The Alberta Legislature officially opened yesterday and with it the speech from the Throne was delivered.

The UCP Government outlined plans to safeguard Alberta’s infrastructure like railways, introduce recall legislation for elected officials, and plans to stand up for Alberta‘s interests within Canada.

The province says it is committed to developing its resources responsibly. They plan to work with industry to reduce the environmental impact of the energy sector.

“Ours is a government obsessed with job creation. That’s why we’ll introduce our Blueprint for Jobs, which builds on policies brought in last year to keep business taxes low, cut job-killing red tape by one-third, and stand up for our energy sector. We’ll also defend Alberta jobs by making sure illegal blockades don’t threaten Albertans’ ability to earn a living or put food on the table. Albertans respect freedom of speech and association, including the right to protest, but there is no right to dangerously and illegally block roads and railways.” said Premier Jason Kenney,

The government aims to improve life for all Albertans, and plans to implement a mental health and addictions strategy with support of about $140 million.

They will introduce bills to create fixed dates for provincial elections and provincial budgets, and will introduce amendments that will require a referendum before a consumer carbon tax can be imposed.

There will also be opportunities for newcomers to get faster credential recognition, and the introduction of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program that will attract entrepreneurs and help new businesses to invest in Alberta.