AB Today – Daily Report September 8, 2020

Quotation of the day

“It is wrong to allow roving bands of thugs to vandalize our history with impunity.”

Premier offers to find a home for Montreal’s statue of John A. MacDonald ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ at the legislature after demonstrators toppled it; he also called for stricter penalties for defacing statues and monuments.

Today in AB

On the schedule The house is on break until October 26, per the parliamentary calendar.

Committees this week The Select Special Democratic Accountability Committee will meet at noon Wednesday to continue its review of citizens’ initiatives, recall legislation, the Election Act and the Election ​ ​ ​ Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

In the legislature Culture Minister Leela Aheer and a small delegation marked Alberta’s Ukrainian-Canadian ​ ​ Heritage Day by raising the Ukrainian flag outside the Federal Building on Monday.

Labour and Immigration Minister and Inna Platonova, Calgary president of the ​ ​ ​ ​ Ukrainian Canadian Congress, did the same at the McDougall Centre in Calgary.

Premier watch After protesters toppled a statue of John A. MacDonald in Montreal, Premier Jason Kenney ​ ​ ​ offered up the Alberta legislature grounds as a new home. ​

(Grand Chief Billy Morin told CTV News he would rather see a monument to Treaty 6 outside ​ ​ ​ the legislature.)

The premier also said he will ask Ottawa to add police memorials to the section of the criminal ​ ​ code that outlines mandatory minimum sentences for mischief to war memorials — and would consider adding new provincial regulatory laws as well.

Kenney’s statement follows two incidents of vandalism — one of a war monument in Calgary and one in where a statue of Const. Ezio Faraone, who was killed on duty, was defaced with graffiti.

Last week, Kenney met with federal Intergovernmental Relations Minister Dominic LeBlanc. ​ ​

Labour unrest simmers as cuts loom The Labour Day holiday saw tensions between business and worker advocates simmer to a boil, as union leaders say they are readying for a fight against the UCP.

After dropping his recent fiscal update, Finance Minister hinted that public sector ​ ​ cuts could be in the offing as the province tackles its projected $24.2-billion deficit.

Toews is planning to release a revised three-year plan in November that will focus on “efficiency.”

In a column, Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said the Alberta labour ​ ​ ​ ​ movement has “begun discussions, internally and with allies around the province” about ramping up protest efforts, including potential work stoppages, in order to force the government to change its “destructive agenda.”

McGowan described the UCP government as a group of “radical extremists” and slammed its anti-labour policies, changes to local election rules and coal mining development, among other things.

“The fight to stop our province from being transformed in the image of Trump’s America is coming,” McGowan wrote. “Stay tuned.”

Meanwhile, the Alberta chapter of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation released its “Labour Day Reality Check,” which argued the UCP government should cut public sector salaries $3.5 billion ​ ​ per year until that budget line item drops to 2014-15 levels.

The CTF pitched three ideas to the UCP, including cutting physician compensation, eliminating 16 per cent of government employees, or slashing salaries and benefits for public servants.

“It’s not fair to keep asking struggling Albertans to pay for a bloated bureaucracy and inflated government salaries and benefits,” said CTF Alberta director Franco Terrazzano. “Over the last ​ ​ five years many workers outside of government have lost their job or taken pay cuts and now it’s time for government employees to help shoulder the burden and take a cut.”

In the Calgary Herald, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Guy Smith stated most ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Labour Days are times for reflecting on the gains won by unions — but this year is different.

“We’re at a turning point, a once-in-a-generation or once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Smith wrote. “We’re preparing to fight. Because when we fight, we win.”

Premier Jason Kenney issued an official Labour Day statement last year, but sent a simple ​ ​ ​ ​ tweet this year thanking Albertans for working hard.

Today’s events

September 8 at 9 a.m. — Edmonton ​ The UCP cabinet will meet in the Windsor Room of the Federal Building.

September 8 at 2 p.m. — Edmonton ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak at the Alberta ​ ​ Craft Council tour. She will also tour of Dept. 9 Studio, an entertainment production company.

September 8 at 3:30 p.m. — Edmonton ​ Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw will provide an update on COVID-19 in ​ ​ Alberta.

Topics of conversation

● As of last Thursday there were 1,433 active Covid cases in the province. Dr. Deena ​ Hinshaw is expected to provide an update this afternoon. ​

● Premier Jason Kenney’s popularity continues to tumble amid the pandemic and tough ​ ​ fiscal circumstances. An Angus Reid poll published on August 31 clocks Kenney’s approval rating at 42 per cent, the lowest it's been since the UCP formed government.

● Energy Minister shut down rumours that SNC-Lavalin was awarded a ​ ​ ​ ​ contract to clean up wells in Alberta, saying “it’s just not true.” ○ Savage was responding to researcher Vivian Krause, who said she was told ​ ​ SNC-Lavalin employees were working in Lloydminster to remediate orphan wells.

● Paul Bunner — Premier Jason Kenney’s speechwriter who faced criticism over ​ ​ ​ columns that critics said contained racist, sexist and homophobic views — is retiring, ​ ​ CBC reports.

● New Justice Minister told Global News defunding the police is ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ “ridiculous.” ○ “I do hear the concerns of the Black or Indigenous or minority communities about the application of our justice system and how the police use the tools available to them in a way that negatively impacts them,” Madu said. ○ He said that is a “legitimate concern” but “not an excuse to pull away the presence of law enforcement.”

● Former Wildrose leader and current talk radio host Danielle Smith is suggesting the ​ ​ ​ ​ UCP liquidate the Heritage Fund to pay off the pandemic-related deficit; create an Alberta Sovereign Wealth Fund for resource revenue; and balance the budget by both increasing taxes — including introducing a provincial sales tax — and reducing spending.

Funding announcements

Ministry of Education ● The government announced it will dole out $250 million of the federal government’s COVID-19 school funding on a per-student basis and another $12 million on schools that have seen increased demand due to online learning programs.

Ministry of Infrastructure ● The federal government, provincial government and a slew of municipal governments announced $178.2 million for 18 infrastructure projects in northern Alberta. ○ The federal government is spending $87.7 million through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, while the province is chipping in $62.4 million.

Alberta Innovates ● Alberta Innovates and Western Economic Diversification Canada announced a joint investment of $6.3 million into the Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association, which will be used by small and mid-sized construction firms to construct test buildings where they can tinker with energy efficiency innovations that could be commercialized.

Land Stewardship Fund ● The government announced $9.7 million for conservation projects via the Land Stewardship Fund — including seed gathering and tree planting, culvert and bridge replacement, and water crossing repair. The funding is expected to create up to 125 jobs.

Appointments and employments

Court of Queen’s Bench ● Lori Ann Mattis was appointed as a master in chambers of the Court of Queen’s Bench. ​