A Calgary injury lawyer is calling on the province to scrap Alberta s incoming no-fault, care-first auto insurance model before it strictens victims of their rights. Alberta is introducing mandatory reading and math screenings across all K-3 classrooms, as Education Minister Demetrius Nicolaides says classrooms are becoming increasingly complex. Environment Minister Rebecca Schultz is defending Alberta s West Coast Pipeline plan against BC and coastal First Nations, while urging Ottawa to drop its impractical electric vehicle mandate. New polling shows Albertans deeply divided over immigration as major cities feel the strain on housing and jobs. All that and more on this week s Alberta Roundup.
00:00:00.000Alberta's Finance Minister warns that Ottawa's new carbon tax hikes will devastate competitiveness and hand the U.S. a major advantage.
00:00:19.000A Calgary injury lawyer is calling on the province to scrap Alberta's incoming no-fault, care-first auto insurance model before it stricts victims of their rights.
00:00:28.000Alberta is introducing mandatory reading and math screenings across all K-3 classrooms as Education Minister Demetrius Nicolaides says classrooms are becoming increasingly complex.
00:00:40.000Environment Minister Rebecca Schultz is defending Alberta's West Coast Pipeline Plan against BC and coastal First Nations while urging Ottawa to drop its impractical electric vehicle mandate.
00:00:51.000And new polling shows Albertans deeply divided over-immigration as major cities feel the strain on housing and jobs.
00:00:58.000All that and more on this week's Alberta Roundup. I'm your host, Isaac Lamoureux, and let's jump right into our first story.
00:01:04.000Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner says Mark Carney's latest budget plan will undermine the province's competitiveness and punish its energy sector.
00:01:12.000Budget 2025 raises industrial carbon prices from $80 per ton this year to $170 per ton by 2030 and lays out a long-term framework for annual increases until 2050.
00:01:25.000The budget also grants Ottawa new powers to impose its federal backstop on provinces that don't meet its standards, allowing the federal government to reimpose its own carbon pricing system when it deems a provincial plan insufficient.
00:01:37.000I asked Horner about his reaction to the industrial carbon tax just hours after the budget was released and just take a quick listen of what he had to say.
00:01:44.000With the industrial carbon tax set to increase until 2015, will Alberta's energy sector suffer specifically compared to other jurisdictions, countries without such a tax?
00:01:53.000Yes. Flat out, like our biggest competitor just south of the border doesn't have this.
00:02:01.000It depends a lot on how high we're going, but also some of the other pieces around stringency and how this backstop they're trying to create looks in detail.
00:02:17.000Horner also said the province is still waiting to understand how the budget's new carbon framework interacts with Ottawa's planned emissions cap,
00:02:24.000which may be scrapped if large-scale carbon capture projects expand as expected.
00:02:31.000They reference things like not needing an emissions cap, but we're going to need to understand how they'll tangibly get there.
00:02:36.000Premier Danielle Smith has previously referred to a grand bargain she was working on with Ottawa.
00:02:41.000It includes working towards revising or repealing nine laws that her government says are standing in the way of prosperity,
00:02:47.000as well as moving forward on the Pathways project and the West Coast pipeline.
00:02:51.000Smith commented on the emissions cap developments shortly after the budget, stating that
00:02:55.000judgment was reserved until negotiations with the Liberals on a Memorandum of Understanding, which she hopes will be finished by mid-November.
00:03:03.000We will then have a much better idea regarding whether or not the current federal government is serious about repealing or overhauling the various policies and laws that have devastated Alberta's economy over the past decade,
00:03:15.000and put the very stability of Alberta's electricity grid at existential risk.
00:03:20.000Smith concluded by adding that she is hopeful for a positive outcome.
00:03:24.000Saskatchewan and Alberta have both previously announced plans to pause or delay future industrial carbon tax increases, moves that could now trigger federal intervention.
00:03:33.000Horner said higher costs will make it harder for Alberta to attract investment and compete internationally.
00:03:39.000He also pointed to uncertainty around a possible carbon pipeline, the absence of a new West Coast bitumen pipeline, and Ottawa's review of greenwashing rules.
00:03:48.000Horner added that Ottawa's growing spending and debt levels raise broader concerns about economic competitiveness.
00:03:57.000The federal budget projects a $78.3 billion deficit this year, marking the largest in Canadian history, excluding pandemic years.
00:04:06.000Total debt is projected to reach $1.35 trillion by the end of this year, increasing to $1.59 trillion in 2029-30.
00:04:17.000Under the Liberal plan, Canadian taxpayers will pay $55.6 billion in debt interest charges next year, rising to $76.1 billion by 2029-30.
00:04:28.000But for our next story, we'll look at car insurance in Alberta.
00:04:31.000A Calgary injury lawyer is demanding that the United Conservative Party adopt a popular policy resolution to scrap the incoming no-fault system,
00:04:38.000which he argues strips accident victims of their rights and empowers insurance companies.
00:04:43.000The resolution calls on the provincial government to repeal the no-fault insurance and revert back to a tort-based system.
00:04:51.000Repealing the no-fault insurance legislation in Alberta and returning to a tort-based system aligns with conservative values by promoting personal responsibility and accountability,
00:05:00.000ensuring fair compensation based on fault, and reducing fraudulent claims.
00:05:04.000This approach encourages safer driving behaviours and ensures that only legitimate claims are compensated.
