Spring Session of the Legislature and Budget 2022 to be Released
Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk
MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
It has been a fast start to 2022. MLAs are back in the session. It began with the throne speech on Tuesday, and will be followed by the tabling of the budget two days later.
With the price of oil considerably higher than at this time last year, I have a feeling this will be a good budget. I don’t have specific information, but I would urge you to tune in when our province’s financial blueprint is tabled by Minister Toews.
I would like to share an opportunity for contractors that our government announced this week. The transportation ministry is looking for requests for expressions of interest to build as many as 18 commercial highway rest areas in our province.
This decision came following 18 months of consultation by our government with the trucking industry, as well as municipalities. This ties right into the Alberta Recovery Plan.
This will increase safety for our truckers and anyone else needing a break when traveling our roads. With an increase in safety and creating jobs I see this as a win-win.
Also, Alberta Transportation is providing the opportunity to develop government-owned land along major highways. Costs associated with commercial developments will be paid by the private sector and recovered through business revenue. The plan is to award contracts later this year, with construction expected to begin in 2023.
Many services offered by Service Alberta have been brought online. For example, new parents can register the birth of their child and order their child’s first birth certificate from their hospital bed or when they return home.
Since changes were made, more than 83 percent of all birth registrations and about 75 percent of first birth certificate orders have been completed online. While more and more of these services have been coming online, I am glad the registries will still be part of the system. Especially in rural Alberta, we know how important our local registries are to the community. However, it’s great news that more services are accessible are available online.
