AB Today – Daily Report September 25, 2020

Quotation of the day

“We all hate taxes.”

Lethbridge city Councillor Jeff Coffman makes a pitch for a one per cent PST at the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association conference — but the motion was defeated.

Today in AB

On the schedule The house will reconvene on Tuesday, October 20.

In the legislature Premier Jason Kenney says he will fight the “intrusion” of a federal pharmacare plan, one of the pillars of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Wednesday throne speech.

Kenney made the statement in front of a placard that said “Standing up for Alberta” in the McDougall Centre on Thursday.

The premier said the federal government can’t be trusted on health care because it failed to question the World Health Organization and the People’s Republic Of China’s response to COVID-19.

Kenney also described the throne speech as full of “endless distractions and bright, shiny objects,” as well as “kooky academic theories like intersectionality.”

AUMA debates PST, municipal bonds at a virtual convention Cash-strapped municipalities considered asking the province to implement a provincial sales tax (PST), in the wake of potential changes to the municipal assessment model.

During the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) 2020 conference, local representatives debated asking for a one per cent PST, a motion proposed by Lethbridge city Councillor Jeff Coffman.

That was one of roughly a dozen resolutions debated on how to boost municipal revenues, as city and town coffers have dried up due to falling business and property tax revenue during the pandemic.

Coffman’s resolution was defeated, with two-thirds of the 300 delegates opposed.

Sexsmith Mayor Kate Potter, who voted against the motion, said Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard promised during a local town meeting that the province would not bring in a PST without a referendum. Potter said a motion for a PST would go against the AUMA’s desire to keep municipal elections focused on local issues.

A number of other resolutions calling for new funding streams passed.

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson’s motion calling for a “diverse fiscal tool kit” to allow municipalities new revenue-generating opportunities passed with overwhelming support (Aloe Blacc’s I need a dollar played while officials tallied the votes).

Other rubber-stamped resolutions include: ● Asking the province to collect education taxes, rather than municipalities; ● Restoring transit funding; ● Reversing the new police funding model; ● Condemning Quebec’s Bill 21 and any law that would limit religious freedoms; ● Calling for more provincial funding to address homelessness and affordable housing; ● Improving the integration of nurse practitioners into the health system; ● Long-term fiscal relief for taxpayers; and ● Ensuring funding for water and wastewater infrastructure is sustainable.

AUMA president Barry Morishita told reporters he is hopeful newly appointed Minister Allard will listen to the AUMA’s concerns.

That includes scrapping the UCP’s changes to the Local Authorities Election Act that would amend campaign financing rules and legislate that provincial referendums are held concurrently with municipal elections — something local lawmakers worry will conflate their voting period with unrelated provincial questions.

“Keep local elections local,” Morishita said. “Local issues must be paramount.”

The UCP government is conducting a review on changes to how property taxes for oil and gas companies are assessed, which has led to angry municipal leaders protesting on the legislature grounds.

Morishita said the goal is for AUMA members to work with Minister Allard on all of these issues moving forward.

Today’s events

September 25 — Online Day two of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association’s conference will feature speeches from NDP Leader Rachel Notley, Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and Premier Jason Kenney. There will also be a virtual bear pit with ministers. ● Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and CPC Leader Erin O’Toole’s names have been dropped from the schedule.

September 25 at 10:30 a.m. — Jasper Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will tour Jasper Community Habitat for the Arts.

September 25 at 4:30 p.m. — Grande Prairie Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will tour the Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau.

September 25 at 5 p.m. — Calgary Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, MLA for Calgary—Bow, will host a $100-ticket “Barbecue on the Bow” fundraiser at the Calgary Shrine Event Centre.

Upcoming events

September 26 at 10:30 a.m. — Grande Prairie Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will tour the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie. She will also make stops at the Centre for Creative Arts and a Caribbean Fashion Show at the Montrose Cultural Centre.

September 27 at 9:30 a.m. — St. Isidore Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at a Culture Days event at the Centre Culturel de St. Isidore.

September 27 at 1 p.m. — Paddle Prairie Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at a Culture Days event at the Paddle Prairie Communiplex.

Topics of conversation

● There were 158 new Covid cases yesterday, while the number of active cases fell to 1,462 (down 58). The province reported another death at the Foothills Medical Centre, bringing the total number of provincial deaths to 261. There were 58 people hospitalized (down one), including 14 in ICU (up one). ○ Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw told reporters a “staggering number” of people died of opioid poisoning in the first months of the pandemic. Since then, the province has reopened supervised consumption services and treatment facilities and increased capacity limits at them. ○ The top doc said her handling of the pandemic has resulted in “sharp” personal and professional criticism, but no death threats. She chalked up the criticism to her being a public figure associated with people’s suffering.

