It appears in hydrogen, we trust!.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued a mandate letter on Monday to Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally calling on him to acquire expressions of interest from private sector investors to establish a network of hydrogen vehicle and electric vehicle (EV) recharge stations throughout the province. .In the letter, Smith tells Nally to focus on partnering with the retail and hospitality industries and work towards adding hydrogen and EV stations to the Commercial Safety Rest Areas expansion program..Smith also outlined her expectations in the letter that the Alberta Advantage be expanded to include regulatory and approval advantages and asks Nally to deliver on a platform commitment to support Alberta seniors by implementing a seniors’ discount of 25% to all personal registry services, camping fees and medical driving tests..Smith also tasks Nally with:.Working with indigenous partners, finish developing and implementing Alberta's online gaming strategy with a focus on responsible gaming and provincial and indigenous revenue generation.Reviewing Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) operations to remove red tape in the liquor and cannabis industries, increase provincial revenue generation and further increase contributions from AGLC-regulated industries to Alberta charities and community facilities.Diagnosing slow turnaround times in Land Titles and implementing both short-term and long-term solutions that will bring efficiency and faster approvals that allow government to work through and eliminate the backlog..“My ministry touches on the lives of every Albertan, from birth certificates to drivers' licences to buying property," Nally said.."We are rolling up our sleeves and working with new and old partners on our new priorities." .The letter also instructs Nally to focus on the following:.Refocusing red tape reduction efforts to measure, benchmark and reduce wait times for permit approvals across all ministries. Report on the feasibility of adopting an 'automatic yes' policy that would assume a permit is approved within a reasonable and specific amount of time after an application unless the ministry in question delivers a written rationale on why it should be rejected.Consulting on potentially extending Prompt Payment legislation to Government of Alberta projects and completing any outstanding regulatory work on the current legislation to ensure its full implementation as soon as possible to address the problems in the Alberta construction industry related to timeliness of payments from contractors to sub-contractors.In consultation with the minister of justice, develop an adjudication process to better handle disputes and improve recourse for contractors and subcontractors in the event of a claim for non-payment.Passing and implementing amendments to the Condominium Property Act as previously directed by Cabinet.Undertaking an analysis of life lease protections, including a jurisdictional scan of other provinces and bringing forward recommendations to ensure appropriate protections are in place for Albertans.."We continue to work towards eliminating the backlog in Land Titles and reducing government red tape by one-third," Nally said.."Together, we will make Alberta an even better place to live, work and raise a family."
