It’s time for ethical, competent governance, now.

That’s why Alberta’s New Democrats introduced Bill 202: the Ethical Governance Act.

We need to ensure clear rules, stronger oversight, and greater public confidence in how decisions are made.

Albertans should be able to trust their government to serve the public, not themselves and their friends.

As MLAs, we have a duty to serve Albertans, and we owe it to those who elected us to maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity.

From Hockey-gate to Turkish Tylenol, to CorruptCare and the Coal Mining debacle this UCP government has eroded public trust.

Thank you as well to the Chamber for hosting the event and continuing to champion economic growth and prosperity in Strathcona County.

Congratulations to this year’s winners–Rohit Group, Festival Place Cultural Arts Foundation, Blackstone Industrial Services, Park Integrative Health, and Fellowship Farms—as well as all of the nominees.

The awards were a reminder that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well within Sherwood Park, and that what makes our business community so strong is the mix between larger companies serving the province and beyond, and small businesses serving Sherwood Park and the surrounding areas.

4/ Danielle Smith and the UCP continue to flout the ethical standards Albertans expect from their elected representatives. My bill will ensure increased transparency in government and help Albertans determine whether these scandals stem from incompetence, corruption, or both.

3/ This type of behaviour is why last week I tabled Bill 202, the Ethical Governance Act. Whether it’s poor record-keeping on Dynalife or accepting free skybox tickets from individuals doing business with the Government of Alberta, Albertans demand accountability.

2/ The full extent of this scandal is still not clear. The UCP’s extremely poor record-keeping of the procurement process and heavy document redactions made it nearly impossible for the Auditor General to fully investigate.

On the same day they also abstained from voting for a motion affirming that Alberta and Canada are stronger together, and denounces provincial separatism as extreme, divisive, and economically destructive.

It was not lost on me either that the Alberta Party’s MLAs that sit as independents just voted to override protected rights in the Alberta Bill of Rights, the Alberta Human Rights Act, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.