Remembrance Day, Quality of Life, and Public Services

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Calgary Mountain View

This year, on Remembrance Day, we honour the contributions and sacrifices of our veterans and also mark the 75th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. This battle was key to the Allies’ victory in the Second World War, but was achieved at great cost, with the Canadians suffering the most casualties of any division in the British Army Group.

With the end of the war came the beginning of an improved quality of life for many people in the US, the UK, and Canada. In the late 1940s and onward, there was a growing consensus that citizens—who had given so much for their countries in a variety of roles, during the most difficult times—deserved secure housing, work, education, and healthcare throughout their lives.

Alberta’s Leader of the Official Opposition, Rachel Notley, and my colleagues in the New Democrat Caucus stand by the belief that in our society we care for one another, with no exceptions. As we heard during our Budget Town Hall events this fall, many Albertans feel that public service cuts and rollbacks negatively impact the most vulnerable populations. For instance, this fall the minimum wage was frozen from the previous year at $15 per hour (and had been cut to $13/hr for those under 18 months earlier) which decreases workers’ quality of life as the cost of living continues to go up.

Everyone should expect the same quality of life that their parents enjoyed (or better!), and my colleagues and I are fighting for strong public services and investments that will enhance the world that past generations imagined and built.

As always, I’m happy to hear from constituents. If you have feedback to offer, please contact my constituency office: [email protected] or 403-216-5445