Last Thursday morning I had the opportunity to speak with Graham Thomson, a 30-year veteran of covering the Alberta Legislature to discuss the fall sitting which commences on 28 October. In addition to his coverage of the “Leg” as a public affairs columnist for the Edmonton Journal, he writes a column for Alberta Views and his analysis of Alberta politics is found in the The Tyee and Toronto Star.
In this 30-minute discussion, Thomson emphasized that the upcoming session was basically about the UCP’s leadership review which is occurring on 1-2 November 2024 in Red Deer.
On Friday 25 October, Joseph Schow, UCP House Leader and Minister of Tourism and Sport briefed the media on the upcoming session.
“Alberta’s government is heading back to the legislature with a laser-focus on the protection of Albertans’ best interests. The legislation introduced this session will see Alberta be a leader in Canada, enshrining fundamental rights while simultaneously ensuring our province remains a haven for job-creating investment with strong, business-friendly policies.”
Several bills to watch are:
- Alberta Bill of Rights Amendment Act, 2024
- Early Learning and Child Care Amendment Act, 2024
- Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024
- Education Amendment Act, 2024
- Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, and
- Access to Information Act
The first bills are aimed placating the party’s base which seeks to elevate parental rights over children’s rights and worries over the use of pronouns in school. The Bill of Rights amendments will extend the right to refuse vaccinations. In addition, the Assembly will be asked to approve the right of individuals to legally acquire, keep and safely use firearms. The proposed amendments also will affirm that Albertans can’t be deprived of their property without due process of law and fair compensation. Last week, Premier Smith also announced that her government would be looking to consult with Albertans over regulated professions’ ability to discipline their members over what she she framed as professional bodies “going too far in limiting individual freedom of expression and imposing compulsory training beyond the scope of their professional practice.” This has also been termed the “Jordan Peterson Law” referring to Peterson’s unsuccessful court fight against Ontario’s psychologists’ regulatory decision requiring Peterson to undergo coaching.
We also talked about Naheed Nenshi’s summer and his prospects for gaining a seat in the Legislative Assembly. Another major focus is the yet undeclared by-election in Lethbridge West, a seat vacated last June by NDP stalwart Shannon Phillips.
The full video can be viewed here.