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Alberta Chambers of Commerce
POLICY CHAIR REPORT
July 2012 | |
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Brad Severin
Policy Chair |
ACC Policy Chair Report
for July 2012
As ACC's Chair Elect for 2012/13, I'm also the Policy Chair for the coming year. With the PC leadership race and provincial election now behind us, we are expecting a solid year in advocacy.
As you all know, ACC's 2012 Provincial Conference & Policy Session in May kick-started a new round of advocacy for the Alberta Chambers of Commerce. In this report, I'll outline some highlights of the past two months.
Policies sent to government officials
ACC has sent letters highlighting key policies to Prime Minister Harper and Premier Redford, as well as to provincial and federal cabinet ministers, as applicable.
The letters are all on our website under Policy & Advocacy > Submissions. We will post the responses as we receive them. |
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Northern Gateway -- CALL TO ACTION
On Monday, our members will receive a Call to Action advocacy package designed to assist chambers interested in writing Letters of Comment to the Joint Review Panel, which is seeking public input on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project. The deadline for the Letters of Comment is Aug. 31.
We are encouraging chambers to provide comment on this project as we view it as critical to Alberta's sustained economic success because it will diversify our markets for crude oil.
This advocacy thrust is based on our recently adopted policy, Northern Gateway Pipelines Project. |
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Harvesting a Major Win The decades-long monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board comes to an end Aug. 1 with the enactment of the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act. This legislation fulfils an ACC policy, which arose out of Red Deer in 2001. The winds of change have been blowing in Alberta's agri-business in preparation for the 2012 harvest. The new act means western farmers will, for the first time, gain the opportunity to sell their own grain crops, as befitting business people who market internationally. It also plows the way for greater value-added and investment opportunities in an open-market system. |
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Fast-tracking Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta The Governments of Canada and Alberta are broadening the skilled occupations covered by a Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) pilot project. When first introduced, this TFW pilot project allowed companies to employ steamfitters and pipefitters without the need for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO). On Monday, July 16, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney attended a special Leduc Chamber luncheon to announce the pilot project would expand to seven other occupations - welders, ironworkers, heavy duty equipment mechanics, millwright and industrial mechanics, carpenters and estimators. Allowing these high in-demand jobs to be filled without a LMO, creates a much quicker, more efficient system for employers seeking hire TFWs.
A recommendation in ACC's policy, Improving Canada and Alberta Immigration Processes, asks the government to streamline the process for occupations under pressure. |
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Speeding up Highway 63 paving
The Alberta government announced Tuesday, July 17, it is moving ahead faster than scheduled on 83 km of clearing and grading for the Highway 63 twinning project. ACC is pleased the government is taking steps to expedite the twinning of this vital economic link. We would, however, like to see an accelerated schedule for the full project. Accelerate Twinning of Highway 63 was approved at our May AGM. |
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Prescribing efficiency in health care
ACC has been advocating for the province to create a new model of health care with the goal of reducing escalating costs and making the system more efficient for Albertans. As such, we were pleased with the announcement earlier this month giving pharmacists a wider scope of practice, including allowing them to renew prescriptions and prescribe some medications. Our policy is titled Renewing Alberta's Health-Care System -- Finding a Balance. |
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New West Partnership blows in more benefits for business
Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan have launched a new streamlined system of business registration. As of July 1, businesses only have to register in one of the provinces to operate in each province. The system was created under the New West Partnership, which is a venture among the three provinces to eliminate barriers to trade. ACC's longstanding policy, Elimination on Interprovincial Trade Barriers, seeks this kind of collaboration. |
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Premier eyes natural gas for government fleet
ACC had a pleasant surprise in late June when Premier Alison Redford announced her government's interest in increasing the use of natural gas to fuel vehicles, including its own fleet. The concept is in the early stages, but the province is developing a natural gas strategy. This initiative matches a recommendation in our policy titled Innovative Thinking with Alberta's Energy Can Foster Economic Sustainability. |
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ACC's Municipal Government Task Force
At our May AGM, ACC's Board of Directors asked the Policy Committee to create a task force to develop a federation position in preparation for the upcoming review of the Municipal Government Act. The first meeting of the task force is on Aug. 16. If any chambers have not yet responded with their interest in having a representative on the task force, please email Terri Kemball at [email protected]. (Meetings will occur by teleconference.)
In related news, ACC's CEO and President Ken Kobly has been invited by Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths to join a committee that will develop a process for the government's review of this legislation. |
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Tracking progress on our policies
ACC has updated the status grid which tracks progress on our 89 policies. The 2010-2012 Status Grid is available HERE. It is updated regularly. |
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CHAMBERS, YOU ARE INVITED TO FORWARD
THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR MEMBERS
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