NDP’s Notley vows to repeal sovereignty act, keep Canada Pension Plan

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4 days to election day and Rachel Notley has outlined the important thing legislative priorities if the NDP types authorities on Could 29.

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On Thursday, from Excessive Park with the Calgary Tower as a backdrop, she unveiled the primary three steps her get together would take within the legislature.

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Invoice 1 would handle a lot of affordability measures, together with putting a cap on electrical energy charges, insurance coverage charges and post-secondary training. Invoice 2 would repeal the Sovereignty Act and Invoice 3 would take away the power to go away the Canada Pension Plan for a brand new provincial plan.

Within the course of, Notley tried to place herself as a average, leaning on get together messages about controversial and generally offensive feedback from the UCP chief.

“You and I don’t share Alberta’s mainstream values, Danielle Smith,” she stated. “I’ve gone throughout this province and listened to Albertans and I am getting an increasing number of assured that we will win this election.”

Whereas current public polls present the UCP establishing themselves in entrance, senior NDP strategists say inside polls counsel the get together has a slight lead in Calgary.

Notley famous that the legislative work possible will not occur till the summer time when the Legislature reconvenes. Different potential legislative items embrace beforehand introduced Jap Slopes of the Rockies safety and safety of provincial parks.

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The NDP chief has not stated whether or not she’s going to take a web page from former premier Jason Kenney’s “summer time of repeal” however will take an extended take a look at the work that must be completed.

“This isn’t about repealing or endorsing these issues,” Notley stated. “That is about transferring ahead with the priorities that Albertans have repeatedly instructed us they need us to get to work on immediately.”

Notley stated Albertans will save a median of $450 on utility modifications, $450 on insurance coverage modifications, whereas there can be a $500 per little one exercise tax credit score. She stated there would probably be hundreds of {dollars} in financial savings for school and college college students, and will increase for these receiving earnings help.

The UCP has promised that in the event that they ever transfer ahead with plans to interrupt away from CPP, it is going to solely be completed with the help of a referendum. Advocates for such a transfer level to an over-contribution from Albertans whereas a provincial plan may probably yield larger returns for Alberta pensioners.

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Smith charged Treasury Secretary Travis Toews with investigating the matter, however a report has not but been filed.

Notley says it is one of many high points amongst senior voters involved about stability.

“It is clear that Albertans are involved about their retirement safety,” she stated. “They do not belief the VKP to mess around with their retirement safety. There isn’t any want for a referendum to be held which is manipulated by the VKP after an election.”

She additionally reiterated the get together’s platform priorities for restoring well being care — although it will not put a timeline on that — and rising training funding and help, together with restoring PUF funding.

Smith on the air

VKP chief Danielle Smith didn’t make a public media cease on Thursday, however did make a 15-minute look on QR Radio’s Shaye Ganam.

Smith spoke extensively about enhancements made to well being care since she took workplace, together with enhancements to EMS, eliminating the COVID surgical backlog and the current hiring blitz for medical workers. She referred to as bettering well being care her primary precedence when she re-entered politics.

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On Wednesday, 190 Calgary ER docs wrote a letter calling on the following provincial authorities to deal with large staffing shortages, citing 42 residency vacancies and 650,000 Albertans with out a household physician.

Smith defended a transferring timeline that began at 90 days from when he received the get together management and is now seven months in.

“It isn’t good, however we’re transferring in the best course and we will proceed,” Smith stated, noting that the following precedence is addressing main care.

She additionally took purpose at Notley’s response to the UCP’s deliberate first invoice in the event that they win the election. Smith launched the Taxpayer Safety Modification Act on Wednesday to cowl their marketing campaign tax lower guarantees. This runs counter to the NDP’s promise to boost the company earnings tax price from eight per cent to 11 per cent, which might nonetheless be the bottom in Canada.

“So enterprise people who find themselves suggesting that they would go away due to this — frankly, I do not know precisely the place they might go,” Notley stated Wednesday.

Smith stated the circulation can be to the south.

“Proper now, we solely have seven jurisdictions in the US which have a greater tax surroundings than we do,” she stated. “Amongst me. Notley’s improve, we’d find yourself with 17 different jurisdictions that will be higher than us. And we have seen it earlier than. We have seen {dollars} depart right here, go to Texas, go to 2 different US states. And that’s why it’s so dangerous to alter course.”

— With recordsdata by Michael Rodriguez, Postmedia

jaldrich@postmedia.com

Twitter: @JoshAldrich03