Category: Alberta Liberals

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Alberta Liberals Alberta NDP Kevin Taft

opposition parties shuffle their teams.

The Alberta Liberals shuffled their shadow cabinet this week. Big changes include Dave Taylor’s move from Advanced Education to Municipal Affairs & Housing, Mo Elsalhy’s move to Justice & Attorney General, and Bruce Miller’s move to Employment, Immigration & Industry.

Kevin Taft (Edmonton Riverview) – Leader
Dave Taylor (Calgary Currie) – Deputy Leader, Municipal Affairs & Housing
Laurie Blakeman (Edmonton Centre) House Leader, Health and Wellness,
Rick Miller (Edmonton Rutherford) – Treasury Board, Service Alberta and Finance, Caucus Whip
Mo Elsalhy (Edmonton McClung) – Deputy House Leader, Justice & Attorney General, Solicitor General
Bruce Miller (Edmonton Glenora) – Employment, Immigration & Industry, Deputy Whip
Weslyn Mather (Edmonton Mill Woods) – Children’s Services
David Swann (Calgary Mountain View) – Environment
Hugh MacDonald (Edmonton Gold Bar) – Energy, and Agriculture & Food
Bridget Pastoor (Lethbridge East) – Seniors and Community Supports
Bharat Agnihotri (Edmonton Ellerslie) – Tourism, Parks, Recreation & Culture
Bill Bonko (Edmonton Decore) – Sustainable Resource Development and International, Intergovernmental & Aboriginal Relations
Maurice Tougas (Edmonton Meadowlark) – Advanced Education & Technology, and Chair of the Edmonton Caucus
Harry Chase (Calgary Varsity) – Infrastructure & Transportation
Jack Flaherty (St. Albert) – Education

The NDP shuffled their caucus critics before Christmas:

Brian Mason (Edmonton Highlands-Norwood) – Leader, Treasury Board and Service Alberta, Energy, Finance and Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Ray Martin (Edmonton Beverly-Clareview) – Employment, Immigration and Industry, Health and Wellness, Infrastructure and Transportation and International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations critic areas.
David Eggen (Edmonton Calder) – Education, Agriculture and Food, Environment, Sustainable Resource Development and Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture.
Raj Pannu (Edmonton Strathcona) – Advanced Education and Technology, Justice and Attorney General, Children’s Services and Seniors and Community Supports.

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Alberta Liberals Edmonton Rutherford Rick Miller

quote of the day: rick miller, mla.

The quote of the day goes to Edmonton Rutherford MLA Rick Miller for his comment on the recent “mandate letters” sent from Premier Stelmach to his Cabinet today…

Liberal finance critic Rick Miller said the priorities are nothing new. The government, he said has had a number plans in the past, but hasn’t acted on them.

“It’s kind of like Aunt Martha’s fruitcake. It keeps coming back at you year after year,” he said.

Miller is looking forward to seeing the timelines for the work. The government, he said, has been on autopilot and needs to address many of these issues as soon as possible.

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Affordable Housing Alberta Liberals Alberta NDP Dave Taylor Ed Stelmach Kevin Taft

a house in alberta.

For many newly minted Albertans it’s fairly obvious that the affordability shortage/ridiculously high priced housing market here in Alberta is causing quite the challenge for many residents of Canada’s wealthiest nation. But what are folks to do?

Kevin Taft‘s Alberta Liberals have released a policy paper detailing their plans for an Affordable Housing Strategy. Calgary Currie MLA Dave Taylor, the Official Opposition Critic for Municipal Affairs, announced the Liberals policy paper this week. In brief, the Affordable Housing Strategy recommends:

– changes to provincial regulations concerning secondary (e.g. basement) suites so that they can be quickly used as affordable housing units, while meeting strict provincial health and safety standards;
– portable housing allowances and rent supplements for low-income and fixed-income Albertans;
– giving cities and towns the authority to mandate percentages of affordable housing in new developments;
– incentives to developers to build affordable rental units, and to make home ownership possible for more Albertans;
– providing land through provincial donations and land swaps to make it more financially feasible for local groups to build new affordable housing;
– enacting a Reasonable Rent Increase law to protect tenants from rent gouging.

You can also fill out an online survey.

The Alberta NDP have also released a point pamphlet on Affordable Housing and Poverty calling for the creation of a Ministry of Housing. On Affordable Housing, the NDP are advocating that this new Ministry:

* Build 6000 affordable housing units
* Pressure the federal government to increase funding
* Commit to helping municipalities meet targets

Soon-to-be-newly-minted-Premier-designate-of-Alberta Ed Stelmach released a two-paragraph statement on affordable housing for Albertans with Special Needs during the recent Alberta PC leadership campaign. It looks like Albertans will just have to wait and see where Premier-designate Stelmach stands on this issue.

UPDATE: Stelmach has four more paragraphs on homelessness.

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