At a Glance - Week of June 5, 2024
Spring Sitting Concludes
After 40 sitting days, the Legislature has officially wrapped up for the summer break. With a number of controversial bills and an ongoing opposition leadership race, this will be a sitting that many will remember for a long time.
A number of bills that were passed during this sitting will have a significant impact on the landscape of Alberta politics as well as day-to-day life for many. From the creation of four new health agencies to requiring provincial entities to seek permission from the provincial government to sign funding agreements with the federal government, there are few who will not be impacted.
On the political side of the equation, political parties will make their municipal debut during the 2025 election cycle. Additionally, the provincial government will have new authority to trigger "recall" elections for councillors if it is in the public interest and to amend/repeal bylaws that are outside of a council's purview or counter to provincial policy.
Rachel Notley Finishes Last Sitting as NDP Leader
After nine-and-a-half years serving as the leader of the Alberta NDP, Edmonton-Strathcona MLA Rachel Notley has completed her final sitting as leader of the official opposition. The NDP are in the midst of a leadership contest that is slated to conclude on June 22.
“It’s been an incredible run and I’m so proud to have played such a key role in building Alberta’s biggest official Opposition in the history of this province and ensuring that we have a province that is a strong two-party democracy.”
Rachel Notley was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in 2008 and is currently the longest-tenured MLA in the Assembly. In 2014, she was elected as the successor to Brian Mason as the next leader of the party. From 2015-2019, Notley served as the first NDP premier. Since, she has lead the Alberta NDP through two elections and as the official opposition leader.
Alberta Releases Statement on Bill C-59
Recently, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Shulz shared a statement on the status of Bill C-59 which is currently being debated in the House of Commons in Ottawa. In short, C-59 is an ominous bill intended to implement a number of provisions from the fall economic statement. However, Minister Schulz takes issue one a portion of the bill that is tied to "greenwashing" and will require companies to back up their environmental claims.
“Companies that wish to defend their environmental record will have to prove that their claims can be substantiated by an ‘internationally recognized methodology,’ a vague and undefined phrase that creates needless uncertainty for businesses."
Minister Schulz calls the bill a "gag-order", suggesting “any company not willing to risk millions of dollars in fines and legal fees will be forced to stay silent. And that is exactly the outcome that Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault and the federal Liberal-NDP-Bloc Québécois alliance wants to happen."
Examining Cannabis Use Impacts on Youth
Five years after the federal government legalized the recreational use of cannabis in Canada, the provincial government is looking into how young Albertans are impacted by cannabis use. The research team consists of doctors and policy advisors from across North America (and one from the United Kingdom) and will report to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions throughout the summer.
Minister Dan Williams said "we owe it to young Albertans and their families to make sure we fully understand the effects of legal cannabis. We’re proud to bring together this group of respected health experts to provide insight and advice as we continue to navigate this evolving area of health care.”
The review is expected to cost approximately $280,000 and will be used to inform future policy decisions to limit the impact of cannabis use on youth in Alberta.