Tag: Alberta government

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Alberta Ft Mac Politics

Should the Alberta Government Ban Spear Hunting?

The Alberta government is planning on a ban against spear hunting after a video was posted online which showed a black bear being slaughtered by a spear, calling the practice unacceptable and motivating many to try and make it illegal. The video of the kill was posted to Josh Bowmar’s YouTube account, and it has caused considerable anger and outrage by those who viewed it. Eventually the video was made private but not before it became the center of a controversy. The video had over 200,000 views before the setting was changed. An emailed statement from Tim Chamberlin, the spokesman for Alberta Environment and Parks, stated “Work is well underway to update Alberta’s hunting regulations. We will introduce a ban on spear hunting this fall as part of those updated regulations. In the meantime, we have asked Fish and Wildlife officers to investigate this incident to determine if charges are warranted under existing laws.”

Josh Bowmar does not understand what all the fuss is about, or why the Alberta government would want to ban spear hunting. Bowman explained “Spears have been used for hunting since the dawn of man and the notion that the method is inhumane couldn’t be further from the truth. The bear I speared only ran (55 metres) and died immediately, that’s as humane and ethical as one could get in a hunting situation on big game animals. Trust me, no one cares more about these animals than us hunters, especially me, If I didn’t care about the humane killing of this bear, why did I spend years preparing and practicing, becoming extremely proficient with a spear to make sure I could harvest this bear ethically? In fact, it is even against the law to waste the animals hide from the animals. We also eat the meat from our harvested animals including bear. On top of tasting amazing, it’s extremely nutritious for our bodies.”

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac Politics

Austerity Measures Rejected by Alberta Government

Austerity measures have been rejected by the Alberta government, and this means that the government will borrow millions and break the debt ceiling in just 3 short years. The region has seen a drop in the resource revenues available by a staggering 90%, and the current estimate for royalty revenues is the lowest it has been since the year 1974 at only $1.4 billion. The 2016 budget was recently released and it shows a deficit of around $10.4 billion. This holds true to a promise by Premier Rachel Notley to forget about using austerity measures to pay down the current debt. In a speech by Finance Minister Joe Ceci he said “It would only cause more pain and economic anxiety, tearing at the fabric of our communities and making a difficult situation that much worse. We will not make the choice of balancing our books and reducing our debt on the backs of Albertans.”

Since austerity measures have been rejected by the Alberta government this means deficits will increase, but some are disappointed in how and when the budget funding will be doled out. Many Fort McMurray projects promised funding last year will still receive funds, but some of these projects have had funding reductions. According to Wildrose Leader Brian Jean “The NDP budget is going to make things a lot worse for Albertans. It’s going to punish families and businesses with risky ideological policies, and it will make life in Alberta significantly more expensive. The situation is that we’re at $58 billion in debt before the next election.”

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Alberta Politics

Anti Strike Bill Will be Repealed by Alberta Government

anti strike bill, Alberta Government

A controversial anti strike bill will be appealed by the Alberta government. After Premier Jim Prentice met with top officials of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Alberta branch, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), and the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA). After the meeting Prentice announced that the Alberta government will repeal The Public Sector Services Continuation Act, also known as Bill 45. The bill was passed in December of 2013 but has never been proclaimed. The bill proposes stiffer penalties for unions and members who engage in illegal strikes, with the penalty of $1 million each day of illegal strike action. The passage of the bill was shortly after the Edmonton Remand Centre experienced a very costly wildcat strike. Prentice said that in his opinion the bill should not have passed in the first place.

During a news conference about the repeal of the anti strike bill by the Alberta government Jim Prentice stated “I didn’t go into this meeting offering to repeal Bill 45 as a negotiating chip. That was not the point…the purpose of the discussion today was to reset the table. I don’t agree with (Bill 45). I don’t agree with the content of the legislation and we will move forward and define essential service legislation that is as respectful of the rights of our employees as it is respectful of taxpayers. This is not about rolling back contracts. This is about working together to find solutions as we go forward that reflect the fiscal circumstances that we’re in.”

