The provincial government has undertaken some quickly paced consultations and ACC is participating in a number of them. On the federal front, we have seen notable developments on two ACC policies.

FEDERAL

Canadian Wheat Board: The Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act was passed and received royal assent before Christmas, paving the way for Western farmers to sell their own grain crops on August 1 of this year. There are, however, a few outstanding court actions, which we will continue to monitor. The full implementation of this act will be significant because it not only gives Western farmers the ability to market their own wheat and barley, it also offers tremendous opportunities for developing a vibrant value-added grain industry in Alberta.  

Securities regulation: An exciting Supreme Court ruling on December 22 saw our nation's top court unanimously reject the federal government's legislation creating a national securities regulator. The court deemed the legislation unconstitutional because it infringed upon provincial jurisdiction. ACC is naturally pleased with the ruling due to our clear-cut policy in favour of improving the passport system as the best means for retaining provincial autonomy over securities while, at the same time, creating a seamless nationwide system.

Finance Minister Ron Liepert with members of ACC's Executive, (clockwise) Brad Severin, Tim Bolton and Ken Kobly.

PROVINCIAL

Meeting with Finance Minister Liepert

On December 21, ACC met with provincial Finance Minister Ron Liepert to discuss our budget submission. We found common ground with Minister Liepert on many of our fiscal recommendations, particularly those relating to controlled spending, strategic investments to support economic growth, and sustained and predictable support for municipalities.

When it comes to a savings strategy, there is uncertainty about how and when its development may occur. Minister Liepert also indicated a keen interest in reviewing taxation in Alberta, but we were not informed of a timeline for that exercise.

Submissions

North-south transmission lines

ACC was invited to make a submission to the Critical Transmission Review Committee, which is consulting with stakeholders on the proposed north-south transmission lines. We focused our comments on the importance of expeditious upgrades to the province's electrical transmission system because they are vital to our economic development. At the same time, we advised caution about overbuilding transmission, and stressed the importance of fully reporting and considering the full cost impacts of projects because, if they are not carefully monitored and controlled, businesses and industries can be put at a competitive disadvantage. The submission is available HERE.

Red Tape Reduction Task Force

We've circulated this LINK before and are doing so once again because it will take you to the Red Tape Reduction Task Force survey, which closes February 3. Please distribute the survey link to your members because it is important for them to take advantage of this opportunity to provide input on this topic. HERE is more information on the task force.

Property Rights Task Force

Premier Redford has also struck a Property Rights Task Force, which is accepting input until January 23. ACC is providing a submission to the task force. More information on the task force is available HERE.

Policy Committee

ACC's Policy Committee has been discussing the policies chambers are preparing to submit for consideration at our 74th Provincial Conference and Policy Session in Sherwood Park May 24 to 26. The deadline for policy submissions is February 24, and we welcome policies from all member chambers. The process is found HERE.

Policy Status Grid

ACC regularly tracks progress on all of our policies. The latest updated version of our Policy Status Grid is available HERE.