Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and cabinet ministers took questions from curious and passionate residents during their Alberta Next community hall on Aug. 27 in Lloydminster.
They addressed federal-provincial relations, taxation, health care and immigration during a nearly three-hour town hall at the Servus Sports Centre that saw hundreds of attendees.
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Residents were told about losses to Ottawa
Those in attendance pressed the government about Alberta’s fiscal relationship with Ottawa.
“It is $5,000 per Albertan that, every single year, gets transferred out of this province,” said Smith.
Residents described the economic pressures they face in everyday life. One attendee spoke about living on a single income while paying taxes.
Smith said provincial control over revenue is essential.
“We cannot achieve everything everybody in this room wants to achieve unless we have more control over our destiny, and more control over how we manage those dollars,” she said.
Health-care staffing and access
Health care questions focused on nursing shortages. A newly graduated nurse reported her surgery unit lost 15 staff members and had no transitional positions available for graduates.
Smith explained hospital resources are strained due to the presence of patients who require alternative levels of care.
“Some of the pressure is because we have more people here and we don’t have as many doctors willing to take on more patients,” she said.
Immigration and population growth
Immigration remained a concern, with one resident questioning the pace of newcomers as Smith pointed the finger at federal pandemic-era adjustments.
“Maybe it’s a combination of having a traditional model that relies so much on immigration, disrupted,” said Smith. “So, they tried to correct that, but they overcorrected. I think that’s what’s causing some of the pressures we have now.”
Energy and federal policy
Whitney Schultz, minister of environment and protected areas, defended Alberta’s energy industry against federal rules. She cited costs and risks associated with energy regulations.
“Starting with the clean electricity regulations, this would cost billions of dollars,” she said. “One independent report said this would cost up to $1.7 trillion. That would also put our energy grid at risk.”
Schultz criticized federal energy legislation and caps.
“The courts found Bill C-69 unconstitutional,” stated Shultz. “Stephen Guilbeault told me that was just an opinion. That’s the highest court in Canada.”
She says the emissions cap has a major impact on Lloydminster.
“That would cost billions of dollars, $282 billion in lost GDP. Up to 90,000 jobs lost in Alberta alone and more than 100,000 jobs lost across Canada in other related industries,” said Schultz.
Local concerns and closing remarks
Residents also raised issues like fly-in, fly-out workforces and autism support. Smith encouraged engagement with local MLAs but stressed broader policy changes.
The premier concluded by linking fiscal control, immigration and economic policy to the “Alberta Next” consultation.
Moderator Bruce McAllister praised attendees before closing out the night.
“We can disagree without being disagreeable. I appreciate the conversation tonight,” he said.
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Where is the pictures of the protesters? Why aren’t you highlighting the people opposing this misinformation ?