Article content

Election campaigns are underway in Alberta’s two neighbouring provinces, but our premier seems to be just as locked into campaign mode as any of her B.C. or Saskatchewan counterparts.

Danielle Smith already just contested a leadership race and a general election, so it would seem odd for her to be doing any campaigning right now. This might also come as a surprise to most Albertans, who have seen very little of the premier over recent months.

Article content

But Smith faces a leadership review vote later this fall and is clearly going to great lengths to placate any concerns that UCP members might have. Securing an emphatic vote of confidence in November is a top priority. It was, as everyone recalls, a not-so-emphatic result that opened the door for Smith to even be in this position to begin with.

While UCP members might have greater leverage at the moment, the premier still has obligations as head of government to the rest of the province. That’s especially true when it comes to policy decisions that could affect many or even most Albertans.

The campaign for a successful leadership review for a sitting premier is much different than a typical leadership race or general election. Unlike the hypothetical “if I’m elected …” promises on the latter campaign trails, this campaign has featured much more definitive announcements of the “here’s what we’re going to do” variety.

But when it comes to changes in health care, taxes, spending, and policing, Albertans shouldn’t have to try and piece together belated accounts or leaks from private party events. If decisions have been made on significant new policy initiatives, then that is something the premier and cabinet ministers should be announcing very publicly to all Albertans.

Article content

Article content

Perhaps the most consequential of these announcements was the one made two weeks ago at a UCP event in Drayton Valley. Smith revealed to party faithful that her government plans on removing Alberta Health Services (AHS) as the operator of some hospitals and replacing them with other organizations, such as Covenant Health. Smith cited the elements of “competition” and “fear” as to why they believe this could improve health-care delivery.

It’s still not been confirmed as to whether this is indeed the government’s plan, and, if so, how exactly this will all work. It’s also ironic since this plan echoes the vision for hospital management Smith laid out in a 2021 speech but then disavowed when that speech resurfaced during last year’s election campaign. This may now be disavowing that disavowal, but I suppose we can’t rule out the possibility of another layer of disavowal here.

Regardless, this is the sort of decision that would normally be made via press release and news conference – the latter, of course, providing an opportunity to further question the details and intent of this plan. Buying a party membership shouldn’t mean becoming a VIP to exclusive government policy announcements.

Article content

But it wasn’t just this announcement about upheaval in hospital management. At that same UCP event in Drayton Valley, Smith announced that “we’ve also decided to create our own police force under the sheriffs.” Again, this is new information that raises all sorts of questions about cost, duties, and the future of contract policing in Alberta.

At a separate event in mid-August, Smith also revealed plans to create a committee to review government spending on a department-by-department basis and find savings to allow the government to fulfill their promised income tax cut. Mind you, last week’s quarterly update from the finance minister didn’t touch on any of this.

Perhaps future UCP events, and whatever manages to leak out from those gatherings, will shed some further light on just what the government has in store for us. Or, perhaps, the premier and cabinet could simply get back to the business of governing and lay all of this out in detail for all Albertans.

“Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” airs weekdays 12:30-3 p.m. on QR Calgary Radio [email protected]  X: @RobBreakenridge

Article content