The COUNTRY BOOSTER, November 9, 2021 – Page 4
Albertans sent a strong message By Jackie Lovely MLA Camrose Constituency
We kicked off the fall session of the legislature on October 25 and our government is hard at work as we have already tabled several bills. However, in this week’s column, I would like to address a question my office has been receiving since the referendum votes. Now what? It’s a great question. Voters in our province have given a clear and strong mandate to the Alberta Government; they want a Fair Deal in the federation. Over a million voters cast a ballot and nearly 62 per cent want to see the current equalization formula disappear. Over the last 25 years, Albertans have contributed more than $400 billion more to Canada in tax dollars than they have received in federal spending. Albertans make an immense contribution to equalization through federal tax contributions, which are transferred by the federal government to other provinces for programs and services. The current program has many issues, including a formula that requires it to grow automatically with Canada’s economy, even if contributing provinces like Alberta are experiencing immense economic challenges. We are generous people in Alberta who want to help our neighbours. When there are wildfires in other provinces, we are happy to send our firefighters to help, for example. However, what is not fair is Quebec receiving net equalization payments while that province balances its budget, while Alberta had to deal with an economic downturn. What is also frustrating is Quebec standing in the way of the Energy East Pipeline that would deliver ethical and secure energy to that province. They are happy to take our money with one hand and stand in the way of our economy with the other. Between 2014 and 2019 alone, Albertans made a net contribution of more than $100 billion to the federal government through federal taxes that helped build critical infrastructure. Premier Jason Kenney put forward a government motion to ratify the results and Ottawa has an obligation to negotiate with our government. Albertans are united around Premier Kenney and the UCP government to get the fairness we deserve and expect. For a change in the constitution, seven provinces with 50 percent of the population must agree to any new terms. In a recent press conference, Premier Kenney told us Saskatchewan would back Alberta. There is lots work to do, but this government was elected to fight for Albertans, and we will continue to do that. We also asked Albertans if they want to permanently keep daylight savings time and do away with the biannual clock change. This referendum was very close as 50.2 percent of voters decided to keep the system currently in place. In case you missed the news conference, Service Alberta Minister, Nate Glubish stated that the people have made their decision, and the government will not pursue this any further. When our government was elected in 2019, a major commitment was to put more decisions in the hands of the people, and we have done that. On October 27, associate minister of Rural Economic Development Nate Horner held the first of 20 online meetings with rural businesses across various sectors, including business associations, chambers of commerce, Indigenous and Métis-owned businesses, and industry and community leaders, to hear their ideas on how to ensure Albertans from every corner of the province benefit from Alberta’s Recovery Plan. The survey will be open until December 18 and here is the link www.alberta.ca/rural-economic-developmentengagement.aspx. If you have any questions or concerns, contact my office. We are always here for you. You can contact Jackie Lovely, Camrose MLA, at Constituency Office, 104, 4870-51 Street, Camrose, AB T4V 1S1. Tel: 780-672-0000, camrose@assembly. ab.ca or at Legislature Office, 6th Floor, 9820-107 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5K 1E7.
County welcomes new council By Murray Green
For the first time in Camrose County history, the council will have three women helping make decisions. At the annual organizational meeting on October 26, another bit of history was made when Cindy Trautman was named the Reeve, and councillor Carlene Wetthuhn was declared the Deputy Reeve for the next eight months. It was also the first time a female councillor (Trautman) started a second term. Don Simpson was named the Agricultural Service Board chair. Jim Otto and Roy Carlson were added as members at large, along with the rest of council. Councillor Doug Lyseng was named the Municipal Planning Commission chair. Roland Marchand was declared the chair of the Regional Assessment Review board. Members include Reeve Trautman, Deputy Reeve Wetthuhn, Marchand, Diane Szumlas, Peter Bodnar, Angela Lorente, Dawn Pauls, Terry Daykin and Frank Hegholz. All members of council are on the Budget Committee, Planning Commission. John Girvan, Kathleen Tennant, Shelly Mock, Cindy Skjaveland, Brent Thygesen and Blaine Fenske are on the Subdivision and Development Appeal board. Members on the Building and Planning Committee are councillors Carl Bergstrom and Jordon Banack. Emergency Services Committee includes councillors Tina Sroka, Trautman and Banack. Fire Protection Committee includes Trautman, Banack and Wetthuhn. Councillor Lyseng was
named to the Health and Safety Committee. Personnel and Labour Relations Committee includes Reeve Trautman, councillors Don Simpson and Lyseng. Councillors Simpson, Lyseng and Wetthuhn are on the Recreation Committee. Standing Committee to Investigate Complaints includes councillors Sroka, Simpson and the local councillor. Bergstrom was named to the Bashaw Seed Cleaning Plant Committee, Buffalo Lake Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee and Buffalo Lake Management Team Committee. Members at large Jake Vermeer, Nicola Irving, Douglas Orr and Fenske are on the Economic Development Committee, along with councillors Lyseng, Wetthuhn and Reeve Trautman. Battle River Alliance for Economic Development includes councillor Lyseng with Sroka as the alternate. Lyseng and Wetthuhn were named to the CDSS board with Trautman as the alternate. The County representatives on the Camrose and Area Lodge Authority are Lyseng and Sroka. Wetthuhn was declared the councillor on the Camrose Library Board and Parkland Regional Library Board. Trautman will be the alternate for Parkland. Reeve Trautman agreed to continue as the County member on the Camrose Regional Exhibition board. Simpson was named the Camrose Regional Landfill representative. Sroka will be the alternate. Capital Region Southwest Water Services Commission members are Lyseng and Banack.
COUNTY REEVE
The County representatives on the Camrose Intermunicipal Committee are Trautman, Simpson and Lyseng. Wetthuhn, Simpson and Lyseng were declared the members on the City/ County Recreation Committee. Wetthuhn was named to the Go East RTO (Rural Tourism Organization) board. The Highway 12/21 Regional Water Commission will have Bergstrom and Trautman as members, and Lyseng will be alternate. Simpson was named to the Physician Recruitment and Retention committee. Trautman will be the County representative on the West Dried Meat Lake Solid Waste Committee, with Bergstrom as the alternate. Sroka was named to the Asset Management team. Council agreed to have regular meetings the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 9:30 a.m. except for July and August, when only one meeting will be held. “I move that Camrose County establish the per diem rates for representatives at large appointed by council to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board and the Agricultural Service Board at $219.50 for a full day and $109.75 for a half day,” said councillor Banack. “I move that Camrose County council approve the mileage rates based on the reasonable per-kilometer automobile allowance suggested by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and shall be adjusted annually to reflect CRA rates,” said Bergstrom. The next council meeting will be on November 9 at 9:30 a.m.
Murray Green, Camrose Booster Camrose County Reeve Cindy Trautman was sworn in for her second term to lead council by County administrator Paul King at the organizational meeting on October 26.
