The spring session of a historic new government was short but seismic – within two weeks, Albertans saw the passing of Bill 1, a bill that prevents corporations and unions from making political donations; the passing of Bill 2 to change the corporate and income tax structure; and the renewed funding for health, education, post-secondary education and human services.
Some of the government’s moves were long overdue, including Premier Rachel Notley’s apology, echoing the federal government, to First Nations on the history of residential schools, as she also called for the federal government to call an inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.
Others, like a proposed minimum wage hike and a rejection of the idea to reduce small business taxes from three to two per cent, may be guided more by ideology than by common sense, and may ignore the effect of such moves on Alberta’s already fragile economic state at the current time.
Liberal leader David Swann pointed out the danger of going down this path, and was quoted in a CBC news report as saying, “That's the beginning of what happens in governments who become too fixated on their ideology, and not fixated on the long-term best interests of business and the people of the province.”
The reported new spirit of the legislature, with less rancour and bitter partisanship, is to be admired. With an influx of brand new MLAs, many of whom probably bring fresh views and political idealism to the table, one could expect little else. But the NDP should be wary of abusing the power of having a majority government and the ability to override opposition parties’ sensible suggestions, learning the lesson from the PCs’ last disastrous performance at elections that it is voters that have the final say on its fortune.
