AB Today – Daily Report July 22, 2020 Quotation of the day “Knock it off.” Following a large spike of infections in the province, Premier Jason Kenney says people ​ ​ shouldn’t carry on as though COVID-19 is over. Today in AB On the schedule The house reconvenes at 1:30 p.m. today. Government house leader Jason Nixon gave oral notice of a motion to extend the spring ​ ​ session beyond Thursday, meaning the house could sit into next week if the UCP’s priority bills don’t pass. MLAs have been sitting past midnight most nights this summer. Debate on two bills that are currently stuck at second-reading stage because of NDP amendments is expected to continue through Thursday: ● Bill 30, Health Statutes Amendment Act; and ​ ● Bill 32, Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act. ​ Bill 31, Environmental Protection Statutes Amendment Act, and Bill 33, Alberta Investment ​ ​ ​ Attraction Act, will likely clear third reading today. ​ ​ Tuesday’s debates and proceedings Bill 21, Provincial Administrative Penalties Act, passed third reading. The bill removes charges ​ for first-time impaired driving offences and sets up an online traffic court. Bill 29, Local Authorities Election Amendment Act, also cleared third reading. The legislation ​ overhauls municipal campaign financing rules ahead of the 2021 elections by increasing ​ donation limits and allowing individuals to contribute to multiple candidates, among other changes. The following bills were debate at second-reading stage: ● Bill 30, Health Statutes Amendment Act; and ​ ● Bill 32, Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act. ​ MLAs debated two bills at committee stage: ● Bill 31, Environmental Protection Statutes Amendment Act (which passed); and ​ ● Bill 33, Alberta Investment Attraction Act. ​ In the legislature Mike Simpson from the Canadian Energy Centre was in the visitor’s gallery as a guest of ​ Airdrie—Cochrane UCP MLA Pete Guthrie. ​ ​ School to resume this fall in ‘near normal’ conditions Premier Jason Kenney and Education Minister Adriana LaGrange confirmed schools will be ​ ​ ​ ​ reopening under near-normal conditions, with no cap on class sizes, in September and won’t get additional money for upgrades. “Children need us to look out for their future,” Kenney said. Instead of new funding, the province is accelerating capital maintenance and renewal grants that had been scheduled for future years. Schools can now use $15 million in previously announced funding to enhance their hygiene facilities by adding hands-free sinks, automatic flush toilets, touchless soap and paper towel dispensers, automatic doors and water bottle filling stations. Another $250 million in capital funds the province promised school boards for maintenance and renewal projects in May, as part of its economic recovery plan, is also on the table. How that money is spent will be up to the boards. LaGrange said school boards across the province can also dip into the $363 million they hold in their combined reserves. NDP Leader Rachel Notley agrees schools must reopen and the public health measures make ​ ​ “perfect sense,” but said safety upgrades must be fully funded and class sizes must be capped. Specifically, the Opposition leader pointed to teachers who will have to take 10 days off if they are sick, stating those costs — including the costs of substitute teachers — have not been accounted for. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) said it has outstanding concerns with the back-to-school plan and thought it would be involved in further discussion with the government. “Teachers just want the government to give us a fighting chance to make this work,” said ATA president Jason Schilling. “We believe that with clear, supported measures schools could be a ​ ​ safe space for learning — but outstanding concerns need to be addressed before that can happen.” Province prepares, but plans could change LaGrange made the announcement two weeks ahead of the planned August 1 date in order to provide clarity to parents and allow schools to prepare for reopening. In the event of an outbreak, schools could transition to partial-in-class or at-home learning, depending on the situation. That decision will be made by health officials working with Alberta Education and school authorities. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said school-aged children tend to have ​ ​ milder symptoms and are less likely to transmit the disease to others — and that many are experiencing negative mental, emotional and physical impacts from being out of the classroom. “There is no risk-free approach to living with COVID-19,” Dr. Hinshaw told reporters. Summer schools have been running in six districts under Scenario 2, which limited class sizes to 15 people per room, and saw no cases. That limit has now been increased to 20. The government also unveiled a tool kit that includes tips for hand sanitizer placement, frequent ​ ​ cleaning, cohort groups and transportation guidance. Upcoming events August 14 at 3 p.m. – Lacombe County ​ The UCP will hold a horse-race