Sweetgrass and CFWE news - April 13, 2016

MNA members to discuss governance structure

April 13, 2016. Region 3 members of the Metis Nation of Alberta will be meeting Wednesday in Calgary to provide input into the future governance model of the MNA. “We will be developing what the people have said,” said Marlene Lanz, president of the Region 3 and co-minister of registry and governance, so she urges a strong turnout. The study is being undertaken by Shalene Jobin and Kirsten Lindquist from the faculty of Native studies at the University of Alberta. Focus group meetings are also scheduled for Peace River, Lac La Biche, Slave Lake, and Bonnyville. The first meeting was held in Edmonton on April 4. Lanz expects a governance model will be discussed at the annual general meeting in August.

Groups hope for more anti-child poverty measures in budget

April 13, 2016. On the eve of the Alberta government’s 2016 budget, the Edmonton Social Planning Council, the Alberta College of Social Workers, and Public Interest Alberta released a new report, “The Path Forward: Opportunities to End Child Poverty in Alberta.” John Kolkman, research coordinator for the Edmonton Social Planning Council, said a number of key initiatives were announced in the October 2015 budget, the most substantial a new $195 million investment in an Alberta Child Benefit beginning on July 1, 2016. The new ACB will directly add $1,100 per child to the annual incomes of Alberta’s poorest families, with an additional $550 per year for each of the next three children.  “Anti-poverty groups have urged the province to adopt such a benefit for years. This is going to make a big difference to Alberta’s child poverty reduction efforts,” said Kolkman. Figures indicate that 235,000 children are eligible for the new ACB and more than half, at 144,850 lived below the poverty line in 2013 (the most recent year data is available). The report shows that Alberta’s income inequality has increased faster than the national average and that over 362,000 Albertans work for wages less than $15 per hour, the majority of which are women. Joel French, executive director of Public Interest Alberta, said, “As of October 2015, if Alberta had the same tax system as the next lowest province, the Alberta government would generate an additional $8.5 billion in tax revenue. If the government does not address its massive revenue shortage in the near future, its ability to implement new measures to tackle child poverty will be severely limited.”

Fire hazard high in Slave Lake region

April 12, 2016. Warm weather and the lack of rain has caused the fire hazard to climb to high in the Slave Lake Forest Area. As wildfires will ignite easily and spread quickly in areas of dead dry grass, anyone spotting a fire is urged to report it immediately to 310-FIRE. Since April 1, there have been three wildfires in the Slave Lake Forest Area.  All three have been extinguished and the total area burned was 28.32 hectares. Since April 1, Alberta has recorded 78 wildfires that have burned a total of 124.31 hectares. As of April 12, 14 wildfires were still active across the province, including six in the Lac La Biche Forest Area.

Jean says “fiscal discipline” is needed

April 12, 2016. On Tuesday evening, Wildrose Leader Brian Jean spoke to Albertans through a televised address in rebuttal to Premier Rachel Notley’s television message last week. Jean called for “fiscal discipline,” saying the province cannot spend its way out of a deficit, cannot borrow its way out of debt and cannot raise taxes. “It’s short-sighted and will drive money and jobs out of our economy,” said Jean, who not only criticized the provincial government but also took a run at the federal Liberals. “Our federal government is saying it does not care about Alberta’s interests,” he said. The province will deliver its budget on Thursday.

Province hopes to get early look at electoral districts

April 12, 2016.  On Tuesday, the Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act was introduced in the Legislature. The amendment would make it possible for changes to provincial electoral boundaries to be considered before the next anticipated general election. The change in legislation was requested by Glen Resler, Alberta’s chief electoral officer, in response to the 2015 general election being called a year earlier than anticipated. The early appointment of this commission would ensure adequate time to review the province’s electoral boundaries and make required changes before the next provincial election. If passed, the legislation would authorize the appointment of a commission on or before Oct. 31, 2016. Currently, a commission cannot be appointed before July 31, 2017. Bill 7 also seeks to clarify a commission’s authority to consider recent information respecting population that is not collected on a province-wide basis, such as municipal population information. This would be used along with the federal decennial census of population conducted by Statistics Canada or a more recent province-wide census.