Thread by @Mitchell_AB

Oh no - I uploaded a video so I have to break the thread:

Jk says 1400 people attended the virtual AGM.

He says his caucus the best group he’s ever worked with even though he was also part of Harper’s cabinet.

Jason Kenney speaking style #UCPAGM2020

Telling a story about David Thompson who explored and mapped Alberta. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of his Métis wife.

Reading some quotes. Said Thompson was overwhelmed by the mountains and how to get to the west coast

JK: we face obstacles with the pandemic and economic issues. Like Thompson we don’t have a map but with principles, like personal responsibility and care for the vulnerable, we will make it through.

Think of the hundreds of thousands of Albertans here by choice

JK: we will get through this. Thanks to the great personal responsibility of Alberta, we have had the least hospitalizations, because we trusted in the collective responsibility of Albertans. Thank you AHS and healthcare workers leading this response. We opened up more quickly.

JK: and we’re piloting a program for travellers. Thank you to Albertans for demonstrating the Alberta ethic of care during this time.

Thanks to the Sikh temple who has delivered meals and helped others. Bagpipe group who went to 15 communities to serenade seniors.

JK: our government acknowledges we must protect lives at the same time as rebuilding our economy. Recovery plan, job creation tax cut - other governments are focused on raising taxes and other forms of fiscal irresponsibility. The Corp tax cut in July will create 55,000 jobs

JK: and we launched the largest infrastructure plan and our investments in oil and gas. We have sent people who want to landlocked our energy a message with that investment. KXL will also result in $30 million in govt revenue. Raised natural gas prices by $1 (for sale)

JK: at the heart of the recovery plan, for oil and gas but also supporting tech, petrochemical, geothermal, nuclear and more.

Well on our way to deliver the other 1/3 of the platform. We ended the carbon tax and repealed Bill 6, passed parental choice in education,

JK: stopped the NDP ideological curriculum, returned secret ballot, give union members ability to say how their dues are spent re political purposes, digital strategies, detox beds, and kept the promise in public healthcare, maintained education funding, cut MLA, premier and lolI

JK: political staff wages, recall legislation and while we’ve been so busy doing that, we also did things that wasn’t in our platform, KXL, Bill 1 protecting critical infrastructure, and citizen initiative referendums, fighting the carbon tax, constitutional challenge of c-69

JK: fiscal stabilization fund cap removal and get our fight for fairness to the tip of the national agenda. Alberta pension plan, police force, parole board - I don’t think anyone’s done more since Brownlee
Nixon managed to get an agreement to allow the province to protect speci

JK: the billion dollar reclamation program led by Savage; our plan is getting results and what matters most is jobs for Albertans.

We are resilient we’ve gotten through greater challenges before. Our brightest days lie in the future.

Q and A

How are you supporting Indigenous people?

Miliken: indigenous crown corporation, they’re building a power plant, no cost to Alberta, it’s just a loan backstop. This program allows them to have better access to loans.

What can be done to minimize the effect of ENGO’s and environmentalists?

Kenney: fight back strategy, our public inquiry which we’ll receive the report next year, get money out of Alberta politics by making it illegal to have foreign money in PACs and third party advertisers

JK: the left hates the Canadian energy centre because they don’t want us fighting back. But money is used to elect anti oil and gas politicians here and in the USA, it’s behind the opposition to KXL and Line 3, the CEC will be coming back with targeted advertising in BC and USA

Q: for LaGrange, First Nations representation in curriculum rewrite

LaGrange: There will be content in the curriculum, in K-6, including residential schools, you’ll see early next year.

FN work

Rick Wilson: been meeting with Chiefs and we’re making headway with projects

Q: strategies with federal govt

JK: we need alliances, as soon as we came to office began making them, 7 western premiers, all of them agreed. 9 of 10 provinces agreed to call on the feds to challenge C-69. We’ve seen strong provincial support. We’re frustrated with the feds

JK: they obviously don’t understand the role oil and gas plays in AB but they also did take on TMX.

Says he knows people are frustrated it’s not all against Ottawa every day but sometimes we can work together.

Has spent a lot of time on the phone with US representatives re oil

JK: like getting presidential permits which came through last week, new representative one Washington, now virtual office in Texas...

