AB Premier Appoints MLA Tracy Allard as Parliamentary Secretary for Civil Liberties

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, along with cabinet ministers, speaks at a press conference after members were sworn into cabinet in Edmonton on Oct. 24, 2022. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

EDMONTON—Alberta cabinet Grand Prairie MLA Tracy Allard has been appointed the province’s parliamentary secretary for civil liberties, a new position that the premier said would advise to cabinet on how property and civil rights can be addressed in legislation.

Danielle Smith discussed the new position on Dec. 17 during her weekly Saturday radio show, saying it became clear during the passage of Bill 3, an adverse possession law that will abolish squatters’ rights, that the position was needed “to do more to protect private property rights.”

“There’s a whole range of things that came up in this fall session and it seemed to me having a parliamentary secretary focused on property and civil rights would allow for her to give us some advice on how we might be able to address these in legislation,” Smith said on her radio show, Your Province, Your Premier.

Smith said there are concerns from Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides about campus free speech and whether legislation needs to go further to protect free speech rights at post-secondary institutions.

Civil Liberties

Smith also said there were concerns about excessive use of force by police, which were raised as the Police Act was changed to allow for the establishment of a new independent agency to receive complaints and conduct disciplinary investigations and hearings.

Smith also said the federal government wants to confiscate legally purchased firearms belonging to Alberta’s law-abiding gun owners.

In response to a question posed by a caller to the radio show, Smith said her focus was on Alberta.

“I have zero interest in running at the federal level because I do love this province. And I want to be able to do what I can to defend our interests here,” she said.

“As we go forward, if there’s bills that we’re passing, just having somebody with a lens of saying is this making sure that we’re protecting all of the rights that are protected in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,“ said the premier.

Allard’s new role is a non-cabinet position, and will report to Justice Minister Tyler Shandro.

Smith also mentioned Bill C-18, which may affect alternative media being able to freely publish online.

“I’ve been talking with some of the members of the media, and in particular the alternative media, who are very concerned about some of the laws that are coming down at the federal level that they think might run them out of business because they’re interfering with their ability to freely put messages out there,” stated Smith.

COVID Controversy

Allard was given the new role on Dec. 13, but it was newly announced on the government’s website with the addition of her biography to the Cabinet page. Other cabinet ministers were appointed on Oct. 24.

Allard could not be reached for comment by press time.

Allard has been an MLA since 2019 and was former minister of municipal affairs. In 2021, following calls from the opposition and media outrage, she stepped down from her position after media reports that Allard travelled to Hawaii, which was an annual tradition for her family.

Non-essential travel wasn’t recommended at that time by governments because of COVID-19, but it was not banned or illegal. Following the news that a number of government politicians travelled during the holidays, then-Premier Jason Kenney issued a new directive saying party members could not travel unless it was for essential business.

Five other MLAs who travelled abroad were demoted, and Kenney’s chief of staff at the time, who had travelled to England, resigned.