Tag: Brian Jean

Categories
Economic Ft Mac

Union Asks Brian Jean to Stop Layoffs at Fort MacMurray International Airport

Brian Jean, Fort MacMurray International Airport

CUPE, a union that represents numerous airport workers at Fort MacMurray International Airport, is asking Brian Jean to stop the proposed layoffs at the airport which are scheduled to take place in May. The layoffs will cost 24 full time employees and 1 part time employee their positions, which pay $28 an hour on average. The union is asking for intervention from Brian Jean because of previous comments he had made in the past which were critical of the temporary foreign worker program. Merle Roberts, the president of CUPE Alberta, released a statement which said “When he was in the House of Commons, Mr. Jean made very clear statements about the TFW program. It’s time he intervened in the Fort McMurray situation.”

In the past Brian Jean has been critical about the temporary foreign worker program because some Canadian citizens have been replaced with foreign workers. Past comments by Jean lead the union to believe that he may intervene in the situation at Fort MacMurray International Airport. Past comments by Jean which have been critical of the TFW program include “I have heard from union and non-union members throughout my constituency that they clearly want some changes to the temporary foreign worker program. We are here for Canadians, and Canadians should have first crack at any job they want, no matter what part of the country they are from.” Jean also previously said “We have no toleration for those people who abuse the system and we have no tolerance for those who abuse their workers.” Don Scott discussed the staffing changes and said “I have been told by senior leadership at the airport there was no TFWs involved in the contract.”

Categories
Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Highway 63 Delays Have Mike Allen and Brian Jean Pointing Fingers at Each Other

Highway 63 delays, Brian Jean, Mike Allen

The continuous Highway 63 delays have politicians Brian Jean and Mike Allen pointing fingers at each other, with each one blaming the other for the delays in twinning the highway. This has led to a heated disagreement between the two men over who is responsible for the delays and what to do about it. According to Jean a $150 million contribution from Ottawa was made in 2006, which was half of the funded that was necessary to twin the highway at the time. Construction was expected to be completed by 2012. Jean stated “From my understanding, a lot of that area is still incomplete. Within 30 days of getting elected, the Conservative federal government announced $150 million for Highway 63 even though the Charter says (transportation) is 100% the province’s responsibility.”

Mike Allen does not agree with Brian Jean about who is responsible for the Highway 63 delays. Allen responded by saying “He knows full well the original announcement in 2006 was not for the entire highway. I did previously thank Brian for his efforts in helping to streamline the permit process with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Inflation played a part, but throw in the permits we needed and the fact that, in a hot economy, bidding on projects became that much more expensive.” Finger pointing is not going to get the job done. The twinning delays are a fact, and instead of being concerned about what happened in the past hopefully both ridings can work together to ensure the desired outcome.

Categories
Ft Mac Politics

Aging in Place Facility a Top Priority for Brian Jean if Elected Premier

Aging in Place, Brian Jean

Brian Jean is making a promise that if he is the next premier of Alberta his first act will be to ensure that the Senior Aging in Place facility in Wood Buffalo will be constructed. The Wildrose leader is leveling accusations that seniors and low income residents of Alberta are being displaced by his PC opposition, and this is part of a long running feud. Jean stated “If I am the next premier of Alberta, this will be my first act: to make sure that Wood Buffalo gets a seniors’ Aging in Place facility in this location. If elected, a Wildrose government will build a complete Aging in Place facility right here in partnership with the municipality. What you see right now is 42 homes that don’t exist anymore for low-income Albertans,”

The Aging in Place facility has seen numerous delays, and Brian Jean is promising that if he is elected this project will be a top priority for his administration. 42 low income housing units were demolished in order to make space for the new senior facility, but Jean has criticized the fact that these units were destroyed without any land set aside to replace the low income housing units no longer available. Wood Buffalo Housing has made an argument that using the site exclusively for seniors is not a plan that is financially viable, and Brian Jean has pledged to address this issue as well. According to Jean “They were trying to play politics with with the lives of seniors and it is finished. There is no greater example of their failure to meet the needs of seniors in Alberta than right here in Fort McMurray at the Willow Square seniors facility, which should be built here but isn’t.” According to MLA Scott “The fact Brian quit on a whim and wasn’t here to deliver to the region is something he has to explain to a lot of people and that’s why he is doing this. This is rewriting history. We ended up spending millions on buying Willow Square. We moved money from one level of government to another instead of investing that money into the region.”

