MLA Report Nov 26

Hello Chestermere. We have seen the face of evil revealed in the recent events in Paris. The world showed solidarity and joined the French people in their resolve. We are not afraid. “Nous sommes la France.” We are France! We can defeat these terrorists and their twisted ideology if we stand together. On this note, I have received a number of calls and emails about the potential settlement of Syrian refugees. I urge you all to remember they are fleeing from the same monsters that attacked Paris and to treat them with generosity, compassion and respect.
Following the recent decision by the US President to kill the Keystone XL pipeline we are now faced with a federal government that wants to ban all tanker traffic off the northern BC coastline. This effectively kills the Northern Gateway line. Our provincial government’s response: indifference. Without access to tidewater we will continue to receive less for our energy resources. This directly impacts our quality of life here in Alberta. I really don’t know how to make this any plainer to a government that prefers ideology to economic reality.
As this is written it looks like the government is about to roll out their environmental strategy in time for the Premier to fly off to Paris and seek the support of those whose agenda definitely does not include a prosperous Alberta. From her comments to her friends in Toronto (would have been nice if she’d told us first, don’t you think?) the government is planning to introduce a carbon tax. This “tax on everything” will hurt every Albertan at a time when the economy is already in recession.
The government has just introduced Bill 6 which will force all Alberta family farms to get Workman’s Compensation Board accounts as if they were like any other business. There was absolutely no consultation with affected groups. Note that there is not a single farmer in the government caucus yet they seem to think they have all the answers. While we support enhanced safety measures it is important that we remember that these people live at their workplace. They know what works and what doesn’t. The government trumpets the fact that other provinces have similar legislation, but conveniently forgets to mention that other provinces treat family farms as a special case. This will add extra costs to family farms and have a direct impact on food prices, employment, and even the viability of small operators. Wildrose has asked the government to refer this bill to a committee of the legislature so affected family farmers can have input but they have refused. The premier has time to consult the cities about legislation that affects them but will not extend the same basic courtesy to farmers. In contrast to the government, we want to hear from you. Please contact us.
World Autism Day is April 2, 2016. Please mark this day on your calendars and consider joining us in the Delacour Hall for a “Light It Up Blue” fundraiser. Think you make good chili? Prove it by entering our Chili Cookoff at the event and compete with teams from all over Chestermere – Rocky View! See facebook.com/LightItUpBlueInDelacour for details. Volunteers are wanted and welcome.
Congratulations to Bruce McAllister on his reappearance in the Anchor. We look forward to some friendly debate.