Alberta
Ministerial Mandate Letters highlight upcoming showdowns between Alberta and Ottawa
Contributed by Free Alberta Strategy
After every election in Alberta, once the new government is formed and Cabinet has been selected, the Premier provides documents called mandate letters to each of their new Cabinet Ministers. These mandate letters outline the government’s priorities and policy objectives, as well as the Premier’s expectations, for each Minister’s performance in their respective roles. It is also common for these mandate letters to be released publicly, giving us as the public an early look at where the government is likely headed in the coming months and years. Over the last few days, the first of these mandate letters have been released, so we wanted to bring you a few of the highlights.
The constant theme throughout the letters is a very clear message to the federal government that Alberta will be flexing its muscles on the national stage in the coming four years. In particular, the two highest-profile Ministries – namely Finance and Energy – got mandate letters that put the federal government right in their crosshairs.
*****
Drumheller-Stettler MLA Nate Horner is in Cabinet as Finance Minister and has been tasked with looking at the establishment of an Alberta Revenue Agency and an Alberta Pension Plan.
These are both fundamental concepts of the Free Alberta Strategy, and both are strongly opposed by the New Democrats led by Rachel Notley.
The concept of an Alberta Revenue Agency isn’t as scary as most of the opposition is making it out to be.
Quebec already has a Quebec Revenue Agency that collects all provincial tax.
Saskatchewan just passed the Saskatchewan Revenue Agency Act, which gives them the ability to defend Saskatchewan’s economic autonomy, industries and jobs from federal intrusion and constitutional overreach.
Also, Alberta already collects provincial corporate tax through the Tax and Revenue Administration department.
So, in some ways, the Alberta Revenue Agency already exists – we just need to expand its mandate to include other types of taxes other than corporate tax.
This move would also provide greater flexibility for the province when it comes to provincial tax collection policy.
As a bonus, once this is done, we will then be able to join Quebec in lobbying the federal government for the ability of provinces to collect federal taxes.
This is something that Quebec has been pushing for for quite some time, and while they haven’t made any progress in convincing the current federal Liberal Party, several recent Conservative Party leaders have expressed support for the idea.
With regards to an Alberta Pension Plan, there is an actuarial report due to be released sometime soon that has studied this issue.
“It’s something that’s been outlined as a potential opportunity and something that we need to really flesh out and get into the numbers and make sure that Albertans understand,” said Horner.
We’ve pointed out here a few times that Albertans contribute more into the Canada Pension Plan than we take out in benefits.
In essence, Ottawa is using the CPP as just one more way to subsidize the rest of Canada with our money.
We anticipate the report – when it is released – will point out that due to our young demographics and provincial income levels, an Alberta Pension Plan will give us the ability to decrease contributions while maintaining the same benefits to our seniors, keep contribution levels the same while increasing benefits to our seniors, or some combination of the two.
Alberta’s exit from the Canada Pension Plan would also leave a huge hole in the national fund – one that would require premiums to dramatically increase in the rest of the country to make up for the subsidy they’ll no longer be getting from Albertans.
*****
Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean steps into the crucial role of Energy and Minerals, a very fitting role given the riding he represents is the very heartland of the energy industry.
Jean will face off against a federal government that has been violating provincial natural resource jurisdiction ever since its election, and he will be expected to stand up to the politicians in Ottawa who are seeking to systematically decimate our natural resource industry.
Specifically, Jean is tasked with “defending Alberta’s energy interests against federal overreach and developing strategic alliances with other provinces to deal with energy-related issues.”
Recently, Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has gone so far as to state his belief that oil and gas production is likely to be reduced by 75% by 2050.
And given Justin Trudeau’s plans for a Just Transition / Sustainable Jobs Act, a net-zero electricity grid by 2035, an emissions / production cap on oil and gas at the end of this year, and more, we should believe him when he says he intends to try.
Considering the impact the aggressive climate ambitions of the federal government are anticipated to have on the national economy, prioritizing the defence of the industry on a jurisdictional basis is absolutely essential to ensure the future of Alberta.
*****
Horner, Jean, and the rest of Cabinet are about to become willing participants in the biggest fight of their political lives.
They will be expected to stand up for Alberta against the next wave of federal attacks and wrest control of our future back from Ottawa.
Here at the Free Alberta Strategy, we will be pushing the government to stay resolute in the face of these attacks, and to implement our ideas and proposals.
We’ve seen once before that a government in Alberta can be elected on a strong mandate to stand up to the federal government but back off when left-wing activists and media pressure them to stop.
That’s why we need to keep the pressure on to keep going, and make sure this government follows through.
To help us keep the pressure on, please consider making a donation to the Free Alberta Strategy:
We need your support to continue our research, policy analysis, grassroots organizing, and communications efforts.
Thanks for your support!
Regards,
The Free Alberta Strategy Team
—
DONATE has two key objectives:
- Establishing complete Provincial Legislative Sovereignty within Canada
- Ending Equalization and Net Federal Transfers out of Alberta
The Strategy accomplishes these two objectives through a series of legislative and other policies that must be implemented by Alberta’s Provincial Government
Canada’s wealth is based on its success as a trading nation. Canada is blessed with immense resources spread across a vast country. It has succeeded as a small, open economy with an enviable standard of living that has been able to provide what the world needs.
