Thread by @EmmaLGraney

The MacKinnon panel has recommended sweeping changes to health, education, the public service and more in its final report. I cannot overstate just how big these recommended changes are. edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/… #ableg #cdnpoli

Here are the MacKinnon Panel's recommended changes in Alberta to health, including re-negotiating doctor pay, moving services from hospitals to private/non-profits and widening the scope of practice for nurses edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/… #ableg #cdnpoli

Alberta municipalities should be shouldering more of the cost burden for major projects, the MacKinnon Panel found, and there's a chance that city charter with Calgary and Edmonton will be, uh, not a thing edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/… #ableg #cdnpoli

Huge changes proposed for Alberta education, both post-secondary & K-12. Includes tying funding to performance & assessing the financial viability for Alberta's post-secondary institutions. Toews told me he's not looking to close any yet. edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/… #ableg #cdnpoli

The public sector has to do its part for fiscal restraint, the MacKinnon Panel says edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/… #ableg #cdnpoli

This is an interesting one -- the MacKinnon panel says all government services and programs need to be closely examined. edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/… #ableg #cdnpoli

Wanna read all of the 26 recommendations by the MacKinnon panel? YEAH YOU DO! I got your back. edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/… #ableg #cdnpoli

Back to the press conference with MacKinnon and Toews. Toews says "we must act now." Future Albertans are counting on us, he adds. #ableg #cdnpoli

"We don't have a revenue problem, folks, we have a spending problem," Toews says. MacKinnon compares the provincial economy to car repair, saying you wouldn't just do nothing if your neighbour was getting repairs for less money #ableg #cdnpoli

That was in response to a Q about why we don't just raise taxes given there's no PST here, for EG. MacKinnon says Alberta shouldn't just go *make it raaaaaaaain* when resource revenues are high (yes, that's a paraphrase... but my goodness I wish it wasn't) #ableg #cdnpoli

MacKinnon doubles down on the fact Alberta has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. That's in response to a Q about other provinces paying more in taxes. "I don't think there's a case here for raising taxes." #ableg #cdnpoli

"Alberta has lost its reputation as a good place to invest," MacKinnon says, and needs to send signals to the rest of the world that it's changing #ableg #cdnpoli

MacKinnon says legisaltive tools aren't unusual when it comes to public sector salaries - not when it's consistent with freezes and a recession. #ableg #cdnpoli

Oops we briefly lost the audio there, but we're back! Toews says he appreciates the public sector but is taking these MacKinnon recommendations seriously #ableg #cdnpoli

There's a line in the report that recommends lifting the pay freeze for non-unionized employees (it's been in place since 2015). That's not just management, MacKinnon says - it's junior folks as well. The public service is losing ppl as a result, she says #ableg #cdnpoli

Just how hard will it be to balance the budget? MacKinnon: Deal with public sector salaries, b/c "they can't continue to go up." And you MUST look at health, "You have to make those changes - fewer hospitals, more clinics... deal with the Dr. contracts" she says #ableg #cdnpoli

Interesting that she just said 'fewer hospitals." Closing hospitals isn't in the report (like what happened in SK under MacKinnon where 52 were closed), so that's slightly different language. #ableg #cdnpoli

"We'll be putting a lot of stock into these recommendations" as the government prepares the budget, Toews says of the MacKinnon report. BUT, he says, "We've not made any decisions." #ableg #cdnpoli