In recent months both the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy and former Premier Peter Lougheed have emphasized the need for Alberta to stop relying on volatile energy revenues to fund public services and infrastructure.  A new report released today by the U of A’s Parkland Institute takes the conversation to the next level by discussing how we can change our tax system to accomplish that goal.

EDMONTON – In advance of the release of the 2011 Alberta Budget, one which will certainly include a significant amount of infrastructure spending, the Parkland Institute has released a new fact sheet demonstrating that infrastructure spending in Alberta is not out of control, and that in fact more is needed.

Contaminants and low water levels in the Athabasca River system are impacting treaty rights, finds a new report released today in Edmonton.

The peer reviewed study was conducted with the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Mikisew Cree First Nation. It examined traditional land and water use, and the impact of contaminants and low water levels in the lower Athabasca River system.

Despite a provincial deficit now forecast to reach $5 billion this year, a new report from the U of A’s Parkland Institute points out that Albertans have foregone tens of billions in potential revenue as a result of overly generous royalty cuts and the government’s failure to meet even its own modest targets.

A new report released this evening by the U of A’s Parkland Institute says that addressing the key challenges being faced by Alberta’s health care system will require concrete action, not a new health act or charter.

CALGARY – A new report released this morning by the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute says that Calgarians’ vision of their city requires excellent public services and infrastructure, and that City Council will need to find fair and sustainable revenue streams to pay for them.

A new report released this morning by the U of A’s Parkland Institute says that the current initiative by Alberta Health Services to create an Alberta Health Act carries too many risks and should not proceed as currently conceived.  The report, the first of two in a series, is entitled “The New Alberta Health Act: Risks and Opportunities”. It was written by Parkland Research Director Diana Gibson and Vancouver-based health policy researcher Colleen Fuller.

As Alberta Health Services prepares to release its 2010 capital plan, new research released today by the U of A’s Parkland Institute makes the case for refurbishing Alberta Hospital Edmonton and not closing any acute care mental health beds. This morning the Institute released a fact sheet entitled “The Need to Redevelop Alberta Hospital” and a longer essay entitled “Living in Hope” by prominent Alberta author Curtis Gillespie.

New research from the Parkland Institute, released on International Women’s Day, shows persistent inequality for Alberta women. A new fact sheet, entitled “Women’s equality a long way off in Alberta” shows a persistent wage gap between women and men, despite the 2002-2007 oilsands boom. Alberta is also the only province/territory without any government ministry or advisory council on the status of women.

A new fact sheet released this morning by the U of A’s Parkland Institute shows that Albertans are paying more than other Canadians for critical public services.