Alberta
These are the key people Jason Kenney will be leaning on to help him lead the province
From the United Conservative Party
Premier Designate names senior staff
Team members include:
- Jamie Huckabay, Chief of Staff to the Premier: Born and raised in Lethbridge, Jamie was Chief of Staff to the Opposition Leader and UCP Caucus. Prior to this role, Jamie was a key member for Jason Kenney’s PC Leadership Campaign leading convention operations. Jamie has considerable private and public sector experience. He was previously Director at mobile technology firm Taplytics and Vice President at Gerson Lehrman Group. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Lethbridge, Masters in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Oxford University. As the Chief administrator, Jamie will oversee political operations and implementation of the Premier’s agenda and priorities.
- Howard Anglin, Principal Secretary: Howard is a lawyer who served in the former federal Conservative government as Chief of Staff to the Premier Designate in his role as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He has degrees from McGill University and New York University, worked as a lawyer in private practice at international law firms in New York, London, and Washington, DC, and was most recently a constitutional lawyer running a national legal charity in Calgary. As the administration’s most senior political advisor, Howard will provide expert advice and direction to the Premier and Executive Council.
- Katy Merrifield, Executive Director of Communication and Planning: Katy is a long-time senior political aide from British Columbia. She served a variety of roles in the BC government including Chief of Staff to the Minister of Health and Jobs, Tourism and Economic Development, culminating as the Director of Communications to former B.C. Premier Christy Clark. She is also the first woman and youngest person to win a provincial leadership campaign in BC with the successful election of Andrew Wilkinson as current Leader of the Opposition. Katy will lead and execute the agenda for political communications and policy announcements.
- Christine Myatt, Deputy Director of Communications and Press Secretary:Christine is a long-time political aide from Alberta, having served in multiple senior communications roles in previous Alberta governments and most recently as Director of Strategic Communications for the Official Opposition. As Deputy Communications Director, Christine will be the primary contact for media relations.
- David Knight Legg, Head of Transition: David moved back to Alberta last year to advise the Premier Designate’s team on trade and finance. He originally hails from Lethbridge, where he received his undergraduate degree. David also has a Masters in Public Administration from Queens University, a PhD from Yale and a law degree from Oxford University. His professional background includes McKinsey and Company, Managing Director for Europe and Asia for the Gerson Lehrman Group and Global Head of Strategy at Commonwealth Bank. As Head of Transition, David is overseeing an orderly and seamless transition into government for the incoming administration.
Alberta’s future runs on rails
Alberta’s government is bringing together passenger rail experts from across the world to share best practices and inform the province’s Passenger Rail Master Plan.
As Alberta experiences record growth and evolving transportation needs, passenger rail infrastructure and services will be vital for enhancing accessibility and connecting communities. To support this, Alberta’s government is developing a Passenger Rail Master Plan to build the optimal passenger rail system for the province.
As part of the development of the plan, Alberta’s government is hosting a one-day forum to provide an opportunity for Alberta communities, industry and experts to collaborate and share information on passenger rail opportunities and challenges. The forum includes experts from Ontario, Quebec, California, Italy, Spain and Japan who are involved in passenger rail procurement, governance and operations. The sessions will allow for the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on passenger rail planning and development.
“Alberta was built by innovators and visionaries who saw potential in our province and its people. They believed that if you could dream it, you could achieve it. We believe there is opportunity and demand for passenger rail services in Alberta. Today’s forum marks an important step forward in the development of our Passenger Rail Master Plan and in achieving our vision for passenger rail.”
In line with the province’s commitment to engaging Albertans throughout the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan, a survey has been launched to seek public input on passenger rail. Albertans are invited to complete the online survey by Dec. 20 to help shape the future of passenger rail in Alberta. There will be additional opportunities for Albertans to have their say on passenger rail in the future, including regional open houses which will be held in early 2025.
“Feedback from Albertans, Alberta municipalities, Indigenous communities and industry will be critically important to developing passenger rail services in Alberta. I encourage all Albertans to complete the online survey to help inform a shared vision for passenger rail to enhance accessibility, efficiency, and connectivity across the province.”
