(Rakhi Pancholi website)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

who will win?

Alberta NDP leadership candidate Rakhi Pancholi announces plans for climate action and healthcare reform

Mar 8, 2024 | 4:18 PM

Alberta NDP leadership candidate Rakhi Pancholi has announced her plans for climate action and healthcare reform.

For climate action in Alberta, she shared a detailed plan that does not include a consumer carbon tax and says she challenges Danielle Smith to do the same.

“For eight years, the UCP has used the Alberta NDP’s support of the carbon tax as an excuse to oppose, rather than propose, solutions to climate change,” said Pancholi.

“It’s time for a real conversation about how meaningful climate action is possible without consumer carbon pricing. I call on Danielle Smith to follow me in putting forward a meaningful plan to tackle climate change – one of the defining issues of our time.”

Pancholi says her ‘Made-in-Alberta Climate Plan’ includes introducing Carbon Contracts for Difference and decarbonizing and modernizing Alberta’s electricity grid to net-zero by 2035 to strengthen Alberta’s industrial carbon pricing system.

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“As Leader of the Alberta NDP, I will invite all Albertans to participate in its further development. Climate change is a defining issue of our times and an existential one for our province. Working as a province, we can rise to the occasion, secure the opportunities we have now and build new opportunities for all of us, all our children and all generations to come,” said Pancholi.

She states other aspects include:

• Shutting down the Canadian Energy Centre, otherwise known as the “Energy War Room,” and reallocating all funding away from UCP partisan activity.
• Dedicating Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) revenues toward emissions reduction for industry and toward activities to make life more affordable for Albertans.
• Broadening TIER’s coverage to smaller emitters, lower the benchmark, and increasing TIER’s tightening rate.
• Reforming the Alberta Energy Regulator through an independent public inquiry and mandating it to address oil and gas liabilities.
• Engaging and consulting with Indigenous communities, including First Nations and Metis people, to identify goals, opportunities, and desired outcomes for an Indigenous Climate Plan.

“As someone who has spent his career working on the urgent challenges of climate change and energy transition, I am pleased to endorse Rakhi Pancholi’s comprehensive climate and energy policy plan,” said former CEO of the Pembina Institute Ed Whittingham.

“Her sensible policy framework prioritizes practical emissions reductions, job creation and smart investment. I am excited by its forward-thinking approach and pragmatism.”

Officials say the announcement expands on Pancholi’s commitment to creating a climate plan that results in meaningful carbon reductions without a consumer carbon price, which she first made on the day of her campaign launch and expanded upon in a campaign announcement on February 15.

“This is exactly the kind of leadership we need to take meaningful climate action in Alberta—Rakhi Pancholi has put forward a detailed plan that is responsive to Albertans’ needs without compromising our values,” said Nagwan Al-Guneid, MLA for Calgary-Glenmore and Alberta NDP Critic for Energy and Climate.

For healthcare, Pancholi announced a comprehensive suite of sexual and reproductive health policies, including publicly funded In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) programs, universal contraception coverage, expanded access to screening mammograms, reversing restrictions to gender-affirming care and increasing access to abortion care.

“In a province as prosperous as Alberta, no one should have to face barriers when it comes to sexual and reproductive health,” said Pancholi. “I am committed to ensuring that every Albertan has the access and support they need to make informed decisions about their bodies and futures.”

Publicly Funded Support for IVF Programs

With IVF treatments ranging between $10,000 to $20,000 per cycle, many families in Alberta are currently unable to afford the cost of pursuing pregnancy through IVF. Acknowledging the challenges many prospective parents face, Pancholi proposed reintroducing publicly funded support for IVF treatments, mirroring successful models in British Columbia and Ontario.

“It’s time for Alberta to step up and provide support for families struggling with infertility,”
said Pancholi.

Universal Contraception Coverage

Pancholi’s plan includes universal access to contraception, responding to the 74 per cent of Albertans who support prescription birth control access.

“Investing in universal contraception is not just about reproductive rights; it’s about making smart, evidence-based decisions that benefit all Albertans,” said Pancholi. “For every dollar spent, we see up to nine times that in savings across the public sector.”

“We need the UCP government to stop playing partisan games and start prioritizing Albertans’ needs. Government should provide access to universal contraception coverage, whether through the federal pharmacare program or through provincial coverage.”

Expanded Access to Screening Mammograms

Pancholi commits to lowering the recommended age for regular screening mammograms to 40 to better identify and treat aggressive cancers in their early stages.

“Early detection saves lives. This policy will not only ensure that more Albertans have the preventive care they need but also improve equity-focused health outcomes for Black, Hispanic, and Asian Albertans who are disproportionately impacted without access to earlier screening,” stated Pancholi.

Increasing Access to Gender-Affirming Care

Pancholi wants to prioritize increasing access to gender-affirming care across Alberta. She says this would begin by consulting with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community on removing barriers and increasing access to services and health professionals to reduce wait times for care.

“We must protect the rights of trans Albertans to receive the care they need,” said Pancholi.

Increasing Access to Abortion Care

Finally, the policy package addresses the limited access to abortion care, especially in rural areas. Pancholi’s plan proposes expanding the scope of mid-level providers to offer abortion care, ensuring confidential care for victims of domestic violence, and addressing the shortage of medical practitioners in sexual and reproductive healthcare.

“Lack of access is a failure to provide healthcare. Abortion is healthcare, and every Albertan should be able to access the care they need, regardless of where they live,” said Pancholi.

Pancholi says her reproductive health priorities are focused on creating opportunities for every Albertan to access the healthcare they deserve.

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