This release was issued under a previous government.
Check against delivery
Thank you for that warm welcome.
And Dawn, thank you for that introduction.
Before I begin, I acknowledge we are on the traditional territory of treaty 6.
I also acknowledge the Metis people of Alberta, who share a deep connection with this land.
My friends, it’s an enormous pleasure to be here with you again.
The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce embodies what’s best about our city, combining an entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for community.
You do incredible work.
And I want to start by thanking you.
Let me also thank my cabinet and caucus colleagues for being here today.
They are an extraordinary group of public servants – every one of them dedicated to the proposition that government can be a force for good if it stays focussed on what matters to people.
They have fought hard for this city and province.
Especially in fighting to make sure we benefit more from our tremendous resources…
That we stop trading away so many of our resources to the Americans in return for nothing.
A message, in hindsight, I should have directed at the FORMER General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Chiarelli.
But you know what?
I’m not going to rag on the Oilers.
I’m an Oilers’ gal, through and through, and while these might be dark days at the Rogers
Centre…
I was proud to see that the Oilers payed tribute to Alberta’s oil and gas workers the other day.
We have some special, once-in-a-generation talent on the Oilers.
I’m going to stand by them and I know you will, too.
Friends,
Thank you for inviting me here to speak to you today as part of the Edmonton Chambers Political Party Leaders series.
A wonderful opportunity to talk a little politics…
…for people here in this room and across Alberta to hear directly from Alberta party leaders about their vision for our province and the choice before voters in the next election.
And so in the time I have, that’s what I will do.
Now let me say – a little warning perhaps – that I don’t plan to pull any punches.
Not because I don’t like my principle opponent in the coming campaign.
Mr. Kenney is an extremely skilled politician.
And I honour his public service.
I want to lay out the clear choice in the election…
Because I believe strongly that the choices Mr. Kenney will make are too big a risk for the people of Alberta, including the people of this city.
And I believe just as strongly that over the last four years, we have charted a better way that has provided stability and opportunity through a very challenging time…
…work that needs to continue.
But let me start by saying a few words about this city…
Because it’s connected to the larger point I want to make about how we keep moving Alberta forward.
I don’t think we Edmontonians say it enough…
but we all know it to be true…
We are so lucky to live here.
In fact, it’s my primary residence.
Think about it: almost 600 kilometers from the US border, we have built a city of over a million people…
The largest city in North America this far north.
A long time ago, when I lived away from Edmonton, I missed it.
I missed the people.
I missed all the great ways to be outdoors and active.
And I missed the sense of community that exists here.
We think big in this city, but we also think about each other.
Community is at the very heart of Edmonton.
Let me just give you one example that I think tells the larger Edmonton story.…
Our community leagues.
I stand to be corrected…
But I don’t think any city in North America has such a great system of community-based organizations that are at the center of so much of its civic life.
They are run by dedicated volunteers providing an extraordinary range of services, including the outdoor hockey rinks that dot our city.
Free and open to the public.
Some of the best kept rinks in the country…
Packed on weekends, no matter where in the city the rinks are…
With everyone from kids learning to skate to old-timers like my husband who still has to hold onto the boards.
When my kids were young, and we were living out West, my husband and I had to make a big choice about where we wanted to raise our family.
We chose here, in Edmonton.
And it’s on those rinks that my kids learned to skate, and when I think about Edmonton’s commitment to community, I think of my kids at those rinks, smiling and laughing.
Because those community leagues not only contribute to our quality of life they are also a barometer of how well we are growing economic prosperity and supporting strong public services.
Let’s talk about those public services.
We have a phenomenal public education system staffed by some of the best teachers and educators in the country.
And when kids graduate from those schools, they have the opportunity to attend some of the best institutions of higher learning and skills training in the world at a cost families can afford.
I got my undergraduate degree at the U of A.
The university is a treasure, attracting talent from all over the world and adding mightily to our culture of research and innovation.
Or how about our hospitals and public health facilities that provide the best, most advanced care anywhere in the world.
And overall, the dedicated people who provide those strong public services – one of the backbones of Edmonton’s economy.
These are legs of the stool that keep Edmonton growing and strong.
And what they do is support economic prosperity.
They underwrite our entrepreneurial and innovative business culture that is leading the way on economic diversification.
And so, when I became Premier just after the oil price collapse…
I knew we couldn’t make the mistakes of the past and take an axe to the very things that support a strong Edmonton and a strong province.
We all saw how that went in the 1990’s…
It was brutal for this city and for its people.
It set development in Edmonton back decades.
And it took a generation to recover.
So my government made a different choice…
A choice I am very proud of.
