By Medicine Hat News Opinon on June 21, 2019.
It has been an exciting spring for Alberta and Canada! It’s been one week since Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and teammates made history by bringing the NBA championship north and now two months since the general election where Albertans gave the United Conservative Party a strong mandate to govern and implement our agenda focused on jobs, the economy and pipelines. With voter turnout at 64% it was the highest voter participation since 1982. I am honoured and grateful to be elected again as your MLA. I am excited to again advocate for Cypress-Medicine Hat and raise our profile in the Legislature. I will put Southern Alberta first and will champion and defend our interests and never forget who I serve: You! Premier Kenney and the United Conservative Party vowed that our government would hit the ground running and we have done just that. Bill 1, An Act to Repeal the Carbon Tax, has received royal assent and is now law. After the longest Wednesday sitting in Legislature history, we have passed the second reading of Bill 2, An Act to Make Alberta Open for Business. The bill focuses on creating jobs. Bill 3, the Job Creation Tax Cut, is on its way to becoming law as well. This bill will reduce the corporate tax rate on businesses now and over the next few years. Bill 4, the Red Tape Reduction Act, looks to cut the regulatory burden on job creators. I am pleased to say this has passed second reading. Bill 8, the Education Amendment Act, when passed, will provide a better foundation for unlocking the potential of our students today and in the future. It will also strengthen school choice and parental rights. Albertans voted overwhelmingly for positive change and our new government has a historic mandate to get Alberta back on track – by creating jobs, growing the economy, and standing up for a fair deal for Alberta. I look forward to providing you with updates on the work our new government is doing and once more, I am forever grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve you again. I can’t wait to hear from you and ask that everyone stay involved to help our government restore Alberta to the place with the most opportunity, most competitive taxes, the best government programs and the best place to live and raise a family. Drew Barnes is MLA (UCP) for Cypress-Medicine Hat constituency. 12