Schow reviews achievements in fall session

Posted on December 12, 2024 by admin

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On December 5, Government House Leader and Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow, who also serves as the MLA for Cardston-Siksika, held a media roundtable where he provided a summary of the progress made by Alberta’s government during the fall session.

“This session, under the incredible leadership of our Premier Danielle Smith, has been laser focused on protecting and promoting Alberta’s rights and freedoms, which are the cornerstones of living in a free and democratic society,” said Minister Schow.

Protecting and promoting Alberta’s rights and freedoms, Minister Schow explained, is also the theme that united the 13 bills passed this fall and was also on full display when the government commenced the session by introducing the Alberta Bill of Rights Amendment Act. Schow emphasized that the passage of the Alberta Bill of Rights Amendment Act ‘enshrines the rights of Albertans to personal autonomy and protects medical choices, property rights, and legal firearms use in our province.’

Minister Schow also explained that the passage of the Health Statutes Amendment Act and Bill 27: The Education Amendment Act creates ‘a comprehensive framework to preserve choice for minors, to support student success and wellbeing of schools, and to ensure kids and youth in Alberta are supported as they grow into adults to become the people they want to become.’

Minister Schow explained that during this session Alberta was ‘a leader in Canada’ with the introduction of the Fairness and Safety Sport Act and the Protection of Privacy Act.

The Fairness and Safety Sport Act, Minister Schow explained, is a ‘one-of-its-kind piece of legislation in Canada’ that protects the fairness and safety of amateur and competitive sports system by ensuring that women and girls are able to compete in biological female-only divisions. The Fairness and Safety Sport Act, Minister Schow explained, would also support the formation of additional co-ed divisions to ensure that transgender athletes can meaningfully participate in the sports of their choice.

“When it comes to supporting sports, particularly transgender athletes, we will continue to work with the provincial sport organizations, public institutions, and post-secondaries as needs arise,” said Minister Schow explained.

“It’s important that everyone gets a chance to compete, everyone gets a chance to play, and where numbers are necessary, we will find the resources to make sure we’re supporting those organizations in creating those co-ed divisions. This is a first of its kind legislation that’s protecting women and girls in sports, something that I am very passionate about, and I’ve heard from a number of parents, coaches, educators, school boards, and teachers when consulting on this legislation. In addition, whenever I’m talking about other issues, people will pull me aside and say, ‘Minister Schow, thank you so much for this. My daughter is so grateful that you have moved this legislation.’ And I feel passionate about it because I know of examples already in Alberta where we have seen athletes who have been hurt playing against transgender athletes, athletes who have lost out on opportunities. We saw Hannah Pilling, for example, who joined our press conference when we announced this legislation, who without the support of an incredible community and a petition, likely would not have been able to compete in Provincials. That decision, of course, was overturned and she was allowed to compete. These are the kind of examples that we want to avoid so that sports are safe and fair.”

Minister Schow also acknowledged that 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy groups Egale Canada and the Alberta-based Skipping Stone Foundation have expressed their intent to pursue legal action against the Education Amendment Act, 2024, the Health Statutes Amendment Act and the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, which are all set to become law. According to the Province of Alberta, the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act is expected to take effect in Fall 2025, while the amendments to the Education Act will take effect on proclamation, which is expected in September 2025, while the Health Statutes Amendment Act is expected to come into effect in the coming months. 

“It’s way too early for me to presuppose what’s going to happen in the courts or what any organizations would do in the public with regards to legal challenges,” said Minister Schow. “I’ll leave that in their hands and we will react accordingly.”

Minister Schow also touched upon the Protection of Privacy Act, saying that the passing of it would ‘ensure that Alberta has the strongest privacy protections with the strictest penalties for privacy violations in the nation.’

Minister Schow emphasized that the session also included work by the provincial government that would ‘allow them to continue to stand up against the continual, unconstitutional overreach from the federal government.’

