Month: October 2022

Michelle Baer, city solicitor for the city of Red Deer, will be the NDP candidate for Red Deer-South in the next Alberta provincial election.

“Red Deer is a very unique and special place, and I am so grateful that this community has put their faith in me to be their representative in the next election,” said Baer. “Red Deer is the third largest city in the province, yet is often stuck between being considered a ‘big city’ or a rural area.

“Red Deer deserves a strong voice in government to represent the distinctive issues this area faces. I’m excited for the chance to do the hard work Red Deer needs and deserves.”

As the City Solicitor for 11 years, Baer manages the City’s legal and legislative departments and provides legal and procedural advice to the city departments and City Council. A lawyer by trade, Baer is the City Solicitor for Red Deer providing legal and procedural advice to City Council and support for city operations. Prior to this role, Baer was a lawyer in private practice at Chapman Reibeek LLP.

Since 2015, Baer has been volunteering her time to sponsor refugees and support newcomers to Canada. So far, Baer has organized the sponsorship of two families and continues to support these families as they integrate into the Red Deer community.

“Being a city stuck in the middle, Red Deer has been facing a lot of delays in key decisions under this current government and we need support,” said Baer. “The Red Deer Regional Hospital, as an example, is on the verge of critical failure. We need to repair the relationship between the government and healthcare professionals, and I believe Rachel Notely will do that.”

Baer has three grown children, and lives in Sunnybrook. After completing her law degree, Baer stayed home to raise her three children and went on to work as a program manager for Lacombe and District Family and Community Support services before returning to law.

“Parents and teachers in my community are not happy with the proposed curriculum from the UCP. I’m proud to be joining Alberta’s NDP who have committed to reversing the curriculum in its entirety,” said Baer.

“Others in my community are talking about the struggles they have with the skyrocketing monthly costs. I’m proud to be joining Alberta’s NDP who have a plan to keep more of their money in their pocket.”

Support for Alberta’s NDP from Albertans out-paced results from the last quarter with over $1.4 million raised including more than 3,200 additional unique contributions compared to Q1.

“It’s so encouraging to see such a rise in support time and time again from Albertans. I am so thankful to those standing with Alberta’s NDP so we can work towards critical change for the province,” said Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley. “We’re once again seeing a government distracted by trying to save their own jobs, instead of dealing with the issues that Albertans are facing everyday like the rising cost of living and lack of access to public healthcare.

“Alberta is ready for a change, and my team and I won’t stop working for Alberta families and businesses.”

Elections Alberta released second quarter results today, seeing Alberta’s NDP raising $1,430,164.06 from over 31,000 unique contributions. That is an increase of more than 3,200 unique contributions from the first quarter of this year.

“Continuing to see a rise in unique contributions, and steady support from Albertans every quarter, is incredibly inspiring to see the unified appetite for change across the province,” said Alberta NDP Provincial Secretary Brandon Stevens. “This shows us that Albertans in every corner of the province want change, and are tired of the actions of the current and distracted government.”

Alberta’s NDP raised more than double the UCP, which Elections Alberta reports at $521,175 for Q2. This total does not include unverifiable numbers from UCP constituency associations. In 2021, the UCP passed the Election Statutes Amendment Act ahead of their leadership review to allow them to hide their constituency fundraising from Elections Alberta.

“I’m very proud that Alberta’s NDP continues to report our full fundraising numbers and continue to be transparent and truthful with Albertans,” said Stevens. “The UCP have a reputation of being dishonest about what happens behind closed doors, and while they are engrossed in the drama and attacks of their own leadership race, Albertan’s clearly can’t trust the UCP to be accountable.”

After the rules to enter the leadership race were announced by the UCP, it was revealed that candidates would have to submit a $175,000 fee for a chance to run. There are seven confirmed candidates for the UCP leadership race.

“During a time where we’re seeing the highest rate of inflation we have in over 40 years and our emergency healthcare systems continue to close for days and weeks at a time, the UCP are focused on gaining power and have been attacking Albertans along the way,” said Notley. “We haven’t seen them address any of the issues facing families now, or make commitments to build a better future.

“Alberta’s NDP continues to be focused on the road ahead, and how to create a better province for every Albertan through concrete policies and change that Albertans are so clearly desperate for.”

NDP Critic for Advanced Education, and former Education Minister David Eggen will be the NDP candidate for Edmonton-North West in the next Alberta provincial election.

“I am extremely excited to continue to fight for a brighter future for all Albertans,” said Eggen. “We have seen the current government make deep generational cuts to our post-secondary system, and present a backwards curriculum that experts, teachers, and parents all have rejected.

“Rachel Notley and Alberta’s NDP understand the importance of education not just to our children’s future, but to the economy of our province. We have drafted many robust proposals, including a map for the future of post-secondary.”

