At a Glance - November 1, 2023
Pension Debate Update
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will not call a referendum on whether Alberta should exit the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) until there is a firm number on how much the province will receive should it decide to exit and create an Alberta Pension Plan (APP). Previously, Premier Smith had indicated the possibility of holding a referendum on withdrawing from the CPP as early as 2025; however, this promise may extend that timeline should a referendum occur.
This announcement comes amid rising tensions between Ottawa and Alberta over the proposed exit. Last month, Premier Smith released a report from consultant LifeWorks claiming that if Alberta pulled out of the CPP, it may be entitled to $334 billion - more than half of the fund’s assets. The federal government has challenged the accuracy of this claim.
Pierre Poilievre – leader of the official opposition – and several other provincial leaders, have echoed concerns of Alberta’s proposed exit from the CPP. In response to the concerns voiced across the country, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said she will meet with her provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss Alberta’s proposal and the potential ramifications. In response to Freeland’s announcement, Finance Minister Nate Horner offered to host the meeting in Calgary.
Chief Justice of King's Bench Nominated for SCC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday that Chief Justice Mary Moreau has been nominated to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the resignation of Justice Russel Brown in June.
Chief Justice Moreau, an Edmonton-born Franco-Albertan, has served on the Court of King’s Bench for 29 years, and her nomination was recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments. Her nomination will be subject to a special committee hearing on November 2.
Alberta Order of Excellence Recipients Honoured
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been honoured with the Alberta Order of Excellence. The Alberta Order of Excellence was created in 1979 to recognize Albertans from all fields of endeavour and backgrounds. Harper was one of eight Albertans receiving the province’s highest order at the investiture ceremony on Thursday afternoon. The other eight recipients are James Carter, Max Foran, Joe Lukacs, Audrey McFarlane, Claudette Tardif, Stella Thompson, and James Angus Watt.
Harper, who served as Canada’s 22nd prime minister from 2006 to 2015, has been credited with transforming the country’s political landscape by creating the modern Conservative Party of Canada, which united the Reform Party and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. During his time in office, Harper was lauded for leading Canada through a decade of complex geopolitical, economic, and security challenges.
Primary Health Care Changes Coming
Alberta announced on Wednesday a plan to “stabilize and strengthen” health care. Health Minister LaGrange outlined the government plan to provide Albertans with better access to family doctors and health professionals through a phased approach.
According to LaGrange, $57 million will be spent over the next three years to enable family doctors and nurse practitioners to help more people. Among other efforts to help doctors and nurse practitioners see more patients, a central aim of the plan will be to develop a system where doctors can spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork.
Also included in the changes is the creation of a new payment model that will encourage nurse practitioners to open their own clinics and provide services within their scope of practice.
Changes will also be made in an effort to improve Indigenous relationships with healthcare. Besides working to create an Indigenous health division within Alberta Health, the province also announced a new $20-million fund for Indigenous communities to develop and run their own primary health care services and create an Indigenous patient complaints investigator.
Investing in Forest Fire AI
After Canada suffered a record-breaking wildfire season, with approximately 17,900,000 hectares burned, Alberta has announced its plan to invest in artificial intelligence in an effort to predict where wildfires may ignite before they happen. Tech partners have predicted this move could save up to $ 5 million annually.
Alberta’s wildfire agency will be undertaking this initiative, partnered with software company AltaML. This partnership is part of a larger grants program called GovLab, which was founded as a collaboration between AltaML, the Alberta government, and Mitacs.