Alberta premier Smith defends sharing public policy plans at members-only UCP events

Danielle Smith speaks at a UCP townhall event. (Source: The Breakdown)

EDMONTON -

Premier Danielle Smith is defending recent policy announcements at private party events, saying Albertans are kept in the know and shouldn't be caught off guard by her agenda.

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Asked by reporters why she's not offering those details to all Albertans, Smith said she is already in touch with them regularly.

"I talk to Albertans every two weeks on the (call-in) radio show, and I am always telling them about things that are being proposed. I don't think I've made any secret out of the fact that I take what our (party) members give us as guidance seriously," Smith said Tuesday.

She said her government consults with stakeholders and said Albertans shouldn't be surprised by any of the bills her government introduces when the legislature convenes in late October.

Last month, Smith told a United Conservative party town hall she is looking to transfer the operation of some Alberta Health Services-run hospitals to third parties, including faith-based operator Covenant Health, to create fear and competition as part of her health restructuring plan.

That plan drew the ire of New Democrat Leader Naheed Nenshi, who said at the time the premier's silence in public indicated the government was either scared the plan wouldn't be popular or that it suggested policy was being crafted in an ad hoc, back of the napkin fashion.

At town hall events, Smith has also talked about provincial policing service ambitions and said she's waiting to pass controversial transgender policies before allowing into her caucus Jennifer Johnson.

Johnson is an Independent legislature member. She was originally a UCP candidate in last year's election and won her seat, but was never allowed to sit in the UCP caucus after she made disparaging comments about transgender youth.

Smith has said her government hopes to pass legislation in the fall that will require parental consent on pronoun changes in schools, limit youth transgender medical care, and ban transgender athletes from female sports.

Smith told reporters Tuesday that when it comes to letting Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson into UCP caucus, no decision has been made.

"I hope (she will) be able to provide some clarity about where she stands on these issues and be able to provide some comfort that she's going to govern for all of her constituents," Smith said.

When asked if the town hall policy announcements are happening because Smith is keen to curry favour with her party's right-wing base ahead of a November leadership review, Smith said Albertans shouldn't be surprised at what she is proposing because it is grounded in "solid conservative principles.

"I'm bringing forward good policy. We are conservatives, and we intend to govern as conservatives, and conservatives care about family. They care about protecting kids, they care about the economy, they care about making sure that we're making good investment decisions. They care about health-care reform," she said.

Alberta conservatives have been known to topple their own leaders internally, including former UCP premier Jason Kenney.

Kenney garnered just over 51 per cent approval in a party review vote in 2022, prompting him to step down ahead of a leadership race that Smith eventually won.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.