A fair deal for Alberta
The Fair Deal Panel is consulting Albertans on how best to define and secure a fair deal for Alberta. They're exploring ideas that give us a bigger voice within the federation, increase our power over areas of provincial jurisdiction, and advance our vital economic interests, such as building energy pipelines.
Albertans are frustrated with the federal government and the barriers they're imposing on our economy. We've been the biggest contributing province to Canada’s prosperity by far, but some provinces that are profiting from our resources now seem determined to landlock our industries.
Alberta isn't asking for a special deal, just a fair one.
Get involved
Albertans can share their ideas online.
Share your thoughts
Complete our online survey by March 15, 2020 to help Alberta get a fair deal in Canada.
Town halls
The Fair Deal Panel town halls are now complete – thanks for joining us!
Edmonton (Dec. 3), Red Deer (Dec. 9), Calgary (Dec. 10), Lethbridge (Dec. 11), Grande Prairie (Dec. 18), Fort McMurray (Jan. 8), Fort Saskatchewan (Jan. 9), Lloydminster (Jan. 13), Medicine Hat (Jan. 17), Airdrie (Jan. 27)
Some MLAs hosted their own smaller town halls throughout the month of February. Contact your local MLA for information. Feedback gathered at the MLA town halls will be shared with the Fair Deal Panel.
Stay informed
Get email updates on the Fair Deal Panel's work and other ways to get involved.
Explore ideas
The Fair Deal Panel is listening to Albertans and their ideas for the Alberta's future.
Specific areas being explored include:
- Establishing a provincial revenue agency to collect provincial taxes directly by ending the Canada-Alberta Tax Collection Agreement, while joining Quebec in seeking an agreement to collect federal taxes within the province.
- Creating an Alberta Pension Plan by withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan.
- Establishing a provincial police force by ending the Alberta Police Service Agreement with the Government of Canada.
- Emulating Quebec’s practice of playing a larger role in international relations, in part by seeking Alberta representation in treaty negotiations that effect Alberta’s interests.
- Emulating Quebec’s legal requirement that public bodies, including municipalities and school boards, obtain the approval of the provincial government before they can enter into agreements with the federal government.
- Using the existing provincial power to appoint the Chief Firearms Office for Alberta.
- Opting out of federal cost share programs with full compensation, such as the federal government’s proposed pharmacare program.
- Seeking an exchange of tax points for federal cash transfers under the Canada Health and Social Transfers.
- Establishing a formalized provincial constitution.
Meet the panel
The panel will submit their final report of recommendations by March 31, 2020. Any bold proposals would need to be approved by Albertans through a fair and democratic referendum.
Read the Fair Deal Panel mandate letter (PDF, 262 KB)
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Oryssia Lennie CM, panel chair
Ms. Lennie worked for the Government of Alberta for more than 25 years and, federally, was Deputy Minister of Western Economic Diversification Canada. She is also the recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta’s 2002 Award for Excellence in Public Administration. In December 2016, she was appointed to the Order of Canada.
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Preston Manning PC CC AOE
Mr. Manning’s long record of public service includes work as founder of the Reform Party, as a Member of Parliament from Calgary Southwest from 1993-2002, and as the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1997-2000. He is one of Canada's leading thinkers on public policy and constitutional reform.
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Stephen Lougheed
Mr. Lougheed is a national leader in innovation and technology-related businesses serving environmental, resource, utility, public sector and ICT markets. He has served on numerous boards and as President and CEO of Alberta Innovates.
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Jason Goodstriker*
Mr. Goodstriker was a member and former Band Councillor of the Blood Tribe of the Blackfoot people. He served as Alberta Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations and worked in a variety of capacities in the energy industry for many years.
*Chief Goodstriker passed away unexpectedly on January 16, 2020. He was a valued and irreplaceable member of the Fair Deal Panel.
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Donna Kennedy-Glans QC
Ms. Kennedy-Glans represented the electoral district of Calgary Varsity in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2012-2015. She chaired the all-party Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship and served as Associate Minister – Electricity and Renewable Energy. Before entering politics she had a distinguished career as a lawyer and businesswoman in the Alberta energy industry and founded a non-profit to train youth and professional leaders in Yemen and in First Nations communities in Alberta.
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Drew Barnes, MLA
Mr. Barnes is the MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat. He was first elected in 2012. Barnes spent 26 years in real estate managing a successful real estate office in Medicine Hat before entering politics. He has a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Alberta.
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Moin Yahya PhD JD
Mr. Yahya is a Professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, where he was Vice Dean from 2014-2019. Before attending law school, Yahya was employed with Industry Canada's Competition Bureau. He has an M.A. in Economics from the University of Alberta, a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Toronto, and a J.D. (Summa Cum Laude) from George Mason University School of Law.
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Miranda Rosin, MLA
Ms. Rosin is the MLA for Banff-Kananaskis. She was first elected in 2019. Rosin previously worked in communications and market development. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Marketing and International Business from the University of Regina in conjunction with the Shanhai Lixin University of Commerce.
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Tany Yao, MLA
Mr. Yao is the MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. He was first elected in 2015. Yao previously spent 20 years in emergency response services, filling a variety of roles. He has also volunteered his time in support of various non-profit and charitable organizations.
Contact
To contact the Fair Deal Panel, please email info@fairdeal.ca.
News
- Fair Deal Panel launches online public survey (Feb. 28, 2020)
- Fair Deal Panel town hall in Airdrie rescheduled (Jan. 24, 2020)
- Airdrie Fair Deal Panel town hall postponed (Jan. 16, 2020)
- Chair appointed to Fair Deal Panel (Nov. 28, 2019)
- Read Premier Kenney's speech (Nov. 9, 2019)
- Members, mandate for Fair Deal Panel announced (Nov. 9, 2019)
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