Media releases

EDMONTON - Today, the federal government announced that families in Newfoundland and Labrador are benefitting from $10-a-day regulated child care – three years ahead of the national target. The federal government estimates that families will save around $6,300 per year for each child in care. In addition to the savings to families, the federal government also announced a wage grid starting at $25 per hour for early childhood educators with a two-year diploma.

EDMONTON  - Today, Parliament is summoning grocery CEOs including Loblaws CEO Galen Weston to testify about the astronomical price of food. Progressive advocacy organization Public Interest Alberta and the University of Alberta Campus Food Bank called for immediate action to protect citizens from grocery profiteering and upstream solutions for the affordability crisis.

EDMONTON - “For the second year in a row, the budget is balanced — on the backs of Albertans,” said Public Interest Alberta’s Executive Director Bradley Lafortune. “In it, we’ve got a tale of two Albertas: an Alberta where the already-wealthy thrive, and an Alberta where regular people struggle to put food on the table, gas in their car, and a roof over their head.”

EDMONTON - Today, Public Interest Alberta issued a demand for the UCP government to support upstream solutions in housing and services following a presentation to city councillors by Alberta Health Services’ Dr. Sikora, Chief Medical Officer for Health for Edmonton.

EDMONTON - In response to the announcement of the expansion of for-profit child care under the $10-a-day child care framework agreement, child care advocacy organizations Child Care Now Alberta and Public Interest Alberta are raising concerns that the framework sacrifices quality in the system.

EDMONTON - Today, the Bank of Canada has raised interest rates for the eighth time in less than a year as the affordability crisis deepens in Alberta. Advocacy organization Public Interest Alberta is speaking out against the policy, which will not address fuel prices and will further strain Albertans’ ability to purchase the basics.

EDMONTON - Today, Alberta researcher and advocate Dr. Euan Thomson, Public Interest Alberta and Friends of Medicare presented data and called on the UCP government to retract its claims that drug poisoning or overdose deaths are significantly decreasing as a result of their policies. The analysis shows that overdose announcements being made while medical examiner backlogs continue have artificially dampened mortality numbers, calling into question the provincial government’s entire shift in strategy toward an abstinence-only focus. 

In response to Premier Smith’s statement that no emails have been found over the course of a hasty, internal email search over this past weekend and that no further action will be taken, Bradley Lafortune, executive director of Public Interest Alberta, issued the following statement:

EDMONTON - The Alberta Affordability Plan (AAP) applications open tomorrow, Wednesday January 18. Progressive advocacy organization Public Interest Alberta is ringing the alarm bell about how much this program and its rollout have failed Albertans.

EDMONTON — Today’s announcement of an online portal for Albertans to access the UCP’s affordability measures means Albertans can expect further delays for these payments with cheques not expected until two months after the initial announcement of supports. Instead of using the Canada Revenue Agency and direct deposit, the UCP has opted to create a new, untested portal that could make it harder for Albertans to receive payment.