AB Today – Daily Report February 27, 2019

Quotation of the day

“There is one word that describes how I feel about that event - USED!”

An unnamed Lethbridge nurse who stood as a backdrop during Premier Rachel Notley’s speech at a hospital last weekend says she was caught off guard by the partisan nature of the event. (via Lethbridge News NOW).

Today in AB

On the schedule Finance Minister Joe Ceci is set to release the province’s third quarter fiscal update and economic outlook before noon today. The numbers are expected to be less than thrilling for the NDP, since Q3 coincided with the spike in the oil price differential.

Ceci reminded reporters Tuesday the province’s finances for the first half of 2018 were rosier than predicted because above-forecasted oil prices brought in additional revenues. In November, the finance minister reported the deficit was on track to be $1.3 billion lower than projected in the spring budget.

The legislature will reconvene on March 18 for the government’s final throne speech before the spring election.

NDP continues to take heat over campaign-style stop at Lethbridge hospital Alberta Health Services president and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu says she was told Premier Rachel Notley’s event at a Lethbridge hospital last Saturday would be a health care related announcement, not a political speech.

The controversy follows the premier’s stump speech at the Chinook Regional Hospital, where she slammed UCP Leader Jason Kenney’s proposal to open the door to additional privatization in the health care system in front of a podium bearing her campaign slogan “Rachel Notley. Fighting for You.”

UCP House Leader Jason Nixon has said Notley violated the premier’s code of conduct by holding a “clearly partisan event” at an AHS facility and wrote to Yiu asking for a “clear explanation as to how such a blatant, egregious ethical lapse occurred on AHS property.”

In her response to Nixon’s letter, Yiu clarified AHS had no role in planning the event and that the organization “had understood that a health care announcement was to be made at the site.”

She confirmed AHS policy states that its facilities are non-partisan and not to be used as a backdrop for campaigning.

Meanwhile, Lethbridge News NOW reports United Nurses of Alberta Local 120 contacted its members ahead of the event requesting they don their scrubs and participate. Two unnamed nurses who spoke to the radio station on the condition of anonymity said they felt uncomfortable serving as a backdrop for the premier once it became clear it was a campaign event.

“There is one word that describes how I feel about that event — USED!," an unnamed nurse told the station. “This is not a media photo I am proud of."

Health Minister Sarah Hoffman told reporters Tuesday she understands “why people are uneasy about this specific event.”

“As health minister, it’s important that I’m in health facilities and that the premier is too, but I totally appreciate that there were concerns raised around the level of the partisanness and specifically things around it being an NDP event.”

Hoffman said she has made sure everyone in her party is aware of AHS policies moving forward.

Alberta Party House Leader Greg Clark called the premier’s actions “shocking” and “inappropriate.”

“This goes beyond the fact that public resources were being used to push party messaging, it speaks to this government’s priorities,” Clark said in a news release on Tuesday. “The premier, in the middle of the day, commandeered a hospital and some nurses to use as props for what amounted to a campaign stop.”

Nixon has also filed a complaint with Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler.

Topics of conversation

● Cameron Davies, the co-manager of Jeff Callaway’s UCP leadership campaign, received a $15,000 fine from Election Commissioner Lorne GIbson for two counts of obstruction of an investigation Tuesday. Gibson’s investigation was launched in December after UCP MLA Wayne Anderson released audio of UCP insiders discussing a way for Callway to run a “kamikaze” campaign to take down fellow leadership candidate Brian Jean in order to clear a path to victory for Jason Kenney. ○ Callaway and Kenney have both denied the allegations, but Callaway did run a campaign that was tough on Jean then dropped out before the end of the race. ■ A lawyer representing Davies told the Edmonton Journal his client intends to appeal the ruling, noting Davies was never asked to provide oral testimony to the elections watchdog. ■ Davies’ lawyer appealed to the public to “not make any conclusions or draw any inferences from the commissioner’s decision until this matter has been heard by the court.” ■ A spokesperson for the UCP said Davies had been working as a policy advisor for the party since last November; the party terminated his contract yesterday and says it knows nothing more about the investigation. ■ The elections commissioner’s office said no further details about the nature of Callaway’s offences will be made public, citing “strict confidentiality requirements.”

● Husky CEO Rob Peabody told attendees at the company’s annual general meeting the province’s oil production curtailment has created a “secondary market” for oil. According to Peabody, companies that are not meeting their oil production cap because of facility maintenance or because they are deterred by low oil prices, are selling their extra supply quota to other companies that want to overproduce, CBC reports. ○ "It's just funny to note how resilient the markets are in trying to correct actions even after the government has kind of [screwed] it all up," Peabody said. ○ The CEO is calling on the province to axe the production cap.