Instead of a reckless rush to slash public services that would have taken hundreds of millions of dollars out of this economy, harming local business…
…we carefully brought down the growth in government spending, stabilized funding, and set out a clear path to balance the budget by 2023.
A path that doesn’t rely on reckless cuts, but instead on common sense.
Common sense agreements with our labour partners who stepped up and signed fiscally sustainable agreements.
And a common sense approach to budgeting that didn’t track the price of oil – huge spending increases one year, followed by huge cuts the next…
…an extremely inefficient and wasteful approach that the former government turned into an art-form of pork-barreling, special deals, and scandalous spending.
We ended those backroom days.
Instead of building Sky Palaces for ourselves…
We built schools for our kids.
And we are making up for the huge backlog left by the previous government.
In fact, we’ve built and modernized over 200 schools, including 50 in Edmonton.
Instead of laying off nurses and blowing up hospitals…
We invested in the health care we need – like the new emergency room at the Miseracordia and the new hospital we are building in South Edmonton.
Instead of slashing training, research and teaching budgets at the U of A, McEwan, NAIT, Concordia and more…
We recognized these institutions for what they are – a huge strategic and economic advantage for Edmonton and all of Alberta.
Instead of taking an axe to municipal funding that is used for things like roads, police, parks and yes, community leagues…
We worked in partnership with municipalities and provided them with long term stability they need.
And, importantly, we worked in partnership with Alberta’s incredible businesses.
We cut the small business tax by a third and increased access to capital during the downturn to help businesses grow and hire.
We have no sales tax, no payroll tax and no health care premiums.
And today, I am committing to all of you that, if re-elected…
I will not bring in a sales tax…
I will not bring in a payroll tax…
And I will not bring in health care premiums.
We will keep Alberta’s $11 billion dollar tax advantage secure.
And friends, another key way we are supporting industry is by building the highways, bridges and interchanges local companies need to keep expanding their operations.
And on that point, I will join business and community leaders tomorrow in Leduc to make a major infrastructure announcement…
One that will help to unlock the growing investment interest in that exciting part of our province.
Because the way we grow Alberta for the future is not by cutting and firing, it’s by building and hiring.
Now, to be sure, we have made some significant cuts.
Like overinflated salaries for some of the heads of government’s agencies, boards and commissions.
Like the outrageous systems of perks and rewards that became commonplace under the former government…
Taxpayer-funded golf club memberships, for example.
Or the travel and hospitality budgets that were allowed to grow all out of proportion.
We got rid of those things, and kept the focus of government where it needed to be…
People.
On the things people and communities need to stay strong during and after an economic downturn.
And though our job is far from done…
…although too many people have still not felt the recovery…
…today we are better for the choices we made.
Since the depths of the economic downturn, we have created over 100,000 full-time jobs in this province.
We’ve led the country in economic growth last year, this year and we’re going to keep growing.
In 2018 employment in Edmonton grew to reach almost 800,000 people -- a new high.
Investment in industrial construction is up more than 20%.
And this November, while businesses in almost every province saw a significant drop in retail sales…
Alberta was the only province to see significant gains.
We’re also seeing promising signs of major new energy diversification investments…
Such as the $3.5 billion polypropylene plant being built just north of here in the Industrial Heartland – the first plant of its kind in Canada…
And the announcement I made on Tuesday in Calgary that will lead to a 2.5 billion dollar investment in a new partial upgrading facility, supporting more than 2000 jobs, just outside Edmonton.
Friends,
All of this didn’t happen by accident.
Again, it came down to a fundamental choice we made.
…a choice to invest in what makes Alberta strong.
A choice to have people’s back.
A choice to have Edmonton’s back.
Now here is where I will keep my promise not to pull any punches.
Because I submit that what my opponent is proposing will turn back the clock on Edmonton and the province…
Put this city on its heels…
And undo the tremendous work so many have done to help people weather the downturn.
Now of course, on cuts, Mr. Kenney tries to soft-sell his approach.
And I can’t help but notice that his story keeps changing.
To some he says he will freeze spending at 2015 levels.
To others he says that we should reduce spending by 20%, which would mean cutting billions.
And just a few weeks ago, he came to this very audience and said don’t worry, he’s only planning to freeze spending to 0.
So we’ve got three different stories from Mr. Kenney in just the last few months.
But here’s the thing: Our population isn’t frozen at zero – it’s growing.
That’s more patients in our ERs and hospitals.
The number of seniors who need health care also isn’t frozen, same with prescription drug costs, something we can’t control.
With health care, you may say, sure, but what about administrative costs?