fundraiser at the Track on 2 Horse Racing and Event Centre In ​ ​ Lacombe County. Topics of conversation ● As of Tuesday afternoon, the number of active cases of COVID-19 in the province was 1,193, up from 1,109 on Monday. ○ There were 141 new cases identified on Tuesday. ○ The number of hospitalized patients was up seven to 93. There are now 16 people in the ICU, down one since Monday. ○ Two more deaths were reported since the last update, for a total of 172. ● The membership of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) is voting on whether it has lost confidence in Health Minister Tyler Shandro. Should the vote pass, the AMA said it ​ ​ will request that Premier Jason Kenney “give his personal attention to this pressing ​ ​ issue.” ○ “A non-confidence vote in the minister will tell the AMA board that physicians feel it's time to move this file from the minister’s office, down the hall to the premier’s office to find a resolution,” said AMA president Christine Molnar. “And if the ​ ​ premier is unable or unwilling to address the issue, then there really is only one higher authority to whom we can appeal — the public, our patients — and that’s where we will need to concentrate our efforts.” ○ Physicians can vote through July 28. ● After reaching out to the province, United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith ​ wrote to Alberta’s six largest municipalities calling for masks to be made mandatory ​ inside workplaces and public spaces. ● In an interview with Rabble.ca, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Guy ​ ​ ​ Smith said he is agitating union members and “gearing up for a strike” in response to ​ ​ ​ Bill 32, Restoring Balance in Alberta's Workplaces Act. ​ ○ “Workers withdrawing their labour will be the only power that’s going to have any influence,” Smith said. “It concerns me when you see unions or other groups talking about ad campaigns.” ○ Smith said the union would be holding more pickets and protests if it weren’t for COVID-19 safety precautions. ○ AUPE has also filed a legal challenge against the Critical Infrastructure Defence ​ Act. ​ ● The City of Medicine Hat is attempting to arrange a meeting with the province to potentially offload its ownership of oil and gas assets, the Financial Post reports. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ The city, the only municipality in Alberta to drill oil and gas from its own reserves, has been selling its assets off, as well as participating in an “accelerated abandonment program” to remediate shallow gas wells. ● The Edmonton CFL team has officially retired its old name, which was criticized as an ​ ​ anti-Inuit slur. Until the team comes up with a replacement name, it will be known as the Edmonton Football Team or the EE Football Team. ● Despite an initial plan to include WE Day events in the school relaunch, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange terminated the relationship between WE and the province ​ ​ following a federal ethics scandal involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family. ​ ​ ● The Association Canadienne-Française de l'Alberta (ACFA) issued a statement ​ ​ expressing disappointment with the lack of funding for Campus Saint-Jean in the government’s $98-million post-secondary infrastructure spending program. ○ The ACFA said it plans to launch a “Save Saint-Jean” campaign later this week. ● Green Party of Alberta Leader Jordan Wilkie argued the cumulative effect of the UCP’s ​ ​ ​ ​ policies is leaning towards authoritarianism. ○ “What is essential is a commitment to permit dissent and disagreement,” Wilkie said in a news release. “The UCP are proving to be the proverbial bullies on the playground.” Funding Announcements Emissions Reduction Alberta ● Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon and Associate Natural Gas Minister Dale ​ ​ ​ Nally announced the 20 recipients of the $58-million Alberta Natural Gas Challenge. ​ ○ The projects are expected to reduce one million tonnes of emissions by 2030. ○ With private sector investment added in, the province said there will be a total of $155 million invested in emissions reduction projects and an estimated 750 jobs created. Banff Centre ● The government announced $2.58 million to replace building infrastructure systems in the Eric Harvie Theatre, Margaret Greenham Theatre and Laszlo Funtek Teaching Wing in the Banff Centre. Question period The NDP asked about the school relaunch plan, paid sick leave and more. ● NDP Leader Rachel Notley asked for more details on the federal government’s plan to ​ ​ roll out 10 days of paid sick leave — something that has been embraced by other premiers. ○ “Will all Albertans have access to 10 days’ paid sick leave, and if so, at what pay rate, and when will it start?” Notley asked. ● Premier Jason Kenney said he just received details of the program three business days ​ ​ ago and is still finalizing details. ○ “As was the case with other provinces, we’ll be releasing the details of the application of that program here in Alberta in the days to come,” Kenney said.