Alberta
Letter from MLA Jason Stephan in response to United Nurses of Alberta protest
Submitted by Red Deer South MLA Jason Stephan
Today the United Nurses of Alberta (“Union”) held a protest at my MLA constituency office.
Protests should be honest; without disingenuous distortions of facts, or attacks on persons instead of policies where genuine differences of opinion may exist.
In the recent salary arbitration, the Union asked for a 3% increase. The independent arbitrator stated “no change in wage rates is justified … particularly given the prevailing general economic conditions in the Province.”
The arbitrator was right. Out of Government, Alberta businesses and families must limit spending to their incomes; in Government, public sector salaries should respect taxpayers and not impose structural billion-dollar debts and deficits upon our children. That is in the public interest.
In the recent ‘MacKinnon Report’ and supporting documents (collectively, “Report”), there is a comparison of registered nurse compensation to other provinces. Alberta nurse compensation is significantly higher than the Report’s comparator provinces: BC, Ontario and Quebec. The Report is available to all Albertans for viewing at:www.alberta.ca/mackinnon-report-on-finances.aspx
The Report also identifies that Alberta nurses receive taxpayer funded benefits more generous than comparator provinces, and certainly not available in the private sector.
As an example, I received a letter from a nurse describing how some Union members may be choosing to work part time hours in order to leverage automatic double time pay once their part time, not full time, hours were exceeded, or with work falling on “designated days of rest” or “X days”. The concerned taxpayer stated ours is “a system ripe for abuse”.
The Union appears to disagree with our Government taking steps to confront outlier benefits or restrain salaries which exceed provincial counterparts.
Our Government was elected to restore fiscal accountability and sustainability in the face of structural billion-dollar Government deficits. On the strength of the Report, our focus is on reducing the cost of services, as opposed the services themselves.
We would invite all nurses, including our nurses in Central Alberta, to ensure their Union avoids taking unreasonable positions which disrespect taxpayers or undermine a sustainable health care system. That is in the public interest.
From the YouTube channel of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
Members of the media join Premier Danielle Smith for a round table on January 21, 2025.
Yakk Stack By Sheldon Yakiwchuk
Prior to Trumps inauguration event and announcement was made that Trump would not be imposing the 25% tariffs…
Which means, Canada seriously dodged a bullet here.
And while the Liberals will most likely frame this as, their success in showing, Bad Orange Man, that they’re tough and ready to burn down what is left of our economy, throwing Alberta under the bus, first…through a nuclear option…
Premier Smith rode this challenge out like the true champion we knew that she would be.
It’s hard to say if this was a legality matter in the grander scheme…or if the 25% tariffs would have truly been as big of an impact on the US…
One thing is clear, however…
Smith was ready to go to the tables with the Trump administration and opt for diplomacy over threats…which should be what we expect from our leaders.
And should these 25% tariffs have gone through…I’m more than sure a Plan B would have been brought out in civil conversations, over screeching rhetoric.
“She’s treasonous”, they screeched.
“She’s supporting her friends in Oil and Gas”, they relent.
“She should put Canada first”, they echo…
And let’s just address these…
Is Walmart beholden to Campbells soup? Fruit of the Loom? Kraft?
Or does Walmart sell products that helps keep their doors open?
Walmart is not beholden to any product…just like Premier Smith isn’t. We have 26% of our GDP – the largest portion – owed to Alberta O&G, something that we have a limited trade partner with, due to the Liberal – Anti-Alberta/Anti-O&G/Anti-Pipeline attitude that wants to spend us further in debt with unreliable and expensive “Renewables”.
What does Alberta get from renewables?
A higher cost for energy, in an affordability crisis, created by the same people who continue to push them…sounds like a terrible deal, for Albertans, and something a true leader would Not Favor.
When Walmart sits down to hash out a deal with Heinz, are they committing treason because they haven’t shown their allegiance to their own, ‘Great Value’ brand Ketchup?
No…other provinces have their own industries and resources, which they are free to continue developing independent of the federal government, as is suitable and supportive of their own economies…Alberta isn’t competing with them, nor Canada as a whole.
Alberta through industry and resource, actually supports Canada through a grand imbalance on “Equalization Payments”…
As do we through paying 50% more into the Canada Pension Plan, than we actually get out of the Canada Pension Plan…to the tune of a $334 Billion Dollars.
And as for this “Team Canada”, horseshit…
The title Premier of Alberta, should hold some clues as to who Premier Smith should be advocating for…as she is the Premier of Alberta and Not the Prime Minister, nor leader in the Liberal Party that has created this fiasco, to begin with.
Rail, as they may…other provinces can’t cast a vote in her support, either way…
None of the other provinces, through Members of Parliament, nor through Premiers, came to support Alberta and our economy through a number of Federal Bills that railed on our provincial resources…
Worse yet…these hypocrites cash cheques from our province, while telling us how to diversify our economy…to which I’d state one thing unequivocally…
If we wanted to be a Have Not Province…like you are…we’ll come and ask you for your advice.
Until then…
I’ll hold my Alberta Flag Higher than my Canadian…
And be proud today, of having the only Premier in the country of Canada, worthy of any praise today!
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