Alberta Premier Danielle Smith marks first anniversary

Government of Alberta

Published

7 months ago

12 minute read

Premier Danielle Smith released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of being sworn in as Premier:

“It is a tremendous honour to serve Albertans as their Premier. Alberta is truly one of the best places in the world to live, work and raise a family. Over the last 118 years, we have written an incredible story together. And I am proud that in the last year, I have had the opportunity to work with an incredible team to help write this latest chapter.

“When I was sworn into office on Oct. 11, 2022, I promised that we would not have our voices silenced or censored by Ottawa, we would address the inflation and affordability crisis driven by the fiscally destructive policies of the federal government, we would get our own fiscal house in order and balance the budget to enable us to afford to be compassionate, and we would address concerns in our public health system.

“I am proud to say that over the past 12 months, we have made significant progress for Albertans in every one of those areas.

“In the fall 2022 legislative session, we passed the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act to stand up for Alberta, Albertans and our constitutional jurisdiction. In the spring 2023 legislative session, we introduced and passed the Alberta Firearms Act to continue to strengthen Alberta’s position within Confederation. Continuing in 2023, we also released a strategy to reform the broken equalization formula, pushed the federal government on bail reform, resulting in the introduction of federal Bill C-48, and fought back against the federal government’s so-called Just Transition.

“With inflation at its worst in decades and life getting more expensive for Albertans, we provided a suite of inflation-relief measures to help families pay their bills. Because we recognized the extra difficulty on families and seniors, we provided $100 monthly payments for up to six months for every eligible child and senior, and provided an additional $10 million to food banks throughout the province to help those who were struggling most. We expanded the low-income transit pass and indexed AISH, income supports and the Alberta Seniors Benefit. We extended the pause on the fuel tax to save Albertans more money every time they fill up their tanks, while the federal government continues making life more expensive for families through their ever-growing carbon tax.

“We extended supports for Ukrainian evacuees fleeing Russia’s war in Ukraine and offered disaster support for Türkiye and Syria following the terrible earthquake. We increased pay for staff who work with persons with developmental disabilities, who had not seen increases since 2014, and we improved tax credits and grants to support families pursuing adoption. We pushed the federal government to further improve the daycare deal to better meet Alberta families’ unique needs. We opened the Bridge Healing convalescence facility for Edmonton’s vulnerable citizens to ensure they have access to the health care and community supports they need to be well.

“We extended interest-free student loans to 12 months, offering students more certainty in their personal budgeting, and we capped tuition increases so Alberta’s post-secondary institutions can retain their competitive advantage when attracting students. We paused rate increases on auto insurance to protect Albertans from premium increases when they can least afford it, and we ended the Graduated Driver Licensing program, saving drivers on their licensing costs.

“For only the fourth time in 15 years, we presented Albertans with a balanced budget in February. That budget also provided Albertans with a fiscal framework to guide future government spending, debt repayment and savings so that Alberta can continue moving forward in prosperity. We paid off $13 billion in debt, significantly reducing our annual interest payments – ¬funds that are better spent on providing the services and infrastructure Albertans need. We also added $2 billion to the Heritage Savings Trust Fund, which will increase our investment income each year and provide more fiscal stability for the province in the long term.

“Our improved finances enable us to provide additional funding for schools, hospitals and roads so Albertans have access to the infrastructure they need for a growing population. We have also provided funding to close learning gaps experienced by younger students and have expanded seats at universities in high-demand programs. To improve outdoor and recreation opportunities for Albertans and visitors, we allocated $200 million to improve the province’s campgrounds and trails.

“We are continuing to build our economy by creating an Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit, building strong partnerships with other western provinces to build economic corridors that connect markets across the Prairies, expanding the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program to invite nearly 10,000 newcomers, and by creating pathways for more skills training opportunities for the most in-demand jobs in our province. At the same time, we are working with Alberta municipalities by changing the municipal funding model to provide them with funding stability and by making the payment of municipal taxes a condition of wellsite transfers.

