Employment & Immigration Policy

Albertans deserve access to good jobs and safe workplaces.

The Official Opposition has clear priorities for employment and immigration in the province:

Ensure that Alberta’s workers have access to the skills development services and academic upgrading programs they will need to succeed in an increasingly knowledge-based economy and society.
Provide temporary income support benefits that are fair and equitable to Albertans who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis.
Lobby the federal government to rectify imbalances in the Employment Insurance (EI) program that disadvantages out-of-work Albertans.
Redirect Alberta’s immigration focus away from the flawed temporary foreign worker program by expanding access to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program.
Expand the Employment Standards Code to include protections for farm workers and adopt a farm safety program to promote safety in the farming community.
Conduct a thorough, long-overdue review of the Alberta Labour Code to ensure that Alberta’s labour relations system properly protects collective bargaining rights.

Employment & Immigration Responses & Questions

01 June 2011

Chase welcomes minimum wage hike

Calgary – Official Opposition Employment and Education Critic Harry Chase is glad to see that the government has finally increased Alberta’s minimum wage, but regrets the nearly year-long delay in implementing the change and the lower wage for workers who serve liquor.

10 May 2011

Workers’ Compensation for Injured Transit Driver (May 9, 2011)

Mr. MacDonald: Thank you. Tom Bregg continues to heal from the brutal assault which occurred on December 3, 2009, while operating a city bus for Edmonton Transit System.

29 April 2011

Occupational Health and Safety (April 28, 2011)

Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday we learned of yet another serious Calgary incident of falling work debris. Fortunately, no workers or the general public were injured.

29 April 2011

Memorial to Fallen Workers (April 28, 2011)

Mr. MacDonald: Thank you. Today on this National Day of Mourning I would like the Premier to please commit to building a permanent, visible monument that can be seen from this Legislative Assembly so that all members of this House are reminded each and every day of the year of what happens when our occupational health and safety laws are not enforced.

22 April 2011

Standards for Underage Workers (April 21, 2011)

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. New research offers some startling figures. Nineteen per cent of 12- to 14-year-olds are employed, 21 per cent of whom are in prohibited occupations.

07 May 2010

Question of the Week: Somali-Canadian deaths in Alberta reaching fever pitch

During the last 5 years, 30 Somali-Canadian men have been killed in Alberta. Despite repeated requests from the Somali community, the Stelmach administration has taken no action to remedy the issues surrounding these senseless deaths.

28 April 2010

Broken promises endanger Alberta workers

Edmonton â€“ Alberta Liberal MLA Hugh MacDonald says that high rates of death, illness and injury in the workplace are clear evidence that the Tories arenâ€™t doing enough to protect workers.

22 April 2010