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Alberta throne speech promises jobs, new recall act, & defending economy

The Alberta government has outlined its plan for the spring sitting of the legislature.

Lt-Gov. Lois Mitchell read the speech from the throne Tuesday, officially opening the new session.

The UCP government says this session will see several bills to advance Alberta’s fair deal goals. Albertans will be able to put important issues, such as a carbon tax, to a referendum through a new citizen initiative law.

A new recall act will allow voters to remove MLAs, mayors, municipal councillors and school board trustees between elections.

Legislation will also be introduced to replace the federal parole board with a provincial board for provincial inmates.

Premier Jason Kenney says his government is obsessed with job creation. “That’s why we’ll introduce our Blueprint for Jobs, which builds on policies brought in last year to keep business taxes low, cut job-killing red tape by one-third, and stand up for our energy sector. We’ll also defend Alberta jobs by making sure illegal blockades don’t threaten Albertans’ ability to earn a living or put food on the table”.

Other highlights of the throne speech include a $6.4 billion commitment to the 2020 Capital Plan and new legislation to protect survivors of human trafficking, toughen sanctions against impaired drivers, and prevent sex offenders from changing their names.

The UCP government also says in its official news release that to address fiscal issues, it will carefully reduce overall spending by less than 3% over three years. Health care, education and social services funding will be maintained at or increased to historic levels, and government will continue to protect front-line services.

Patrick Siedlecki
Patrick Siedlecki
Pat has been a mainstay in the CJOC News department from the time the station launched in 2007. He's been in the position of News Director since then and has been anchoring daily news casts as well as reporting and working behind the scenes. Community is important to him and keeping CJOC listeners and readers informed about what's happening across southern Alberta and beyond. Pat has been in radio broadcasting for the past 24 years, starting in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in 1997 and then moving up island to Nanaimo for another few years before heading to Lethbridge in 2007. Pat grew up in the small Saskatchewan farming town of Foam Lake. After high school, he went to Western Academy Broadcasting College (WABC) in Saskatoon prior to moving to the island. Pat also spent several years broadcasting hockey in the BCHL as well as seven years as the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL. Pat has been working at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge as a Certified Life Celebrant and Funeral Assistant since 2016. News and sports have always been Pat's passion from the time he was a teenager and he's always been grateful to have had the opportunity to make that part of what's been a fun and long radio career!
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