Monday, February 24, 2,000 education support workers from Calgary and area hit the picket lines. They joined 4,000 more workers in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, and the Sturgeon School Division who are already on strike.
Tuesday, February 25, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange fired CIO (Chief Information Officer) of AHS Penny Rae. Rae is recognized as one of Canada’s top women leaders in digital health. Previously, on January 8, LaGrange had fired the CEO of AHS, Athana Mentzelopoulos, who filed a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit. Then, on January 31, LaGrange fired the entire AHS board.
Tuesday, February 25, Pete Guthrie, the Minister of Infrastructure, resigned from cabinet, saying he lacked confidence in the government’s procurement processes. Earlier he had called for LaGrange to step down during investigations into serious allegations made by Mentzelopoulos.
Tuesday, February 25, The legislative assembly resumed sitting for its spring session.
Thursday, February 27, the government presented Budget 2025. Highlights:
• $5.2-billion deficit on total spending of $79-billion, with more money for contingencies, tariffs and disasters
• $26-billion for capital projects such as hospitals and highways, including $2.6-billion for new schools
• personal income tax cuts costing the government $1-billion in foregone revenue and saving individual Albertans roughly $750 a year
• contributions are projected to grow the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund to $250-billion by 2050
Budget 2025 also allocates $180-million over three years to build two 150-bed addiction treatment centres, one in Calgary and one in Edmonton, under the proposed Compassionate Intervention Act, which allows forced treatment.
As the Budget was being presented, 50 busloads of striking education support workers protested outside the legislature. The average school support worker in the province makes $34,500 per year, said CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill.
