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Alberta

Province announces next step to revamped health care system

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9 minute read

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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This is a news release from the Government of Alberta.

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While “Team Canada” attacks Trump for election points, Premier Danielle Smith advocates for future trade relations

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“Today, I addressed the Legislative Assembly and spoke to the actions that the Government of Alberta has taken and will continue to take to advocate for Alberta and Canada’s interests in the U.S. as we continue to face the threat and imposition of tariffs.”

Mr. Speaker,

When U.S. President Donald Trump first announced his threatened tariffs against Canada, and began musing about our country becoming the 51st state, many Canadians – and Albertans – feared for their futures.

Why? Because, regardless of our political stripe, we all knew the imposition of 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods to the U.S. would cost the jobs of hundreds of thousands of Canadians, would depress our economy, devastate our budget and damage the sovereignty of our country.

And in the roughly 4 months until just before last weekend’s federal election call, Premiers, party leaders and Canadians were united (other than perhaps the Alberta NDP) in working as hard as we could to convince the U.S. President and Congress to reconsider these unjustified actions against our country.

In fact, Premiers were all encouraged by each other as well as the former Prime Minister and his ministers, to visit the U.S., get on U.S. media, speak with every U.S. official and influencer we could find to convince the U.S. President to refrain from imposing these tariffs.

It was all about working as ‘Team Canada’ for the greater good.

Enter Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Now, all of a sudden, it is treason to talk to American media personalities that we disagree with. It is disloyal to try and persuade high-profile Republicans holding influence with the President to abandon his tariff policies on Canada. Indeed, it is a high crime to try and convince U.S. officials to refrain from imposing tariffs until after our country has an elected leader with a strong mandate.

Shame on all who dare to speak with the enemy, they say!

These are the Team Carney and Nenshi NDP talking points.

Their endgame is quite obvious. Frighten and divide Canadians. Try and make Canadians forget the utter incompetence of Liberal and NDP policies inflicted upon this country over the last 10 years. Associate conservatives with President Trump. And if they play their cards just right – and sprinkle in just enough anti-Alberta rhetoric – presto – Canada can elect another Liberal majority government.

Well – the Carney Liberals and Nenshi NDP are right about one thing…our country is indeed vulnerable right now.

And the reason why is as clear as a sunny Alberta day.

It is because for the last 10 years, Liberal and NDP leaders across this country – both federal and provincial – have repeatedly sold out Canada and Alberta with policies that have landlocked our immense natural resources, made nation building projects impossible to finance and build, and have made securing access to our ports an exercise in frustration and futility.

These Liberal and NDP leaders – from Trudeau to Singh and now to Prime Minister Mark Carney – have done everything in their power to sow investment uncertainty, add impossibly high costs on the development of our resources, and have disastrously weakened our security and military – and all in the name of their green extremist religion and its cult leaders named Guilbeault, Suzuki, Gore and Thunberg.

And the results are obvious – Canadians are poorer than Americans – overly-dependent on the Americans – and vulnerable to many nations including the Americans.

Canada has indeed been sold out – big time – and it’s been sold out by the utter incompetent, self-righteous and extreme policies of Liberal and NDP leadership across this country – including the Nenshi NDP here in Alberta. From C-69, to oil and gas production caps to tanker bans to a dozen other examples – the Liberals and their allies have attacked the Alberta and Saskatchewan economies mercilessly.

But despite all that – despite the 10 year attack on Alberta by our own federal government – when tariffs were threatened on our fellow Canadians and the federal Liberals realized they had no contacts or allies anywhere in the new U.S. administration…what did the Alberta Government do?

Did we cower in the corner madly texting our tweets about hating Donald Trump on X?

Did we turn into part time TikTok rage farmers to stir up as much fear and loathing of Americans as humanly possible?

Did we give up, throw our hands in the air, express righteous indignation – but do nothing to fight against the threat posed against our province and country?

No – that’s what the Nenshi NDP did of course – but we, Alberta’s UCP government, did not.

Instead, our government did exactly what Albertans expected us to do – we decided to fight tooth and nail for Albertan and Canadian jobs and sovereignty.

My ministers, officials and I have spent hundreds of hours over the last several months talking with, lobbying, educating, and persuading every U.S. lawmaker and media influencer that was willing to listen, about how damaging and wrongheaded imposing tariffs on Canada would be for Americans, and the millions of American jobs that would be lost because of them.

