Premier Rachel Notley addressed reporters in a news conference Thursday morning, and laid out some outstanding plans for the provincial government in the coming months.
Notley said Thursday that a by-election for the seat left vacant by former premier and former Progressive Conservative Leader Jim Prentice, Calgary-Foothills, will be held Thursday, September 3.
“I was hopeful that we would get a new MLA elected before the federal campaign began, unfortunately that has turned out not to be possible,” Notley said. “However, I still believe very strongly that it is absolutely appropriate to call this by-election now, to ensure the people of [Calgary] Foothills are represented in the legislature when the Alberta Legislature reconvenes this fall.”
Then, Notley said it is likely MLAs will return to the legislature in late October, possibly October 26 – with the budget to follow.
“We will present a provincial budget that restores stability to our hospitals and to our schools,” Notley said. “Our budget will also set out a roadmap to a balanced budget, without self-defeating, unnecessary and damaging cutbacks to healthcare and education that Albertans need and want.
“As we all know, there has been a significant drop in the international price of oil – Albertans have seen price booms and busts many times before, we all see the price that we pay for being too dependent on one commodity and one price, and failing to save for a rainy day.”
Notley said the province would set out a job creation and economic development plan in the fall.
The premier also fielded questions from reporters, she was asked to respond to comments by federal Conservative leader Stephen Harper calling her government’s actions since their election in May ‘a disaster’.
Over the long weekend, during a speech delivered in Montreal, Harper set his sights on attacking the Alberta NDP.
“The first action is they’re unable to present a budget, they’ve risen the taxes – it’s a disaster, it’s a disaster, it’s been rejected by the populations,” Harper said in the speech, delivered in French.
“It is unusual for Prime Ministers and Premiers to attack each other during federal election campaigns, we’ve all been elected to serve the people,” Notley said. “To do that, I believe that we need to work to try and get along, we need to be able to maintain relationships that allow us to work together.
“For the record, I completely reject the Conservative campaign’s comments about the decisions of the people of Alberta that they made last spring. Whether their federal cousins like it or not, the people of Alberta decided they’d had enough of a Conservative government in this province, and they decided to elect a new government.”
When asked who she supports in the federal election, she said she supported the NDP – but she wouldn’t spend much time on the federal campaign trail.
“I have a great deal of respect for Tom Mulcair’s work as the leader of the official opposition, and I like him on a personal level,” Notley said.
“That being said, I have a pretty major day job, and in my view that day job should be focused on doing the work that the people of Alberta elected me to do.”
Notley said she would likely seen at events for the federal NDP, but she wouldn’t engage in “negative campaigning”.
