News Release
Spring session: Alberta keeps moving forward
The spring sitting at the Alberta legislature saw several new measures adopted to get Albertans back to work, diversify the economy and make life more affordable for failies.
The beginning of spring session was marked by a milestone in Alberta’s Recovery Plan with the introduction of Budget 2022: Moving Forward. By presenting a balanced budget for the first time in more than a decade, Alberta’s government delivered on a key commitment to control spending and get the province’s finances back on track.
Alberta’s government continued to attract massive investments in aerospace, logistics, venture capital and manufacturing while positioning Alberta for further investments in hydrogen, tourism, hemp, and film and television.
To confront the rising cost of living driven by record inflation, the government eliminated the 13-cent-per-litre fuel tax and passed legislation to provide rebates on electricity bills.
This work has laid the foundation to continue creating jobs, diversifying the economy and generating opportunities for every Albertan in the months and years to come.
“This sitting of the legislature was yet another in which Alberta’s government delivered on the commitments it made to Albertans to create jobs, grow the economy and build a stronger province. I’m particularly pleased we were able to provide real relief to Albertans’ pocketbooks and commit to further action to make life more affordable.”
Jason Kenney, Premier
“Alberta’s government has firmly established Alberta as the best place in the world to work, live, play, start a business and raise a family. Albertans can see their priorities reflected in the investments made in addiction recovery, health care and policing while addressing affordability and improving the economy.”
Jason Nixon, Government House Leader
During the spring sitting, the Alberta government passed bills focused on standing up for Albertans, easing cost-of-living pressures, making Alberta an attractive place for investment and sticking to the fiscal plan.
This includes the government’s sixth red tape bill that focuses on common-sense changes to remove barriers to economic growth. The government has cut red tape by 25 per cent since taking office, on its way to cutting red tape by a third as promised.
Furthermore, the Alberta at Work initiative, part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, is making strategic investments in high-demand programs to meet labour demands, ensuring post-secondary students have more opportunities to train close to home in the programs they choose, and supporting industry with the highly skilled and talented workforce they need for the future.
Alberta’s economy is back on track and poised to lead the country in growth this year. Alberta’s government continues to build on its strengths, support entrepreneurship and promote diversification, through Alberta’s Recovery Plan, into new and emerging sectors to attract investment and create more good-paying jobs for Albertans, which is helping drive the province’s unemployment rate to the lowest it has been since spring 2015.
As inflation reaches lifetime highs, Alberta’s government took real action by eliminating the fuel tax and enabling electricity and natural gas rebates that will help nearly two million Albertans. These rebates will provide short-term relief while the government creates long-term improvements to make the utility system more affordable.
On the international front, Alberta’s government continues to advocate for Alberta energy as a key part of establishing global energy security for our allies and increasing Alberta’s energy exports to the United States and the world.
Premier Jason Kenney led a successful mission to Washington, D.C., where he appeared before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and convinced senior American legislators to visit Alberta’s oilsands.
Spring legislation highlights
The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Recognition Act celebrates Her Majesty’s 70 years of reign by recognizing Albertans who have helped change the province for the better.
The Utility Commodity Rebate Act allows for $150 in electricity rebates for two million households, farms and small businesses, amounting to nearly $300 million in relief on high electricity bills.
The Continuing Care Act expands and modernizes continuing care while Budget 2022 provides funding for more than 1,500 new continuing care beds and added home care capacity.
The Education (Reforming Teacher Profession Discipline) Amendment Act, 2022 creates a single, unbiased, fair, accountable process that can be accessed in a timely manger to further protect students and give parents peace of mind.
The Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2022 removes barriers to economic growth like enabling intermunicipal business licences and increasing the sustainability of rural utilities.
The Traffic Safety Amendment Act protects all roadside workers by requiring all motorists travelling in the same direction to slow down to 60 km/hr when passing a vehicle with lights flashing.
Motions passed in the chamber
Government Motion 10 condemned the unnecessary invocation of the Emergencies Act by the Government of Canada as the assembly is of the view that this was a measure which infringed upon the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Albertans and all Canadians, including the right to due process and natural justice.
Government Motion 11 unequivocally condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and affirmed the solidarity of Alberta with the people of Ukraine and Albertans’ support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. It also called on the Government of Canada to impose the strongest possible sanctions on the Russian Federation and to provide with the greatest urgency generous humanitarian support to Ukraine.
Government Motion 12 recognized that the current air travel restrictions imposed by the Government of Canada had no measurable public health benefit and continued to impact hundreds of thousands of jobs in the air travel and tourism sectors. It also called on the Government of Canada to revoke its proof of vaccination requirement for airline passengers and its pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirement for international airline passengers entering Canada.
Government Motion 18 called on the Government of Canada to stop its planned April 1, 2022, increase of the carbon tax to $50 per tonne and its further plan to increase the carbon tax to $170 per tonne, given that Canadian families are struggling with the highest inflation in 30 years.
Related information
Promises kept – May 2022 (PDF)
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