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Alberta Ft Mac

First Nations Aboriginal Leaders Partner Up With Alberta Government for Better Education

First Nations, Alberta Government

A partnership between the Alberta government and the First Nations is intended to help provide a better education to First Nations students. Education Minister Gordon Dirks recently attended the Kingsway Ramada Edmonton Hotel and Conference Centre Alberta First Nations Education Summit, and Premier Jim Prentice was also in attendance. The two politicians discussed education with aboriginal leaders from around Alberta. According to Prentice “I think we very quickly reached a consensus in the room that we wish to see a province where First Nations students are getting exactly the same educational opportunities that all Alberta students are getting.” The goal is to determine how the Alberta government can help the school authorities of the First Nations while still respecting the traditional and cultural priorities of the aboriginal groups.

The meeting between members of the Alberta government and the First Nations shows that both sides are willing to make an effort to improve the education of the indigenous population. According to Deron Bilous, an outspoken critic of the Alberta NDP, “Let the governments sort out who owes who. The point is that we cannot continue to have First Nations students and their education be second-class to non-indigenous students in the province.” Charles Weaselhead, the Treaty 7 Grand Chief, said “Right now, in our K-12 systems, the numbers that are graduating are at a low. It’s often been said to us that First Nation education is roughly 12 to 15 years behind mainstream.” Some in the First Nations blame a lack of funding for low graduation rates, others point to a lack of qualified teachers or the scarcity of other necessary resources.

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Alberta Health

Improvements in Access to Health Services Discussed by Alberta Government

Alberta government, improvements in access to health services

Improvements in access to health services was recently discussed by the Alberta government, and residents will hopefully find it easier to access the health care services that they need in the future. Stephen Mandel, the Alberta Health Minister, announced that more than 300 restorative care beds will quickly be made available, making it easier for seniors to recover and get back home faster. This effort is also intended to increase the flow of patients as they move through local emergency rooms, and hopefully will also help decrease ER patient wait times as well. According to Mandel “People need to be able to get out of those emergency rooms and into beds within the hospital. We hope this will cure some of the problems — we believe it will cure many — but if we’re not successful at moving people from the new restorative beds and back into the community, we won’t be. We need to take pressure off the system. It’s not going to be overnight solutions, I wish I could waive a magic wand to change it.”

According to the Alberta government there will be an additional 311 beds as a result to improvements in access to health services. Rachel Notley, the NDP Leader, was critical of the announcement and stated “I think Albertans need to be skeptical at best. It’s great to have this brand new category of beds, but I’m afraid that all that’s going to do is restore people back onto the curb where they continue to wait for the long-term care beds this government has made a considered decision to stop building.”

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Alberta Economic

Teachers in Alberta Concerned About Possible Budget Cuts

teachers, budget cuts

Teachers in Alberta are concerned about possible budget cuts as oil prices continue to drop and the government face potential budget shortfalls. Wood Buffalo is one of the areas which could be impacted if the new 2015 budget cuts school and teacher funding. According to Mark Ramsankar, who is the president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, “The greatest source of frustration I hear from teachers is they are unable to reach the children in the classroom with the resources available. They know the needs of the children, but they can’t reach them because they don’t have the resources. The impact the projected cuts will have on education and the classroom in general, we believe, will be devastating.” Jim Prentice has already warned that coming budget cuts could be almost 10%, and that is a significant amount.

When discussing the needs of teachers and the potential budget cuts Ramsankar also said “When we look at the pressures teachers are under, it’s about making sure they have the opportunity to really extend the education system. What we’re trying to do is give students a fighting chance for their futures. To simply turn it back and suggest teachers whine about these conditions is overstated.” Wood Buffalo already has a high cost of living, and new teachers do not make a lot of money. In addition there is already a lack of resources for teachers in Wood Buffalo, and budget cuts could just make things worse for teachers and students both because some schools have high populations while others continuously scout for new students.