Lethbridge-West MLA Shannon Phillips has been named the NDP's Finance Critic, June 29, 2023. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Shannon Phillips named Alberta finance critic

Jun 29, 2023 | 12:21 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The MLA for Lethbridge-West will maintain her position within the Alberta NDP’s official opposition.

Leader Rachel Notley announced the NDP Caucus leadership team on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

Shannon Phillips will serve as the Finance Critic for the second consecutive term.

“The UCP were, despite everything they tried to tell us, they ran the largest deficits in Alberta’s history,” said Phillips. “They wasted billions of dollars on things like getting fleeced on a pipeline deal, on silly experiments like the war room, millions of dollars wasted there. There was lots of fiscal irresponsibility and we were part of the Official Opposition that pointed that out.”

In her role as Finance Critic, she said there are two primary areas that she has been tasked with overseeing.

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“My role will be a little more focused on protecting our CPP [Canada Pension Plan], ensuring that our public sector pensions are well-governed, and bringing down our insurance costs,” said Phillips.
“Those are my focuses, and I imagine there will be a lot of work to do as the UCP begins to govern.”

According to Phillips, the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) looks to introduce plans to withdraw Alberta from the CPP program in the fall of 2023 and implement a made-in-Alberta alternative.

However, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Treasury Board and Finance told LNN in a statement that this is not necessarily the case.

“The Premier has been very clear. No one is taking away Albertans’ pensions. As she has said many times, we are waiting for the final report from Lifeworks, formerly known as Morneau Shepell,” reads a statement from the ministry. “Once that report is final and our government has an opportunity to review it, we will release it to the public. If Albertans make it clear they would like to have a referendum on an establishing an Alberta Pension, we will do so. Any decision on whether or not to establish an Alberta Pension will be for Albertans to decide in a province-wide referendum.”

Phillips called the potential CPP withdrawal plans “very devastating” for the financial security of Albertans.

“CPP is one of the best-managed pension funds in the world, we’ve all been paying into it since our very first jobs. It is a very good way to provide at least some retirement security for Albertans and for all Canadians and it is an extremely important part of many peoples’ retirement planning and their financial planning,” explained Phillips.

Outside of pensions and insurance, the MLA states that she will continue to speak up for the people of Lethbridge for whatever their most pressing concerns are.

Phillips said she is proud to say that the Alberta NDP now has the largest official opposition in the province’s history with 38 elected members.

She adds that Notley had the “unenviable” task of assigning the best roles to what she described a large, diverse, and talented team.

“We have a number of new folks taking on roles, extremely competent and energetic people with a great deal of expertise,” said Phillips. “They come from fields of work across the province and across the whole gambit of finance and energy professionals, lawyers, and others, entrepreneurs, innovation.”

As provided by a media release from the Alberta NDP, the full leadership team appointments and critic roles are as follows:

• Nagwan Al-Guneid – Energy & Climate (Electricity, Utilities & Renewables)
• Brooks Arcand-Paul – Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation
• Diana Batten – Childcare, Child & Family Services
• Gurinder Brar – Small Business
• Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse – Environment, Parks & Climate Resilience
• Joe Ceci – Caucus Chair, Arts & Culture
• Amanda Chapman – Services To Children With Disabilities, Families and Communities Committee Deputy Chair
• Lorne Dach – Transportation & Economic Corridors
• Jasvir Deol – Infrastructure
• David Eggen – Caucus Whip
• Court Ellingson – Technology & Innovation
• Sarah Elmeligi – Tourism, Sports & Recreation
• Janet Eremenko – Mental Health & Addictions
• Kathleen Ganley – Energy & Climate (Oil & Gas, Natural Gas, Minerals & Hydrogen)
• Nicole Goehring – Veterans Affairs & Military Liaison
• Christina Gray – House Leader
• Sharif Haji – Immigration & Accreditation
• Julia Hayter – Status of Women
• Sarah Hoffman – Deputy Leader, Assistant Whip, Municipal Affairs (Edmonton & Calgary)
• Rhiannon Hoyle – Advanced Education
• Nathan Ip – Jobs, Economy, Trade
• Janis Irwin – Housing
• Kyle Kasawski – Municipal Affairs (Mid-Sized Cities & Rural Alberta)
• Samir Kayande – Deputy Assistant Whip, Finance (Fiscal Responsibility)
• Rod Loyola – Alberta’s Economic Future Committee Deputy Chair
• Luanne Metz – Health (Emergency & Surgical Care)
• Rakhi Pancholi – Education, Public Accounts Chair
• Shannon Phillips – Finance (Insurance & Pensions)
• Marie Renaud – Community Social Services, Francophone Issues
• Irfan Sabir – Deputy House Leader, Justice, Public Safety & Emergency Services
• Marlin Schmidt – Resource Stewardship Committee Deputy Chair
• David Shepherd – Health (Primary & Rural Care)
• Lori Sigurdson – Seniors Issues, Continuing Care & Homecare
• Parmeet Singh – Service Alberta & Consumer Protection
• Heather Sweet – Deputy House Leader, Agriculture, Forestry & Rural Economic Development
• Lizette Tejada – Anti-Racism, Diversity & 2SLGBTQ+ Issues
• Peggy Wright – Deputy Caucus Chair, Labour

READ MORE: Alberta ends 2022-23 fiscal year with $11.6 billion surplus

READ MORE: Shannon Phillips projected winner in Lethbridge-West

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