UCP policy resolutions eye ban on anti-racism education, big cuts at Alberta Health Services

This weekend, the Alberta UCP is scheduled to hold its first annual general meeting with Premier Danielle Smith at the helm.

At the conference, members are set to debate on 10 governance and 20 policy resolutions for the party. Some of the amendments deal with items like voting procedures and code of conduct while others are focused on where the UCP stands on certain issues.

One resolution from the Edmonton West Henday constituency association suggests a change to the UCP's education policies to stop teaching students "that by reason of their ethnic heritage they are privileged, they are inherently racist or they bear historic guilt due to said ethnic heritage."

In its reasoning for the policy change, the party pointed to a situation where an anonymous student at Edmonton's Strathcona High School objected to what they described as "anti-white tirades" in the classroom.

According to the news report about the situation, the student posted about the incident on an Instagram account called the "Scona White Student Alliance."

Administrators decried the existence of the account and its posts, calling it "blatantly racist and rooted in fear."

"(I'm) concerned that there are a group of students in our city and division that hold these views," said Edmonton Public School Board spokesperson Trisha Estabrooks at the time.

Now, the UCP is seeking to ban any lessons "advanced under the title of so called critical race theory, intersectionality, anti-racism, diversity and inclusion or some other name."

"A public education system should not be ideological in its outlook or focussed on promoting a political message to impressionable students," the UCP wrote in its AGM document.

"The premise that any individual is morally blameworthy for the circumstances of his birth or for the actions of people whom were long dead prior to his birth is an illogical and irrational ideological proposition that is not suitable for teaching within schools and not something the provincial government should permit or endorse."

DEEP CUTS SUGGESTED AT ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES

Other policy amendments on the UCP's agenda have been suggested before by Smith.

At her first media conference as premier earlier this month, she suggested an overhaul of Alberta Health Services, including the dismissal of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health.

However, the UCP policy amendment points at more of an idea of just how far those cuts could go at AHS.

The suggestion, from the Calgary-Fish Creek constituency, wants to "remove barriers to better health care by reducing the number of bureaucrats/managers in AHS."

"The 'sunshine list' of AHS staff (position of management/administration earning more than $140,000) should be reduced from over 900 to 200. Most of the positions should be abolished with the savings going towards nurses and family physicians."

The party says this is based on Alberta having the most expensive but least efficient health care system in the country. It says most of the money allocated to the sector goes toward bureaucrats and managers "who add very little in the way of productivity."

Meanwhile, Policy Resolution 12 aims to transform government ministries and bring them in line with "modern management methods."

"Most government departments have too many levels of management. For example, AHS has 10 levels of management. Reducing AHS management to three levels, not counting the responsible Minister, would lead to better communications and more sound and swifter decision making."

FREEDOM OF SPEECH PROTECTED

One of the governance resolutions, from the Airdrie-East constituency association, looks at ensuring the freedom of speech of party members to ensure they are "not to be reprimanded" for speaking their mind, provided it doesn't meet the criteria of an offence under the Criminal Code or other legislative act.

"The UCP prides itself in supporting and encouraging free speech, even speech with which we do not agree," the document read.

While it is not specifically referenced in the resolution, former premier Jason Kenney penalized several members of his caucus for comments they made in office.

Some of those included MLAs Todd Loewen and Drew Barnes, both critics of Kenney's decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. They called on Kenney to resign and were kicked out of caucus over allegations of attempting to divide the party.

Red Deer MLA Jason Stephan and Airdrie-East's Angela Pitt among others were also critical of Kenney's policies during the pandemic. Pitt even went as far as saying she no longer had confidence in his leadership of the party.

The UCP's AGM will take place this weekend at the River Cree Resort in Enoch, west of Edmonton.

The meeting will include a speech from Smith on Saturday.