It is often said, “put your money where your mouth is”.
Did Premier Kenney use Budget 2020 to put Alberta’s money where its mouth is?
Is Diversity and Inclusion, as well as, building a welcoming Alberta for everyone a priority to Premier Kenney and the UCP as per Budget 2020?
The Premier of Alberta, Jason Kenney just presented the 2020 Alberta Budget with a focus on, “getting Albertans back to work, making life better for Albertans, and standing up for Albertans”.
In an Alberta sliding down the economic ladder, loosing jobs by the day, wrestling with nurses, doctors, teachers, everyone experiencing the impacts of Premier Kenney’s made in Alberta Austerity, you will expect a slow down in the cuts especially for vital social services such as people with disability and seniors but that is not the case.
To say the least, Budget 2020 is unfriendly to the plight of the multicultural communities with no financial commitment to support the building of a welcoming and inclusive Alberta in a period where racism and discrimination is on the rise and multicultural communities feel left out in the economy, especially with the cuts.
This is further supported by the cut in the budget for the Department of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women, from $185 to $157 millions Dollars and an extinction of the screen based production grant that support projects that tells stories and educate Albertans on the importance of diversity and inclusion.
The good news or say hopeful news from the high price Albertans are paying is that the UCP hopes the budget will balance by 2022/2023, and will see a reduction in Alberta’s debt.
Another bright side of the budget is the 1.1 billion commitment to the Petrochemical Diversification Program to help help diversify Alberta’s oil and gas dependent economy.
What is not getting attention in Budget 2020 is the tech sector which is growing very fast in Edmonton and Calgary from a renewable resource that Alberta has a wealth of – human talent. Another area worthy of financial commitment much more than the rhetoric in Budget 2020 is the problem of a large pool of Alberta’s new immigrant talents, skills, experiences, and accomplishments fading away due to lack of recognition of foreign earned credentials – another colossal waste of a valuable renewable resource and useful skills for the businesses that Budget 2020 want to attract.
As per our new strategy, we shall be sharing a lot more on Budget 2020 with responses to our observations from ministers in charge on all Diversity Magazine platforms to help get you informed, involved, and engaged, in what is happening in the Alberta Legislature and how to position yourself.