Canada has been stuck in a situation where it cannot complete nation‑building projects like the Canadian Pacific Railway that was completed in 1885, or the Trans Canada Highway that was completed in the 1960s. With the uncertainty of U.S. tariffs looming over our country and province, Canada needs to take bold action to revitalize the productivity and competitiveness of its economy – going east to west and not always relying on north-south trade. There’s no better time than right now to politically de-risk these projects.
A lack of leadership from the federal government has led to the following:
- Inadequate federal funding for trade infrastructure.
- A lack of investment is stifling the infrastructure capacity we need to diversify our exports. This is despite federally commissioned reports like the 2022 report by the National Supply Chain Task Force indicating the investment need will be trillions over the next 50 years.
- Federal red tape, like the Impact Assessment Act.
- Burdensome regulation has added major costs and significant delays to projects, like the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, a proposed container facility at Vancouver, which spent more than a decade under federal review.
- Opaque funding programs, like the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF).
- Which offers a pattern of unclear criteria for decisions and lack of response. This program has not funded any provincial highway projects in Alberta, despite the many applications put forward by the Government of Alberta. In fact, we’ve gone nearly 3 years without decisions on some project applications.
- Ineffective policies that limit economic activity.
- Measures that pit environmental and economic objectives in stark opposition to one another instead of seeking innovative win-win solutions hinder Canada’s overall productivity and investment climate. One example is the moratorium on shipping crude through northern B.C. waters, which effectively ended Enbridge’s Northern Gateway proposal and has limited Alberta’s ability to ship its oil to Asian markets.
In a federal leadership vacuum, Alberta has worked to advance economic corridors across Canada. In April 2023, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba signed an agreement to collaborate on joint infrastructure networks meant to boost trade and economic growth across the Prairies. Alberta also signed a similar economic corridor agreement with the Northwest Territories in July 2024. Additionally, Alberta would like to see an agreement among all 7 western provinces and territories, and eventually the entire country, to collaborate on economic corridors.
Through our collaboration with neighbouring jurisdictions, we will spur the development of economic corridors by reducing regulatory delays and attracting investment. We recognize the importance of working with Indigenous communities on the development of major infrastructure projects, which will be key to our success in these endeavours.
However, provinces and territories cannot do this alone. The federal government must play its part to advance our country’s economic corridors that we need from coast to coast to coast to support our economic future. It is time for immediate action.
Alberta recommends the federal government take the following steps to strengthen Canada’s economic corridors and supply chains by:
- Creating an Economic Corridor Agency to identify and maintain economic corridors across provincial boundaries, with meaningful consultation with both Indigenous groups and industry.
- Increasing federal funding for trade-enabling infrastructure, such as roads, rail, ports, in-land ports, airports and more.
- Streamlining regulations regarding trade-related infrastructure and interprovincial trade, especially within economic corridors. This would include repealing or amending the Impact Assessment Act and other legislation to remove the uncertainty and ensure regulatory provisions are proportionate to the specific risk of the project.
- Adjusting the policy levers that that support productivity and competitiveness. This would include revisiting how the federal government supports airports, especially in the less-populated regions of Canada.
To move forward expeditiously on the items above, I propose the establishment of a federal/provincial/territorial working group. This working group would be tasked with creating a common position on addressing the economic threats facing Canada, and the need for mitigating trade and trade-enabling infrastructure. The group should identify appropriate governance to ensure these items are presented in a timely fashion by relative priority and urgency.
Alberta will continue to be proactive and tackle trade issues within its own jurisdiction. From collaborative memorandums of understanding with the Prairies and the North, to reducing interprovincial trade barriers, to fostering innovative partnerships with Indigenous groups, Alberta is working within its jurisdiction, much like its provincial and territorial colleagues.
We ask the federal government to join us in a new approach to infrastructure development that ensures Canada is productive and competitive for generations to come and generates the wealth that ensures our quality of life is second to none.
-
Devin Dreeshen
Devin Dreeshen was sworn in as Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors on October 24, 2022.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange respond to allegations of political interference in the issuing of health-care contracts.
DOGE discovers $4.7T in untraceable U.S. Treasury payments
Canada badly misjudged the future of LNG
U.S. tariffs or not, Canada needs to build new oil and gas pipeline space fast
Dr. Deborah Birx Makes Two Shocking COVID Admissions
-
Censorship Industrial Complex2 days agoBipartisan US Coalition Finally Tells Europe, and the FBI, to Shove It
-
Business2 days agoNew climate plan simply hides the costs to Canadians
-
Business1 day agoArgentina’s Javier Milei gives Elon Musk chainsaw
-
Alberta1 day ago
Open letter to Ottawa from Alberta strongly urging National Economic Corridor
-
Energy12 hours agoFederal Government Suddenly Reverses on Critical Minerals – Over Three Years Too Late – MP Greg McLean
-
International1 day agoJihadis behead 70 Christians in DR Congo church
-
Health7 hours agoRFK Jr: There’s no medical justification for vaccinating one-day-old babies for Hepatitis B
-
Addictions1 day agoBC overhauls safer supply program in response to widespread pharmacy scam