Keeping promises
By Chantelle de Jonge Chestermere-Strathmore MLA
It’s been one year since the 2023 election, and I wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update on how our government has been working to keep our promises and move Alberta forward.
In March 2024, our government announced that we had balanced the budget for the third year in a row. With this latest budget, we made choices that support Albertans’ top priorities and prepare our province to meet the challenges that lie ahead – all while allocating $1.2 billion to pay down the debt and saving $2 billion in the Heritage Fund.
Speaking of the Heritage Fund, in April 2024, we announced that the fund hit an all-time high of $22.1 billion. As part of the new fiscal framework passed in 2023, our government has been laser-focused on paying down the debt, keeping taxes low, balancing the budget, and growing the Heritage Fund for current and future generations of Albertans. Clearly, our plan is working!
Our government is also investing $2.1 billion over three years to build and modernize schools for students across Alberta. Budget 2024 advanced 43 priority school projects, including 28 new schools, 10 replacement schools, and five modernizations across the province. When complete, these projects will create approximately 35,000 new and modernized spaces for Alberta students to learn, grow, and meet their full potential.
As part of our government’s efforts to refocus the health care system, we announced in April that a new mental health and addiction organization called Recovery Alberta would be the first of four new organizations that will ultimately be responsible for overseeing and delivering health care services across the province. This is a landmark initiative that firmly establishes Alberta as a leader in providing addiction and recovery services.
On the economic front, we recently announced that Alberta is once again on pace to lead the nation in job creation. Additionally, Alberta workers have the highest weekly earnings among the provinces, Alberta per capita investments are the highest in Canada, and Alberta’s real GDP is projected to outpace the national average at 2.9 per cent this year.
This past year, we also continued to stand up for Alberta. In April 2024, we introduced the Provincial Priorities Act, a significant step in our efforts to push back against the federal government’s ongoing overreach into areas of provincial jurisdiction. This much-needed legislation will require provincial entities to seek approval before engaging in agreements with the federal government, ensuring that federal funding we receive aligns with Alberta’s priorities.
Through these initiatives, our government has shown its commitment to growing the economy, keeping life affordable, attracting investment, creating jobs, and fixing the health care system for all.
We remain committed to meeting the needs of Albertans today and for generations to come. And, as we continue working to make life better for Alberta families and businesses, we vow to remain focused on the things that matter to you, our bosses.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to build an Alberta that is forever strong and free. I look forward to sharing some local wins next week. As always, please feel free to reach out to me with your feedback/questions (Chestermere.Strathmore@assembly.ab.ca).
(Chantelle de Jonge is the MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore and the Parliamentary Secretary for Affordability and Utilities)