Media releases

EDMONTON—Representatives of Public Interest Alberta (PIA) called on Premier Redford to step in and rescind a recent action by Alberta’s Minister of Education Jeff Johnson which amounts to bullying urban school boards into subsidizing charter schools.

EDMONTON–Albertans from all over the province will gather outside the PC policy convention today from noon to 2 p.m. for a block party rally at 45 Ave between Gateway Blvd and Calgary Trail in Edmonton to protest the Redford government’s devastating March budget cuts. Media are invited to attend.

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta has selected the Global Café at Jasper Place High School to receive this year’s Public Interest Award for Northern Alberta.

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta has selected Evelyn Schuler from Medicine Hat to receive this year’s Public Interest Award for Southern Alberta.

EDMONTON A new poll from Environics shows that 64% of Edmontonians disagree with the decision to turn over operations of the proposed South East LRT to a private corporation.A coalition of labour groups, public interest organizations and citizens are starting a public advocacy campaign in the lead up to the October municipal elections to challenge City council’s decision to privatize the maintence and operations of new LRT line and the Harper government’s funding condition that the LRT operations must be privatized.

EDMONTON—Childcare advocates across the province were shocked and upset to hear from the Minister of Human Services, Dave Hancock, that the Quality Enhancement Grant that has been in place since 2003, will be eliminated effective April 1st. The grant was worth $7500 for all accredited childcare centres and day home agencies and $4000 for all accredited before and after school programs.

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta says that the Redford government's budget cuts to public services are going to have a serious impact on our families and the economy.“This budget is full of bad decisions”, says Bill Moore-Kilgannon of Public Interest Alberta.The budget released today will have the following impacts:Culture

EDMONTON—On the day before the provincial budget, Public Interest Alberta is releasing figures that show that only the very wealthy benefit from Alberta’s flat tax system. "Albertans who believe the myth that we pay the lowest taxes in Canada will be surprised to see that they are paying more income tax than if they lived in BC or Ontario. At the same time, people in Alberta with very high incomes are paying tens of thousands less in income tax than in other parts of Canada," said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta.

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta has learned from a reliable source that the long running Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) will be cut in the upcoming provincial budget. This program provides seed funding for non-profit community groups across Alberta to hire students from May to August.

EDMONTON—The Alberta government’s Water Conversation survey of just 15 questions that was launched this week, fails to give Albertans the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the direction of water policy in the province, say groups working on provincial water issues.