Red tape is serious business for those it affects.
Excessive bureaucracy, unnecessary regulations, and redundant paperwork are an expensive headache for businesses and families and a barrier for new investment and job creation.
The red tape burden was so large, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) gave Alberta an F grade in its annual red tape report card, which measures red tape performance across the country. Last week, however, the CFIB gave Alberta a grade of A-, the highest grade in the country.
In 2019, we promised to make life better for Albertans by cutting red tape by one-third. As was noted in the CFIB’s latest report, our government has, so far, cut more than 27 per cent of Alberta’s regulatory burden since 2019 – meaning we are well on our way to keeping our promise.
This has a real impact on the pocketbooks of Albertans. The red tape we have reduced so far has saved Alberta families and businesses an estimated $2.1 billion. And that number will only grow as we continue our red tape reduction efforts.
This also has a real impact on the lives and lifestyles of Albertans. Our red tape reduction efforts include giving responsible Albertans and Alberta businesses more options when choosing to purchase, consume, produce, or sell alcohol; modernizing the delivery of vehicle registry services by eliminating the use of licence plate stickers that mark the month and year of vehicle registration – a move that is saving taxpayers around $1.2 million per year; and reducing the administrative burden for the innovation sector, enabling easier access to $150 million in annual funding, while allowing Alberta entrepreneurs and researchers to spend less time on paperwork and more time on developing innovative solutions that can drive economic growth.
We haven’t done this work alone. We have accomplished this with the help of everyday Albertans, as well as business and industry. And we continue to call for more ideas. Any Albertan who has come across a government process that is too complex, takes too long, serves no purpose, or is duplicative or wasteful should share their views and recommendations for change at www.alberta.ca/cut-red-tape.aspx. All submissions will be reviewed and sent to the responsible ministry for consideration and follow-up.
We will work to ensure red tape doesn’t continue to creep back in. We want to make sure that Albertans face fewer unnecessary processes and that our province remains the best place in the world to live, work, and do business. We are proud Alberta is once again a national leader in cutting red tape for job creators, taxpayers, and families. Alberta is back on top, and with your help, we will stay there.
Strengthening free speech on campus
Alberta’s government will require post-secondary institutions to provide annual free speech reporting to the minister of Advanced Education.
This action furthers previous work in 2019 which required all 26 publicly funded post-secondary institutions in Alberta to either endorse the Chicago Principles on free expression or develop a policy that is consistent with the principles. All institutions complied and implemented their policies by the minister’s deadline of Dec. 15, 2019, with an exception made for Burman University and the institution’s religious values.
Creating more affordable, accessible childcare spaces
Continued advocacy to the federal government means that Alberta families will have access to thousands more licensed private child-care spaces.
Following an agreement on the Cost Control Framework and For-Profit Expansion Plan with the federal government, up to 22,500 additional licensed private childcare spaces may become eligible for funding supports over the next three years for a total of 68,700 new licensed childcare spaces by the end of March 2026. These supports will help increase access to childcare across the province and reduce childcare fees for Alberta parents.
Highlighting the need for foster parents
A new awareness campaign called Just Like You encourages Albertans to become foster parents and provide loving homes for children and youth in care.
The call for more foster parents is part of ongoing work by the Ministry of Children’s Services to create more stability within the system, reduce the number of moves and minimize disruption during a child’s time in care. Reviewing and improving the foster care system was identified as a priority by Premier Danielle Smith when she issued her mandate letter to Children’s Services Minister Mickey Amery.
Supporting low-income transit options
Alberta’s government is providing more support to help low-income families move through their communities to access jobs, education, and health care.
Alberta’s government is investing up to $15 million to support low-income transit programs throughout the province. Recent data shows that low-income transit pass programs in Edmonton and Calgary gave almost 390,000 Albertans mobility last year. This year, Calgary and Edmonton each received $4.5 million to provide their low-income transit pass programs through 2022-23. An additional $6 million in funding will be used to support low-income transit pass programs for municipalities across the province, which will be available to pay for some operating costs.
Providing more funding to students with disabilities
Alberta’s government is investing $5 million to increase access to specialized supports and services to maintain an inclusive learning environment.
Alberta’s government has increased Low Incidence Supports and Services (LISS) funding by more than $3 million in response to feedback from school authorities and education partners. This funding will allow school authorities to hire and train specialized professionals and provide equipment for students who are blind, deafblind, deaf, hard of hearing or have complex communications needs. Students who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, deafblind, or those with complex communication needs, account for about one per cent of the total student population, which is approximately 7,500 students in Alberta.