Q: NDP changed the name of Tourism, environment and parks, plans to diversify economy.

Nixon: the two work closely, parks dept changed and spent

Nixon: time making it so Albertans couldn’t access their backyard wilderness, we rejected that; we’re not selling parks just making sure we can manage them across the province, and we’ll make sure Albertans can access their backyards.

Q: your council on charities and civil society, what do you think the role looks like for Alberta?

JK: voluntary orgs that do so much to make our lives better, they do so much better than anyone else on preventing and supporting Albertans

Jk: Right to Care legislation coming for charities who can’t afford to meet legal requirements and so on; reduce red tape for charities we can’t find them all because they’d cease to be independent but, $50 million for women’s shelters and food banks, we want them to deliver

JK: more programs and they’re more efficient and they’re less expensive. Like Nixon said, these groups can take care of parks and they can do so much with way less money.

Q: how soon will CEC turn the media onto the truth about the oil and gas industry?

Savage: we are spending less during the pandemic but it’s pretty obvious from the opposition from the NDP and environmentalists that it’s greatly needed but it’ll start up again soon.

Q: how optimistic are you about carbon tax challenge?

Jk: we go to the SCC with AB 4-1 decisio

JK: however losses in SK and ON. Feds have no constitutional authority to do this says it’s a violation of our jurisdiction.

We have TIER, which is updated Klein legislation.

Doesn’t want to presuppose next steps but is optimistic b cause provinces have jurisdiction of nat reso

Q: nuclear tech
JK: working with Canadian nuclear commission, three provinces working, SNR, we are moving forward

Q: status on infrastructure projects, specifically #yyc Cancer centre
Panda: AB kept construction going during Covid, more than 1000 workers on the site

Panda: also school projects and maintenance, most on time and budget including cancer centre. We had some cases at 30 or so construction sites out of hundreds. Will not shave moustache until CA says but trimmed it to stay married 😏

Q: if PM Trudeau is elected again, will the premier work with Alberta even if it means separation?

JK: I’m a Canadian I’m a patriot, you can’t separate it - patriotism literally means love of country. I won’t turn my back on the sacrifices before to build this country

Jk: when Harper was in no one was talking like this. Albertans I’m hearing from They don’t want separation they want jobs and cutting ourselves off from the rest of Canada, during a campaign to landlocked us will actually landlock us. Look at Quebec - exodus of jobs, capital etc

Jk: we don’t want to further repress real estate and drive out more capital so my governments focus is on jobs and economy, not divisive debates that could put that at risk.

Q Covid vaccine, how do we mitigate risk until it’s available

Shandro: we have to continue to review

Shandro: recommendations and guidelines and balance social and economic impacts

Q: plans to pursue automation and digitizations of services for govt

Glubish: yes, we owe it to AB to deliver at least as efficient as other provinces; registry services for example

Q: equalization referendum, extra questions ie police force, taxes

Jk: we are considering a multi-issue ballot; property rights, senate elections, daylight savings time, other potential issues. Some on the left get all worked up over this expression of real democracy

Jk: I feel it’s right to go directly to people. We’re doing a study on the costs and benefits of a provincial pension plan, may be added as well

Q: post secondary review updates?

Nicolaides: final report in December, we’ve conducted a number of one on one interviews town halls

Nicolaides: aimed to develop stronger post-secondary, transferring students, commercial application of research, supporting new business through that work, focusing on skills and competencies students will need in the future, pace of tech change will get faster

Surveys available online

Q: issues with urban/rural municipalities

Allard: regional economies, visibly local results, most compassionate thing we can do is create jobs and build economy. Unhealthy tension between couple of regions happy to talk more offline

*she said sounds like there might be unhealthy tensions

Q: how to balance budget without raising taxes

Toews: we won’t be able to balance, we will not meet our fiscal challenge unless economy recovers so that’s job one; deliver services most efficiently.

Toews: we’re still an outlier in comparison to other provinces, balancing the budget is important but pushing to do so in two years will cause undue hardship but we will have a plan in the future. Budget 2020 will be a reset of sorts.

This will continue for another hour

Q justice reform

Madu: no doubt we have an excellent justice and law enforcement system, reform must ensure it is fair for every citizen.