“We took strong, decisive action to safeguard Alberta’s economy from the job-killing, unconstitutional federal emissions cap with the passage of the second Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act resolution,” said Minister Schow. “Our government has always been and will continue to be unapologetic in our fight to protect and promote the best interests of Alberta.”

All of this work, Minister Schow explained, was done in addition to ongoing work to diversify Alberta’s economy, streamline processes, and maintain Alberta’s status as one of the best business-friendly and investment friendly environments in North America. That, Minister Schow stated, included the passage of legislation including the All-Season Resorts Act. 

In explaining the All-Seasons Resorts Act, Minister Schow was firm in his reassurance that the passing of this particular legislation will not change any engagement standards with Indigenous communities or on the environmental front and that the framework of the legislation will allow the government to streamline the process that exists, but is currently disjointed, confusing, and difficult for investors to understand. 

The streamlining process, Minister Schow explained, involves bringing it under Tourism and Sport and the creation of a sole life-cycle regulator that will allow the government to evaluate master plans as they are proposed.

“When those master plans are proposed, they will have to go through all the existing Indigenous consultation as well as the environmental consultations that currently exist,” said Minister Schow. “I would say that we have had tremendous support for this from Indigenous communities as they look to become meaningful partners in tourism product development.”

That, Minister Schow stated, is the exact reason why the government expanded the mandate of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation to include tourism products. Tourism products, Minister Schow explained, are products that are $20 million or larger and people from around the world, Canada, and even in Alberta want authentic Indigenous tourism products, so the government created a path for that opportunity.

Discussions within the Chamber during this session, Minister Schow explained, have also been of a high quality. Minister Schow specifically commended Opposition House Leader Christina Gray for what has been an ‘increased level of decorum in the Chamber this session.’

“I have seen great debate from our government’s side and from the Opposition’s side,” said Minister Schow. “Kudos to Christina Gray and her caucus and our caucus for seeing the importance of the time we have in there, which I think is limited and using it to the benefit of all Albertans. We’ve seen a lot of quality debate over the previous strategy of quantity of debate, and I think Albertans are better served for it. I think decorum has been great in the Chamber, and it’s been great to go in there and do the people’s work in an environment that’s great to come to. I want this session to be remembered the same way every other session is remembered: that we come to work every day, and we do the people’s business,” 

Since Danielle Smith became the Premier of Alberta, Minister Schow explained, she has spent the last two years traveling this province listening, genuinely listening to everyone’s burdens and their concerns, and those concerns are reflected in legislation. 

“That’s how I want the entire term and her entire tenure as premier to be remembered as: someone who genuinely listened and took action, the action people asked for,” said Minister Schow. 

Minister Schow also expressed appreciation for the vision of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Dan Williams. Minister Williams, Minister Schow stated, continues to show how much he cares about the Albertans who are stuck in the cycle of addiction, stating that the potential Compassionate Intervention Bill is one that is ‘critical to the Alberta Model of Recovery.’

In addition to commending Minister Williams’s work, Minister Schow also commended Premier Smith for continuing to work with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction and making sure that the Government of Alberta is taking care of those suffering from addiction in such a way that they get to regain dignity, and that they are taken out of the cycle of addiction to become strong contributors to society. The government, Minister Schow explained, has taken some serious steps in that regard including removing the fees for recovery, making it more accessible for those who are struggling with addiction. Such a holistic approach, Minister Schow explained, helps everything from public safety in the streets to tourism and making sure that the streets are safe, and that people are taken care of.

“Because our government is relentless in our work to create the best future for Albertans, and to ensure Alberta remains the best place to live, to play, to work, and to visit and raise a family, and I’m very proud of the progress our government has made during this session,” said Minister Schow. “My colleagues and I look forward to continuing to deliver for Albertans over the winter break and into the new year.”

Schow also confirmed that Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor approved all of the bills and they received royal assent that morning at 10 a.m.