Southern Albertans are rightfully concerned

By Lethbridge Herald on March 14, 2025.

AT THE LEGISLATURE – Rob Miyashiro – NDP MLA for Lethbridge West

On Jan. 20, I had the great honour of being sworn in as the MLA for Lethbridge-West, making me the 985th member of the Alberta Legislature in the last 120 years, and the first member that is of Japanese and Okinawan descent. I shared that wonderful day with many members of my family, our party leader Naheed Nenshi, and some members of my NDP caucus. Her Honour Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta, who conducts the swearing in ceremony for all MLAs, gave a moving address about the importance of our Canadian democracy. She especially highlighted that in a troubled world, our democracy and our multicultural society stand as a beacon of hope for all and a refuge for those who must flee their country, as she had to. As we listened to Her Honour’s address and as we toured the Legislature Building, I was reminded of the value of a liberal democracy. I stood in awe in that building that has, for more than a century, represented Albertans’ collective commitment to discussion, debate, and protecting the rights of all.

When the House resumed sitting on Feb. 25, I got to take my seat in the Legislature and what an eventful day it was! Before we got to sing O Canada, Infrastructure Minister Peter Guthrie resigned from Cabinet citing the Premier’s lack of action on the growing scandal in private health care procurement. That afternoon we held an Emergency Debate on tariffs. I rose to speak to the tremendous impact that the threatened Trump tariffs will have on Lethbridge’s economy. Our agri-food producers will be significantly damaged by these unfair tariffs and I called on the Premier to have a real plan to help local producers and those workers who will be amongst the hardest hit in Canada.

Local producers and businesses are not only sleepless over the looming tariffs but also the threat to our water from coal mining in the Eastern Slopes. In January, the UCP government lifted a ban on coal exploration in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains. This reversed the almost fifty-year policy that restricted mining and exploration activity along Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and foothills, the headwaters of our drinking water. My inbox filled with letters of concern from a wide variety of people since we are all affected. We drink the water from the Oldman River, we irrigate the farmland that feeds us and our economic futures, and we love to explore the mountains. Importantly, the mountains and rivers of this area are traditional Blackfoot territory so the people of the Piikani Nation and Kainai Nation, among others, have treaty rights that must be upheld by the government.

The detrimental effects of coal mining and coal exploration on the land, water, fish, flora and fauna, along with the detrimental effects of coal mining and exploration on the people of Alberta cannot be overlooked. Albertans have, for decades, protected our economy, agriculture sector, recreational lands, and water with the Lougheed government’s 1976 Coal Policy. With the UCP government’s rejection of that history, and their refusal to hear the overwhelming voices of Albertans for “no coal mining in the Eastern Slopes”, Premier Danielle Smith and her government have set a dangerous course. You can count on me, and Alberta’s NDP, to fight this terrible plan with every tool. 

There are other threats to our community right now as non-profit organizations find they are suddenly losing government funding they have relied on to help vulnerable Albertans. In early January, Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association (SAIPA) was among three small organizations in the province to suddenly lose contracted funding. The three organizations receive, together, less than $424,000 a year, to provide services to people with intellectual disabilities. At a recent news conference, many of the people who receive that support spoke of the shock they felt to hear their government funding, which forms the bulk of the funding in each organization, could be cut after decades of service. Some spoke of how the self-advocacy training and support they received from SAIPA, and the other organizations, meant they were less likely to be victimized or abused. They felt that they, and people like them, will now be more vulnerable. Having previously worked in the disabilities field, I will continue to raise the alarm on this decision, because, in the words of NDP MLA Marie Renaud, “I’m just astounded by the cruelty and the stupidity of it.” The tiny amount of funding that the organizations receive will make no difference to a provincial budget but will have a huge impact on the people who depended on the support from SAIPA.

The issues we discuss in the Legislature, from private health care scandals to coal mining and the Budget, matter to each of us. I believe it is important to return to some of those liberal democratic values I spoke about at the beginning of this column. Our liberal democracy stands on the pillars of open discussion and consensus building, as well as the express protection of minority rights. Alberta’s Legislature Building, and the 87 MLAs elected to sit in the Assembly, are sworn to uphold that democracy and to work for the betterment of all. I take that oath seriously and will work on behalf of you to maintain Alberta for all of its people. I will press the government to listen to Albertans and make decisions in the interests of the people and province I am so proud to represent.

I can be reached at Lethbridge.west@assembly.ab.ca or by phone to 403-329-4644.