I’ve made this case repeatedly to the American people and their leaders – especially Republican leaders – from the President of the United States personally, to members of his Cabinet to Senators to governors to members of congress to podcasters to media personalities.

I’ve lost track of how many nights I have spent in uncomfortable hotel beds and in airports – doing everything humanly possible to stand up for Canadian and Alberta workers and families.

Convincing U.S. Officials to refrain from putting tariffs on any Canadian goods. Asking that they respect the current free trade agreement and not begin renegotiations until Canadians elect a new Prime Minister with a strong mandate.

Doing all we could in Alberta to secure the U.S. border and urging the Liberals to do the same across the country so we could further delay the implementation of tariffs.

And it hasn’t just been Alberta – several other Premiers – particularly conservative Premiers – from Premier Scott Moe to Premier Tim Houston to Premier Doug Ford – have been doing the same thing.

And the results – it has been almost 4 months since the President first threatened tariffs on Canada, and although steel and aluminum are being wrongfully tariffed at this time – the tariffs on remaining Canadian goods sit at zero today – rather than the threatened 25%.

And what has the Nenshi NDP done to contribute to this effort? Not a single thing other than raging against this government for every effort made to protect Albertans.

Needless to say, there is not a doubt in my mind that had the Nenshi NDP been in charge during this period, we would likely have long ago been hit with across the board 25% tariffs and lost thousands of Alberta jobs already.

Because the NDP have no idea what diplomacy is as they don’t know how to talk constructively and effectively with anyone they disagree with.

Glad we never need to find out.

Our government’s advocacy has made a massive difference for Albertans and Canadians.

That’s a fact.

But now, we have another tariff deadline looming on April 2nd – and I am off to the U.S. yet again to try and speak to Americans this time through the 2nd largest podcaster in the world whose audience is made up of exactly the people we need to persuade to convince their president to change course on tariffs against Canada.

And what does Team Carney want me to do?

They want me to abandon my post, remain in Alberta and do absolutely nothing to defend our province.

They want me to cower in the face of eastern media pundits and politicians who favour political grandstanding to effective diplomacy.

I’m fiercely criticized for going into the lion’s den to change the hearts and minds of the very Americans we need on Canada’s side to avoid a trade war with the most powerful economy on Earth.

They want this lady and Alberta to just sit down and shut up.

Well…here is my response to that.

I will not be silent. Alberta will not be silent.

We will not be pushed around and called traitors for merely having the courage to actually do something about our nation’s and province’s predicament other than merely indulging in self-righteous tantrums.

And I for one will never be silenced by the party in Ottawa that has sold out our beloved province for the last 10 years with the help of their NDP collaborators.

I have and will always put Albertans first.

And until this danger to Alberta and our economy is past, they’re going to have to roll me off in a stretcher before I stop fighting for this province and our people.

So call me and my caucus whatever name in the dictionary you want.

As long as Albertans know we’re fighting for them and their families – we could care less what the members opposite or Liberal politicians in Ottawa have to say about us.

Because Albertans expect their Premier and government to always put Albertans first and to lead them through this storm with fearless determination.

As Winston Churchill once said: “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”

We on this side of the house have made the decision to act with courage…So that Alberta may remain forever strong and free.

Thank-you, Mr. Speaker.

Danielle Smith

Danielle Smith was sworn in as Premier of Alberta and Minister of Intergovernmental Relations on October 11, 2022.

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2025 Federal Election

The High Cost Of Continued Western Canadian Alienation

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From EnergyNow.Ca

By Jim Warren

Energy Issues Carney Must Commit to if He Truly Cares About National Cohesion and be Different From Trudeau

If the stars fail to align in the majority of Western Canada’s favour and voters from Central Canada and the Maritimes re-elect a Liberal government on April 28, it will stand as a tragic rejection of the aspirations of the oil producing provinces and a threat to national cohesion.

As of today Mark Carney has not clearly and unequivocally promised to tear down the Liberal policy wall blocking growth in oil and gas exports. Yes, he recently claimed to favour energy corridors, but just two weeks earlier he backtracked on a similar commitment.

There are some promises Carney hopefully won’t honour. He has pledged to impose punitive emissions taxes on Canadian industry. But that’s supposedly alright because Carney has liberally sprinkled that promise with pixie dust. This will magically ensure any associated increases in the cost of living will disappear. Liberal wizardry will similarly vaporize any harm Carbon Tax 2.0 might do to the competitive capacity of Canadian exporters.

