When members of Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party meet in Red Deer in November, they will debate a suite of new policy proposals, which could include restricting abortion funding, adopting “strong mayor” legislation and forcing teachers to take a university course on the evils of Marxism.
Two weeks ago, an email went out to party members, listing dozens of potential policy proposals. Members had until Tuesday to rank their preferences, which will then be used to create the final resolutions that will be up for public debate at the convention.
National Post obtained a copy of the potential resolutions. While none are certain to end up on the final list — and even if they do, are not guaranteed to be adopted by the party — the suggested policy options give some insight into what grassroots members believe are critical issues facing Alberta.
The policy suggestions are wide-ranging, from proposing beefed-up funding for seniors’ care and adoption systems, to hot-button social issues like legislation to prevent transgender Albertans from using the bathrooms or changerooms of their choice. Others are de-facto or explicit government policy already, such as opposing the federal carbon tax or creating new rules around land use for green-energy installations.
Here is a selection of some of the most interesting and provocative policy proposals.
Transgender Albertans
Multiple policy proposals would affect transgender Albertans. One proposes to restrict “exclusively female spaces and categories” to “biological females who were females at conception and their young children.” This would include, per the resolution, washrooms, changerooms, shelters, dormitories, sports categories and awards ceremonies.
“Females deserve the freedom to undress with dignity without the presence of ANY males,” the resolution says.
This isn’t an especially new issue for Alberta’s conservatives. In early 2024, Premier Danielle Smith announced a suite of policies affecting health-care for transgender youth in Alberta, restricting the ability of some youth to choose their own pronouns at school without parental consent and proposing strict gender delineation in sporting events.
Another policy proposal says the government should ensure there are “biological female-only division(s)” in sports in the province, but that the government should also promote co-ed and gender-diverse sports leagues. Another proposal says the province should allow only two genders — male and female — on all official government documentation.
Another proposal also seeks to have gender-reassignment surgery classified as cosmetic surgery that would need to be paid for out-of-pocket by the patient.
‘Strong mayor’ legislation
In Alberta, the mayor is just once vote among many, although they retain some advantages of the bully pulpit. But one constituency association has proposed that the province follow Ontario’s lead and enact “strong mayor” legislation, which would give the mayors of Alberta’s cities and towns more power compared to their council colleagues.
For example, this might give mayors a veto over council members or give them more extensive power in budget-making.
There are a handful of other policies that directly affect municipalities, such as a proposal to eliminate tent cities by turning vacant office space into housing. “The design of these temporary housing communities could mimic elements found in hostels, prisons and airports to create a safe, educational, empowering community to assist people in getting back on their feet and becoming productive members of society once again,” the resolution says.
Another seeks to prohibit the use of inclusionary zoning, which pushes developers to make low-income housing as part of larger developments.
Another proposal seeks to prohibit municipalities from enacting rent control. (Earlier this year, Alberta officially had the fastest growing rents in Canada.)
Teacher education
The constituency association for Drayton Valley-Devon proposes that all prospective teachers “take one university three credit course on the origins and negative consequences of Marxism and Communism.”
At least one of the purposes of education, the resolution suggests, is to ensure that students become active members of their communities and governments. “A three credit course in the history of Marxism and the rise of Communism, clearly detailing the evils of that philosophy, the mass murders, starvation, propaganda, and fear narratives, contrasting that with the superiority of the capitalist, free world view, should be in the wheelhouse of each educator when asking students to engage in our democracy,” the resolution says.
Abortion
Abortion in Alberta is publicly funded. A resolution from the Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock constituency association proposes to cut funding for late-term abortions, unless “the mother’s physical health is in jeopardy.”
The purpose, it says, is to “encourage an earlier abortion when one is desired and there is plenty of time for the decision to be made.”
As it stands, any abortions done in Alberta after 20 weeks must be approved by two doctors. Most abortions happen early in pregnancy, according to Alberta Health Services, but the province doesn’t track abortions by gestational age.
Health care
Private health care is a routine bogeyman in provincial and federal elections. In 2006, a Supreme Court decided in a ruling that applies only to Quebec that a prohibition on private health insurance violated Quebecers’ rights.
“It is time we recognize in policy the need to establish a level playing field for all provinces and doing so provides a clear and organized framework for all patients,” says a resolution that proposes to allow Albertans to access private surgical services via private insurance.
Another policy proposal posits that the Alberta government should promote “natural birthing” as opposed to Cesarean sections. It argues that C-sections place greater strain on the medical system and the province must act to “reverse this dangerous trend.”
“Natural childbirth is of course a natural process that has many medical benefits beyond measure for both the mother and child,” the resolution says.
Theres also a proposal to ban COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
Social issues
Federal politicians have been contemplating how to restrict pornography to only adults. A resolution calls on the Alberta government to lobby for prohibitions on minors accessing adult websites, and to allow “citizens to pursue legal action against these websites.”
Another proposal calls on the provincial government to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion within the provincial civil service and in Crown corporations. It also proposes that hiring be done solely on the basis of merit “regardless of race, gender, or creed.”
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