climate change and emphasizes his hope of creating a better world. ○ “I’m not there to demonize oil and gas,” Gusen told the News. “I think it’s important that when we talk about this in Alberta, we differentiate between oil and gas workers, and the CEOs of those companies and politicians who are delaying climate action.” News briefs — Governmental Finance minister issues mid-negotiation statement ● Finance Minister Travis Toews called the proposal by the Public Service Commission to offer public-sector workers a one per cent pay cut followed by three years of wage freezes “common sense.” ○ “Holding the line on public sector compensation will ensure workers continue to receive competitive wages while showing needed respect to other Albertans who have seen their wages disappear or their jobs lost completely,” Toews said in a statement marking the first day of collective bargaining with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE). ○ According to AUPE, the government is also proposing to reduce overtime pay, eliminate Christmas office closures, reduce weekend premium pay and flexible spending accounts, and end job-security provisions. ○ The union is asking the government to provide annual raises of 2.5 per cent to keep up with cost-of-living increases, maintain job-security rules, limit temporary employees and continue defined-benefit pensions. ○ The Public Service Commission has a mandate to offer professional, non-partisan, diverse and inclusive public service. Province declares International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation ● Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer joined in other provinces and the federal government to declare Thursday the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. ○ “Female genital mutilation is the ritual of cutting, piercing or removing the clitoris, and/or the sewing closed of the external genitals of women,” Aheer said. “There are no medical or health benefits.” Court grants injunction, no enforcement against Unifor picket ● A Calgary court granted an interim injunction ordering picketing Unifor workers to stop preventing access to the Carseland fuel distribution terminal. ○ Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer said he expects the rule of law to be followed and for the RCMP to enforce the law. ○ Unifor’s blockade of the cardlock in Alberta was done in solidarity with refinery workers in Regina who are locked out over a dispute with the employer Federated Co-operatives Limited. ○ The injunction states Unifor workers cannot impede traffic or access to the property, obstruct or harass customers or contractors, picket within five metres of the fuel terminal, or intimidate employees. ○ Meanwhile, Unifor says they have a plan to end the Regina lockout and get workers back on the job as early as Monday. ○ Unifor Local 594 is asking for a special mediator to implement a collective agreement if the parties do not come to a deal in seven days.