“We are also growing relationships with Indigenous and Métis communities, which includes the signing of a new Metis Settlement Agreement. We continue to recognize the important role of Indigenous Peoples in Alberta in our economy and remain committed to ensuring they are partners in prosperity. To accomplish this, we doubled the loan capacity of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation from $1 billion to $2 billion.

“We indexed personal income taxes, so Albertans keep more of their hard-earned money to spend on the things that are important to them. We are working to increase access to halal financing, so members of Alberta’s Muslim community are better able to pursue their dreams of home ownership.

“Health care remains a top priority for Albertans and we have begun the hard work of repairing and improving our health care system. We brought in more ambulances during peak hours in Calgary and Edmonton and we fast-tracked patient transfers at hospitals to ensure our highly skilled paramedics can respond to more emergencies and do so more quickly. We introduced alternative transportation for non-urgent hospital transfers and have reduced the number of code reds that occur in the province. We have fixed problems with emergency department patient flow, helping us reduce overall hospital wait times, and we have increased our surgical capacity and are projected to eliminate the surgical backlog in the new year.

“I am proud to have addressed the concerns of many Albertans in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We put an end to provincial mask mandates, and we replaced the chief medical officer of health and the AHS board. We established a public health emergencies governance review panel to examine the pandemic response and to recommend changes to improve how we handle potential future public health emergencies.

“We have stopped at nothing in our pursuit to improve health care services and supports for Albertans. We worked with our provincial colleagues to fight for increased federal health transfers, and I am proud to have signed a $24-billion health deal with the federal government. When our province and country faced supply issues with children’s pain and fever medication, we stepped up to ensure that parents would have access to these medications. And we honoured Alberta firefighters and the health risks they face by providing them with presumptive cancer coverage.

“In addition, we’ve prioritized recovery for those suffering from the deadly disease of addiction and from mental health challenges. We are progressing on the Alberta model and have opened recovery communities in both Red Deer and Lethbridge, with nine more on the way including four on First Nations land. We are investing in training more mental health professionals and are expanding mental health supports for children and youth in communities and schools, making sure no child is left behind.

“We recognize that public safety is another top concern for Albertans. We share that concern and are taking action to ensure all Albertans feel safe in their communities. This includes establishing public safety task forces in Edmonton and Calgary, committing to provide funding to hire 100 more police officers, increasing the scope and number of sheriffs, and increasing the number of prosecutors available in Alberta’s courts.

“Furthermore, we are introducing additional accountability measures in partnership with police services. We have passed an updated Police Act that will establish a new, independent body for investigating complaints against police, and have taken steps to mandate body-worn cameras for police. At the same time, we are working with municipalities and Indigenous communities that want to establish their own, local police services.

“In addition to this work, we have released a provincial emissions reduction strategy, created a regulatory framework for brine-hosted minerals, established an energy future panel, launched expressions of interest for hydrogen fuelling stations, introduced a new science and French curriculum, and strengthened free speech on campuses.

“As a united government, we accomplished all this while managing the pressures of an unprecedented wildfire season that included support for more than 38,000 evacuees from Alberta communities and more than 21,000 evacuees from the Northwest Territories.

“I could not have accomplished all of this without my dedicated colleagues in cabinet and caucus. I look forward to accomplishing even more, with the ongoing confidence of Albertans, as we begin our second chapter together, ensuring Alberta remains the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

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Province announces next step to revamped health care system

Published on May 14, 2024

Government of Alberta

Setting the foundation for a refocused health system

Proposed legislation would support the refocusing of Alberta’s health care system to ensure Albertans get the care they need when and where they need it.

On Nov. 8, 2023, Alberta’s government announced plans for a refocused health care system to ensure patients are receiving the care they need, when and where they need it. To achieve this, Alberta’s government will be creating four new organizations, one for each priority health services sector: acute care, primary care, continuing care and mental health and addiction.

If passed, the Health Statutes Amendment Act would enable the government to take the necessary next steps to refocus the province’s health care system. The legislation would ensure Albertans have a system that works for them by prioritizing their need to find a primary care provider, receive urgent care without long waits, have access to the best continuing care options and obtain excellent mental health and addiction treatment.

