| April 2004 | ||
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News from the Legislature Alana DeLong, MLA Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan In celebration of the province’s centennial, the Alberta government is introducing a new education savings grant. The Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan is a collaborative investment in Alberta’s children that encourages parents to open a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for their children. Government will make a one-time contribution of $500 to any Alberta child born in 2005 or later whose family has opened an RESP in that child’s name. In addition to the initial $500 grant, government will provide another $100 to an RESP for children attending school in Alberta at age 8, 11 and 14, beginning with children born in 2005. The first of the $100 grants will be issued in 2013. A post-secondary education is the best investment you can make. I encourage you to start planning and saving for your child’s education early on, so that he or she can go on to be a healthy, happy and successful adult. For more information on the Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan, please visit www.learning.gov.ab.ca/aces Preparing For Alberta's Second Century In a recent annual televised address, the Premier emphasized continued fiscal responsibility in 2004 while investing in key areas to prepare the province for its second century in 2005. The Premier also emphasized that Alberta will enter its second century with the strongest economy in Canada; retain nation-leading health and education systems; achieve number one status in Canada in productivity, employment rates, disposable income, retail sales, and educational achievement; maintain the lowest tax burden, and continue with payments on the province's debt in 2004, dropping it to about $3.5 billion in 2004-05 (from $23 billion 10 years ago). This debt pay-down has, in turn, freed up $1.4 billion a year for priority areas like health, education, and infrastructure, instead of debt interest payments. Provincial Parks To Receive $21M For Upgrades The Alberta government will invest $21 million over three years for upgrading provincial parks' water and sewage infrastructure as well as addressing some other potential safety hazards. With this investment of new funding, the government will make necessary repairs and improvements to drinking water and sewer systems at several provincial parks where needs exist. These upgrades will restore these parks to meet public expectations, and will also address health and safety hazards such as repairs to boat and marina docks, boardwalks, and toilet buildings. Alberta's Best And Brightest Collect More Than $9.7 Million In Scholarships More than 8,400 post-secondary students in the province have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement, sharing over $9.7 million in scholarships dedicated to the memory of two outstanding Albertans. In February, I had the pleasure of delivering award certificates to students in the constituency. More information about these awards and other scholarships is available online at www.alis.gov.ab.ca/scholarships Impark's Contract For Registry Information Terminated Alberta Government Services has terminated Imperial Parking Canada Corporation's contract to receive information from the province's motor vehicle registry. The company had used the information to obtain driver names and addresses for issuing and collecting on parking tickets. The decision was announced by Minister David Coutts in response to hundreds of consumer complaints by Albertans over the past several months involving the company, its agents or subcontractors. New Council To Focus On Safe, Quality Health Care Quality health care and improved patient safety are the focus of an expanded mandate for the Health Quality Council of Alberta who will report directly to Albertans about patient safety and satisfaction, and the quality and performance of Alberta's health care system. It will continue to provide input to the minister about system wide quality improvements. Bonnie Laing, former MLA, is named vice-chair of the Council. Under her leadership, the commission released its Health Report to Albertans in July 2003 and the Survey of Albertans in September 2003. The reports contained integral information about selected population health indicators, effectiveness of the health care system, overall health of Albertans and their satisfaction with the system. Please call my constituency office for a copy of this report. MLA for a Day Program Congratulations to Andrew Tuck of Bowness High School, who was selected to represent the Calgary Bow constituency and participate in the MLA For A Day Program, hosted by the Honourable Ken Kowalski, House Speaker, in Edmonton
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