Kenney government should own up to its 'reckless' summer plan, AFL says
As the Alberta legislature is set to open its fall session on Monday, a group that represents about 170,000 workers wants to see a vast improvement from Jason Kenney and his government.
Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) president Gil McGowan says Kenney has "lost the moral authority to govern" and should see the new session as a way to redeem his government in the eyes of Albertans.
He also demands that the UCP government admit its mistakes, including the Open for Summer plan that preceded the fourth wave of COVID-19, which has been Alberta's worst.
"We have only 12 per cent of Canada’s population, but for weeks we had more than 50 per cent of Canada's COVID-19 cases – and we had a COVID-19 fatality rate that was four times the Canadian average," McGowan said in a release Sunday.
Hospitals and health care centres have also been pushed to the brink and children, who aren't able to be vaccinated against COVID-19, are vulnerable, he added.
"Thousands of Albertans sickened; hundreds of Albertans dead; and a health-care system that is still teetering on the brink of collapse."
In a video statement, McGowan implored Kenney to listen to the concerns of Albertans.
"Instead of scapegoating Albertans who care about public health, about the environment, about workers' rights – you should acknowledge that they are as much real Albertans as any other Albertan."
To regain "the moral authority to govern", McGowan calls on Kenney to bring in legislation to ensure 10 permanent paid sick days for all workers and make sure all workers have the mental health supports they need.
He also says Kenney needs to realize some facts about COVID-19 itself.
"You need to acknowledge the global scientific consensus that COVID is airborne. This has huge implications for the strategies we need to employ to keep Albertans safe in the workplace and in public spaces like schools and malls.
"It's time for the government to literally fund efforts to clear the air."
McGowan says the pandemic has taught Albertans a lot of things that have been problems even before it hit the province.
"The pandemic has shown us what happened when our vital public services are underfunded and understaffed."
CTV News has reached out to Premier Jason Kenney's office for a statement on the AFL's concerns.
The Alberta legislature resumes Monday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.