Shayne Saskiw

Tougher penalties in place for drinking and driving

Impaired driving is often cited as the largest single criminal cause of death in Canada and tougher penalties introduced by Alberta Transportation aim to curb that, however, the legislation has its fair share of critics.

On Sept. 1, the second stage of the modification surrounding Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act laws came into effect – which provides tougher penalties handed out to those caught driving with a blood alcohol level of between .05 and .08.

Under the new legislation, drivers face a three-day licence suspension and vehicle seizure if they blow between .05 and the legal limit, as opposed to a 24-hour suspension that has been in place since 1999. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Severance packages and tax-free salaries scrapped by Alberta government

Local MLA Shayne Saskiw says the steps made by the PC government in implementing 13 of the 15 recommendations laid out by retired Supreme Court Justice Jack Major are a step in the right direction, but insists the Wildrose party will fight “tooth and nail” to ensure the proposed defined pension plan for MLAs does not become legislation.

Last week, in conjunction with the first session of Alberta’s 28th legislature, house leader Dave Hancock announced Premier Alison Redford’s government approval of most of the recommendations laid down by Major in his written report on salaries paid to Alberta politicians. Redford had originally pledged to accept every one of Major’s recommendations around MLA pay. However, immediately following the 327-page report’s publication, the premier announced she would not accept the recommendation for an increase in her salary to $335,000 (a raise of $124,000).

 

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Justice recommends scrapping controversial ‘golden handshake’

Defeated local MLA Ray Danyluk could be walking away from his years in the public eye with an estimated half a million dollars in severance pay, but future retiring or defeated MLAs may not be getting as hefty transitional allowances if new recommendations on MLA compensation are passed.

Last week, an independent report conducted by retired Supreme Court Justice Jack Major was released, outlining several recommendations regarding MLA salaries. In his 327-page report, Major made three substantial recommendations regarding MLAs’ transition allowance, the tax-free portion of their salaries and implementing a new pension plan similar to the one cut by former premier Ralph Klein in 1993. Read the full story at the St. Paul Journal.