Happy New Year Calgary-Bow!
As advertised in my December newsletter, my team and I will be opening the constituency office on Saturday, January 6th from 1-3pm for my New Year Open House. Light refreshments will be provided and it’s a great opportunity to chat with me, meet neighbours and to learn more about the work your provincial government is doing to make life better for Albertans.
Session ended in mid-December and there were a number of accomplishments made in the Alberta Legislature that I would like to highlight for you here.
Bill 24: An Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances will support students who wish to create or join gay-straight alliances by ensuring every publicly funded school in Alberta has a clear policy allowing them to do so. This legislation will make sure that students are the ones who decide when and how to have these deeply personal and important conversations with their parents and loved ones. Gay-straight alliances create safe space for youth to access peer-to-peer support.
Following months of public engagement, the province is moving forward with Bill 26: An Act to Control and Regulate Cannabis. Under the proposed legislation the province has set the legal age for purchase and use at 18, and have gave the AGLC the mandate to oversee distribution, compliance and enforcement. Additional aspects of the Alberta Cannabis Framework—such as details around drug-impaired driving, taxation and workplace safety—will be empowered through updates to other pieces of legislation before July 2018.
Every year, hardworking Albertans are killed or injured on the job. These incidents don’t just affect the workers involved. They have an effect on families, friends, and co-workers and employers. Bill 30: An Act to Protect the Health and Well-being of Working Albertans offers better support for workers if they get injured or sick on the job. It also amends both the OHS and WCB systems to better protect workers, so they can stay healthy and safe.
These legislative changes are great foundations to start 2018 on. I look forward to connecting with you this year and continuing our shared work in making our communities strong and inclusive.
