AB Today – Daily Report February 3, 2020

Quotation of the day

“There is no new money for public sector raises over the course of our fiscal plan.”

Finance Minister ​says “the potential for adjustments to workforce levels” ​ looms after an arbitrator denied the province's request to cut public sector pay by five per cent.

Today in AB

On the schedule The second session of the 30th Legislature is scheduled to convene on February 25 with a throne speech.

Committees this week The Standing Committee on Legislative Offices will meet on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting’s agenda is not yet public.

The Standing Committee on the Heritage Trust Fund will meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss ​ the fund’s second quarter report and the committee’s annual report.

Premier watch On Friday, Premier congratulated the United Kingdom on its withdrawal from the ​ ​ ​ ​ European Union.

On Saturday afternoon, Kenney attended a funding announcement for drug treatment facilities.

In the evening, he headed to the Silver Dragon Restaurant in and called on Albertans to ​ ​ support local Chinese community businesses; later, he watched the Oilers and ​ ​ Calgary Flames face off at the Saddledome with former prime minister Stephen Harper. ​

For Black History Month, Kenney issued a statement encouraging Albertans to learn about ​ ​ important figures in their province’s history, including John Ware, who was born into slavery in ​ ​ South Carolina and went on to help found 's cattle ranching industry, and Violet King ​ Henry, who was Canada’s first black female lawyer. ​

Today, Kenney travels to Montreal, where he will meet with local business executives.

Later this week, the premier goes to Washington to attend a meeting of the National Governors Association alongside Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Quebec Premier François Legault and ​ ​ ​ ​ Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. According to the premier’s office, Kenney will also meet with ​ ​ governors, U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives.

Kenney and Moe will make a joint presentation to the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, and Kenney has meetings scheduled with representatives from the United States Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute, American Enterprise Institute and the School of Advanced International Studies.

Finance minister hints at layoffs after arbitrator awards public sector wage increase; physician negotiations to go to mediation The provincial government was denied its request to slash public sector wages by as much as five per cent on Friday, when an independent arbitrator ordered a one per cent wage increase for some public sector employees and a wage freeze for others.

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), which represents approximately 65,000 workers, and the government’s finance minister, Travis Toews, both expressed reservations ​ ​ about arbitrator Phyllis Smith’s decision. ​ ​

Toews said, as a result of the decision, the province will consider additional steps to balance its budget, including cutting the workforce.

“These increases — while much less than the 6.5 per cent to nearly eight per cent increases the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees was seeking — will mean an additional $35 million annual expenditure for public sector compensation,” Toews said. “As indicated in the last budget, there is no new money for public sector raises over the course of our fiscal plan.”

However, the union said the prescribed one per cent raise is not high enough.

“We are convinced these hard-working members in health care and government services deserve more than another freeze or one per cent, which is below inflation,” said AUPE president Guy Smith. ​ ​

Government employees and employees will receive a one per cent increase for 2019 retroactive to April 1, 2019. Nursing care members employed by AHS will not get an increase, per the arbitrator’s decision.

NDP Labour critic said the UCP’s corporate tax cut has failed to create a single ​ ​ job, and now people who do still have a paycheque are worried about losing theirs.

“It’s downright insulting that Finance Minister Toews is musing about layoffs for Alberta’s hard working and dedicated civil servants,” Gray said in a statement.

AUPE, however, was critical of the NDP as well: Smith slammed the previous NDP government for trying to force a third year of wage freezes in arbitration.

The next round of bargaining for AUPE members will begin in the coming months.

Alberta Medical Association heading to mediation Meanwhile, the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and the province have agreed to go to mediation, according to AMA president Dr. Christine Molnar and Health Minister Tyler ​ ​ ​ Shandro. ​

The AMA and government have been in negotiations since November 2019; the current contract is set to expire at the end of March. Meetings with the mediator will be held until the end of February.

Proposed changes to the physician billing model, which were set to take effect on February 1, will not proceed while the two parties are in negotiations. The AMA has said the UCP’s planned changes would cost doctors up to $346 million in lost wages.

Molnar said she is “encouraged” by the mediator’s appointment and hopes an agreement can be reached that “provides fairness for physicians and value for patients.”

Public health advocates raise alarm over increased privatization Alberta Health Services posted an expression of interest on Friday on the province’s government purchasing website, calling for private facilities to carry out publicly funded surgeries.

Alberta Health Minister said AHS’s call is part of the province’s previously ​ ​ announced Surgical Wait-Times Initiative, which will fund 80,000 surgeries in hospitals and independent clinics over three years to reduce wait times.

“We’re eager to hear from independent providers who want to help us improve access,” Shandro said in a news release. “They already perform thousands of surgeries for Albertans, providing safe care that’s convenient for patients and reduces costs.”

Currently, independent facilities can provide low-risk day surgeries, but the expanded list of procedures on the expression of interest includes fallopian tube and ovary surgeries; mastectomies; gall bladder removals; knee surgeries; and shoulder, hand, wrist, foot and ankle repairs, among others.

The call for vendors precedes the planned release of Ernst & Young’s review of Alberta Health Services, set to be released today.

NDP Health critic David Shepherd said he is concerned with the rush towards “American-style ​ ​ health care.”

“Every Alberta tax dollar spent padding the profit of these private clinics is a dollar not spent on improving our public healthcare system,” Shepherd said in a statement. “This embrace of private surgeries happens alongside deep UCP cuts to nursing and hospital funding.”

Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said “contracting out” is a ​ euphemism for privatizing health care.

“We are disappointed that this government is evidently bent on continuing their ideologically-driven effort to privatize an integral part of our health care system, without the willingness to look for public solutions,” Azocar said in a news release.

