The United Conservative Party dominated the 2019 election, winning 63 out of 87 seats. The NDP won the remaining 24 seats, the majority in Edmonton, along with three seats in Calgary, and two seats in Lethbridge and St. Albert.
Locally, both Medicine Hat area ridings went to the United Conservative Party. Michaela Glasgo won her first term as MLA in the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding, while Drew Barnes won his third term as MLA in Cypress-Medicine Hat.
Link: https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/04/17/ucp-candidates-barnes-glasgo-sweep-medicine-hat-ridings/
Motz wins second term
At the federal level, Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner MP Glen Motz won his second term in office during the fall federal election.
Motz was elected with an overwhelming 79.3 per cent of the vote, as the Conservative Party of Canada won all but one seat in Alberta.
Link: https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/10/21/motz-wins-in-medicine-hat-cardston-warner/
Provincial budget tabled
Three days following the federal election, the United Conservative Party tabled its first budget. The budget sees an increased deficit of $8.7 billion, up from the NDP’s deficit of $6.8 billion, and changes to provincial spending in several areas.
Link: https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/10/24/budget-2019-debt-still-grows-but-path-to-balance-mapped-out/
Education budget impacts
The tabling of the provincial budget had impacts for education at multiple levels.
Due to the budget being tabled in October, local school boards met later in the year to deal with funding shortfalls following a change in grants from the province.
https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/10/31/public-school-division-dealing-with-shortfall-following-budget/
At the post-secondary level, the province announced the end of the tuition freeze starting in the 2020 school year, meaning colleges can begin raising tuition up to seven per cent starting that year. There is currently no indication if Medicine Hat College plans to raise tuition yet.
Link: https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/10/25/college-to-deal-with-funding-changes-in-provincial-budget/
Families concerned about programs ending
Several programs that assisted families are either being eliminated completely following the budget, or having their funding changed.
A program which provided a subsidy for stay-at-home parents to help cover day care costs, along with a second subsidy that helped family members who took care of children, is being discontinued in January.
Link: https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/11/06/two-child-care-subsidies-discontinued-by-province/
The current funding model for parent link centres will also be discontinued as of April 1, with centres having to apply for a new program for funding.
Public sector workers take on province
The provincial budget announced the Alberta government would reduce the number of public sector positions by 7.7 per cent, or approximately 2,100 positions. Workers rallied across the province, including in Medicine Hat.
Link: https://chatnewstoday.ca/2019/10/28/public-sector-workers-rally-against-bill-9-outside-hospital/
In November, the United Nurses of Alberta announced AHS is planning to lay off nurses beginning next year.
