LAKELAND – On July 6, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith named the ministers and members who will serve on the government’s cabinet policy committees. Both MLAs serving the Lakeland region will serve on a cabinet committee.
Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean, who also serves as the Minister of Energy and Minerals, will fill a spot on the Alberta First cabinet committee as well as the Legislative Review Committee. Bonnyville-Cold Lake- St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr has accepted a position on the Building Communities cabinet committee.
When announcing the UCP MLAs that would serve on cabinet committees, Smith said, “Each committee member brings a mix of experience and new perspectives to find solutions to our province’s immediate priorities, including growing and diversifying our economy, building safe, strong communities, and defending Alberta’s interests.”
The five cabinet committees announced include the Alberta First committee, Building Communities committee, Economic Diversification committee, Public Safety committee, and Wellness and Legislative Review Committee.
Cabinet policy committees serve a vital role in the development of government legislation and regulations.
These committees contribute to reviewing policy decisions, setting long-range strategic priorities and contribute to proposals and review items before they are presented to the Legislative Assembly.
Building Communities committee
“It's an honour to be invited by the premier to be a part of this committee,” Cyr told Lakeland This Week. “When it comes to any assignments that you get at the legislature, you've got to put every bit of effort you can into it because this is important work that we're doing.”
The committee Cyr is assigned to includes the Minister of Advanced Education, Minister of Education, Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Tourism and Sport, and the Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors.
Cyr noted that the combination of ministries assigned to the Building Communities cabinet committee lends itself to many local municipal concerns, giving the local MLA an opportunity to be involved in policy that will directly affect his constituents.
“When you put all that together, there's quite a bit of things that as a member of this committee we will be able to influence and I'm looking forward to playing part of a larger team,” he said.
Cyr says he is also looking forward to delving into topics around transportation and advocating for Highway 28 to be deemed an economic corridor. However, he noted that other areas such as advanced education and tourism are also priorities for him.
“We do have, in my opinion, the most beautiful parts of Alberta sitting right in our local constituency, in the Lakeland. It's something that I think we all need to be pointing out to people and something that we need to foster and grow in our region – We have a lot to offer in northeast Alberta,” he said.
These committees will start coming together near the end of the summer in preparation for when the members of the legislature begin sitting.
“A lot of work goes behind the scenes to create legislation to the point where the members get to vote on it, and I get to be part of that process,” said Cyr. “We all want to see Alberta move forward in the best way possible.”
