Dear neighbours,
I hope you’re having a wonderful fall season. Fall is one of my favourite times of the year. September saw the start of the harvest season, during which farmers from across the province took stock of their year’s work. I’d like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to Alberta farmers for all of the hard work they do to put food on our tables.
Speaking of gratitude, I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and was able to take some time to celebrate with their families. I was grateful to be able to spend time with my family and to appreciate how fortunate I am to live in this beautiful province, have supportive friends and family, and to represent the people of Calgary-North East in our Legislature.
It has been seven months since my United Conservative colleagues and I were elected on to form Alberta’s 30th government, and over the past seven months, my colleagues and I have been working hard to make life better for you and your family. Our government promised to create more jobs to get Albertans back to work, revitalize our economy, get Alberta’s finances back on track, and fight to get a fair price for our natural resources by helping to get pipelines to new markets built. During the spring session, which was held from May to July, we passed 13 bills that will allow our government to take the actions needed to fulfill these goals.
The Legislature adjourned for the summer on July 5, but that didn’t mean our work stopped. Our government continued to listen to Albertans and act to address their concerns. One key concern that was frequently raised by constituents across the province was the issue of long wait times for driver examination road tests. On September 12, Minister of Transportation Ric McIver took steps to decrease wait times for all driver’s license classes by licencing non-government examiners to perform road tests.
On September 10, Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides announced that our government will be bolstering the High School Apprenticeship Scholarship. More than 1,400 scholarships worth a total of nearly $1.5 million are being awarded for the 2019-20 school year. This step will help students access the education needed to pursue a career in the trades. Minister Nicolaides and Ms. Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, announced on September 19 that our government would invest $10 million in Women Building Futures, a program that supports women pursuing the skilled trades. Ms. Armstrong-Homeniuk is a strong advocate for women in the trades and we are very fortunate to have her voice in our government caucus. These initiatives are part of our plan to get Albertans back to work.
I have also spent the past few months working in Calgary-North East to address issues facing our community. On July 23, I was joined by Minister of Justice Doug Schweizer, Ward 5 Councillor George Chahal, representatives from the Calgary Police Service, our local school board trustees, and members of our community to discuss the increase in violence in our community. I want to stress that I am committed to keeping our community safe. My government colleagues and I will listen to and work with residents and victims of crime in order to find real, lasting solutions.
On September 30, I was happy to hold a roundtable to consult with community members about our Fairness for Newcomers Plan. As part of our government’s plan to get Albertans back to work, we passed Bill 11: The Fair Registration Practices Act. This bill will require certain professional regulatory bodies to ensure foreign credentials for professionals are recognized quickly, allowing professionals who have immigrated to Alberta to work at the levels they were trained for. We are also creating a Fairness for Newcomers Office, which will work with trade and professional regulators to streamline, simplify, and accelerate foreign credential recognition.
I would also like to inform parents of an ongoing initiative undertaken by the Calgary Board of Education to develop a plan for the anticipated increase in enrollment of students. During September and October, the CBE held in-person sessions to gather input from community members, particularly from parents whose children are currently in grade 7 and below. The CBE will host future engagement opportunities related to this matter. I understand that the need for a high school is top of mind for many families living in Calgary-North East. That is why I encourage you to consider participating in future engagement opportunities. More information can be found at cbe.ab.ca/highschoolengagement.
On October 8, my colleagues and I headed back to the Legislature for the start of the fall session, and on. We’re continuing to work hard for you by keeping the promises we made to Albertans.
As always, it is my honour and privilege to represent you in our Legislature as the MLA for Calgary-North East. I hope to update you soon with updates on the progress we’ve made.
Sincerely,
Rajan Sawhney
MLA for Calgary North-East and Minister of Community and Social Services
Proudly Serving the Communities of Livingston, Harvest Hills, Coventry Hills, Skyview, Redstone, and Cityscape
