At a Glance - July 12
Alberta Electricity Rebate Program Extended Until December
This week, the government announced that the province’s electricity rebate program has been extended until the end of December. The program that was initially created to ease pain of rising utility bills across the province for the months of July, August, and September has now been extended to include the months of October, November, and December. The electricity rebate program will affect more than 1.9 million homes, farms, and small businesses providing them with a $50 rebate per month. Those eligible for the rebate could receive up to $300 in credits by the end of December. The cost to the Alberta government is estimated at $600 million.
“We’re hearing from Albertans that more has to be done to help them cope with this cost-of-living crisis. So we’re extending by another three months, the $50-a-month rebate that people will be getting on their electricity bill”, Premier Kenney told reporters this week. In addition to this program, the Alberta Government will be enacting a natural gas rebate program that will begin in October of 2022 and last until March of 2023 that will come into effect when prices exceed $6.50 per gigajoule.
Alberta Government Expands Funding for Child Care
The Government of Alberta has announced a plan to invest $50 million to create more child-care spaces in the province to help support children and their families. A representative for the government said the funding will be used to create new spaces and provide new opportunities for child care in underserved communities throughout the province.
“This funding will help parents go back to school or work with the knowledge that their kids are safe, happy and learning," said Minister of Children's Services Matt Jones in a release. "We're working with provincial partners, communities and child-care operators to create new child-care spaces across the province, especially in rural and remote areas." The funding will be focused on communities with few or no licensed child care facilities. The program aims to create 42,500 childcare spaces in Alberta by March 2026.
UCP Leadership Contestants
As of July 8, 2022 there are 10 declared UCP leadership contestants. The current contestants (in alphabetical order) include UCP MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore Leela Aheer, former banker Jon Horsman, UCP MLA for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche Brian Jean, Independent MLA for Central Peace-Notley Todd Loewen, UCP MLA for Calgary North East and former transportation minister Rajan Sawhney, former PC MLA and Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman, UCP MLA for Calgary-Shaw and former children’s services minister Rebecca Shultz, former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, and UCP MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti and former finance minister Travis Toews.
To become an official candidate, the UCP requires contestants to fill out a comprehensive questionnaire to be reviewed by the Leadership Election Committee along with a $150,000 entrance fee, a $25,000 refundable compliance deposit, 1,000 signatures from Party members with 200 signatures from each of the Party’s five provincial regions. The application deadline for UCP leadership contestants is 5:00pm on July 20, 2022. Albertans will need to purchase their memberships by August 12 in order to vote in the leadership race. Voting packages will be mailed out starting on September 2, 2022. Completed ballots must be returned to the party by October 3, 2022. The leadership contest will be held on October 6, 2022 where voters will be able to vote in person at select locations across the province. The winner of the UCP leadership race will become the next Premier of Alberta.
Alberta Government Ends Regularly Scheduled COVID-19 Updates
The minister of health and Dr. Deena Hinshaw will no longer be giving weekly scheduled COVID-19 updates. COVID-19 rates have continued to drop along with hospitalizations and deaths, making the regular updates unnecessary. Hinshaw noted, “we remain committed to the transparent communication of important public health information, and we will, of course, provide updates as necessary”.
“We're entering a phase of the pandemic where our response can be de-escalated, while we remain vigilant and prepared to respond to new variants that may drive another wave of cases and hospital admissions,” Minister Copping added. By the end of the month, all COVID-19 restrictions will be eliminated in the province. Alberta Health will continue to release COVID-19 data each week.
Alberta Announces New Low-Income Student Bursary
The Government of Alberta has announced they will be providing $15 million dollars over the next three years to help low-income students. The “New Beginnings Bursary” will support 3,000 low-income Albertans studying in key economic sectors outlined in Alberta’s Recovery Plan. The program will be available to students studying energy, agriculture and forestry, tourism, culture, technology, aerospace and aviation, and finance and financial technology. The program will provide 3,000 students with $5,000 to reduce the burden of tuition, fees, supplies, and living costs.
“Cost should never be a barrier to achieving your ambition. Young Albertans deserve to have the right skills and knowledge to succeed in tomorrow’s economy. The New Beginnings Bursary will be just that for many Albertans: ensuring post-secondary education remains an accessible way to get ahead,” said Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education. To receive the bursary, students will need to apply through the province’s student loan and student aid system.
