MLA Chapman- Welcome to my Substack
Updates from the Legislature
Greetings and thank you for joining my Substack. This is a channel that I, and my office, will use to keep you informed on what’s going on in the legislature and in our community. We are rapidly approaching the six-month mark in our 4 year term. Yes, we are already 12% through our first term! These first six months have largely been spent putting the logistical pieces in place to get our constituency office up and running. Many of you will have had a chance to meet the staff, Travis and Roger have both enjoyed connecting with you over email, the phone, and during your in-person pop ins to the office. We have been spending time connecting with our community organizations and we are building some partnerships that I hope will lead to some new and exciting community events. Stay tuned for more details.
This week is known as constituency week so I will be out and about in the community to connect with as many people as possible. I’ll be in the program room of the Judith Umbach library on Thursday, November 16 from 5:30-6:30pm. Please drop by, say hi, and let me know what is top of mind for you these days.
Next week I will be back in Edmonton as this sitting of the legislature resumes. My first two weeks in the House were quite busy. I was able to stand up in debate on Bill 5: Public Sector Employers Amendment Act. I asked several questions of our Education Minister on the topic of class size and complexity. I was also very proud to stand as the sponsor of a private members bills on that same topic, class size and complexity. In addition, each new member is given time to deliver what is called their maiden speech. You can view my speech here (23) MLA Amanda Chapman- Maiden Speech - YouTube, and I hope you will find it worth eight minutes of your time. This is an opportunity to give gratitude to those that helped us on our journey and to sing the praises of our riding.
Aside from the obvious shout out to my mother (who is more responsible for my success than she is willing to admit), I took time to reflect on how good public services shaped me. What makes me a progressive has always been my belief that strong public services are the equalizer in an increasingly unequal society. My goal is to use what influence my office has to be a voice for those who aren’t able to advocate for themselves. Parents holding down two or three jobs on top of raising a family simply don’t have time to email their MLA or schedule meetings with their school principals. What most of these parents want for their kids has a lot of commonalities though. They want teachers who are well supported and excited to engage with their classrooms, they want supports for kiddos with extra needs to ensure that everyone in the classroom is given the chance to succeed, they want public schools available in their community and not an hour-long bus ride away.
This coming Monday I will stand in the House to speak on Bill 202, my private members bill that asks this government to be more transparent about what is happening in our classrooms. Tune in next week for more details!
