Local healthcare workers, school boards and councillors say they are bracing for the impact of the 2020 provincial budget.
On Thursday, the UCP government will release its second provincial budget.
St. Albert city councillor Ken MacKay told the Gazette the impacts of the budget may not be felt immediately.
“I think we're going to see a lot of things inside of a package that we're not really going to have a really good understanding (of) until we start to peel back the layers of the budget onion, and I think that that's the concern,” MacKay said.
“Within the budget is going to be a number of other little things that may seem little at the beginning, but are actually going to have a big impact on us down the road."
MacKay said local councillors are hoping the budget won't be too difficult for St. Albert and won't download more costs and responsibilities to the municipality.
The councillor said if the province cuts funding to grants or groups that provide important services to the city, like Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) grants, those organizations will have few options and may need to ask the municipality for money.
Another concern MacKay has is a potential rerouting of federal money through the province.
“We would also hope that there's nothing in the budget that stops municipalities from having direct access to federal funding. There was some potential talk that the province was going to introduce some new legislation (around that),” MacKay said, adding there was chatter about having funds like the federal gas transfer go through the province first before reaching municipalities.
Education
Greater St. Albert Catholic School board chair Joe Becigneul said the board will be keeping a keen eye on the budget this Thursday but has been told by Education Minister Adriana LaGrange to expect more funding than last year. Last October's provincial budget saw the school district lose $2.4 million in classroom funding after the school year had already started.
Becigneul said LaGrange walked the school board through changes to the education model during a conference call and dropped hints about the provincial budget.
“I'm curious and I want to wait until I see the dollar amount is allocated and whether they kept their word that we are going to get more than we got last year,” Becigneul said.“They said that every school district should receive more funds than they received this year, but yet, they told us they spent $8.232 billion last year. And they told us they spent $8.232 billion this year. So how are you going to get us more if you gave us everything that you had last year?”
On Tuesday afternoon, Alberta Lieutenant Governor Lois E. Mitchell opened the spring legislative session by reading the UCP government's throne speech, which previewed the upcoming budget and bills.
Mitchell said the government will offer “choice in education act, to re-affirm that parents have primary responsibility for their children’s education.”
“This law will be the first in Canada to incorporate the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, stating that ‘parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.’ ”
Kenney’s government also plans to implement changes recommended by the curriculum review committee, which will include refocusing on teaching core competencies, standardized testing and depoliticizing the curriculum.
The throne speech also noted the Kenney government says it plans to work with the public sector to contain costs and protect front-line services by “carefully reducing overall spending by less than three percent.”
“This excludes the budgets for health care, Education, Community and Social Services, and Children’s Services, where budgets are being maintained at or increased to record high levels,” the throne speech stated.
Healthcare
Orissa Shima, president of the United Nurses of Alberta's local 85 Sturgeon Hospital branch, which represents approximately 400 RNs, said nurses believe the government wants to balance the budget off the backs of them and other public sector workers.
“We know cuts to frontline services will hurt Albertans. I think if Albertans think for-profit delivery will save money, they will be disappointed. It will cost more and hurt patients. I think the impacts of the budget will be felt for decades,” Shima said.
The throne speech states preserving high-quality public health care is a priority and the UCP government plans to move forward with implementing the “Surgical Wait Times Iniative and other reforms.”
“In doing so, Alberta will be informed by universal, publicly funded health care systems in Canada and Europe with the goals of increasing patient choice, reducing wait times, and improving health outcomes. Albertans will never have to pay out of pocket for medically necessary care,” the speech states.
Kenney’s government also plans to implement a “renewed mental health and addictions strategy, backed by an additional $140 million in support,” and adding at least 4,000 additional treatment spaces.
Other legislation in the pipe
Along with legislation targeting health care and education, the Kenney government plans to make changes to provincial democracy with bills that will: allow Albertans to put important issues to a referendum; introduce a recall act allowing for constituents to remove their MLAs, municipal councillors, mayors and school board trustees between elections; enact fixed dates for provincial elections and budgets; introduce donor contribution limits to Political Action Committees (PACs) and prohibit party-affiliated groups from circumventing donation limits; make it illegal for foreign entities to contribute to third party advertisers; and require a referendum before a consumer carbon tax can be imposed.
The provincial government plans to table legislation around the Fair Deal Panel struck last year and will introduce legislation that will: increase the penalties for blocking roads, railways, and other infrastructure and will clarify that in Alberta, police do not have to wait for a warrant to act in the face of illegal activity and uphold the rule of law; clarify the referendum process and allow for the holding on referendums not related to constitutional issues; and introduce legislation that will replace the federal parole board with a provincial parole board in charge of parole eligibility and terms for provincial prisoners.
The government also plans to “toughen sanctions against impaired driving,” protect minors from the risks associated with vaping, taking action against human trafficking, and preventing convicted sexual offenders from legally changing their names.
Kenney’s government says they plan to focus on creating jobs through: introducing their “long-term Blueprint for Jobs”; establish a new investment promotion agency to expand Alberta’s profile in key capital markets around the world; break down costly interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers and; increase opportunities for newcomers by providing faster credential recognition.
