Hunter Baril

Statistics Canada is out with its annual numbers and once again— Alberta is leading the way. Our economy grew by 3.3 per cent last year, well ahead of the national average and stronger than B.C., Ontario and Quebec. Albertans also generated the highest GDP per capita in the country. Our province has now outpaced Canada for four years in a row. That success belongs to the Albertans who build, farm, drill, ship and start businesses every single day. Our job is to keep taxes competitive, get major projects built and make sure Alberta remains the best place in Canada to invest, work and raise a family.

Alberta's aviation industry is taking off. De Havilland is adding a second production line for its new water bombers at its plant in Wheatland County, just east of Calgary, bringing about 1,200 jobs with it. These are the planes that will fight wildfires around the world, including five built right here for Alberta. Add in WestJet, Lufthansa Technik and CAE all expanding in Calgary, and it's clear the world sees what we already know. Alberta is the place to build, fly and maintain the aircraft of the future.

Campus should be a place where students can think freely and debate. That's what Bill 38 is about. If passed, Bill 38 would: ✅ Protect free speech by keeping universities and colleges neutral on political and social issues outside their mandate, while protecting academic freedom 
✅ Make tuition predictable, with maximum tuition amounts for programs and increases capped at two per cent for current domestic students in 2027-28 
✅ Set clear, consistent conduct standards so every student is treated fairly 
✅ Cut red tape for specialized engineering and geoscience professionals Our universities and colleges should teach students how to think, not what to think. Alberta will protect that freedom and keep a great education within reach for everyone.

Parents play an important role in their children's education, and having clear information helps them stay informed and involved. We're introducing new legislation to improve transparency, strengthen communication and support greater parental involvement in Alberta's schools. Our proposed changes would: ☑️ Establish consistent provincial standards for report cards so parents can better understand their children's progress and achievement. ☑️ Require school authorities to inform families on how professional development and other non-instructional operational days are used. ☑️ Require school authorities to establish clear processes for addressing parent concerns that haven't been resolved at the school level. ☑️ Require public school boards to obtain ministerial approval before beginning the process of naming or renaming school buildings. These changes will make it easier for parents to stay informed, raise concerns and play an active role in their children's education.

When parents drop their children off at daycare, they trust that their children will be safe and well cared for. We're introducing new legislation to strengthen childcare safety and accountability and ensure parents are kept informed when serious concerns arise. Our proposed changes would: ☑️ Require childcare providers to inform parents about significant compliance issues, enforcement actions and changes to their licenses. ☑️ Strengthen licensing requirements to better identify potential risks before childcare operators are approved. ☑️ Require providers to follow government-approved safety plans when directed following serious incidents. ☑️ Allow government to notify families directly when childcare providers cannot or will not do so. These changes build on our work to improve childcare safety, strengthen accountability and give parents greater confidence in the care their children receive.

Every child deserves a safe, stable home and the opportunity to stay connected to the people who care about them. We're introducing new legislation that would: ☑️ Prioritize placing vulnerable children with grandparents, relatives and trusted caregivers whenever possible. ☑️ Give children and caregivers a stronger voice in decisions about their care. ☑️ Reduce unnecessary court delays to help children find permanent homes sooner. ☑️ Help adopted children maintain important family and cultural connections. ☑️ Strengthen child protection laws to better address online grooming, exploitation and other digital threats. These are common-sense changes that put children's safety first, keep families connected and help vulnerable young Albertans build brighter, more stable futures.