When Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party holds its annual general meeting (AGM) later this month, members will debate a range of policy proposals, including greater provincial control over immigration, limits on non-governmental flags at public buildings, and full implementation of the province’s COVID-19 task force recommendations.
Party members and stakeholders will discuss 36 policy resolutions at this year’s AGM, which will take place in Edmonton from Nov. 28 to 30. While passed resolutions are not mandatory for party adoption, they represent grassroots priorities and can shape the party’s future direction.
All of the policy resolutions proposed at last year’s AGM were passed, with some of them becoming legislation, including the requirement for parental consent for students to change their pronouns, and a reduction in income tax.
The governing UCP doesn’t have to adopt the policies passed by party members, but the resolutions serve as a blueprint for the direction the party grassroots want the leadership to take.
Expanding Alberta’s role in immigration decisions is a central issue among the policies proposed this year, along with calls to continue advocating for pipeline development, supporting the province’s sovereignty within Confederation, and uphold bodily autonomy in medical treatment. Other resolutions focus on removing public funding for third-trimester abortions, reinforcing parental rights, and countering the influence of foreign entities.
Control Over Immigration
One resolution calls on the Alberta government to negotiate an agreement with Ottawa granting the province greater control over immigration. This includes having a say in the number of temporary and permanent residents admitted to Alberta, and requiring provincial input in the selection and rejection of those approved to settle in the province on a temporary or permanent basis.
Similar proposals were raised at town halls held earlier this year as part of the Alberta Next Panel, an initiative by Premier Danielle Smith designed to gather public input and develop measures to “assert” provincial sovereignty within Canada.
During those town halls, the premier voiced concerns over what she describes as Alberta’s limited role in immigration.
“We don’t control temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers, international students, and we only have a very small role that we play on economic migrants, so what we are asking is, should we be taking a greater role in that?” she said at a town hall in Red Deer, Alta., on July 15.
Proponents of the policy resolution say Quebec has greater control over immigration than Alberta, and that given the prairie province’s growing population and increasing role in national immigration targets, “it is only fair and consistent with Canada’s founding principles that Alberta has the opportunity to exercise equal or greater control over its immigration programs if it so chooses.”
Another resolution calls on the provincial government to work with post-secondary institutions to limit international student intake. Proponents say Albertans, and more broadly Canadian students, are “being pushed” to waiting lists or are having to study abroad to pursue their programs of choice.
Flag Policy, Parental Rights
One resolution asks the province to limit flags flown at government buildings to the Canadian flag, the provincial flag, or municipal flags, saying that displaying flags that represent “non-governmental entities or special interest groups creates ideological division amongst Albertans and negatively impacts the social fabric of our Province.”
While the resolution does not identify specific non-governmental flags, the province has flown such flags in the past, including the Pride flag, which was raised at the legislature grounds earlier this year for Pride Month.
Another resolution calls for all third-party educational materials on gender identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality used in Alberta schools to be made available to parents upon request.
The province last December passed legislation requiring that all teaching resources primarily covering these topics be approved by the education minister. Proponents of the resolution say that making these materials available to parents “strengthens trust, respects parental authority, and keeps education accountable to families—not just the Ministry of Education.”
Provincial Health Care Funding, Abortion
Some party members plan to ask the province to ensure that provincially funded health care is limited to citizens and permanent residents, and that temporary residents, visitors, undocumented individuals, and unsuccessful asylum-seekers pay for the services they use.
Temporary residents in Alberta are eligible for health coverage if they meet certain criteria, such as intending to live in the province for at least 12 consecutive months or establishing residency by purchasing or renting a home. Those without the required documentation or legal status generally do not qualify for access to provincial health care.
Resolution proponents say the increasing number of temporary residents strains “already-limited services,” and that priority should be given to those who fund the system through taxes.
Another resolution asks the province to suspend public funding for third-trimester abortions, except in cases where the physical health of the mother is at serious risk. Proponents say that limiting taxpayer funding to medically necessary cases in the third trimester would encourage earlier decision-making “when abortion is safer for the mother and less ethically contentious.”
“This resolution does not seek to restrict access to third-trimester abortions outright but rather to establish a responsible, values-based funding policy,” reads the proposal.
Bodily Autonomy
One of the resolutions asks the government to implement all recommendations from the Alberta COVID-19 Pandemic Data Review Task Force Report, which was released on Jan. 24 and assessed the province’s pandemic response. The task force, comprised of medical doctors and epidemiology experts, was headed by Dr. Gary Davidson, former chief of emergency medicine at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
Among the report’s recommendations was halting the use of COVID-19 vaccines without full disclosure of their potential risks, ending their use in healthy children and teenagers, and conducting further research into their effectiveness.
The report has been criticized as unscientific by the Alberta Opposition NDP, the presidents of the Alberta Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association. Meanwhile, Premier Smith has said it’s important that “contrarian voices” are not silenced when it comes to science. She said at the time that her government would consider the task force’s suggestions.
Proponents of the resolution are also calling on the province to prohibit vaccination from being a condition for employment and membership in organizations funded or regulated by the province, and to “educate the public about vaccine injuries attributed to the Covid-19 mRNA injections.”
Another resolution urges the province to end community water fluoridation, saying that the practice amounts to “non-consensual medical treatment.” In June, Calgary reinstated water fluoridation after a 14-year hiatus, joining other Alberta municipalities such as Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Red Deer.
Alberta-Ottawa Relations
One of the resolutions asks the province to “support, invest, and advocate” for oil and natural gas pipelines, including to the west, east and north of Canada. Proponents say Smith “is right to demand” new energy corridors that would enable Alberta’s resources to reach global markets.
Smith has been calling on Ottawa to make changes to federal policies she says undermine Alberta’s resource development by limiting initiatives such as pipeline construction. The province last month announced it will act as proponent and submit an application to the federal government’s Major Projects Office for a new bitumen pipeline to B.C.’s northwest coast.
Another resolution calls on the province to “oppose all attempts” by Ottawa to implement its electric vehicle (EV) mandate, which would require all new light-duty vehicles sold by 2035 to be zero-emissions. The mandate, which would incrementally impose EV targets, was set to kick in next year, but Ottawa postponed its implementation last month, citing difficulties for car manufacturers in the current economic climate.
Foreign Influence
Another resolution would ask the provincial government to maintain that “ownership of provincial land remains in the hands of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.” Proponents say the measures would not only protect food security and support domestic investment, but also prevent foreign governments or entities from using land ownership to influence the province’s economy or policies.
The U.S. government earlier this year announced a national plan to address foreign ownership of American farmland by “foreign adversaries,” amid growing concerns over purchases by investors from countries such as China.
In Canada, the acquisition of agricultural land by non-citizens is regulated at the provincial level, with rules varying across the country. Provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba impose limits on acreage non-residents or foreign entities can own, while others, including Ontario and British Columbia, have no such restrictions.
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