Election Alberta

Redford wants speedy twinning of highway 63 after fatal accident

Editor1 — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:57:15 +0000

Following the deadly head-on crash on Highway 63, Alberta Premier Alison Redford says the province needs to act faster on twinning the highway.

But Deputy Premier Doug Horner has said that only 30-40 kilometres of the highway can be twinned each year because that part of the land is a protected caribou zone.

Meanwhile, Redford was reportedly saddened about the accident and said that it was always a capital’s plan to twin at least 50 per cent of the highway within three years.

“We need to act faster on that,” Redford says, though, “and I will ask our Transportation Minister after our Cabinet is sworn in to make that a priority. Highway 63 is a unique road in this province. It is busy and there are safety issues on the road. Of course we know there are challenges with respect to construction.”

Edmonton Mayor to meet with Wildrose leader Danielle Smith

Editor1 — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:42:22 +0000

After being in conflict with Edmonton’s Mayor Stephen Mandel, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith said she wanted to fix her relationship with the mayor, hoping they could move on.

On election day, Smith unveiled her plans to re-visit the city centre airport debate, delay work on the new Royal Alberta Museum and refuse to put provincial funds towards a new downtown arena – plans which Mandel thought would be bad for Edmonton.

Mandel said was relieved after a PC majority won and in response to Smith’s request for meeting, he said he’s willing to meet with her but it’s not clear when.

“I’ve never talked to her, so I have no idea why her policies were about Edmonton,” Mandel said. “We’ll find out.”

3 MLAs to compete as next Speaker of the legislature

Editor1 — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:54:24 +0000

Three MLAs are going to compete in a race to become Speaker of the legislative assembly, replacing the outgoing speaker Barrhead-Morinville MLA Ken Kowalski.

Some of the Speaker’s responsibilities include opening the house each day, acting as referee over legislative debates, settles disputes, hosts dignitaries who will visit, and so on.

Alberta MLAs will vote by secret ballot to elect between contenders, Edmonton-Mill Creek MLA Gene Zwozdesky, Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman and Calgary-Fort MLA Wayne Cao.

“I would argue that I have by far the most parliamentary experience,” Blakeman said. “I’ve also really felt that in Alberta, our Speaker had become very partisan. I really don’t think the Speaker should be sitting in caucus meetings, and I would promise not to sit in caucus.”

Wildrose MLAs gets busy in Alberta’s shadow cabinet

Editor1 — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:10:13 +0000

17 Wildrose MLAs, including Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith, are assigned to critically review the new Alison Redford Progressive Conservative government.

Smith will serve as critic for Intergovernmental, International and Aboriginal Relations while Airdrie MLA Rob Anderson will continue as House Leader and serve as critic for Finance and Treasury Board.

Other critics assignments were revealed after a candidate school for all new MLAs by outgoing speaker Ken Kowalski.

Alberta’s rookie MLAs schooled in rules, decorum, pay

Editor1 — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:43:43 +0000

38 new MLAs were informed on how they’ll be paid, how much money they’ll be provided to run constituency offices and how to behave in the legislature.

All MLAs, 22 Progressive Conservatives, 15 Wildrose and one NDP, will be sworn into office in about two weeks.

Legislature speaker and newly-retired MLA Ken Kowalski tutored the MLA-elects as they get their first look at the Alberta legislature chamber.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Joe Anglin, Wildrose MLA-elect for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre.

Read from CBC News

Alberta leaders prepare to work again

Editor1 — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:23:05 +0000

After the Tory party won back the majority government on the April 23 election, Premier Alison Redford will hold her first meeting with her caucus later Wednesday afternoon.

Redford will introduce her cabinet and is also expected to announce when the legislature will kickoff its second spring sitting.

Meanwhile, the official opposition leader Danielle Smith says she would like to see the growing rift between urbanites and rural dwellers being addressed first.

Alberta election results both good and bad for BC Premier

Editor1 — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:57:13 +0000

The recent results of the Alberta election can be both a good and bad news for B.C. Premier Christy Clark, who is running behind the NDP in her province’s race.

Clark can feel relieved from the fact that polls can be wrong and that a new leader that is seemed doomed to defeat can still prevail on election day.

On the other hand, it’s a bad news because the Liberals under Clark have been shifting rightward, determined to beat out the Tories and separate themselves both from their predecessors within the party and the NDP.

Read more of this news from Peace Arch News

Retired judge recommends higher salaries for Alberta Premier, MLAs

Editor1 — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:28:42 +0000

An independent report, written by a retired judge, recommends that Alberta’s premier be paid $335,000 annually within two years as well as a base salary for MLAs equivalent to $134,000.

Retired justice John Major also made several other recommendations, suggesting that MLA pay must be desiring to ensure “the recruitment and retention of qualified and competent candidates.”

However, Premier Alison Redford said she was surprised to see the report and that she wouldn’t take such hefty raise.

“I couldn’t take that, I would not take that, it’s not what Albertans want and I don’t think it’s appropriate,” she said. “I think what we need to do is take a look at the whole report, and make sure we’re consistent with the spirit of the report.”

Read more details of this report from The Globe And Mail

Former premier endorsed Alison Redford ‘comfortably’

Editor1 — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:04:42 +0000

Former premier Peter Lougheed said he did not hesitate to endorse Alison Redford during the Alberta election campaign after he had decided to support her publicly.

The former premier said he is happy that his party won another majority government and that he likes Redford’s view on Alberta’s place in Canada.

Lougheed said he felt very good about the first woman premier during their meeting.

“I felt the timing was right and I felt very good about her. She came up to the house and we had a good visit with Jean and myself,” he said. “We connected well and I felt her view of the future of the province of Alberta and the role the Progressive Conservative government could play within the province of Alberta… I felt very comfortable,” he said.

Read from CBC News

Progress on twinning deadly highway slow but sure

Editor1 — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:46:40 +0000

The Alberta government has ensured that although the progress on twinning the notorious Highway 63 is slow, there is still an ongoing work behind the scenes.

During the election campaign, Premier Alison Redford promised that her government would do everything it can to twin the highway.

Landon Reppert with Alberta Transportation says engineers are now doing the surveying and design work and that doing it takes time.

“The major pipeline corridor which goes from Edmonton to Fort McMurray — I think we cross it five or six times,” Reppert said. “There’s protections for those utilities and adjustments that need to be done and power lines that need to be moved — which we’re trying to get done in advance of construction work coming through so that when construction does happen, they’re not held up by those utilities as well.”