Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the Provincial Priorities Act (PPA) is not going to jeopardize federal funding. This is because Smith knows the Canadian government has engaged with the Alberta government properly before. “They did in the case of healthcare,” said Smith in a Saturday interview on Your Province. Your Premier. on Corus Radio. “They know it’s provincial jurisdiction, they know that they are a minority shareholder because they don’t fund it as much as we do, and they know that when they want to have specific actions, they have to do it through bilateral negotiations.” Corus Radio host Wayne Nelson started off by saying the PPA’s opponents should understand it is about giving the Alberta government the same powers as the Quebec government. “Now I think they understand the intent of the proposed legislation,” said Nelson. “And then there are those who ask why pick another fight with Ottawa, especially when it jeopardizes federal funding to municipalities.” Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley has said the United Conservative Party has made no gains with its political tantrums and will lose this battle. Nelson asked if the PPA will jeopardize federal funding. Over the last one-and-a-half years, Smith said she worked with the Canadian government on healthcare. The Alberta government signed a 10-year deal and agreed to additional side ones. Because of these deals, she acknowledged they can work together. She added the Canadian government will not cut deals with each of Alberta’s 106 hospitals, as that would be unrealistic. By cutting deals with each hospital, she predicted it would lead to more red tape and wrong priorities. However, it is doing this with some municipalities. She accused the Canadian government of “cutting side deals with municipalities, leaving others out, shortchanging us on our per capita share, putting onerous jurisdictions on the municipalities that do agree to take their money.” While it is working to impose blanket rezoning in Calgary and Edmonton, she said it was unreasonable. One of the main powers municipalities have is over zoning. With the federal funding the Canadian government is giving to Calgary and Edmonton, she said it is violating jurisdiction by rewriting zoning laws. Smith concluded by saying those “are the kinds of strings that get attached when the federal government comes in.” She said it is not always coming in to help. “They’re here to get an agenda implemented and I don’t think that agenda is necessarily supported by the people,” she said. The Alberta government introduced the PPA on Wednesday to require provincial entities to obtain approval before entering, amending, extending or renewing agreements between them. READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta government tables bill to defend provincial priorities“It is not unreasonable for Alberta to demand fairness from Ottawa,” said Smith. “They have shown time and again that they will put ideology before practicality, which hurts Alberta families and our economy.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the Provincial Priorities Act (PPA) is not going to jeopardize federal funding. This is because Smith knows the Canadian government has engaged with the Alberta government properly before. “They did in the case of healthcare,” said Smith in a Saturday interview on Your Province. Your Premier. on Corus Radio. “They know it’s provincial jurisdiction, they know that they are a minority shareholder because they don’t fund it as much as we do, and they know that when they want to have specific actions, they have to do it through bilateral negotiations.” Corus Radio host Wayne Nelson started off by saying the PPA’s opponents should understand it is about giving the Alberta government the same powers as the Quebec government. “Now I think they understand the intent of the proposed legislation,” said Nelson. “And then there are those who ask why pick another fight with Ottawa, especially when it jeopardizes federal funding to municipalities.” Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley has said the United Conservative Party has made no gains with its political tantrums and will lose this battle. Nelson asked if the PPA will jeopardize federal funding. Over the last one-and-a-half years, Smith said she worked with the Canadian government on healthcare. The Alberta government signed a 10-year deal and agreed to additional side ones. Because of these deals, she acknowledged they can work together. She added the Canadian government will not cut deals with each of Alberta’s 106 hospitals, as that would be unrealistic. By cutting deals with each hospital, she predicted it would lead to more red tape and wrong priorities. However, it is doing this with some municipalities. She accused the Canadian government of “cutting side deals with municipalities, leaving others out, shortchanging us on our per capita share, putting onerous jurisdictions on the municipalities that do agree to take their money.” While it is working to impose blanket rezoning in Calgary and Edmonton, she said it was unreasonable. One of the main powers municipalities have is over zoning. With the federal funding the Canadian government is giving to Calgary and Edmonton, she said it is violating jurisdiction by rewriting zoning laws. Smith concluded by saying those “are the kinds of strings that get attached when the federal government comes in.” She said it is not always coming in to help. “They’re here to get an agenda implemented and I don’t think that agenda is necessarily supported by the people,” she said. The Alberta government introduced the PPA on Wednesday to require provincial entities to obtain approval before entering, amending, extending or renewing agreements between them. READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta government tables bill to defend provincial priorities“It is not unreasonable for Alberta to demand fairness from Ottawa,” said Smith. “They have shown time and again that they will put ideology before practicality, which hurts Alberta families and our economy.”