● United Nurses of Alberta is accusing Alberta Health Services of forcing workers to utilize their sick leave time when they have to self-isolate because of Covid exposure. ○ Alberta Health Services had instituted a special paid leave for employees forced to isolate, but it was cancelled on July 6. UNA wants it back. ○ “Regular employees are running through their sick leave banks and casual nurses don’t have access to sick leave, so they are losing income,” UNA labour relations director David Harrigan said in a news release.

● The Edmonton International Airport will pilot a new COVID-19 test that uses a handheld device to test a saliva sample and provides results in one minute. ○ The test was developed by Edmonton-based company Graphene Leaders Canada’s GLC Medical Inc. subsidiary. ○ The test still requires clinical testing as part of the regulatory approval process. ○ A start date for the trial run has not yet been determined, but it is expected to run several weeks this fall.

● The University of Alberta has come up with three scenarios for the fate of Campus Saint-Jean, its francophone campus, as a result of provincial funding cuts, Radio Canada reports.

News briefs

Lethbridge EMS, firefighters join NDP to stop consolidated EMS dispatch ● Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services deputy chief Kelly L’Hirondelle joined NDP Leader Rachel Notley and NDP Lethbridge—West MLA Shannon Phillips to call on the government to reverse its plan to consolidate EMS dispatch. ○ The province is moving toward a centralized dispatch and ending the service currently provided by municipalities. ○ “We believe that the City of Lethbridge, our partner municipalities and the Province of Alberta have the same goals when it comes to emergency services — the best possible patient outcomes, financial efficiencies, and operational efficiencies,” L’Hirondelle said. “It is our opinion that consolidating EMS dispatch services accomplishes none of those things.”

Funding announcements

Alberta Education Alberta Infrastructure ● In a joint agreement with the Saskatchewan government, Alberta announced it will fund 58 per cent of the costs of capital upgrade projects for two schools. ○ The Lloydminster Public School Division Comprehensive High School will be renovated to the tune of $25 million, while the Holy Rosary High School will get $10 million in funding. ○ Lloydminster is split by the provincial border and both schools are on the Alberta side.

Lobbyist registrations

Consultants who registered, renewed or amended registrations from September 17 – September 24, 2020

● Maurice Fritze, Maurice Fritze o Clients: Alberta School Boards Association

● Michael Lohner, Gail Kelly, Melissa Caouette and Hal Danchilla, CSG Canadian Strategy Group Inc. o Clients: Homeward Trust Edmonton; Stone Creek Resorts Inc.

● Natalie Sigalet, Hill+Knowlton Strategies o Clients: Loblaw Companies Limited

● Christopher Ghazouly, Alberta North Projects Ltd. o Clients: Rangoli Surfaces Inc.

● Scott Munnoch, Temple Scott Associates Inc. o Clients: Scleroderma Society of Ontario

● Brian Senio, Glenn Monteith, Elan MacDonald and Candice Laws, Global Public Affairs o Clients: Insight Medical Imaging

● Josh Burger and John Corie, Ballad Consulting Group Inc. o Clients: Rocky Mountain GTL Inc.

● Brenda Barootes, Paregoros Inc. o Clients: Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre Society

● Candice Laws, Elan MacDonald, Randy Pettipas, Glenn Monteith and Conor Mahoney, Global Public Affairs o Clients: Canada Diagnostic Centres

● Tyler Bjornson, T. Bjornson & Associates Consulting Inc. o Clients: Phoslock Environmental Technologies

● Justin Smith, Elan MacDonald and Brian Senio, Global Public Affairs o Clients: AltaLink Management Ltd.

● Brad Tennant and Nick Koolsbergen, Wellington Advocacy Inc. o Clients: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers

● Brad Tennant, Nick Koolsbergen and Trisha Rinneard, Wellington Advocacy Inc. o Clients: Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Inc.

Organizations that registered in-house lobbyists from September 17, 2020 – September 23, 2020

● Students' Association of Olds College ● Methanex Corporation ● TransAlta Corporation ● Merit Contractors Association ● TC Energy Corporation ● Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada ● Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local #8 ● Terrapin Geothermic Inc. ● Rothmans, Benson, & Hedges ● Students' Association of Red Deer College ● The Financial Advisors Association of Canada (Advocis) ● Total E&P Canada Ltd. ● MEG Energy ● Gibson Energy Inc. ● Lafarge Canada Inc. ● University of Lethbridge Students' Union ● Canadian Geothermal Energy Association (CanGEA)

AB Today is written by Catherine Griwkowsky, reporting from the Alberta Legislative Press Gallery.

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