NDP TO FIGHT FOR ALBERTANS LEFT BEHIND BY THE UCP DURING PANDEMIC IN UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION

EDMONTON - Official Opposition House Leader Heather Sweet promised that the NDP Opposition would continue to hold the UCP to account for their actions and inactions and failures during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Our caucus will continue to fight for businesses, including those who had the rug pulled out from under them at the last minute by the UCP,” said Heather Sweet, Official Opposition House Leader. “We will be pushing for this government to finally step up and help businesses source the personal protective equipment they need. We will be pushing this government on its inaction on commercial eviction, and we will be pushing the UCP to reverse their decision to suspend up to 95% of environmental monitoring practices and sell off the provincial parks that belong to all Albertans.”

Sweet also committed that the NDP would continue to fight the UCP’s authoritarian Bill 10 and intended to call Premier Jason Kenney, Health Minister Tyler Shandro, and Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer to be witnesses at the all-party committee examining the Bill.

“Bill 10 was a blatant, grotesque, power grab by the government at the height of a pandemic,” said Sweet. “While the Government House Leader may claim that Bill 10 barely changes anything, the Bill gives any Minister the power to make a new law on a whim.” 

Sweet also promised as well that the NDP would use the debate on COVID-19 starting tomorrow to bring forward the dozens of questions asked by Albertans who were being left behind by the UCP.

“We will raise this government continuing their attacks on rural health care services which has caused at least 18 communities to see reduced healthcare services and access to doctors,” continued Sweet. “We will press this government on their cuts to post-secondary institutions which has caused nearly 3,600 jobs to be lost. We hope that the Premier and his Ministers have the backbone to provide us and Albertans some real answers.”