Carney has as also promised to impose border taxes on imports from countries that lack the Liberals’ zeal for saving the planet. These are not supposed to raise Canadians’ cost of living by much, but if they do we can take pride in doing our part to save the planet. We can feel good about ourselves while shopping for groceries we can’t afford to buy.

There is ample bad news in what Carney has promised to do. No less disturbing is what he has not agreed to do. Oil and gas sector leaders have been telling Carney what needs to be done, but that doesn’t mean he’s been listening.

The Build Canada Now action plan announced last week by western energy industry leaders lays out a concise five-point plan for growing the oil and gas sector. If Mark Carney wants to convince his more skeptical detractors that he is truly concerned about Canadian prosperity, he should consider getting a tattoo that celebrates the five points.

Yet, if he got onside with the five points and could be trusted, would it not be a step in the right direction? Sure, but it would also be great if unicorns were real.

The purpose of the Build Canada Now action plan couldn’t be much more clearly and concisely stated. “For the oil and natural gas sector to expand and energy infrastructure to be built, Canada’s federal political leaders can create an environment that will:

1. Simplify regulation. The federal government’s Impact Assessment Act and West Coast tanker ban are impeding development and need to be overhauled and simplified. Regulatory processes need to be streamlined, and decisions need to withstand judicial challenges.

2. Commit to firm deadlines for project approvals. The federal government needs to reduce regulatory timelines so that major projects are approved within 6 months of application.

3. Grow production. The federal government’s unlegislated cap on emissions must be eliminated to allow the sector to reach its full potential.

4. Attract investment. The federal carbon levy on large emitters is not globally cost competitive and should be repealed to allow provincial governments to set more suitable carbon regulations.

5. Incent Indigenous co-investment opportunities. The federal government needs to provide Indigenous loan guarantees at scale so industry may create infrastructure ownership opportunities to increase prosperity for communities and to ensure that Indigenous communities benefit from development.”

As they say the devil is often in the details. But it would be an error to complicate the message with too much detail in the context of an election campaign. We want to avoid sacrificing the good on behalf of the perfect. The plan needs to be readily understandable to voters and the media. We live in the age of the ten second sound bite so the plan has to be something that can be communicated succinctly.

Nevertheless, there is much more to be done. If Carney hopes to feel welcome in large sections of the west he needs to back away from many of promises he’s already made. And there are many Liberal policies besides Bill C-69 and C-48 that need to be rescinded or significantly modified.

Liberal imposed limitations on free speech have to go. In a free society publicizing the improvements oil and gas companies are making on behalf of environmental protection should not be a crime.

There is a morass of emissions reduction regulations, mandates, targets and deadlines that need to be rethought and/or rescinded. These include measures like the emissions cap, the clean electricity standard, EV mandates and carbon taxes. Similarly, plans for imposing restrictions on industries besides oil and gas, such as agriculture, need to be dropped. These include mandatory reductions in the use of nitrogen fertilizer and attacks (thus far only rhetorical) on cattle ranching.

A good starting point for addressing these issues would be meaningful federal-provincial negotiations. But that won’t work if the Liberals allow Quebec to veto energy projects that are in the national interest. If Quebec insists on being obstructive, the producing provinces in the west will insist that its equalization welfare be reduced or cancelled.

Virtually all of the Liberal policy measures noted above are inflationary and reduce the profitability and competitive capacity of our exporters. Adding to Canada’s already high cost of living on behalf of overly zealous, unachievable emissions reduction goals is unnecessary as well as socially unacceptable.

We probably all have our own policy change preferences. One of my personal favourites would require the federal government to cease funding environmental organizations that disrupt energy projects with unlawful protests and file frivolous slap suits to block pipelines.

Admittedly, it is a rare thing to have all of one’s policy preferences satisfied in a democracy. And it is wise to stick to a short wish list during a federal election campaign. Putting some of the foregoing issues on the back burner is okay provided we don’t forget them there.

But what if few or any of the oil and gas producing provinces’ demands are accepted by Carney and he still manages to become prime minister?

We are currently confronted by a dangerous level of geopolitical uncertainty. The prospects of a global trade war and its effects on an export-reliant country like Canada are daunting to say the least.

Dividing the country further by once again stifling the legitimate aspirations of the majority of people in Alberta and Saskatchewan will not be helpful. (I could add voters from the northeast and interior of B.C., and southwestern Manitoba to the club of the seriously disgruntled.)

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