Kenney touts 2022 budget at Chamber Lunch

The premier emphasized that Alberta leads the country in job growth, and said the province is having the best year in information technology, forestry and Film and Television. The film and television sector has generated $1 billion dollars in investment in just a year and a half since tax credits were introduced, according to the premier.

Kenney also highlighted gains in the oil and gas sector and noted the province’s desire to expand the oil and gas sector to reduce the world-wide reliance on Russian oil imports.

The premier said he will be meeting with U.S senator Joe Manchin who is the chairman of the U.S Senate committee on Energy & Natural Resources to tour the Alberta Oil sands.

While there have been gains for the province, Kenney noted ‘the single biggest challenge’ facing Alberta is recruiting and retaining skilled labour. Kenney said the province has invested $600 million over three years for Alberta at Work which is designed to help Albertans participate in the labour force. Funding has also been allocated to post secondary institutions for in -demad programs , like aviation, technology , finance and the trades to help meet labour market needs. The province is also working to improve immigration, through a rural immigration strategy.

The premier’s visit to Medicine Hat is one of approximately five formal visits his office said he has made since being elected in 2019. When asked why he is here while in the midst of a leadership review and party infighting, Kenney defended himself.

” I don’t think that is accurate. I think I have been here well over a dozen times. I was here over a week ago and we met with some people over at the stampede grounds. We brought forward funding in the budget to help develop their plan for expansion of the stampede grounds but also for some additional infrastructure work that is needed in town. But during COVID-19 it was hard to get together and do public events lets face it. But I have been happy to come down to Southeast Alberta many times and will continue to do so,” Kenney said.

MLA Michaela Frey was quick to defend the premier, and the UCP Caucus’s willingness to come down to the city and the southeastern part of the provine. Frey said of the 25 members of cabinet, only three have not made it down.

” The premier himself has been to Medicine Hat more than any sitting Alberta premier in history, and I will take that to the bank. He has shown great interest in Southeastern Alberta, and has always been down whenever I’ve asked him to be down,” she said.

At the luncheon Frey said the Southeast corner of the province has already seen some of the benefits of Budget 2022 . She spoke about recent investments by the province to support mental health, including a recent $825,000 cash injection towards Our Collective Journey which aims to support people in recovery.

“Alberta’s government is investing heavily in mental health and addictions, as well as we just provided $1 million a year in stable and permanent funding to HALO air ambulance. All of these are pieces of building infrastructure in Southeastern Alberta to accomodate growth so that we can attract more investment,” she said.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Kenney touts 2022 budget at Chamber Lunch

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