Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson talked budget and took questions from constituents during a town hall in Diamond Valley this week.
The post-budget forum at the Flare n’ Derrick Community Centre was held on March 7, one week after the UCP government tabled Budget 2024.
Broadly speaking, Sigurdson called the budget “a responsible plan for a growing province,” and he talked about projects the government is undertaking around Diamond Valley and Okotoks, some of which were announced previously.
He said provincial funding for the Okotoks-Foothills Regional Water Project will resolve an issue that has plagued the region for decades and more details are expected to be released soon on plans for an interchange on Highway 2 at 338 Avenue.
“Too many deaths have happened there on that stretch of highway,” said Sigurdson, the provincial minister of agriculture and irrigation.
Additionally, Budget 2024 includes design funding for a new high school in Okotoks.
Following his remarks, Sigurdson took questions from the floor, which ran the gamut from renewable energy regulations to orphan oil and gas wells, education and others.
One person asked why he had to pay for a park pass to use Kananaskis Golf Course or Nakiska, when he is already paying to access those businesses.
Sigurdson said much work is needed to address infrastructure needs in Kananaskis and he hopes the fee can be reduced.
“I understand that it is a burden,” he said. “We want to make sure Kananaskis is taken care of for future generations.”
Another person asked about EMS service and cited several instances where no ambulances were available.
“Unfortunately, in my experience here in the (Diamond) Valley, we’re not seeing much in the way of improvement with EMS,” the speaker said.
Sigurdson, who served as co-chair on the Alberta EMS Provincial Advisory Committee, said improvements began, including using independent companies for non-urgent transfers to keep more ambulances on the road, after the committee submitted a final report with recommendations in late 2022.
“The instant that I stopped being there, in real time pressing AHS to make these changes, and I went into the (2023) election, they went back to status quo,” he said.
Refocusing health care will result in more control over implementing policies, he said, to “make sure that when good things happen, and they start working in the right direction, they continue in that direction.”
Overall, he called the budget a plan to prioritize the needs of Albertans, while being fiscally responsible and paying down debt.
“The reality of where we're at as a province is a finite amount of money,” he said. “If we were to get education, health care, transportation, municipalities and everybody what they wanted, we'd be running a $40- (billion) to $50-billion a year deficit.”
