In one of her final tilts as the Official Opposition leader, Rachel Notley, took aim May 28 at the premier for pushing through legislation in a way Danielle Smith used to criticize.
Smith is “ramming through multiple pieces of legislation with little or no consultation,” said Notley. Moves to end debate were arbitrary and came after “barely half” the time allotted by past governments.
“What happened to everything this premier claimed to Albertans that she believed in?”
Smith responded that her government reached out to find ways to increase time for debate. “Unfortunately they (the NDP) have refused.”
Smith said the UCP suggested approaches like compressed waiting times between readings, a move that would have removed “four hours of sitting around.”
Not relevant, Notley shot back. The member for Edmonton-Strathcona said that the premier shut down debate at least 10 times in four days. When Notley and the NDP were in power, the governing side used closure four times in four years.
“And when we did, it was after 10 times the amount of debate this government has allowed on devastating laws that Albertans do not want,” said Notley.
But Smith, the member for Brooks-Medicine Hat, said the NDP have shown no interest in offering amendments and improving the laws at issue.
“We’ve offered more debate time; they’ve refused,” Smith said. “We have created night sittings to give more debate time. I would encourage the members opposite to be constructive in the debate, and we’ll be able to make sure that the bills get their input.”
Four contentious bills passed third and final reading over the last days of the spring sitting, May 28-29.
Three have been criticized as overreaches of provincial power into the workings of municipalities and other institutions — Bill 18, the Provincial Priorities Act; Bill 20, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act 2024; and Bill 21, the Emergency Statutes Amendment Act.
The fourth — which the NDP calls a misdirection of dollars from filling health staffing shortages — is Bill 22, the Health Statutes Amendment Act.
It enables the restructuring of a single health care agency into four agencies.
The UCP says these separate pillars will allow better focus health care and the use of resources and expertise.