Categories
Ft Mac Politics

PC MLA Turned Away From Joining by Wildrose by Brian Jean

Brian Jean, Wildrose

According to Wildrose leader Brian Jean he has prevented a PC MLA from joining the party, and he accuses the PC party of having a liberal infiltration. Jean told the media in a recent interview that he turned down a request by an MLA, who was not named, just a few days prior. “I’ve already had an MLA from the PC caucus ask to come over to Wildrose and I told him no. We are going to take these guys and girls out and we are going to send them somewhere else, because they are infiltrated by the Liberals,. That’s not the only reason. We’ve had 44 years of some good management, but the last 10 years have been terrible. You can look at the circle in Jim Prentice’s camp and the staff and the bureaucrats. Once you get politics in the blood, it’s hard to get it out.”

The conservative views of Wildrose leader Brian Jean come as no surprise to voters, and these same views are what make him a popular choice in the Wood Buffalo area right now. Rob Anders, the Calgary West MP, said many Conservative MPs were giving support to Wildrose candidates. “If you want Liberal organizers involved in the campaigns, that’s their prerogative. Thats not the conservative party of Alberta, the Wildrose Party is the only conservative party in Alberta. I’m surprised that the Wildrose Party leader is targeting a federal candidate who is not on the provincial ballot and isn’t involved in the provincial election. I’m proud to have a team and supporters who are involved and support all five of the provincial parties and come from all walks of life.”

Categories
Ft Mac Politics

2012 Campaign Donations From Brian Jean Supported PC Opponent

2012 campaign donations, Brian Jean

Brian Jean is defending his 2012 campaign donations to support his PC opponent, and his views have obviously changed since Jean is now the leader of the Wildrose party instead. When Jean was the Conservative Fort McMurray-Athabasca MP he made a donation of $500 to both Boutillier and Scott. When asked about these 2012 campaign donations Brian Jean explained “I ran against him federally and didn’t want Doug to win. I knew a lot about him so I wasn’t going to support him.I supported the best person I believed would become the best MLA. Did I think Doug Faulkner would do that? No. Did I think Guy would do that? Yes.” Doug Faulkner served as Fort MacMurray Mayor from 1997 up until his defeat by Melissa Blake for the position in 2004, and his comments after he lost the race were viewed with distaste. Faulkner stated to the Calgary Herald that “lady mayors don’t go over well in industrial towns’, however Blake is still in this position 11 years later.

The 2012 campaign donations that Brian Jean made have been the subject of some discussion. Jean explained his thoughts at the time by saying “Guy was one of those politicians we’ve had who has been dedicated to northern Alberta throughout his political career. When you look at the decisions he made, whether it was as an MLA fighting over Aging in place or as mayor, his heart was always in Fort McMurray. I thought I was going to see a different type of government and we now see the same old, same old in Fort McMurray-Conklin and throughout Alberta. Our government has grown fat and bloated, and the new taxes in this budget show they want a bureaucracy that’s even more bloated.”

Categories
Alberta Ft Mac Politics

Next Provincial Election Will Feature Brian Jean Against Don Scott

provincial election, Brian Jean, Don Scott

The next provincial election in Fort MacMurray will feature Brian Jean against Don Scott, with both politicians hoping to win a spot in the legislator. Brian Jean stated “That is where I live and I have lived in Fort McMurray for 48 years,. I can’t imagine running anywhere else but in my home community. I actually very much love this area. When people talk bad about it, I can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable, but I realize they’re talking from inexperience, much like some of our government members. They don’t take the people’s priorities as their own, they take their priorities and their friends’ priorities and their cronies’ priorities as their own and it’s shameful. We are running in our respective ridings because of all the broken promises made by the PC government and the inability of our local (MLAs) to deliver any improvements in the quality of life to our citizens. They have a lot to answer for.”

When discussing the provincial elecion and running against Don Scott Wildrose Leader Brian Jean was emphatic that the needs of Wood Buffalo have not been met by the government to date. “I hope they do talk about Highway 63, because I will point out to them that in 2006, the federal government provided 50% of funding and it was still not twinned. As a result, now that we’ve come close prices have skyrocketed to over $1 billion. I want to tell them how five different premiers promised our community an Aging in Place facility for Willow Square.” The Fort MacMurray Long Term Care Project has been delayed numerous times since 2008.