EDMONTON—Alberta presented its budget on Oct. 24 and the fiscal plan continues to dominate most conversations taking place on the legislature grounds as the calendar turns to November.

The Alberta NDP opposition has been quick to criticize the United Conservatives’ first budget as one that puts corporations first and Albertans last, citing cuts to public sector wages and delayed funding to big transit projects in Edmonton and Calgary at the expense of a $4.7-billion corporate tax cut over the next four years.

The UCP, however, have countered this by emphasizing that funding for healthcare and education has been maintained, and the tax cut is essential to drive investment and job growth back to the province. Restrained spending, they said, is important to balance the budget in four years’ time. Finance Minister Trevor Toews also said public sector wage increases could lead to further job loss.

Despite the criticism, the government continues to move ahead with its mandate. Its carbon tax on large emitters, titled the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) initiative, is set to receive its second reading in the house this week. Bills 20 and 21 are also receiving their second readings, and when passed will enact a series of omnibus legislation that will enable the government to pass its budget.

Here’s what else is going on this week:

Premier Jason Kenney heads to Mexico

The premier was slated to be in Mexico City from Saturday to Monday on a trip to promote investment in Alberta, in the first visit by a premier to Mexico since 2002.

“Alberta is open for business,” Kenney said in a statement. “This is the message I will bring to Mexico City, as I highlight the important measures that our government is pursuing to make our province the most attractive place for job creators to invest in.”

Kenney was set to speak at the Trilateral Commission’s North America Summit meeting on Saturday, to emphasize Alberta’s role in reducing carbon emissions through the province’s ongoing energy projects and position it as a leader when it comes to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concerns.

He will then meet with Mexican government officials to encourage investment and trade with Alberta.

The cost of the trip for the premier, two political staff and a security detail is $24,000, according to the government.

A new panel on mental health and addiction

Jason Luan, the associate minister for mental health and addiction, will make an announcement in Calgary on Monday about a new panel that will “work to improve access to mental health and addiction recovery services” in the province.

He will also be unveiling the names of the panel members.

This is the newest panel under the United Conservative mandate, who already has several focus groups working on Alberta’s kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum revisions under the order of Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, the economic and social impacts of supervised consumption sites under the order of Luan, and the effects of Alberta’s minimum wage hike to $15 an hour in 2018 under the order of Labour and Immigration Minister Jason Copping.

Child and youth advocate responds to funding cut for kids in care

The office of the province’s Child and Youth Advocate said they are concerned with the province’s decision to reduce the age of eligibility for young people aging out of government care from 24 to 22.

Their response follows a story in Star Edmonton, which highlighted the decision that will come into effect in April 2020, and will affect around 500 youth who currently access Support and Financial Assistance Agreements (SFAAs) from the government to pay for rent and necessities.

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“Reducing the age for these supports from 24 to 22 hurts young people who may not be ready for their supports to end,” the office of the advocate stated on Twitter.

The expansion of SFAA funding for youth up to the age of 24 was implemented in 2014, the office said, in part of recommendations they made to the Alberta government the year prior, which emphasized that further supports could help youth age out of care better.

“Young people living with trauma, addiction, mental health concerns and other complex needs frequently have barriers accessing supports,” the office stated on Twitter. “More, not less, must be done to ensure all young people leaving care have appropriate supports as they transition to adulthood.”

Rural crime tour extended

Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer will be in Lac Ste. Anne on Monday to meet with residents, business owners, crime watch groups and officials at a town hall to discuss their rural crime concerns.

It’s part of his ongoing rural crime tour across Alberta to hear and gather the concerns of communities who say they are impacted by rural crime, and are facing challenges from an enforcement and justice standpoint as to how to address the issue.

Schweitzer began his tour on Sept. 5, and has been extended throughout the month of October as he continues to meet with Alberta’s smaller communities.

The town hall is set to commence at 6 p.m. at Calahoo Community Hall in Sturgeon County.

Caribou task force

Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon will also make an announcement on Monday. His will be on the upcoming work of the province’s three sub-regional caribou task forces to support caribou recovery in Alberta.

On the wildlife front, Nixon’s announcement follows a funding increase by the government into province’s mountain pine beetle management program’s annual budget from $25 million to $30 million through 2022-23.

The program is said to reduce the spread of the mountain pine beetle to mitigate damage to Alberta forests. Mountain pine beetle activity, the government said, has increased significantly in the Calgary, Rocky Mountain House, Whitecourt and Edson Forest areas in 2018.

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