The Hardisty and District Development Group invited Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to come to visit Hardisty, where Smith took questions from the audience for over an hour.
The Community Hall was at standing room only, with hundreds of people sitting and standing around the perimeter.
Blake Moser acted as moderator for the event.
Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely accompanied Smith on stage, speaking briefly on her enthusiasm for the large crowd of people present.
Smith also spoke briefly before settling in to take questions, talking about the issues she’s taking away from the visit she had before the public event.
She faced a variety of questions, the first being on Bill 55, which the opposition have branded as being a gate-way to for-profit hospitals.
Smith explained that AHS, in charge of hospitals in Alberta, were using expensive acute-care beds for patients who would be better served in long term care or other spaces, “and then they come back to us and say, ‘Build us another $5 billion hospital, even though we have 1,600 people in beds that shouldn’t be there.’”
She also mentioned that AHS was, in her words, overreaching their bounds, trying to get into social housing. “Slowly but surely they were taking over all of our budget,” she said, saying that there needed to be oversight on how that money was being spent. She says Bill 55 is the last step in the Healthcare reorganization; “taking ownership of the hospitals. The Government of Alberta, the people of Alberta, the taxpayers, have paid for those hospitals,” she says, adding that it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure they are not being closed down, or closing acute care beds, or arbitrarily having emergency hours reduced.
“We are at the point now, once we take possession of all of those hospitals, to challenge AHS, as our service provider, to build us better service. And if they don’t deliver better service, then we can find a new operator.”
She pointed to a recent change in La Crete to support her statement.
Smith’s next question dealt with AUC and utilities, where the government has developed an ‘agriculture first’ approach for approving projects. “I can tell you from visiting various renewable energy project sites across Alberta agriculture is the last consideration on all of them,” he said, calling them scrubby, desolate, weed depositories.
He asked if agriculturally experienced members could be appointed to the Alberta Utilities Commission board or be present at hearings.
Smith discussed a few of the new regulations coming in governing renewable energy projects in Alberta.
Smith was asked by one person, “What are you going to do to protect law-abiding firearms owners?”
She said she believes in the rights of people to acquire, own, and use firearms. “The question comes down to whether the federal government can supersede our constitutional rights to protect property.”
She said she fully appreciates that the federal government should be passing laws to prevent unlawful use of firearms, but doesn’t agree that just owning a firearm can be a violation of the law.
She says that protection for gun owners was put in Alberta’s bill of rights, to send a signal to the courts that we value this type of property ownership and want to protect it.
“Will it work? All I can tell you is that so far, the federal government has spent $46 million dollars and has not confiscated a single firearm, so I wish them continued success from that program.”
Beaver County Reeve Kevin Smook asked Smith a question about Victim Services, and the recent changes to a central service delivery.
He gave an example of a recent devastating fire: “In our area, we had a very robust Victim Services group. There was a fire about a week ago, and a victim services person was not allowed to go until the next day; 9 to 5 service – that’s how it’s going now.
“Victims of crime are one thing, victims of tragedy are another.
“We need to look at that again. I know there are growing pains to be expected, but this isn’t working.”
Smith responded, “That’s fair.” She explained that the centralization of the services had already begun before she came in, but that she’d asked that the plans be reviewed, and found the centralization process too far along to be changed.
Smith acknowledged that the ‘growing pains’ of the new service have been frustrating on both sides, and has asked that the new service identify some of the issues that are being brought forward, and especially in those communities who had victim services, making sure they haven’t lost services. “Sometimes centralization is not the best way forward. If we could have done it again, we might have done it differently.”
Smith fielded a question from a Lloydminster resident who’d travelled to Hardisty just to ask about wind turbines, explaining a situation where a family member had experienced a decline in property values since turbines had gone up surrounding her land.
Smith took notes, and asked questions about timelines, and asked the questioner “what kind of legislative action would you like to see the solve the problem?”
Another speaker talked to Smith about the lack of proper dementia care in every community, and urged the province to consider the aging Baby Boomer population and build the necessary infrastructure before it’s needed.
Smith talked about a program the province brought in that provides for a government cost-share opportunity on new builds of the right type of facility, also going back to her first point where acute care beds are being used to fill the need for continuing care beds.
BRSD Trustee Dwight Dibben asked Smith about school funding, advocating for better funding formulas for rural schools to ensure they can stay viable, to no small amount of applause from the audience.He added, “Premier, we know how you feel about equalization between the feds and ourselves,” he said, then asking if the same consideration could be given to rural schools to keep them healthy.
Smith thanked him, saying that Calgary “feels hard done by, too,” she added that she might have to take a closer look and make sure that funding is working as intended, and not as a burden to school divisions.
The last speaker was former Sedgewick Mayor and retired Fire Chief Perry Robinson, who talked about improving Provincial response to community emergencies.
Smith’s allotted hour was up shortly after, and she thanked all those present before leaving.
Later community members thanked the Hardisty and District Development Group, particularly Brian Golka, for his determination in getting Smith to the town.
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor
