| In his yearly TV informercial address to Albertans, premier Ralph Klein promised to freeze post-secondary tuition increases for 2005-06.
And he’s promised his government will add 15,000 new post-secondary spaces in the next three years, 30,000 new spaces in six years and 60,000 new spaces by 2020.
Klein also promised his government will start working on a new tuition policy, which will be ready by September 2006, to ensure post-secondary education is accessible to all Albertans.
Student union representatives in Calgary say the announcement is a victory after several years of fighting for more government funds for Alberta’s neglected post-secondary system. They say the government is finally taking action after losing 11 seats in the last election, including three in Calgary.
Bill Moore-Kilgannon, executive director of Public Interest Alberta, a left-wing lobby group, says that under Klein’s reign, university tuitions have increased by 183 per cent, and college and technical school tuitions have increased by 250 per cent. He says a one-time tuition freeze isn’t enough to ensure post-secondary education is affordable to all Albertans.
Klein has also promised to raise Alberta’s minimum wage, which is currently the lowest in the country. Anti-poverty and labour activists, as well as the Liberal and New Democratic parties have been campaigning for years for the government to increase the minimum wage to a rate people can live on. The increase will raise minimum wage to $7 per hour from $5.90.
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NDP leader Brian Mason will begin a series of provincewide health care hearings this week to ask Albertans for their opinions on the sustainability of the current health care system and for suggestions on innovative ways to save money in the system.
Mason says he’ll also talk to Albertans about current waiting lists for surgeries, home care, prescription drug costs and elder care.
Mason says premier Ralph Klein keeps promising to consult Albertans on promised health care reforms, but it never happens. Klein refused to discuss health care reforms during the provincial election campaign, saying consultation would happen after the election. But there’s still no word on when that consultation will take place.
For more information on NDP health hearings go to www.newdemocrats.ab.ca.
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Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) has released a study showing that Alberta’s arts sector contributed $153 million to the province’s economy and created more than 3,500 full-time jobs in the 2003-04 fiscal year.
Econometric Research Limited conducted the study using financial data from the 481 organizations that received grants from the AFA. Their study did not include economic activity generated by individuals.
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The Calgary Women’s Centre will host a social forum from February 25 to 27 where Albertans can learn about how to promote justice, peace and protection of the environment.
The social forum includes a wide variety of workshops on such topics as addressing racism, poverty reduction, non-violent direct action, the anti-globalization movement in Europe, indymedia and much more. For more information call 264-1155.
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In article in the Jan. 27 - Feb. 2, 2005 issue of Fast Forward entitled "New funding gives C-Jazz the means to provide year-round music," incorrect information was provided by Canadian Heritage. The Jazz Festival – Calgary Society has been producer of its annual event since the society was incorporated in 1998. Edmonton’s Jazz City Festival Society has never produced the event. |
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