MLA Report: A year of accomplishment

By Justin Wright on December 20, 2023.

As we wrap up the inaugural session of the 31st legislature, I wanted to provide an update to the residents of Cypress-Medicine Hat on some of the things our United Conservative government accomplished.

Through the passage of nine critical pieces of legislation and one major policy motion, we have made significant progress delivering on our mandate to stand up for Alberta, to keep life affordable and to enact common sense policies that protect taxpayers while strengthening our economy.

Some key achievements I’d like to highlight:

We passed the Alberta Taxpayer Protection Act, enshrining into law our promise to never raise personal or business income taxes without first consulting Albertans through a referendum. This protects families and businesses from future tax hikes.

We also passed the Alberta Pension Protection Act to affirm our commitment not to pursue a provincial pension plan without direct approval from Albertans through a referendum. Public sector pensions will be protected – no changes there – but Albertans deserve a choice on any major new retirement plan. (I encourage you to visit AlbertaPensionPlan.ca to get the facts and have your say about a potential Alberta Pension Plan).

Additionally, to strengthen our legal case against opioid manufacturers who contributed to the addiction crisis claiming lives in our communities, we unanimously passed the Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Amendment Act. This further positions Alberta to hold these companies financially accountable.

And in our fight for fairness within Canada, we introduced the first ever Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act resolution. This signals that we will not hesitate to assert our constitutional powers to defend Alberta’s interests, whether that means managing our own pension system or having control over the collection of federal taxes in Alberta. Ottawa, take notice.

As we head into the Christmas season and a well-deserved break, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year. Please reach out to my office if you need assistance accessing any provincial programs or services. I look forward to continuing to fight for you and our community when the legislature resumes in 2024.

Justin Wright is the MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat

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