As your new government has done since 2015, this past legislative session was focused on you, your families, and making life better and more affordable for Albertans across our province. But the conclusion of the legislative session next week also means that I will be able to spend more time at home here in Calgary Currie with each of you. I look forward to participating in Calgary’s annual Lilac Festival with my New Democrat colleagues on June 3rd and visiting you and your communities on Neighbour Day on June 16th.
When Alberta’s first new government in over four decades was elected in 2015, we promised to protect and improve healthcare. Three years later it is clear that our plan is working. Not only did we pass legislation this session to protect women and healthcare providers from safety and harassment concerns and to remove barriers that impede access to abortion services, Calgary’s seven Primary Care Networks and the AHS Calgary Zone collaboratively developed new guidelines that have dramatically cut wait lists to see a gastrointestinal (GI) specialist in Calgary. In fact, since January 2016 wait lists have dropped from 2,742 to 30. The success of this project has led five other specialities in the Calgary area to implement similar programs.
Your new government also promised to invest in affordable childcare for Alberta families and we have done just that. Last month Rachel Notley announced that her government is adding 6,000 $25-a-day childcare spaces across the province—with one, Sonshine Children’s Centre, located in Westgate. In total, Budget 2018 will support 7,300 affordable childcare spaces in communities all across Alberta with 30 centres—or 2,018 spaces—in the Calgary region alone.
And finally, we’re only six weeks away from my annual Stampede Breakfast and Wiener Dog Rodeo! This year the festivities will take place on Sunday, July 8th at Rosscarrock Community Centre. Breakfast will run from 9:00AM to 11:00AM with the wiener dogs hitting the racetrack at 10:30AM. For those interested in volunteering—we need about 40 pairs of helping hands to make this happen—please contact my office or reach out to me on Twitter or Facebook.
~ Brian