● Former UCP candidate Arundeep Singh Sandhu, who campaigned in Edmonton—Meadows before UCP Leader Jason Kenney appointed ex-Edmonton Eskimos president Len Rhodes as the riding’s candidate, thanked his supporters in a frustrated social media post Monday. ○ “Last week, the United Conservative Party chose someone else to be their candidate in Edmonton-Meadows,” Singh wrote. “I am disappointed that the thousands of conservatives here will not get an opportunity to decide which one of our neighbours will be on the ballot this spring.” ○ The UCP’s other two nomination candidates in the riding had more of a stiff upper lip — both Joel Mullen and Sant Sharma were on hand for the announcement of Rhodes’ appointment.

● Advocacy groups say UCP Leader Jason Kenney’s proposed immigration reforms will exclude foreign workers currently living in Alberta and future migrant workers from gaining citizenship. ○ In a joint statement, Filipino migrant advocacy groups Migrante Alberta and Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan say the UCP’s proposed Rural Entrepreneur Immigration Program’s preference for high net worth and business-owning immigrants “absolutely excludes” precarious migrant workers and will allow “the rich to jump the queue, pay for their permanent status [and] bypass requirements to be allowed to stay and work in Canada.” ○ The groups also accused Kenney of using “an election rhetoric that attempts to lure the immigrant communities” to vote UCP. ○ Kenney says his “Alberta Advantage Immigration Strategy” will help attract international entrepreneurs to rural areas of the province to create jobs.

● In a news release detailing its renewable energy strategy, the province says it has a road map that will ensure 30 per cent of the province’s energy comes from renewable sources by 2030. ○ Via the Renewable Electricity Program, the government says it can garner $10 billion in private investment and create 7,000 green jobs over the next decade. ○ The Alberta Electric System Operator has been tasked with developing its fourth renewable electricity procurement auction. More details are expected this summer.

Today’s events

February 27 at 7 a.m. – Edmonton Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel will host a $30 fundraising breakfast at the Edmonton Inn.

February 27 at 9:30 a.m. – Edmonton

Labour Minister Christina Gray, NDP MLA Rod Loyola and federal Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi will attend the grand opening of the Sakaw Terrace seniors residence.

February 27 at 10 a.m. – Morinville Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman will announce funding for 48 affordable housing units at a groundbreaking ceremony at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre.

February 27 at 11 a.m. – Calgary Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis and Students Against Drunk Driving will unveil the winning anti-drunk driving design that will be printed on one million liquor bags across the province. The presentation will take place at Monsignor J.J. O’Brien elementary school.

February 27 at 11:30 a.m. – Edmonton Treasury Board President and Finance Minister Joe Ceci will release the province’s third quarter financial update.

February 27 at 7:30 p.m. – Calgary Calgary—Edgemont NDP candidate Julia Hayter and Economic Development and Trade Minister Deron Bilous will hold a scotch and chocolate tasting fundraiser at a private home in Calgary.

New briefs — Non-governmental

UCP wants to make it easier for immigrants to have their professional credentials recognized The United Conservative Party announced another piece of its immigration strategy pie Tuesday, outlining a proposed $2.5 million Fairness for Newcomers Action Plan, which UCP Leader Jason Kenney says will make it easier for immigrants to have their professional credentials recognized in Alberta.

“This ‘doctors-driving-taxis’ syndrome is an enormous waste of potential,” Kenney said Tuesday, referring to skilled immigrants who get stuck in “survival jobs.”

Kenney contends the current credential recognition process is too slow and that some licensing bodies are focused more on protectionism than the public good.

If elected, the UCP would implement a rough six month guideline for regulatory bodies to give newcomers an answer as to whether they qualify to be professionally licensed in Alberta, adding that he would “shine a spotlight” on sectors that aren’t satisfactorily transparent and swift.

The strategy includes passing a Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Trades Act and setting up a coordinating office under the purview of the parliamentary secretary for immigration.

Kenney said he would also press the issue with his fellow premiers at the next Council of the Federation meeting in order to speed up the implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

Alberta Party applauds veterinarian’s decision to end unnecessary procedures Alberta Party MLA Rick Fraser is applauding the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association for banning unnecessary procedures on pets such as ear cropping, tail docking and declawing.

Fraser repeated his plea for the government to update the Animal Protection Act. He said a list of suggestions has already been sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and that his party has started a petition to update the act.

Nominations

NDP ● Esther Tailfeathers was acclaimed as the NDP candidate for Cardston—Siksika.

AB Today is written by Catherine Griwkowsky, reporting from Alberta's legislative press gallery.

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