Calgary’s mayor did not mince words Tuesday about navigating the potential impacts of a prorogued Parliament, on the heels of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announced resignation.
“Calgary is the economic engine not only of this province but of this country,” Jyoti Gondek told reporters. “To not even consider us or any other major municipality when you prorogue a government is shameful.”
The move, announced Monday, suspends all parliamentary work, kills unfinished business and legislation, and relieves members of Parliament of their duties, while allowing the government to remain in power.
According to Gondek, prorogation creates further uncertainty around the Green Line LRT and the $1.5 billion in federal funding committed to the project.
This is because Ottawa’s funding for the LRT project is set to expire on March 31, just one week after Parliament is set to return.
Council is still set to decide on whether to move forward with a provincially-proposed realignment for the project, before a new business case can be submitted to the federal government.
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“I’m fairly disappointed that we don’t have a federal government right now that’s able to help us with a major infrastructure project,” Gondek said.
Prorogation also made for a “tense” start to the week for The Immigrant Education Society (TIES), which is eagerly awaiting its requested $11 million in federal funding by the end of the fiscal year on March 31.
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The funding from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) goes towards TIES various services like language training, education, mental health supports and employment for more than 2,000 clients who are newcomers to Canada.
“Without that funding, obviously as a non-profit organization, it’s almost impossible for us to continue our services,” said TIES president and CEO Sally Zhao.
According to Zhao, the IRCC issued a response Tuesday that it expects business to continue as usual and its funding request would be processed ahead of the March deadline.
“Hopefully nothing will be delayed, and everything will proceed as planned,” Zhao told Global News.
In a statement to Global News, Premier Danielle Smith called the prorogation “one of the most irresponsible and selfish acts of a government in Canadian history.”
At an unrelated news conference Tuesday, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon was critical of the federal government’s response to rebuilding the Town of Jasper following a devastating summer wildfire in the national park.
“We still cannot get a response from a federal minister when it comes to things like interim housing,” Nixon said.
However, the minister didn’t say which federal funding programs would be in jeopardy due to a prorogued Parliament, only to say it’s an example of the “chaos” under Trudeau’s leadership.
Concerns have also extended to the business community, which is facing ongoing tariff threats from the incoming U.S. administration.
“There’s no sense of urgency right now,” Calgary Chamber of Commerce president Deborah Yedlin told Global News. “Without a government that has the mandate that we need in this country to speak for Canadians and for the Canadian business sector in light of these tariffs, this is of huge concern.”