Rights & Freedoms

• First, to force Alberta’s teachers back to work.

• Then, on three additional bills affecting the rights of vulnerable people.

• Alberta-based legal experts warn that using the clause preemptively, before court review, undermines the checks and balances that protect everyone.

• Experts note that invoking the clause to avoid debate or scrutiny weakens its intended purpose and erodes public trust in democratic institutions.

Faith leaders are raising concerns:

• In a joint letter to Premier Smith, the Anglican, Lutheran, and United Churches cautioned that this approach “undermines the integrity of our social fabric and the moral commitments we share as Albertans.”

• Their message is clear.

Albertans deserve factual, science-based information, especially on issues affecting health, education, and long-term wellbeing.

• Bill 40 shifts authority away from independent professional regulators and concentrates power in the Advanced Education Minister’s office.

• While medical professionals are excluded, the bill strips rights and autonomy from engineers, who help ensure public safety in buildings, infrastructure, and other critical areas.

• The use of the notwithstanding clause to push restrictions on gender-affirming care contradicts guidance from medical associations, pediatric specialists, and mental-health experts.

In education:

• The new Class Size and Complexity Committee, announced in November, includes experts but does not give them voting authority.

• Important classroom decisions can be made without meaningful input from those who understand the systems.

Minimizing expert input reduces the reliability of information, limits professionals’ ability to uphold standards, and erodes community trust.

This recall is about restoring that trust by insisting on decision-making that respects expertise, transparency, and the rights of Albertans.