Alberta
Alberta NDP calling on Premier to denounce UCP MLA’s calling for an end to lockdowns
From the Alberta NDP
KENNEY’S SILENCE ALLOWS UCP MLAS TO UNDERMINE PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS
Jason Kenney must explain to Albertans following COVID-19 public health orders why he has continually failed to take action against the members of his own Caucus who are undermining those orders from a position of authority and putting lives at risk in the process.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that UCP MLA’s Drew Barnes and Angela Pitt had signed up as Members of the “End the Lockdown Caucus”, a group that declares, “lockdowns cause more harm than the virus and must be brought to an end.”
It was also learned Tuesday that senior UCP Cabinet Minister Jason Nixon and UCP Caucus Chair Todd Loewen had joined Drew Barnes in the undermining of public health orders by telling local papers that they would be pushing for a regional re-opening, an action that directly contradicts the advice given by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
“Jason Kenney promised to introduce a culture of discipline to the scandal ridden, arrogant and out-of-touch UCP,” said David Shepherd, NDP Health Critic. “He also promised to build a database of extremists to keep them from taking over the UCP. Instead we see that the extremists are well and truly running the UCP.”
The End the Lockdown Caucus includes, Wildrose Independence Party Leader Paul Hinman, former Separatist MLA Gordon Kessler, MP Derek Sloan, who was expelled from the Conservative Party of Canada for accepting a donation from a white nationalist, and Leader of the People’s Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier.
“Months of Jason Kenney’s failed chaotic leadership is empowering and encouraging the extreme, anti-science members of the UCP,” said Shepherd. “Kenney must discipline these MLAs for endangering Albertans through their reckless and selfish behaviour.”
MLA Pitt stated publicly: “One hundred per cent, more people in the caucus will join us. I tried to work on things internally, but it was not working on the inside”.
Jason Kenney will be speaking to the media at 1pm on Wednesday. If he is serious about protecting the lives and livelihoods of Albertans, he will denounce the dangerous stance taken by his Caucus.
“Jason Kenney must explain why he has allowed a rebellion of anti-health to take over the UCP and why won’t he do a thing to stop it?” Shepherd said. “This Premier’s leadership is either so weak that he can’t stop them, or he is so indifferent to the medical advice of Dr. Hinshaw that he is allowing his Caucus to spread medically false statements during a global pandemic. Either way, this is not the leadership Alberta needs.”
Alberta
Alberta mother accuses health agency of trying to vaccinate son against her wishes
From LifeSiteNews
Alberta Health Services has been accused of attempting to vaccinate a child in school against his parent’s wishes.
On November 6, Alberta Health Services staffers visited Edmonton Hardisty School where they reportedly attempted to vaccinate a grade 6 student despite his parents signing a form stating that they did not wish for him to receive the vaccines.
“It is clear they do not prioritize parental rights, and in not doing so, they traumatize students,” the boy’s mother Kerri Findling told the Counter Signal.
During the school visit, AHS planned to vaccinate sixth graders with the HPV and hepatitis B vaccines. Notably, both HPV and hepatitis B are vaccines given to prevent diseases normally transmitted sexually.
Among the chief concerns about the HPV vaccine has been the high number of adverse reactions reported after taking it, including a case where a 16 year-old Australian girl was made infertile due to the vaccine.
Additionally, in 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received reports of 28 deaths associated with the HPV vaccine. Among the 6,723 adverse reactions reported that year, 142 were deemed life-threatening and 1,061 were considered serious.
Children whose parents had written “refused” on their forms were supposed to return to the classroom when the rest of the class was called into the vaccination area.
However, in this case, Findling alleged that AHS staffers told her son to proceed to the vaccination area, despite seeing that she had written “refused” on his form.
When the boy asked if he could return to the classroom, as he was certain his parents did not intend for him to receive the shots, the staff reportedly said “no.” However, he chose to return to the classroom anyway.
Shortly after, he was called into the office and taken back to the vaccination area. Findling said that her son then left the school building and braved the sub-zero temperatures to call his parents.
Following his parents’ arrival at the school, AHS claimed the incident was a misunderstanding due to a “new hire,” attesting that the mistake would have been caught before their son was vaccinated.
“If a student leaves the vaccination center without receiving the vaccine, it should be up to the parents to get the vaccine at a different time, if they so desire, not the school to enforce vaccination on behalf of AHS,” Findling declared.
Findling’s story comes just a few months after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith promised a new Bill of Rights affirming “God-given” parental authority over children.
A draft version of a forthcoming Alberta Bill of Rights provided to LifeSiteNews includes a provision beefing up parental rights, declaring the “freedom of parents to make informed decisions concerning the health, education, welfare and upbringing of their children.”
Alberta
Alberta’s fiscal update projects budget surplus, but fiscal fortunes could quickly turn
From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill
According to the recent mid-year update tabled Thursday, the Smith government projects a $4.6 billion surplus in 2024/25, up from the $2.9 billion surplus projected just a few months ago. Despite the good news, Premier Smith must reduce spending to avoid budget deficits.
The fiscal update projects resource revenue of $20.3 billion in 2024/25. Today’s relatively high—but very volatile—resource revenue (including oil and gas royalties) is helping finance today’s spending and maintain a balanced budget. But it will not last forever.
For perspective, in just the last decade the Alberta government’s annual resource revenue has been as low as $2.8 billion (2015/16) and as high as $25.2 billion (2022/23).
And while the resource revenue rollercoaster is currently in Alberta’s favor, Finance Minister Nate Horner acknowledges that “risks are on the rise” as oil prices have dropped considerably and forecasters are projecting downward pressure on prices—all of which impacts resource revenue.
In fact, the government’s own estimates show a $1 change in oil prices results in an estimated $630 million revenue swing. So while the Smith government plans to maintain a surplus in 2024/25, a small change in oil prices could quickly plunge Alberta back into deficit. Premier Smith has warned that her government may fall into a budget deficit this fiscal year.
This should come as no surprise. Alberta’s been on the resource revenue rollercoaster for decades. Successive governments have increased spending during the good times of high resource revenue, but failed to rein in spending when resource revenues fell.
Previous research has shown that, in Alberta, a $1 increase in resource revenue is associated with an estimated 56-cent increase in program spending the following fiscal year (on a per-person, inflation-adjusted basis). However, a decline in resource revenue is not similarly associated with a reduction in program spending. This pattern has led to historically high levels of government spending—and budget deficits—even in more recent years.
Consider this: If this fiscal year the Smith government received an average level of resource revenue (based on levels over the last 10 years), it would receive approximately $13,000 per Albertan. Yet the government plans to spend nearly $15,000 per Albertan this fiscal year (after adjusting for inflation). That’s a huge gap of roughly $2,000—and it means the government is continuing to take big risks with the provincial budget.
Of course, if the government falls back into deficit there are implications for everyday Albertans.
When the government runs a deficit, it accumulates debt, which Albertans must pay to service. In 2024/25, the government’s debt interest payments will cost each Albertan nearly $650. That’s largely because, despite running surpluses over the last few years, Albertans are still paying for debt accumulated during the most recent string of deficits from 2008/09 to 2020/21 (excluding 2014/15), which only ended when the government enjoyed an unexpected windfall in resource revenue in 2021/22.
According to Thursday’s mid-year fiscal update, Alberta’s finances continue to be at risk. To avoid deficits, the Smith government should meaningfully reduce spending so that it’s aligned with more reliable, stable levels of revenue.
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