In April 2024, Alberta’s government shared its vision for passenger rail and announced the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan for Alberta. The province’s vision is for an Alberta passenger rail system that includes public, private or hybrid passenger rail, including:
- a commuter rail system for the Calgary area that connects surrounding communities and the Calgary International Airport to downtown
- a commuter rail system for the Edmonton area that connects surrounding communities and the Edmonton International Airport to downtown
- passenger rail that runs between Calgary and Edmonton and the Rocky Mountain parks
- a regional rail line between Calgary and Edmonton, with a local transit hub in Red Deer
- municipal-led LRT systems in Calgary and Edmonton that integrate with the provincial passenger rail system
- rail hubs serving the major cities that would provide linkages between a commuter rail system, regional rail routes and municipal-led mass transit systems
The vision includes a province-led “Metrolinx-like” Crown corporation with a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations, fare collection/booking systems, system maintenance, and planning for future system expansion.
Quick facts
- The Passenger Rail Survey will be open until Dec. 20.
- Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan is expected to be completed by summer 2025 and will include:
- a comprehensive feasibility assessment
- financial and delivery model options
- governance and operations recommendations
- a 15-year delivery plan
- public engagement
Related information
Grande Prairie. Getty Images photo
From the Canadian Energy Centre
Federal cash grab driving costs for local governments, driving up property taxes
New data shows the painful economic impact of the federal carbon tax on municipalities.
Municipalities in Alberta paid out more than $37 million in federal carbon taxes in 2023, based on a recent survey commissioned by Alberta Municipal Affairs, with data provided to the Canadian Energy Centre.
About $760,000 of that came from the City of Grande Prairie. In a statement, Mayor Jackie Clayton said “if the carbon tax were removed, City property taxes could be reduced by 0.6 per cent, providing direct financial relief to residents and businesses in Grande Prairie.”
Conducted in October, the survey asked municipal districts, towns and cities in Alberta to disclose the amount of carbon tax paid out for the heating and electrifying of municipal assets and fuel for fleet vehicles.
With these funds, Alberta municipalities could have hired 7,789 high school students at $15 per hour last year with the amount paid to Ottawa.
The cost on municipalities includes:
Lloydminster: $422,248
Calgary: $1,230,300 (estimate)
Medicine Hat: $876,237
Lethbridge: $1,398,000 (estimate)
Grande Prairie: $757,562
Crowsnest Pass: $71,100
Red Deer: $1,495,945
Bonnyville: $19,484
Hinton: $66,829
Several municipalities also noted substantial indirect costs from the carbon tax, including higher rates from vendors that serve the municipality – like gravel truck drivers and road repair providers – passing increased fuel prices onto local governments.
The rising price for materials and goods like traffic lights, steel, lumber and cement, due to higher transportation costs are also hitting the bottom line for local governments.
The City of Grande Prairie paid out $89 million in goods and services in 2023, and the indirect costs of the carbon tax “have had an inflationary impact on those expenses” in addition to the direct costs of the tax.
In her press conference announcing Alberta’s challenge to the federal carbon tax on Oct. 29, 2024, Premier Danielle Smith addressed the pressures the carbon tax places on municipal bottom lines.
“In 2023 alone, the City of Calgary could have hired an additional 112 police officers or firefighters for the amount they sent to Ottawa for the carbon tax,” she said.
In a statement issued on Oct. 7, 2024, Ontario Conservative MP Ryan Williams, shadow minister for international trade, said this issue is nationwide.
“In Belleville, Ontario, the impact of the carbon tax is particularly notable. The city faces an extra $410,000 annually in costs – a burden that directly translates to an increase of 0.37 per cent on residents’ property tax bills.”
There is no rebate yet provided on retail carbon pricing for towns, cities and counties.
In October, the council in Belleville passed a motion asking the federal government to return in full all carbon taxes paid by municipalities in Canada.
The unaltered reproduction of this content is free of charge with attribution to the Canadian Energy Centre.
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