It’s hard to believe it’s been that long already.
On May 5, 2015, the New Democratic Party (NDP) under Rachel Notley swept to office, defeating the Progressive Conservatives (PCs) after almost 44 years in government.
Now, just over two years later, MLAs of various stripes are looking back.
Peace River MLA Debbie Jabbour addresses the Peace River Chamber of Commerce in June 2015, shortly after being elected to her position in May of that year.(Photo/Peace River Broadcasting)
Debbie Jabbour, the first-term MLA for Peace River, says it was a steep learning curve when she first started.
“The time as flown by,” said Jabbour. “It’s an exciting place to be. There was just so much to learn about, in terms of acclimatising myself to my constituents, as well as understanding what the concerns and the issues were. But now, I finally feel organized, and finally ready to move forward and start doing things.”
Jabbour says that her government has brought in numerous pieces of legislation during their time in office so far,
“Many of the bills brought in were long overdue,” she said. “Things like election reform, including rules around financing, as well as the Farm Safety Bill, which give farm workers the same rights to safety that every other Albertan has.”
Jabbour also continues to serve as Deputy Speaker of the Alberta Legislature. She says it’s a great honour to be in that role.
“It’s allowed me to be a part of the Commonwealth of Parliamentarians,” she said. “It’s allowed me to connect with other parliamentarians from across Canada, and around the world.”
She adds that she sees a busy couple of years coming up, due to her responsibilities, not only as MLA and Deputy Speaker, but as Chairperson of both the Northern Alberta Development Council (NADC), as well as the Child Intervention Ministerial Panel.
“There’s a couple of things I’ll primarily be focused on over the next couple of years,” said Jabbour. “One is with the NADC, in promoting growth and opportunities for residents located in Northern Alberta. As well, I hope to help find new opportunities in agriculture in the north, as well as building better relations with my constituency’s First Nations communities.”
But not all MLAs are impressed with what the NDP has accomplished during their term.
Peace Country Wildrose MLA Todd Loewen spoke to residents at Peace River A&W during a visit in October 2016. (Photo/Peace River Broadcasting)
Grande Prairie-Smoky MLA Todd Loewen, who also serves as Caucus Chairperson and Shadow Minister of Environment & Parks for the official opposition Wildrose party, is one of them.
“(The NDP) brought in one of the highest tax increases in Alberta history,” said Loewen. “That would be the Carbon Tax, which is $2-billion per year out of the pocket of everyday Albertans. So that’s one ‘accomplishment.’ They also passed Bill 6, that Farm Legislation, which had farmers marching in protest on the steps of the legislature.”
Loewen, also a first-term MLA, got in after unsuccessfully running in the constituency in both 2008 and 2012. He says the official opposition intends to continue being there to oppose the government for the remaining two years of the mandate.
“We just got to keep the NDP from doing any more damage than humanely possible,” he said. “We don’t know what they’ve got in store for the next two years, and we’ll be there to critique it, and bring it to the attention of Albertans, and see what they think of the NDP’s legislation.”
According to the latest poll released by Mainstreet Research in April 2017, the NDP now has some ground to cover in regaining the support of Albertans.
The Wildrose led among decided voters with 37 percent, followed by the PCs with 29 percent, and the NDP at 24 percent. The Liberals and the Alberta Party each brought up the rear at 5 percent.
– Posted by BET
