Highlights from the Provincial Government’s Speech from the Throne
On Tuesday, February 25, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Mitchell, delivered the Speech from the Throne, opening this government’s second session of the 30th Alberta legislature. The throne speech intends to communicate the government’s priorities and legislation that it will likely bring forward for this session. A key piece of legislation that will mark the spring session is the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act.
Critical Infrastructure Defence Act: This Act will impose large fines or imprison anyone who disrupts “critical infrastructure” such as highways, rail lines, or pipelines. The bill also proposes to make it easier for any peace officer to intervene in blockades without a warrant.
Other areas the government has highlighted for the session include:
A citizen initiative act that would allow the public to pose questions on provincial referendums.
A recall act that will allow constituents to remove elected officials from office between elections, including Members of the Legislative Assembly, municipal councillors, mayors, and school board trustees.
Bills to introduce “fixed dates for both provincial elections and provincial budgets”.
Provisions on removing “big money” from elections by creating a $30,000 limit on donor contributions to Political Action Committees (PACs).
Ban contributions from foreign donors to third party advertisers.
Introduce Choice in Education legislation reaffirming parent’s primary responsibility for their children’s education. The government also plans to implement recommendations from the Curriculum Review Committee.
Introduce the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.
The government plans to table the provincial Budget 2020 tomorrow, February 27. The speech notes the government`s commitment to “getting our fiscal house in order”, by focusing on reducing the debt and shrinking government spending by less than three percent. However, the government promises that funding for health care, Education, Community and Social Services, and Children’s Services will be maintained or increased. Stay tuned with CCVO as we follow closely on how the provincial budget will impact the nonprofit sector.
Click here to follow the government address Budget 2020.
Click here to view the full Speech from the Throne.