Eggen has always been focused on supporting Alberta students on their path to success. As Minister of Education from 2015-2018, he championed the building and modernization of 244 new schools across Alberta.

“We expect to see a surge of enrollment in Alberta’s post-secondary schools, and we need a government that prepares our schools to be a pillar in economic diversification – not cut and slash their budgets which harms the quality of education provided to our students,” said Eggen.

“An NDP government would ensure our schools are supported, as we already have a map to strengthen the sector which was developed through robust consultation and research.”

Eggen holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta and taught for nearly 20 years both globally and at local schools. He is active in the community, having been a trustee with the Forum for Young Albertans, a chair leader of the Canadian Paraplegic Association, and former executive director of Friends of Medicare.

In his spare time, Eggen is an active gardener and frequently raises tomato seedlings to hand out to constituents.

“My colleagues and I on Rachel’s team have spent our time in opposition listening to Albertans to understand the pressure they’re under as bills pile up every month,” said Eggen. “I will continue to work hard for my community, and believe that an NDP government can help all Albertans succeed.”

At the end of the spring sitting of the Legislature, NDP House Leader Christina Gray and Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley called out the UCP on the complete failure to address the top issues facing Alberta families and businesses.

“The UCP have been entirely engrossed in their own internal drama, and have failed to address the single most important issue in the lives of Alberta families: the punishing monthly bills Albertans are struggling to pay,” said House Leader Christina Gray. “Many of these bills have grown by hundreds of dollars a month because of decisions made by the UCP.”

“I’m sure we will hear the Government House Leader congratulate himself on the number of bills the government passed,” said Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley. “But he’s missing the point entirely – the bills Albertans care about are the ones piling up on their kitchen table, and by every measure, those have gotten worse under the UCP.”

In this spring sitting, the UCP presented a budget that charges Albertans an additional billion dollars in income taxes through bracket creep, while reducing the value of the Child and Family Benefit, Seniors Benefit, Income Support, and AISH.

“As a result of UCP policies, Albertans are paying more income tax, more property tax, more tuition, more interest on student debt, more camping fees and more for car insurance,” Ganley. “But on top of all of that, there’s utilities.”

The UCP removed the NDP rate cap on electricity, and Albertan’s bills are now hundreds of dollars higher while natural gas prices have hit a 30-year high.

“Over 13 weeks of sitting in the legislature and the UCP has failed to do anything about this. Not a single Albertan has gotten a rebate, and the government still can’t give Albertans a straight answer about when they will,” Ganley continued.

“No one in this government is looking out for Alberta families. Alberta’s New Democrats are a unified team. We are energized, and we are ready to lead.

“We will always be focused on Albertans, on what Albertans need, and on keeping more money in Albertans’ pockets.”

First Nations lawyer and community leader Brooks Arcand-Paul will be the NDP candidate for Edmonton-West Henday in the next Alberta provincial election.

“People in West Henday are concerned about the decisions being made by the UCP, and after speaking with my neighbours and family I realized I couldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore. It’s such an honour to have this community put their faith in me to be their representative for the next election,” said Arcand-Paul.

“When I was in law school in Ontario I was always determined to come back to Alberta, especially after seeing the good work that Rachel Notley was doing in government. The UCP are taking the province in a direction that is driving young people away and leaving many Albertans behind. I am excited to join Alberta’s NDP in building back a province where everyone can succeed.”

Arcand-Paul holds a juris doctor from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta.

Prior to becoming the in-house legal counsel for the Alexander First Nation, where he provides legal advice and manages the legal affairs of the Nation of around 2,300 people, Arcand-Paul was in private practice at MLT Aikins doing litigation work in the areas of Indigenous and employment law.

“From cutting AISH, to the opioid poisoning epidemic, to waging attacks against doctors, the UCP are continuously attacking the rights of Albertans, and I know we would be better off with an NDP government,” said Arcand-Paul. “The reputation of Alberta is being damaged by the UCP which is causing young people to leave. Rachel Notley and Alberta’s NDP are planning for the future of the province, and I want to do everything I can to help repair the province’s reputation.”

Arcand-Paul lives in the West Henday area with his partner and their golden retriever, close to much of his family.

Arcand-Paul is also the Vice President of the Indigenous Bar Association, a national advocacy organization that represents over 300 Indigenous judges, lawyers, academics, and students across the country.

“My family, my nieces and nephews, all work, learn, and access services in West Henday. Making sure this community has access to public healthcare, education, and the daily resources we need is very important to me,” said Arcand-Paul. “The community is growing quickly, and it needs strong supports and strong representation to ensure all the people who live here can thrive. I know that I can be that voice, and there isn’t a team I would rather do this important work with than Rachel Notley and Alberta’s NDP.”

An NDP government will bring billions of dollars in new investment and job creation in agriculture and agri-food to rural Alberta with a new strategy.

