The continuation of the first session of the 31st Legislature is in full swing.
There are a number of ways you can keep track of all the goings-on of the Assembly. Check out our website at www.assembly.ab.ca for comprehensive information including the Assembly Calendar, Bill Status for this session, and Committee Meetings. This webpage also includes a button called “Watch the Assembly” that allows online access to live and archived streams of Assembly and committee proceedings.
Alberta Hansard is a written record of every word spoken in the Assembly Chamber; this can be accessed using the Legislative Assembly website as well.
The Legislative Assembly also broadcasts on its own TV channel. (Telus – Channel 843; Rogers – Channel 930; and Rogers Xfinity – Channel 263) These broadcasts include everything that happens in the chamber, as well as committee meetings.
And, of course, Albertans are welcomed to view proceedings in-person by arranging to sit in the public gallery at the Legislative building or by registering to attend a committee meeting.
This is the time of year for the tabling of the province’s annual budget. The budget is a rather extensive set of documents that details the government’s proposed expenditures for each government department for the next fiscal year. It is introduced in the chamber by the Minister of Finance, and along with that comes the Main Estimates document.
The Estimates process involves a series of meetings where MLAs convene in a committee room to ask the appropriate minister very detailed questions about every line item of the draft budget for which he or she is responsible, as well as the business plan for that ministry. Members of both the government and the opposition have the opportunity to amend those estimates.
Those details then go back to the Assembly to be voted upon in one large block, and the budget becomes a bill. Further debate takes place in the legislature, until the bill becomes law.
Consideration of Main Estimates is a lengthy process. The schedule for each ministry’s meeting is listed on the assembly website. There’s an enormous amount of information shared at these meetings. If you are interested in the reasoning behind some decisions, tuning in is a great way to learn. Archived recordings of past committee meetings are also available online.
Every year, budgets form the framework ministries use to tackle the most pressing issues they encounter. One of the challenges faced by the Ministry of Education over the last few years has been the enrolment pressures on Alberta schools as a result of our province’s huge population growth. Most school authorities report that they expect continued growth in the 2025-26 school year. If Budget 2025 is passed, Education’s budget will reach an all-time high of $9.88 billion in 2025-26, an increase of $426 million or 4.5 per cent, from the previous year.
If passed, almost $1.1 billion will be earmarked over the next three years to hire additional teachers and classroom support staff – about ,4000 – so school authorities can manage class sizes and the growing number of students. Our government is also providing $55 million in classroom complexity funding in 2025-26, a 20 per cent increase from last year, so that school authorities can add staffing supports to give students with specialized learning needs the focused time and attention they need.
Those of us in Central Alberta know the critical role that Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre plays in providing life-saving cardiac care and lab services for the 450,000 Albertans from Red Deer and the surrounding rural communities. That’s why the Alberta government is partnering with the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation to expedite their latest project.
Redevelopment of the Red Deer hospital includes plans for two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs, with an expected completion date in 2031. Because the province recognizes the urgent need for cardiac services, we have made provision in Budget 2025 for $3 million in startup funding and ongoing funding to cover the operational costs for an interim cardiac catheterization lab at the Red Deer hospital while we await completion of the larger project.
Another highlight of the proposed Budget 2025 is the continued support of non-profit organizations with a nearly $85 million allocated for community grant programs. Community grants support hundreds of organizations and initiatives across the province, including building playgrounds, renovating community halls and arts centres, hosting summer festivals, and planning local events and initiatives that build strong, vibrant, and connected communities. The Community Facility Enhancement Program supports projects that stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and build the gathering places across the province that bring Albertans together.
Tied to Budget 2025 is a change to the Alberta Personal Income Tax Act that fulfills our government’s promise to lower taxes so Albertans can keep more of their hard-earned money in these challenging economic times. Bill 39, the Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 would introduce a new eight per cent personal tax bracket on income up to $60,000, meaning individual taxpayers will save up to $750 in 2025 while two-income families will see savings of up to $1,500. Taxpayers earning less than $60,000 will see their personal income taxes fall by 20 per cent. Overall, this personal income tax cut is expected to save Albertans $1.2 billion in 2025, with savings rising to $1.4 billion in 2028.
I am very much looking forward to spending some dedicated time with constituents in Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin! MLAs across the province will be taking a short break from session the week of March 31 – April 4 for Constituency Week. If you have an event I should attend, or an issue you’d like to discuss, please reach out to my constituency office staff and they will be happy to schedule some time for you.
Hon. Rick Wilson is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin. His constituency office can be reached by email at Maskwacis.wetaskiwin@assembly.ab.ca, or by phone at 780-360-8003.
