Friday Focus: Who really has your back?
Parents Pushed Out
The Alberta Liberals believe a strong education system is founded on listening to the voices of parents, teachers and students. Sadly, the UCP seems to disagree. The Alberta School Councils’ Association has had its provincial funding slashed from $650,000 to a pitiful $15, 000 over the last two years. Their work is vital in helping parents contribute to their children’s education. So why are we seeing their funding slashed?
In the same way as teachers were cut out of the curriculum review process, we now see the ASCA weakened significantly. It’s all part of the UCP’s one-track, ideological approach to education. The UCP must immediately reinstate the ASCA’s funding. Our education system is strongest when all stakeholders have a voice to raise their concerns and we take a collaborative approach to education policies in Alberta.
Patients Pushed Around
The UCP isn’t content to nickel and dime volunteer parents, however. They’ve also tried to introduce changes to provincial insulin pump coverage. These changes would have increased costs for some users making life less affordable for Albertans coping with diabetes. All so the UCP could shave $9 million in government expenses. Thankfully public pushback has been strong enough to delay these changes, at least for now.
It goes without saying I opposed this proposed change, so I want to highlight the larger issue. Our healthcare system isn’t truly universal until we also implement a universal pharmacare program. That’s why I support the efforts of the federal Liberal government to work with provinces to get more comprehensive drug coverage in place and why we need a provincial government that’s willing to work with the feds to make it happen.
Trans Mountain on Track
In a week that highlighted how the UCP is making life harder for Albertans, the federal Liberals stepped up for us. They’ve helped keep the Trans Mountain pipeline project on track, yet again, through a $10 billion loan guarantee.
Trans Mountain is critical to growing our economy, getting fair market value for our product and transporting our product in the most environmentally safe way possible. It’s also vital for meeting the growing global demand for ethically sourced oil that will remain high for decades to come. By supporting the project the federal Liberals are proving that even if the provincial government isn’t looking out for Albertans, Liberals are.