AB Today – Daily Report November 27, 2019 Quotation of the day “The UCP is the boss’s party, not the workers’ party.” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan slams looming changes that could ​ ​ impact political activity by unions. Today in AB On the schedule The house is scheduled to convene at 9 a.m. The government could call any of the following ​ pieces of business for morning, afternoon and evening debate: ● Bill 20, Fiscal Measures and Taxation Act; ​ ● Bill 21, Ensuring Fiscal Sustainability Act; ​ ● Bill 25, Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act; ​ ● Bill 26, Farm Freedom and Safety Act; ​ ● Bill 27, Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act; ​ and ● Bill 28, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act. ​ Tuesday’s debates and proceedings Government house leader Jason Nixon gave oral notice on the government’s plan to introduce ​ ​ Bill 29, Municipal Government Machinery and Equipment Tax Incentives Amendment Act. ​ Nixon told AB Today this will be the final bill of the fall sitting. ​ ​ A number of government bills were voted on,including: ● Bill 25, Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, which passed second reading and and ​ committee stage; ● Bill 26, Farm Freedom and Safety Act, which passed second reading; and ​ ● Bill 27, Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act, ​ which passed committee. The two remaining budget bill, Bill 20 and Bill 21, continued to be debated at committee stage. ​ ​ ​ ​ MLAs voted to accept the report from the Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Public Bills on UCP MLA Matt Jones’ organ donation bill. Bill 205 will be called for ​ ​ ​ ​ second-reading debate during a future sitting day. In the legislature Three members of the Raging Grannies, who were denied entry to the legislature following a protest earlier this month, sat in the visitors’ gallery as guests of the NDP. Sylvia Krogh, ​ ​ Louise Swift and Edda Loomes say they were denied entry to warm up and grab a bite to eat ​ ​ ​ in the public cafeteria following the protest, despite other members of the public being allowed in. While the NDP accused the government of interference, UCP spokespeople said the government has no involvement in sheriffs’ security decisions. Premier Watch Premier Jason Kenney stopped in at Prestige Liquor, box of booze under his arm, on Tuesday ​ ​ evening, throwing shade at the NDP. “Need to restock my bar for the holiday season, so stopped by [Prestige Liquor], a great #YEG small business I heard about today, to buy some quality #Alberta spirits,” Kenney tweeted. “Great selection, prices and service. Open late. Thank goodness Ralph Klein privatized ​ ​ Alberta’s liquor stores!” Kenney’s tweet follows an apology by the NDP for questioning a $35,000 sole-source contract ​ ​ with Prestige Liquor procured by the culture ministry for the Royal Alberta Museum. While the NDP used question period to try to make a connection between the contract and Prestige Liquor’s owner, a former PC donor who donated to Kenney’s PC leadership campaign, it was later revealed the former NDP government also used Prestige Liquor for a contract with the museum. Alberta Federation of Labour sounds alarm over alleged union-gagging bill Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) president Gil McGowan says he believes the provincial ​ ​ government will introduce legislation to restrict the ability of unions to run advocacy campaigns and engage in the democtratic process during next spring’s session at the legislature. According to the United Conservative platform, the governing party plans to pass a law that would require opt-in approval before union dues could be used to support political parties and other causes. The UCP also outlined plans to cap donor contributions to third-party advertisers at $30,000 and ban any groups with formal affiliation to a political party from running a third-party advertising campaign. McGowan said these changes echo what he called right-wing authoritarianism. “The UCP is the boss’s party, not the workers’ party,” McGowan said. “The law they’re about to introduce isn’t motivated by concern for ordinary working Albertans. And it’s not motivated by concerns about freedom, rights or democracy.” The AFL and several affiliates, including the United Nurses of Alberta, have been notified about a labour relations consultation set to be hosted next weekend by deputy labour minister Shawn ​ McLeod and are worried it portends a bill is imminent. ​ However, Labour and Immigration Minister Jason Copping said no legislation has been written ​ ​ yet and that the government is consulting with unions to “bring balance to the workplace.” The UCP said the proposed changes should come as no surprise to Albertans. “Right there on pg. 22 of the UCP platform: ‘Protect workers from being forced to fund political parties and causes without explicit opt-in approval,’” said Matt Wolf, the premier’s director of ​ ​ issues management, in a tweet. “Also this on pg. 89: ‘Remove big money from Alberta politics ​ ​ ​ ​ by imposing a $30,000 limit on donor contributions to PACs and by closing the ‘AFL loophole’ by prohibiting groups formally affiliated with political parties from running PACs.’” Court arguments pave the way Meanwhile, lawyers for the justice ministry were in an Edmonton courthouse last week, arguing unsuccessfully to postpone the constitutional challenge of the Election Finances and ​ Contributions Disclosure Act, CBC reports. ​ ​ ​ The court challenge was brought forward by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Government lawyers argued it would be a waste of time to continue the case because the government planned to “rescind or amend parts of the Election Finance Act” in spring 2020. ​ ​ According to NDP Leader Rachel Notley, the government’s legal argument suggests it could ​ ​ scrap portions of the law in order to benefit UCP-friendly donors. “It’s yet another example of a premier who is willing to abuse his power to promote his personal political interests,” Notley said. She accused the government of picking winners and losers by taking power away from working people’s voices while giving more power to corporate voices. Today’s events November 27 at 9 a.m. — Sherwood Park ​ Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish will give an update on the government’s review of condo ​ ​ board regulations. November 27 at noon — Edmonton ​ Jason Luan, associate minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and Advanced Education ​ Minister Demetrios Nicolaides will announce mental health supports for post-secondary ​ ​ student at NAIT. November 27 at 3:15 p.m. — Edmonton ​ Municipal Affairs Minister Kaycee Madu will give details on upcoming legislation to help ​ ​ municipalities attract businesses and create jobs via property tax changes. November 27 at 7 p.m. — Edmonton ​ Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer will speak ahead of a ​ ​ screening of In the Name of Your Daughter, a film on female genital mutilation at the ​ ​ Amiskwaciy Theatre in the Royal Alberta Museum. Topics of conversation ● Transportation Minister Ric McIver says the province has no plans to support a ​ ​ hyperloop between Edmonton and Calgary, but is open to hearing about the plan. ​ ● In his office’s annual 2018-19 report, Chief Electoral Officer Glen Resler ​ ​ ​ recommends the province limit campaign spending during the entire campaign period, which begins on February 1 of an election year, and not just during the writ period. ○ Resler also wants to see foreign corporations, unions, and charities banned from political advertising during the pre-writ period. News briefs — Governmental Government to review photo radar — again Beginning on December 1, municipalities and police agencies will be barred from upgrading or installing photo radar devices while the government reviews current rules for the selection of photo radar sites and data collection from those sites. Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer and Transportation Minister Ric McIver said the review is ​ ​ ​ ​ required to gather “useful data” so the government can make a decision on the future of photo radar in Alberta and ensure it is not being used by municipalities to “generate backdoor tax revenue.” The decision follows an independent review conducted by the NDP that resulted in a 170-page report released last September. The report concluded photo radar made a marginal contribution to traffic safety, but many municipalities were using automated traffic enforcement as a cash cow. As a result, the ex-NDP government announced several changes, including requiring police agencies and municipalities to provide a strategy justifying their use of photo radar by March 2020. The NDP also banned photo radar on high-speed, multi-lane highways and required municipalities to post all upcoming photo radar locations on their websites. NDP Justice critic Kathleen Ganley accused the UCP of delaying the reform begun by the NDP ​ ​ in order to skim off more money from municipalities via photo radar fines. (A change announced in the recent fall budget allows the province to keep 40 per cent of municipal fine revenues rather than just 27 per cent.) Government bringing in limits on cost-plus contracts Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda announced he is limiting cost-plus contracts on future ​ ​ construction and maintenance projects in the province. The new measures will only allow cost-plus contracts, which let companies bill for expenses as well as a fixed profit fee or percentage, during unforeseen circumstances, such as a water line break. Panda said the new procurement policy will provide “value for Albertans,” and noted that he was directed to make the change in his ministerial mandate letter from Premier Jason Kenney last ​ ​ spring. Question period ● Notley kicked off question period by asking about the UCP’s proposed plan to amend NDP-era election financing law. ○ “Is there no end to your self-interested abuse of power to promote your own political success?” Notley asked. “We took dark money out of politics.