Bill 38; address concerns, the four walls of our court must reflect today’s Alberta

Madu: as long as I remain justice minister as long as I can serve this government and this party, I promise to do that.

Q: how can Alberta attract investors from places ie like Hong Kong?

JK: with the job creation tax cut and red tape reduction, but will aggressively pursue

Jk: new investment with Alberta Investment Corp. immigration policy can be a tool and we will move forward with Alberta advantage immigration plan; rural investor immigration program, investment can be just buying a hardware store before it goes out of business.

JK: 300,000 Canadians in Hong Kong may be looking to return and we want to be the top destination

Q pubs and bars and restaurants going under, whistle blowers sending in complaints re health guidelines, is this true, what’s the protocol for complaints

JK: I feel for them the NDP raised taxes 50-% during a recession, regulations etc. 85% of businesses were able to stay open. We opened restaurants more quickly than any other province, hoping we can get to the point where we can move from 2m distance to WHO recommended 1 m

JK: Notley calling for stronger measures but it’s not based on data it’s based on politics

Shandro: there is a process for people to submit complaints, process existed before Covid, we aren’t seeing spread from the hospitality industry, we’ll continue to support, educate before

Shandro: enforcement

Q rural municipalities assessment model review

Allard: met with municipalities to get their perspectives to understand the issues, it was a complicated review, we worked together to make it better.

Q: other trade route potential?

JK: we will look at any options. Been working with Alaska A2A project, talking about rail as well, MLA Getson is leading it - let him know if you have ideas.

Q: how are you beating your own drum? (Basically)

McIvor: we have announcements everyday, a gaggle of MLAs, social media, regular media sometimes, and directly to the people. Says follow the #ableg feed... that might be a shock lol

Q: selenium containment from coal mines

Savage: coal mining can contaminate water, yes, we’re creating a mines and minerals strategy, there’s a lot of work looking at how to remove that if it happens, we’ll be looking for strategies for the companies and we will protect communit

Savage: by using best technology

Q: agreements outside of the country
Schweitzer: this is about entrepreneurial spirit, they put out requests for bids. Olds college example

Q: protecting seniors

Pon: PPE, constant communication

Q: how is community and social services addressing challenging PDD program sustainability

Sawhney: all programs, $1B for PDD, AISH is $1B, key programs; looking at every element and finding efficiencies, take tax$ out of the system into hands

Sawhney: of vulnerable Albertans

Q red tape reduction - which are most urgent?

Hunter: digitizations, reducing timelines, get out of way of job creators, moving at the speed of business, review and identify statutes, policies etc; catalogued all of them,

Q: funding for the arts, consistent with the past?

Aheer: arts and sports were cut off at the knees first with Covid, hoping they’ll be able to reopen soon. Haven’t changed too much around funding, making sure dollars were available for them to keep their heads above water

Aheer: and working with Toews to see how else we can support them

Q: do you see the school system incorporating child care centres for before and after school?

Schulz: updated legislation coming to allow for that..

Ending soon!

Minister Nally: is muted....skip to Copping

Copping: restoring balance in AB Labour laws, health and safety coming soon, looking to put into place program to train unemployed Albertans, match with employers

Nally: it’s oil and gas that got us here and it’s oil and gas that

Nally: will get us out; petrochemicals, hydrogen, advance LNG projects, creating a circular economy for plastics, feds restricted their single use plastic ban to just straws.

Dreeshen: Ag and forestry, $4 billion investment acquisition strategy, Afro good job creation

Dreeshen: arms length research org to take 1/3 Ag research, (and I missed three or four or so - kids)

Luan: under leadership of premier health and addiction will focus on treatment, 4000 spaces in just 16 months, we closed SCS in Lethbridge, massive mismanagement

Luan: we have the most comprehensive plan, added shelter space and recovery beds there instead. Increased online access to mental health, telephone, says churches can partner with non profits to help.

Closing remarks

JK: should have pointed out that 95% who created UCP

JK: they agreed to a principle that said they were committed to a united Canada.

Next AGM will take place Oct 2-5 at Grey Eagle Casino, in-person. I will be there too.

Fin

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