Alberta Bill 49 aims to ease requirements for Canadian skilled workers
The province is looking to make it easier for Canadians to apply for work in Alberta under Bill 49, the Labour Mobility Act.
If enacted, it will mean any skilled worker or trades professional who is certified in other provinces will be able to apply for jobs in Alberta.
“(This) will affect more than 100 regulated occupations in a wide range of sectors across Alberta's economy,” said Premier Jason Kenney.
“This will be a growth opportunity for job creators in sectors where there simply are not enough skilled Albertans, in turn, having the necessary skills and talent in our province will make Alberta, a more attractive destination for not just workers, but for investment and businesses.”
Occupations such as optometrists, engineers, accountants and dentists will all be included under Bill 49.
The province says 20,000 net new jobs were created in September, with major investments coming from the film and television industry.
Kenney touted a CD Howe Institute study that predicts a $2.8 billion injection into Alberta’s economy if the act is passed.
Tuesday marks the first day back for the fall session of the legislature.
Although the UCP government plans on pushing for a recovery and job growth, the official opposition says it plans to pile pressure onto Kenney and his government about his response to the fourth wave in Alberta.
Kenney's 'Open for Summer' campaign started July 1, with the premier saying there was no longer a need for restrictions.
Since then, COVID-19 case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths have sky-rocketed, and in September, the province reversed course, bringing back mask mandates and a proof of vaccination program.
Political scientist Duane Bratt believes Bill 49 will pass in the house with ease.
“I don’t think you are going to see automatic opposition from the NDP on this, I think there will be a larger discussion and you might see some cooperation on these issues,” he said.
“It does raise issues about, are people leaving this province because of some of the wage cuts and the confrontation Kenney and Shandro have had in the past that they are now hoping that people will now come to Alberta.”
Government House Leader Jason Nixon outlined plans for the fall session, which does not include a throne speech, though Nixon said there will be one in the spring.
Nixon would not commit to an all-party committee on the province’s pandemic response to the fourth wave, at the request of the NDP, instead calling for a robust debate in the legislature.
“Including with the premier, health minister and the official opposition and all members of the chamber to be able to have a discussion of where we are at on COVID-19,” said Nixon.
“But the robust review will take place where the health minister and the premier have committed to, after we are outside the crisis situation of the pandemic.”
The NDP are also calling for a public inquiry into the fourth wave, with heads of the medical association and AHS, something the UCP will not allow, saying it takes healthcare workers away from the frontlines.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.