Category: Alberta Premier

Alberta Begins Health System Reform Despite ‘Disappointment’ With Federal Funding Plan: Smith

Alberta’s premier says the province has begun reforming its health system despite being disappointed with the $196 billion health fund that the federal government has pledged to the provinces and territories over the next 10 years. “Obviously, the premiers were somewhat disappointed with the amount of new funding announced for health care,” Danielle Smith told…


Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Opposes Assisted-Dying Expansion as Ottawa Eyes Delay

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office says the province objects to Ottawa’s plan to extend eligibility for medically assisted death to people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. An update to assisted-dying law passed in 2021 included a two-year sunset clause that would see the expansion take effect this March. Justice Minister David Lametti…


Alberta Premier Accuses CBC of Publishing ‘Defamatory Article’ With ‘Baseless Allegations,’ Calls for Apology

EDMONTON—Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued a statement Wednesday accusing CBC News of publishing a “defamatory article containing baseless allegations” suggesting that staff in her office had sent multiple emails to Alberta crown prosecutors concerning ongoing legal matters. This concerned “charges related to the Coutts protest and other pandemic-related matters before the courts,” said the Jan….


Veteran Politician Preston Manning Appointed by Alberta Premier to Chair New Pandemic Panel

EDMONTON—Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced on Jan. 19 that veteran politician and former federal Official Opposition leader Preston Manning has been hired to organize and chair a new pandemic committee. Manning, who founded the Reform Party, said the new pandemic panel, the Public Health Emergencies Governance Review Panel, will examine what legislation was used by…


Alberta Premier Clarifies Comments Made About COVID-19 Prosecutions

EDMONTON—Alberta Premier Danielle Smith took to the airwaves on Jan. 14, using her weekly radio show to clarify earlier comments she made about talking to Crown prosecutors about cases involving alleged COVID-19 health violations, comments that caused uproar from the opposition. “Of course, I’ve never called a Crown prosecutor. You’re not allowed to do that as…


Alberta Premier Says Feds’ Just Transition Plan a ‘Big Threat’ to Oil and Gas Industry

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Tuesday that the federal government’s so-called just transition plan is a “big threat” to the province’s oil and natural gas industry. At a news conference, she said the language that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government are using when they talk about just transition “is language that they…


Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to Amend Human Rights Code on COVID-19

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said her government will move ahead with amendments to the Human Rights Code to make it illegal to discriminate based on COVID-19 vaccination status. Smith, who won the premiership earlier this month following a United Conservative Party leadership race, first announced the policy change while campaigning for the party leadership….


Alberta United Conservatives Head to Polls on Final Voting Day to Replace Kenney

Albertans will learn today who the new premier of the province will be. Voting is wrapping up by members of the United Conservative Party to select a successor to Premier Jason Kenney. Kenney announced in the spring he was leaving after receiving 51 percent in a party leadership vote. There are 124,000 eligible voters, many…