Well, we already have the lowest health care administration costs in the country.
And you know what else?
The number of kids in our classrooms isn’t frozen – it’s growing – and those kids and their parents deserve to know they are getting a good education.
If we had adopted the freeze spending plan in 2015, there would be at least 4,000 fewer teachers in our schools.
Imagine what that would do to our kids.
The point is this: Holding spending at zero will require reckless cuts to the parts of the system you can’t cut…
Cuts of billions of dollars for things people need.
And when people get less – at their hospitals and care homes, in their classrooms – it’s a cut, plain and simple…
People get hurt...
Workers get fired…
And families get left in a lurch.
You don’t have to take my word for it.
My opponents are admitting it.
Recently a UCP MLA was at a town hall.
He was asked about the UCP plan for the budget and how it'll affect everyday people.
In a fit of transparency, he said, “I’m sorry to tell you, but it’s going to hurt."
But here’s the thing: It’s not going to hurt them.
It’s going to hurt everyday working families who rely on these services.
And at the same time Mr. Kenney stood here and tried to downplay his cuts…
He was clear that the UCP is going to bring in toll roads.
And when I pointed out that Mr. Kenney is proposing tolls, he said we were just playing politics.
And then his team went on to say his plan for tolls is true.
So there you have it.
Road tolls don’t exist in Alberta today…
But they sure exist on the ballot in the next election.
And friends, it’s not just that Mr. Kenney’s plan involves new costs for businesses and families…
Along with punishing cuts to hospitals and schools…
It also involves some pretty steep tax cuts for the top 1 per cent – something he has been consistent on.
Alberta’s $11 billion dollar tax advantage is secure.
A $700-million gift to those who aren’t even asking for it just doesn’t make any sense…
Especially when you are promising to slash supports for parents, seniors and kids.
So friends, in a nutshell that’s my opponents offer:
Big tax breaks for those who don’t need the help, and pain for everyone else.
A plan that will do tremendous damage to our recovery.
A plan that will do tremendous damage to the things cities like Edmonton rely on to grow and succeed.
Well friends, I didn’t get into politics to hurt people.
I got into politics to help people.
I got into politics to fight for people.
And I have carried that conviction with me throughout my life…
Through my first term as Premier, and – if Albertans hire me again – I will carry that conviction through the next four years.
It’s the conviction that says we can – we must – take the bull by the horns and do more to get value from our energy products.
It’s the conviction that says we have to open up new markets for our oil by building new pipelines.
I know it’s been hard. Believe me, I have the scars to prove it.
But on the pipeline, we are closer than ever.
I have travelled from one end of this country to the other making the case that climate action and economic growth can and must go hand in hand.
And Canadians from coast to coast are getting behind us – that includes our friends in BC.
That work would not have been possible were it not for community leaders, like the Edmonton Chamber, speaking up.
Together we have finally made the need to build new pipelines a majority opinion in Canada.
I want to be very clear:
I believe Trans Mountain will get built.
The majority of Canadians want it built.
And mark my words, if I am re-elected, I won’t stop until it is built.
My conviction to build pipelines is the same conviction that says government can help make life just a little easier for families, balancing the needs of work and home.
I will always fight to protect public health care so that our loved ones get good care without having to pull out a credit card.
I will always fight to improve seniors care so the people who built this province and country are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
I will always fight to improve public education so that our kids get the best start in life and learn the skills they need to succeed in a fast changing world.
And that includes fighting to expand child care options for young families, so that having a family doesn’t come with huge financial stress.
I will always fight to ensure that our entrepreneurs, innovators and risk takers have the support they need to bring their ideas to market…
Maintaining the best business climate in Canada – with a significant tax advantage over every other province…
And I will do so while sticking to my commitment to balance the budget by 2023.
In short, I will fight for an Alberta that works for everyone.
An Alberta where people come first.
An Alberta – an Edmonton – where we don’t sacrifice our quality of life and what makes our economy strong…
Through a reckless race to the bottom.
But rather, an Alberta in which we take advantage of what makes this the best place on earth to call home.
And to paraphrase something we’re fond of saying here in Edmonton: tomorrow’s leaders will be those people who look ahead to where the puck is going, not where it is, or once was.
I am inspired by an Alberta that is younger and more diverse than it’s ever been, comfortable and proud of what it’s becoming.
I am inspired by an Alberta where women’s lives, struggles and ambitions are reflected in the cares and concerns of their government.
And I am inspired by the optimistic, confident and hopeful Alberta that is the province at its best.
The future is not found, it is made.
And when we are inspired by our better angels, we have always made a better future…
As your premier, I promise you that work continues.
Thank you.