Kenney showing little interest in managing cost of living

By Lethbridge Herald on February 25, 2022.

Shannon Phillips – MLA for Lethbridge West

This late-February cold snap brings with it a number of anxieties for many folks in southern Alberta. There are of course the safety concerns and existential fears of our neighbours who are unhoused. There are the frustrating and grinding limitations faced by those that work every day to support them. And recently, for the rest of us, there are fresh worries about what the inclement weather will mean for the next time we open our utility bills. 

It’s clear from my conversations that there are many things weighing heavily on family budgets in our community, making life that much more challenging at a time when many of us just want things to be a bit easier after two years of living through a global pandemic. From food to utilities to rising costs of automobile insurance, the things we need to live good lives and take care of our families are getting more expensive, and the strain is building for many of us.

Over the last few months I’ve heard more and more from constituents who are feeling pinched by utility bills, by the rising cost of heating and lighting their homes, and the ways in which these costs are forcing them to make difficult decisions. I’ve heard from people cutting back on discretionary spending, postponing needed purchases – even as far as scaling back grocery purchases. These skyrocketing costs are having a real and profound impact on southern Albertans. What’s more is that in many cases wages aren’t going up to meet these increased demands on family budgets, and many of our neighbours on fixed incomes – including those on provincially sponsored support programs for seniors and those living with disabilities – are seeing their limited funds going less and less far each month. 

This week is a crucial one for many Albertans who are being challenged by rising household costs. Between Tuesday’s Throne Speech from the Kenney government and yesterday’s budget, many Albertans were looking to the UCP government to provide just a little bit of help with these costs to make life a bit easier as costs soar and paycheques don’t go as far as they used to. The government would be wise to heed these desires and to take serious action to help control costs for working families and those on fixed incomes. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to controlling household costs, the Kenney government has shown little interest over the last three budgets in managing the cost of living for Albertans. At almost every decision point, he has prioritized corporate tax giveaways over kitchen table costs being faced by Alberta families. 

Whether that’s removing the cap on the cost of auto insurance, exploding the cost of post-secondary education, increasing the costs of recreation at our province’s parks and cultural sites, or allowing runaway electricity costs to take hold, it’s clear that the Premier and his government have decided that the issues that we all deal with when making household economic decisions are at the bottom of his priority list. 

The seeming preference of this government to load additional taxes, costs, and obligations on families at an incredibly challenging moment for most of us is why our NDP caucus has been working hard to put forward a number of proposals to stem the rise in the cost of living in the province. 

From urging the government to reimplement the cap on electricity rates that was in place until the UCP repealed it, to standing up against efforts to de-index benefits so that seniors and those with disabilities aren’t left behind by inflation, our caucus is standing up for everyday people struggling with incredibly difficult decisions on how to make their resources go as far as they can. 

Albertans deserve a government that is focused on the challenges facing them. Unfortunately, this UCP government has shown themselves time and time again to be consumed either by internal feud, petty political vanity projects, or the interests of their well-connected friends and insiders. I, along with Rachel Notley and the rest of the Alberta NDP team, am ready to provide the support that Albertans deserve, and to focus on the issues that matter to working families. 

Because my office has been hearing many concerns about the cost of living over the last month, I wanted to provide some advice to those who may have experienced a bit of a gut punch when they opened their December utility bills. 

If you have concerns about your bills, or to find out ways in which you may be able to find a better deal, visit ucahelps.alberta.ca to access Alberta’s Utilities Customer Advocate. They will be able to provide some further insight as to why bills were so high this winter, and offer some advice on next steps. 

If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me and my office know. You can reach us by calling 403-329-4644 or by emailing Lethbridge.west@assembly.ab.ca