She pointed to Calgary’s Health Resource Centre, which was part of the Alberta Hip and Knee ​ ​ Replacement Project that began in 2006, as an example of how private providers can go wrong.

AHS had to bring 900 surgeries back into the public system after the HRC applied for ​ ​ bankruptcy in 2010.

Today’s events

February 3 at 10 a.m. — Calgary ​ ​ Seniors and Housing Minister will speak at the opening ceremony of the 11th ​ ​ annual All Seniors Care Seniors Games at the Sage Hill Retirement Residence.

February 3 at 11 a.m. — Calgary ​ ​ Health Minister Tyler Shandro, Alberta Health Services president and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu, ​ ​ ​ ​ senior assistant deputy minister of Health System Integration Bryce Stewart, and Ernst & ​ ​ Young LLP’s John Bethel will announce the results of the AHS review at the McDougall Centre. ​ ​

February 3 at 5 p.m. — Calgary ​ ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister will speak at the ​ ​ Commonwealth Points of Light Award Ceremony at the McDougall Centre.

February 3 at 6 p.m. — Edmonton ​ ​ Speaker Nathan Cooper, Municipal Affairs Minister and NDP MLA David ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Shepherd will speak at a Black History Month celebration in the legislature. ​

Topics of conversation

● Federal cabinet approval of the Teck Frontier mine project will be contingent on Alberta legislating a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050, CBC reports. ​ ​ ○ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet must make a decision on the project by ​ ​ the end of February. ○ Premier Jason Kenney has said if the mine — which would add up to 260,000 ​ ​ barrels of oil per day in capacity once it is fully up and running — is not given federal approval, it would signal that the federal Liberals are trying to phase out the oilsands. ○ Last week, Teck’s CEO told investors the project needs three Ps — a pipeline, a partner and a $75-per-barrel price on Western Canadian Select — in order to move ahead.

● UCP MLA for Chestermere—Strathmore Leela Aheer called for a peaceful resolution in ​ ​ Carseland as Unifor members hold a picket line outside the Federated Co-operatives Limited cardlock, the area’s only commercial fuel station, in solidarity with striking Co-op workers in Regina. ○ “To those in negotiations, please remember what is important,” Aheer said. “I ask all parties to do the right thing and peacefully come to a resolution as soon as possible.” ○ United We Roll, the protest group that led a truck convoy to Ottawa last year and circled around the legislature when climate activists Greta Thunberg was in ​ ​ Edmonton, rolled into the cardlock with a group of farmers. Union workers ​ ​ allowed the farmers to fuel up on Sunday evening. ○ The striking workers had erected blockades and a metal fence after “aggressive ​ ​ behaviour” and “death threats” from truckers. ○ In her video, Aheer said farmers in Carseland have already been through a lot. Carseland was one of the farming communities hit by China’s canola ban.

● Chris Gusen, a climate activist singled out in a column published in the Edmonton ​ ​ ​ ​ Journal that was subsequently picked up by UCP MLA in a news ​ ​ ​ release, said he was denied the chance to have a rebuttal op-ed published. ○ Gusen said the Journal offered a followup interview with columnist David ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Staples, who he said contacted him at 10:30 p.m. the night before the column ​ was published. ○ Gusen published his rebuttal on Medium. ​ ​

● UCP MLA for Cypress— told the Medicine Hat News several ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ constituents have told him they’re concerned over the change to payments for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and other benefits that his government announced last week. ○ “I don’t understand the government’s logic for changing the date,” Barnes said.

● Brooks—Medicine Hat MLA is soon to be MLA Frey. ​ ​ ○ Glasgo tweeted her engagement announcement on Sunday. ​ ​

News briefs — Governmental Strategy to approve Moose Lake Plan developed at summit ● Fort McKay First Nation Chief Mel Grandjamb, Indigenous Relations Minister Rick ​ ​ ​ WIlson and Environment and Parks Minister announced a three-month ​ ​ ​ roadmap to finalize and approve the Moose Lake Plan — a proposal by the nation to manage bitumen and forestry development while maintaining the ecological and cultural integrity of the last of its undisturbed traditional lands — at a summit held in downtown Edmonton on Friday. ○ “Like Fort McKay First Nation, we also want a responsible approach to development in the area,” Nixon said. “Government continues to work with the community on a path forward that respects Indigenous People’s rights while supporting critical economic opportunities for the area First Nations and the province.” ○ Fort McKay First Nation has been in talks with the provincial government for the past 20 years.

Appointments and employments

Ontario Energy Board ● Richard Dicerni, former head of the Alberta Public Service, will take on a new role as ​ chair of the Ontario Energy Board in the spring, and will serve as an interim special advisor until then.

Funding announcements

Associate Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions ● Premier Jason Kenney and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jason ​ ​ ​ Luan revealed how the province will allocate $4.3 million of the province’s $140-million ​ mental health and addictions funding package, which pledges a “commitment to recovery-oriented addiction and mental health care.” ○ Fresh Start Recovery Centre in Calgary will receive up to $1.56 million per year to fund 294 more treatment spaces. ○ Sunrise Healing Lodge in Calgary will receive up to $518,300 per year to fund 156 more treatment spaces. ○ Thorpe Recovery Centre near Lloydminster will receive up to $2.21 million per year to fund 574 more treatment spaces.

Seniors and Housing ● Seniors and Housing Minister Josephine Pon re-announced funding for the Piper Creek ​ ​ Lodge, which is expected to start construction in spring 2021. The facility will have a smaller scope with 90 units, compared to the 100 units proposed by the former NDP government, and a slightly higher price tag of $28.3 million.