“We are taking another step toward improving health care by updating legislation and enabling the governance and oversight required to refocus the health system. The critical improvements to transparency and accountability will help support the successful refocusing of the health care system to one that is responsive, effective and reflects the needs and priorities of Albertans today and for future generations.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

The Health Statutes Amendment Act will enable the transition from one regional health authority, Alberta Health Services, to an integrated system of four sector-based provincial health agencies including primary care, acute care, continuing care and mental health and addiction. The agencies will be responsible for delivering integrated health services, ensuring Albertans receive timely access to care, regardless of where they live.

The Health Statutes Amendment Act establishes roles for an oversight minister and sector minister. The Minister of Health will take on the role of oversight minister, responsible for setting the strategic direction of the overall health system. A sector minister will be responsible for a specific health services sector. For example, the sector minister for Recovery Alberta is the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction. On the recommendation of the oversight minister, additional health service sectors may be established and designate a minister responsible for that newly created sector.

Enhanced government oversight will help Alberta’s government to better direct resources to the front lines where they are needed the most, improve patient care overall and support health care professionals.

“Mental health and addiction have been growing issues within our society and need to be prioritized within our health care system. Amid an addiction crisis, a refocused health system will allow for mental health and addiction services to get the attention, oversight and focus they need. Recovery Alberta would allow for improved mental health and addiction care across the province as an important part of an integrated health system.”

Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction

“Refocusing Alberta’s healthcare system is a crucial step towards ensuring that we can deliver a framework that prioritizes accessibility, accountability, and patient-centered care. By streamlining operations, improving oversight and fostering collaboration, we are setting a strong foundation for a healthcare system that is better equipped to address the diverse needs of each of our communities.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

The legislation will enable the minister of health to transfer employees or classes of employees from AHS to the new sector-based organizations, once established. During the transition period, AHS will be enabled to continue operating as a regional health authority. Employee transfers will be seamless, maintaining existing bargaining relationships and collective agreements. This will ensure stability for the workforce, unions and government as the health system refocus is implemented. There will be no job losses for staff who transition into the new organizations.

Amendments to be made to existing legislation

The Health Statutes Amendment Act includes amendments to the Regional Health Authorities Act and the Health Information Act, which have not been updated since the 1990s.

As part of these amendments, the name of the Regional Health Authorities Act will change to the Provincial Health Agencies Act. The amended Provincial Health Agencies Act will remove outdated references to allow the transition from a single regional health authority to a unified, sector-specific provincial health system. This will clarify the scope and accountabilities of provincial health agencies and health service providers going forward.

The amendments will also place responsibility on the provincial health agencies for operational planning and oversight of clinical service delivery across the province. This will enable provincial health agencies to set priorities in the provision of health service delivery. The agencies will also be tasked with sharing information and collaborating closely to support seamless patient care as the transition to the refocused health care system takes place.

Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring that patient information continues to remain safe and secure through this transition. Amendments to the Health Information Act will be introduced to support the new health system refocus and to support the establishment of the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence. These amendments will allow the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, the four new provincial health agencies, the Health Quality Council of Alberta and Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence to have the authority to use health information for health system purposes.

If passed, the Health Statutes Amendment Act will enable Recovery Alberta, the mental health and addiction provincial health agency, to begin operating in the summer of 2024. The primary care, acute care and continuing care provincial health agencies are expected to be established in the fall.

Quick facts

Consequential amendments are changes made to existing legislation due to new legislation being passed. These amendments are necessary to ensure legislative alignment with the proposed amendments to the Regional Health Authorities Act.
- To support the Regional Health Authorities Act amendments and ensure alignment, 43 other acts are being consequentially amended – for example, to replace references to “regional health authority” with “provincial health agency” where necessary.
AHS will remain a key provider of health services, and in fall 2024 will transition to focusing on the provision of acute care services.
Alberta’s government introduced the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence Act which, if passed, will establish the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) as a public agency that would support the Government of Alberta, including Mental Health and Addiction, and Recovery Alberta in advancing the Alberta Recovery Model.

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Red Deer Hospital Lottery – Second Chance Early Bird Prize!!!

Published on May 14, 2024

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