Alberta NDP convention focuses on affordability and healthcare

The Alberta NDP says their annual convention, which took place over the weekend, passed resolutions focusing on affordability and healthcare for Albertans in preparation for the next provincial election.

“Over the three days of debate, resolutions that were passed include Fixing the EMS Crisis, which focused on addressing the number of red alerts and ambulance shortages across the province by offering paramedics with casual position full-time positions, developing a retention and recruitment plan for EMS workers, and ensuring paramedics are able to get off shift on time to reduce worker burn out,” said the party in a news release.

The party adds tackling high food prices was among the debate, where they ask the UCP government to work directly with opposition to work on implementing an “all-party committee” to deal with food affordability, and government reporting on food prices.

They also passed resolutions to evaluate and revisit the K-12 school curriculum every 10 years, to keep education relevant and up to date.

The NDP says this comes, “In line with election commitments made by NDP Leader Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP Caucus to revisit consultation on the disastrous UCP curriculum within 100 days of forming government.”

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They also passed resolutions regarding senior citizens.

“NDP passed the Creation of Seniors Advocate resolution, which outlines restoring the position that was dismantled by the UCP, and creating an independent Seniors Advocate that will assist seniors in navigating individual issues, investigate complaints about public, non-profit, and private for-profit facilities, agencies and providers of continuing care, make and enforce decisions to resolve issues of concern and more,” read the release.

The debate also included other resolutions, such as class sizes, building new schools, protecting agricultural lands, the voting age, recycling, labour legislation, protecting youth, truth and reconciliation calls to action, and support for municipalities.

Notley served as premier from 2015 to 2019. She reminded delegates in her speech on Saturday this is the last party gathering before next year’s provincial election, and promised to put a rate cap on utility bills, freeze auto insurance rates, and keep the provincial gas tax off the pumps until inflation returns to more normal levels.

She acknowledges this does have the appearance of an election campaign launch.

“I think that’s pretty fair to say. So yeah, it’s getting campaign-ish for sure. It’s in that stage. The -ish stage.”

The debate concluded as the convention wrapped Sunday afternoon.

— With files from The Canadian Press.