Parental Rights, Merit-Based Hiring, Carbon Tax Among Policy Resolutions at Alberta UCP Meeting

A screen displaying the title of Alberta's United Conservative Party's 2023 Annual General Meeting is seen at the BMO Centre in Calgary on Nov. 4, 2023. Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times

Strengthening parental rights, moving away from diversity strategies, and protecting the province from federal overreach are among the issues the governing United Conservative Party of Alberta will debate at its annual general meeting next month.

Party members and stakeholders will discuss 35 policy resolutions at the meeting in Red Deer, Alta., set for Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. While passed resolutions are not mandatory for party adoption, they represent grassroots priorities and can shape the party’s future direction.

The UCP approved a resolution last year to require parental consent for minors under 16 to change their names or pronouns at school. The resolution became a legislative proposal announced earlier this year by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

Parents’ involvement is their children’s education remains a core issue this year, along with requests to move away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) models in recruitment practices for public entities and to base hiring “on merit and merit alone.” Other issues include Alberta’s sovereignty, the federal carbon tax, and provincial jurisdiction on immigration.

Hiring Practices

One of the resolutions put forward asks the Alberta government to ensure the goal of recruitment practices in the public service and among provincially regulated entities is “to hire the most qualified individual for a position based on merit and competency regardless of race, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.”

Proponents say the provincial government’s current recruitment methods place disproportionate emphasis on diversity and inclusion, and cited a report that argued this approach not only does not lead to more equality in the workplace, but is “discriminatory“ and ”divisive.” They add DEI training is based on the notion Canada is “systemically racist,” and calls for professional development programs on DEI in government entities to be eliminated.

Another resolution calls on the provincial government to hold the Alberta Human Rights Commission “accountable” for its decisions. The resolution argues the commission bases its criteria for rights protection on “bias, prejudice and diversity, equity and inclusion models,” and that other rights, like religion, are “not being protected.”

Parental Rights

A resolution calls on the UCP to support a parental rights bill that says these rights should not be perceived to be “subject to governmental approval or granted to us by the government,” but acknowledged as a “natural/God-given right.” Through this bill, the proponents also call on the province to regulate the practice of “mature minor” assessments, under which an underage patient deemed sufficiently mature can consent to medical treatment without the need for parental approval.

“Mature Minor doctrine is being used as a loophole to circumvent parental consent and proceed with treatments that can carry life-long repercussions,” reads the resolution. “We need to take action to protect kids from harm by not allowing them to become victims of their own short-sightedness or of judicial, educational, or medical systems that don’t necessarily operate under the same sets of values as the child or their family.”

Another resolution asks the province to adopt an opt-in model for sexual education in classrooms, and that any third-party materials or presentations related to gender identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality used in schools be approved in advance by the Ministry of Education. These measures were first announced by Smith in January and are part of a set of UCP’s legislative proposals to be tabled in the current legislature session.

Gender Identity

One of the resolutions calls for gender-altering health services, such as medications, treatments and surgeries to be classified as “elective cosmetic procedures,” and be paid for by the requesting patient. Proponents say these procedures are aesthetic in nature, and their costs “should not be placed on all taxpayers.”

Another proposal asks the government to establish male and female as the “exclusive options on all official government documents.” It says the province should prioritize scientific knowledge over “shifting social trends,” and that adopting this measure would “facilitate” processes such as identification by police in critical situations.

Provincial Sovereignty

A resolution urges the provincial government to “maintain and defend” its jurisdictional authority as dictated by the Constitution. This policy would require any federal or international entity operating in Alberta that does not comply with provincial jurisdiction to stop operating until they do so.

Some party members want to prohibit municipalities and other provincial entities from contracting directly with the federal government to “ensure federal funding is aligned with provincial priorities, rather than with priorities contrary to our province’s interests.”

A further resolution asks the province to “continue to distance itself from the federal government,” and guarantee Alberta all the rights accorded to other provinces. Proponents encourage the provincial government to constitutionally challenge any action by Ottawa that “impedes good management and government on behalf of Albertans.”

Immigration, Taxes, and Environment

Some party members are urging the province to reach agreements with Ottawa to gain greater control over immigration matters. This includes determining the number of temporary and permanent residents allowed in Alberta, as well as seeking a more involved role in the approval process for these statuses.

One of the resolutions asks the UCP to act on its re-election campaign promise to cut taxes for Albertans. This policy would create an 8 percent tax bracket on personal incomes of less than $60,000. The UCP estimates this would save Albertans earning $60,000 or more approximately $760, while reducing provincial taxes for those earning less than $60,000 by roughly 20 percent.

Another resolution seeks to reinforce the province’s opposition to Ottawa’s carbon tax, by prohibiting any carbon pricing model or carbon cap from being implemented in Alberta, and supporting any federal or interprovincial effort to remove the tax.

Party members are also requesting the province remove the classification of carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and instead recognize it as “a foundational nutrient for all life on Earth.” The proposal is accompanied by another call for Alberta to abandon federal net-zero emission targets.