Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said her government will recognize more foreign qualifications to get workers into the province..“The UCP (United Conservative Party) made promises on this, and they did nothing,” said Notley at a Friday event outside the Abbeydale Community Centre in Calgary. .“We will streamline the recognition of your skills, and we will make sure that you have the income support necessary to complete the classes you need to take if they’re required.” .Notley spoke about a lady named Harab Waswami who studied and practiced as a certified medical assistant in the United States for five years. That would be certified as a licensed practical nurse in Canada. .Waswami’s credentials are not recognized in Canada after all of that work in the US. She cannot afford to update her credentials and take care of her family. .She had to change fields for better pay, but she wants to go back to doing what she loves. Notley said she will make this happen for her and other Albertans. .The Alberta NDP will put money towards recruitment and retention to bring in and keep these frontline healthcare workers. She said she “will not rest until you can work in the professional career that you’ve trained for, have experience in, and frankly, deserve.” .Notley started off the event by saying this campaign is about building a better future for Albertans. After four years of going many crises, she said it is time for hope, stability, and common sense. .Even if people disagree with her, she said they can trust her. She means what she says and says what she means. .She committed to making improvements to primary care to take pressure off of emergency rooms and hospitals. Under the NDP’s Family Health Teams Plan, every Albertan who needs a family doctor will be connected with one. .The NDP leader went on to say no one will ever have to pay to see a family doctor. She complained about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith saying in the past she was open to having people pay. .While the Alberta UCP believes in conspiracy theories, she said she trusts science and evidence. When people need mental health supports, they will be able to access them with five free therapy sessions. .Notley continued by saying it was wrong for the UCP to take caps off car insurance and utility bills. The NDP will reindex and raise benefits to inflation to help seniors, families, and people with disabilities. .She said she will freeze car insurance and stop it from going up. She will protect the Canada Pension Plan. .If elected, Notley said her government will not raise income taxes for four years and will not bring in a provincial sales tax. .Notley concluded by saying she will be around for people in their time of greatest need. She added this election “comes down to leadership and to trust.” .“If you want better leadership, someone you can trust to grow our economy, champion our energy sector, and always, always work for you, go out and vote Alberta NDP,” she said. .This event comes after Smith said at the Summit on Fairness for Newcomers in March more immigrants coming to the province will make it a better place. .READ MORE: Smith says she is proud of increasing immigration to Alberta.“And while you may be new to our province, your willingness to take risks and your love of the freedom our province offers makes you as Albertan as anyone,” she said. .She spoke about how progress on foreign credential recognition is happening. One of her past jobs was at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and her top priority was lobbying governments for foreign credential recognition.
