Media releases

EDMONTON - The Alberta government has introduced its much-anticipated Choice in Education Act, which entrenches public subsidies of private schools in legislation and facilitates expansion of charter schools and home schooling. The changes represent a further fragmentation of the province’s delivery of education and come as funding cuts continue to devastate public schools, with growing class sizes and diminishing levels of classroom supports.

EDMONTON - While Don Iveson, the mayor of Edmonton, has retracted a statement that suggested that public transit might not operate in the city throughout the summer, two advocacy organizations are still ringing the alarm about the chronic underfunding and cuts to public services that have resulted in this dire situation.

The Alberta government has released its provincial budget, which continues the previous budget's direction of significant cuts in nearly every area of public services, while ignoring the gap between Alberta and every other province in tax revenue generated.

EDMONTON - The Alberta Throne Speech was delivered today, and it contained several problematic or misleading statements related to public services and spending, including that the government plans to “protect front-line services” by maintaining or increasing spending on core services “to record high levels.”

EDMONTON - Today, dozens of concerned Albertans are gathering on The People’s Bus, chartered by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta. The bus will be travelling from Edmonton to Calgary, making a stop in Red Deer, to canvass the constituency of the Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro. The groups are concerned about deep cuts and privatization the provincial government is imposing on Alberta’s health care and seniors’ care systems. 

The Alberta government has released its much-anticipated review of Alberta Health Services, recommending significant cuts and other major changes to seniors’ care. One recommendation is for 1,300 patients in Long Term Care (LTC) beds to Designated Supportive Living (DSL). Another is to increase the rate Albertans pay for LTC. The major difference between these two levels of care is that in long term care pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and medical equipment are covered by the public system; in designated supportive living, those costs are shifted to patients and their families.

The Alberta government has announced new “outcome-based” funding for post-secondary institutions on the first day of what it has declared “Red Tape Reduction Awareness Week.”

EDMONTON - The Alberta College of Social Workers, Edmonton Social Planning Council, and Public Interest Alberta have jointly released a report on the state of child and family poverty in Alberta called “Invest in Families: Ending Child Poverty is Good for All”.

EDMONTON - Alberta’s provincial budget has been released and contains cuts (in some cases by not funding inflation and population growth) across many areas of public services.

EDMONTON - The Alberta government has released the results of its audit of the Class Size Initiative, which gave provincial funding to school boards to reduce the number of children per classroom. The government’s conclusion from the report is that it “cannot continue to throw money at this problem.”