Committee on Political Action

AUPE’s Constitution sets out the duties of the Committee on Political Action as follows:

The Committee on Political Action shall:

1. review the social and political practices and interests of the Union and promote the education and social action of the members as they relate to the interests of the Union on matters of political concern;
2. promote the union related political education of the membership;
3. encourage and promote the social action and political participation of members in order to further the interests of the Union;
4. act on behalf of members in matters of concern to them relating to the political process;
5. recommend priorities from time to time for the Union’s activities in the area of political education; and
6. shall actively pursue election reform to achieve a fair system of proportional representation for Alberta voters.

AUPE's Committee for Political Action guide to the Federal Election on April 28

Canadians are voting on April 28 – do you know who to support in the federal election?

AUPE's Committee for Political Action (COPA) has a helpful guide to help you make an informed decision and participate in politics!

COPA encourages members to support strong public services, our right to collectively bargain, and policies that support our families.  

Voting is a privilege and a responsibility – getting out to vote is important for the health of our democracy and the sovereignty of our nation.

Preparing to vote

1. You have the legal right to three consecutive hours to vote on election day, which may include time off work. Visit Election Canada’s website for more information.
   1. If your employer refuses to allow you time off that you should be entitled to, please contact your Membership Services Officer (MSO) via AUPE’s Member Resource Centre at 1-800-232-7284.
2. Visit Elections Canada to find your voting location.
3. Visit CBC’s Vote Compass to learn how the issues that are important to you align with the different parties.

Additional information

• For statistics on current polls, check out: https://338canada.com/alberta.htm (However, the only poll that really matters is the election!)
• Television debates are on April 16 in French and April 17 in English.
• There may also be local events in your community to help you learn about the candidates in your constituency.

AUPE is a non-partisan union and COPA takes that fact very seriously. AUPE is not affiliated with any political party, which allows COPA to analyze every party and politician on their individual merits.  

COPA wants to highlight where the major parties stand on issues that we believe directly impact our members: public services, collective bargaining rights, pipelines, healthcare, and housing.  

Public Services  

Liberals say they will:

• Cut public spending and cap the size of the public service;
• Use “AI and machine learning" in government operations

CPC say they will:

• Cut the federal public service;
• Increase management oversight of public servants with “clear assignments” and “monitoring” employees' progress.

NDP say they will:

• Invest in the public services—like health care, education, transit, public college, university and trades programs.

(Source)

Collective Bargaining and Workers’ Rights

The parties haven't come out with their position on collective bargaining, but we will keep AUPE members posted of any relevant campaign promises before election day.

Pipelines

The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) has pledged to repeal the “No New Pipelines” bill (Bill C-69). (Source)

The Liberal Party has stated that they are committed to building pipelines across the country. (Source)

The New Democratic Party (NDP) has stated that pipelines would not be a first priority for their energy policy. (Source)

Healthcare

The Liberal Party says they will keep the dental-care and pharmacare programs. (Source)

The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) says they will keep the dental-care and pharmacare programs. (Source)

The New Democratic Party (NDP) says they will defend public healthcare against privatization. (Source)

Housing

NDP say they will:

• Introduce long-term low-cost mortgages;
• Build rent-controlled housing on public land;
• Ban corporate landlords from buying existing rental properties.  

(Sources 1, 2, 3)

The Liberals say they will:

• End GST for first-time home buyers under $1 million;
• $25 billion in financing for innovative prefabricated homes using Canadian technology and resources;
• $10 billion in low-cost financing and capital for affordable home builders;
• They will use the existing Housing Accelerator Fund to continue work to reduce bureaucracy, zoning restrictions and other red tape.

(Source)

The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) says:

• End sales tax on new homes less than $1.3 million;
• They will sell federal buildings and land to build new homes.  

(Source)  

The Alberta government has made bargaining difficult in recent years. Attacks on striking workers and new laws are just the tip of the iceberg - and if we don't fight back when the government chips away at our rights, there might not be much left.