#david eggen

Alberta’s education minister says Opposition Leader Jason Kenney is being ignorant, deceptive, and deceitful when he brands the province’s sweeping rewrite of the school curriculum a Trojan Horse for NDP ideology.

“This isn’t constructive criticism. It’s a drive-by shooting on our curriculum and our kids’ education — and Jason Kenney really should be ashamed,” David Eggen told reporters Sunday.

“It tells us two things: number one, that the UCP and Jason Kenney understand very little about education, and number two, Jason Kenney is willing to stoop very low to, quite honestly, be dishonest about what’s going on in our curriculum process for the sake of scoring cheap political points.”

Eggen spoke a day after Kenney reiterated to party faithful in a speech that if his United Conservatives win the spring election they will take action on what they see as NDP worldview seeping into the curriculum review.

Premier Rachel Notley weighed in on Twitter, saying: “We’ve consulted and worked to update our kids’ curriculum — some of which is 30 years old! Throwing that work in the shredder isn’t good for our kids and it doesn’t make any sense.”

Mr. Nixon: Mr. Speaker, it’s clear the NDP don’t like Alberta; that’s not a secret. They’re just not proud of our province. I’m proud of our province. We have the lowest senior poverty rate anywhere in this country, the highest senior benefits of any province in this country, and if there are any challenges when it comes to senior payments . . .

Mr. Eggen: You’re embarrassing.

Member Calahoo Stonehouse: Were you not loved as a child?

Mr. Eggen: Mr. Speaker, this UCP government must be held accountable for the damage that they have inflicted on postsecondary. We have not seen the level of 18- to 25-year-olds leaving this province since the 1980s. I have prepared a bill, coming out this afternoon, that will make sure that the UCP wears the long-term impacts of cuts to postsecondary, to our economy, and to our society. Will someone in that UCP government agree to sit down to discuss this bill we’re bringing forward this afternoon and commit to a full study of the economic impacts of the devastating cuts to postsecondary being made by this UCP government?

Mr. Eggen: Mr. Speaker, recent data from Statistics Canada has shown that the analysis of the MacKinnon panel was embarrassingly inadequate and that Alberta actually spends $2,700 less than B.C. per student, rather than the $4,000 more that was claimed. This UCP government has used this faulty data to justify almost $700 million in cuts to postsecondaries. This is incompetence of the highest order, and our students, our future leaders, are paying the price. Will the Premier admit that this government fudged this information so that he could make devastating cuts to postsecondary?

Mr. Kenney: So let’s get this straight, Mr. Speaker. The NDP here is accusing a former NDP Finance minister, who led a panel with respected former public servants, including a former Liberal member of this Legislature, of purposely producing misinformation? Why doesn’t he go and say that outside the House? Why do they do the drive-by smears, attacks, and defamation under protection of privilege in this place? Shame on them.

Mr. Stephan: Why do you think that this NDP caucus opposite is hostile and looks down on Albertans seeking fairness from equalization? What is it that they have a problem with, do you think? I’d appreciate your thoughts on that.

Mr. Schmidt: Now, I’m a resident of the city of Edmonton. I’ve complained loudly about the management in the city of Edmonton on a couple of occasions here in the House. Just yesterday I aired some grievances about the lack of snowplows clearing the roads during the wintertime.

Mr. Eggen: Did they come after that?

Mr. Eggen: According to StatsCan 2021 was the first year since 1988 that Alberta has a net negative migration of young people aged 18 to 24. The U of A Students’ Union indicated that 61 per cent of students think that there is at least a 50-50 chance that they will leave the province, with 14 per cent already deciding to pack their bags. Why would the minister drive young people out of the province with these ridiculous tuition hikes, which are outrageous?