Raising crops and livestock is foundational to our economy and the food we grow here is exported all over the world. The demand for that food is going to increase by as much as 50 per cent in the next 25 years.

If we are prepared, the growth in global food demand represents billions of dollars’ worth of new jobs and new investment landing largely in rural Alberta. That is the opportunity we must seize — thousands of new jobs, billions in new investment in rural Alberta.

A broad consultation process identified major roadblocks that are holding back the development of value-add agricultural industries in Alberta, namely a lack of capacity in regulatory agencies that leaves projects waiting for years instead of months for an answer, a lack of access to capital both for industry to build facilities and for their municipal partners to build the infrastructure that serve them, a lack of robust rural broadband internet, and lastly, a lack of political leadership in government to champion the sector.

An Alberta NDP government will take eight specific actions:

1. Create an Alberta Value-Add Incentive Program that provides financial incentives to build or expand an agricultural value-add facility in Alberta. The exact form of the incentive – loan guarantees, grants, or tax credits – would be steered by a task force.
2. Create a Local Food Incentive program, which is geared towards smaller projects that serve local needs.
3. Bring on more staff to speed up the processing of agricultural and agri-food proposals.
4. Provide navigation services to guide entrepreneurs and innovators through the various approvals from all the relevant departments.
5. Lower the cost of capital borrowing for municipalities, bringing it back down to the rate the province gets after the UCP jacked it up, and ensuring that provincial infrastructure priorities align with local plans.
6. Make sure that AgTech is embedded in Alberta’s tech strategy.
7. Connect rural Alberta to reliable, affordable, broadband Internet.
8. Undo the damage caused by the UCP and strengthen post-secondary schools.

The times when there is no ambulance available to respond to a call in Edmonton have exploded over the past three years under the UCP, according to new AHS data acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request.

In May of 2019 there were 13 Red Alerts in Edmonton, totaling about 20 minutes. In May of this year, there were 859 Red Alerts for a total of 24 hours and 42 minutes. In January, there were 1,233 Red Alerts, for a total of 39 hours and 41 minutes. There have been more than 20 hours’ worth of Red Alerts in Edmonton for every month this year there is complete data for.

“These numbers show the full impact of the UCP’s failures with our healthcare system,” said David Shepherd, Alberta NDP Critic for Health. “The UCP is putting Alberta families at risk and failing frontline workers.

“We know that this has ripple effects outside of the City of Edmonton and for the first time, paramedics in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, St Albert, Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park have spent more time responding to calls in Edmonton than in their own communities.”

In January, the UCP appointed an advisory committee led by two UCP MLAs, and unveiled a 10-point plan to address the crisis.

“It’s clear that the UCP’s 10-point plan is not fixing the problem,” Shepherd said. “It’s clear that an advisory committee led by two UCP MLAs is not fixing the problem. AHS’ own EMS dashboard shows that wait times for ambulances are longer than ever. We’ve seen horrible incidents in Calgary of critically injured Albertans waiting and waiting for ambulances to arrive. This is a crisis.”

Shepherd repeated the three calls for action from paramedics.

“We need more paramedics, and we need to take better care of the ones we already have.

“The government needs to commit to getting EMS crews off shift, on time. The additional hours that paramedics spend stuck at overwhelmed hospitals is one of the main drivers of burnout and turnover in EMS.

“Second, the government needs to offer every paramedic a full-time permanent contract instead of the 89-day temporary contracts that make up about 40 per of the EMS workforce today.

“Lastly, the government needs to urgently expand harm reduction services that save lives and reduce the incredible burden the drug poisoning crisis has put on paramedics and emergency room workers.

“The UCP should have acted on these calls months ago. But I urge Jason Copping to act on them today.”

The Alberta NDP is calling on the UCP government to immediately address the cost-of-living crisis and take the pressure off hard-working Albertans who are struggling to make ends meet.

We are in the worst crisis of affordability in 40 years and Albertans need help today. The UCP has made a bad situation worse by increasing income taxes, property taxes, school fees, utilities, auto insurance, tuition, debt on student loans, park and camping fees while also cutting benefits for families.

The Leduc and District Food Bank Association is seeing an increase of 25 to 35 per cent of clients and some months it’s even higher. Many of those new clients have never used a food bank or needed any type of social services before.

The majority reported that their clients’ reasons for accessing the food bank are rising utility costs, static government benefits, unemployment, inflation and rising food costs.

Not only is the crisis in the cost of living forcing some Albertans to choose between paying their bills and putting food on the table but food banks are also hurt by the rising cost of food, utilities, transportation and fuel, which is challenging their ability to serve their community.

Despite benefiting from soaring energy prices the UCP government has stood idly by while Albertans across our province struggle with financial pressures from rising gas prices that impact their ability to get to work, to rising utility bills that impact their ability to keep the lights on, to rising food prices that limit what they are able to put on the table.