Labour Fed names top three issues for working Albertans.
from the Alberta Federation of Labour
Alberta's labour movement is changing how we do things. We're asking the parties to talk about the issues that are important to us. If parties agree with us on our priorities, we're asking the 145,000 members of the AFL to help elect those new voices to the Legislature.
Forty years of the same government has taught us there are limits to lobbying Conservative MLAs.
We cannot hope to have a government that shares our values when our world view is fundamentally different from the Conservatives. We cannot simply "convince" the PCs of what's important to us. They may tell us what we want to hear at election time. But after election day, the record shows that on the economy, health care, and public services, conservative parties do not share our values.
Hope for real change, a better economy, and an optimistic future has to come from new voices in the Alberta Legislature.
Hope for real change, a better economy, and an optimistic future has to come from new voices in the Alberta Legislature.
For the Alberta Federation of Labour and our 145,000 members, Election 2012 is about being focused and strategic. With that approach, we'll elect new voices to the Alberta Legislature.
We identified three priorities. We arrived at those priorities through years of consultation with our members at our convention, Executive Council, and at roundtables, public events, and partnerships with other organizations.
Why these issues?
There are many important issues, and the Alberta labour movement continues to speak out on them. The rights of aboriginal peoples, temporary foreign workers, the minimum wage, women's inequality, people living with disabilities, the environment, occupational health and safety: the Alberta labour movement works on all of these issues daily.
But there are three issues at the root of our problems as Albertans.
- Health care is a top priority for all of us.
- The oil sands are the cornerstone of our economy, and so its management affects all other government decisions.
- We can only provide supports, services, and a better quality of life for all Albertans if we have the money to do it. Ending tax giveaways is key.
Oil sands and the economy
The oil sands must be the backbone of good jobs and value-added processing. The spin-offs from refining the oil sands in Alberta — rather than losing thousands of jobs down the pipeline by exporting raw bitumen — will build an economy based on good, stable jobs.
Alberta is losing thousands of good energy jobs down the pipeline. With the Keystone XL pipeline, Alison Redford's Conservatives have plans to lose thousands more. Our members have said clearly: if oil sands are mined here, they should be refined here. Albertans at large share our view.
Our goal should be to use the wealth in the oil sands to build our economy and take advantage of the spin-offs and diversification that comes with refining bitumen in Alberta.
Albertans want our oil sands developed in a responsible way. We need to be serious about environmental monitoring and enforcement. We need to pace development a get a better handle on labour shortages, housing shortages, and inflation. Finally, we need to use our oil-sands wealth to build a green economy. Albertans want a government that is serious about creating green jobs and building green industries.
The solution is electing MLAs that put Alberta jobs and economic development first when it comes to the oil sands.
Public health care
Albertans have told government time and again they don't want private delivery, private insurance, or private clinics. Albertans want a government that will reduce waits for hospital care by investing in long-term care for seniors and mental health services.
But we continue to hear talk of privatization from the Conservatives. There have been several secret memos outlining Conservative plans for American-style private insurance. Those secret memos were written by Fred Horne as a junior member of cabinet. Instead of moving Mr Horne to the back benches, Alison Redford promoted him to Health Minister when she became Premier.
Albertans also want our seniors to live in dignity. But Premier Redford made increasing long-term care fees paid by the elderly a cornerstone of her leadership campaign.
We simply cannot trust the Conservatives to protect public health care. And with a Stephen Harper government in Ottawa, Alberta needs voices in the Legislature that stand up for Medicare.
Ending tax and royalty giveaways
Alberta sits on the world's most valuable natural resources, and we are home to some of the most profitable industries in the world. Yet our government seems to live pay cheque to pay cheque.
Alberta has blown a hole in our revenue base due to years of tax and royalty giveaways. The Conservative government has created a crisis in public services. But the crisis is manufactured. It can be reversed.
Alberta does not have a spending problem. Our spending on health, education, social services, and the environment has either remained flat or dropped. We spend among the lowest in Canada on public services.
We can afford health care, education, infrastructure, and community services. The cupboard is bare because the Conservatives have chosen billions in tax and royalty giveaways. We give away still more on tax breaks for very wealthy individuals. The only solution is ending the free ride.
References
Issues Working Albertans Care About
About Alberta Federation of Labour
The Alberta Federation of Labour is a voluntary association of unions and employee organizations that have banded together to achieve common goals.
Since 1912, when unionized miners and tradespeople from southern Alberta first agreed to work together under the umbrella of a labour "central," the Federation has fought hard to improve conditions for working people, their families and their communities.
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