00:05:10.000So I interviewed Tyler Van Vliet, an associate with crash lawyers in Calgary, who said that reverting to the previous system would
00:05:17.000preserve the basic right of an injured person to bring a claim against the driver who hurt them and to have an independent judge assess their losses.
00:05:24.000He added it would preserve accountability, explaining that a tort system means a negligent driver and their insurer bear the cost.
00:05:31.000In a care-first system, the at-fault driver's main consequence is a premium hike which already exists under a tort system.
00:05:47.000Losing the right to sue, shifting power from courts to insurers, and disproportionately harming the most vulnerable.
00:05:53.000Mirroring problems seen under BC's enhanced care model, which he said Alberta was copying almost line for line.
00:05:59.000Alberta recently unveiled draft injury compensation rules slated for 2027, and these rules propose payments ranging from $945 for the loss of colour vision to $56,717 for the loss of an eye, and up to $66,169 for a moderate traumatic brain injury.
00:06:17.000Van Vliet explained this approach depersonalizes injury, as a 19-year-old trades worker and a senior suffering from the same knee injury would face vastly different real-world consequences.
00:06:29.000He said a judge could do justice to these differences, unlike a chart.
00:06:34.000If you drive negligently and injure someone, you, through your insurer, are required to make them whole.
00:06:39.000That's the civil law equivalent of do the crime, do the time.
00:06:42.000No fault, by design, removes that link. Everyone's claims are socialized through their own insurer, and the at-fault driver mostly faces a rating change.
00:06:50.000The tort system aligns with conservative values by emphasizing accountability and the rule of law.
00:06:55.000Removing most legal scrutiny through CareFirst primarily benefits large insurance companies.
00:07:01.000It's no surprise that every other jurisdiction in Canada that has brought in no fault has done so under socialist provincial governments.
00:07:08.000Once you abolish the right to sue for auto injuries, it's very hard to get it back.
00:07:12.000BC is now locked into years of litigation and political fights over enhanced care's constitutionality and fairness.
00:07:19.000Alberta doesn't need to repeat that experiment just to discover the same problems.
00:07:23.000Alberta Premier Daniel Smith previously defended the change, arguing that people are going to be unhappy either way.
00:07:28.000The Alberta UCP initially promised the change would save Albertans $400 a year, but later omitted that promise.
00:07:34.000Van Vliet said that the Insurance Bureau is now claiming Albertans will not only see no savings, but premiums will actually increase under a CareFirst model.
00:07:42.000Van Vliet argued there is a better way.
00:07:44.000He said keeping the tort system while tightening minor injury caps, strengthening fraud controls, and improving rate transparency was the way forward.
00:07:53.000So while no model is perfect, there is a clear line between systems that preserve fundamental rights and accountability and those that don't.
00:08:00.000We should be honest about that choice instead of shrugging and saying everyone will be unhappy anyway.
00:08:05.000The Ministry of Finance previously told True North that it is open to stakeholder feedback before finalizing regulations.
00:08:11.000But our next story will switch over to education because Alberta is legislating early literacy and numeracy screenings across all K-3 classrooms to identify learning difficulties sooner and improve foundational skills.
00:08:24.000The Education Amendment Act 2025, also known as Bill 6, mandates public, separate, francophone, charter, and accredited independent schools, along with early childhood operators, to administer the screenings three times a year.
00:08:37.000Results will be shared with parents and the Ministry of Education and Child Care with annual public reporting required by law.
00:08:43.000Education Minister Dimitrios Nikolaides said, quote,
00:08:45.000Alberta's classrooms are more complex than ever, and our teachers need the right tools to support every student. By identifying learning needs early, these screeners will help us address complexity head-on and ensure that children with diverse and complex needs get the help they need to thrive.
00:09:01.000He told reporters that research shows these screeners can predict with 95% accuracy whether a child will face future learning difficulties, allowing teachers to intervene before small issues become larger barriers.
00:09:13.000He said legislating the process instead of leaving it as policy ensures it remains consistent across school divisions and protects it from being abandoned by future governments.
00:09:22.000The province will require schools to screen students with specific three-week windows during the fall, winter, and spring.
00:09:28.000Kindergarten children will continue to undergo winter screenings with follow-up assessments in spring for students requiring extra support.
00:09:35.000Nikolaides noted that principals or school divisions can exempt students whose first language is not English from the assessments.
00:09:42.000Literacy and numeracy screenings were first introduced as mandatory policy in 2022 for grades 1 to 3 and expanded in 2024 to include kindergarten children and multiple assessment periods.
00:09:53.000Bill 6 now enshrines these requirements in law.
00:09:56.000Under the new framework, the Education Minister will have authority to establish regulations governing the frequency, timing, exemptions, and reporting methods for screenings.
00:10:04.000Dyslexia Canada welcomed the move, calling it a crucial step toward equity in education.
00:10:10.000Alicia Smith, the organization's executive director, said,
00:10:13.000Early screening is an essential part of an equitable approach to literacy instruction.
00:10:17.000Legislating this practice is an important step toward making sure that early screening becomes a lasting part of how we support every child's right to learn to read.
00:10:25.000If passed, Bill 6 would take effect in the fall of 2026 for the 2026-27 school year.
00:10:30.000Nikolaides also highlighted a 34% increase in refugee students and a surge in English language learners.
00:10:35.000He told True North that while he doesn't want Ottawa to be more involved in provincial jurisdiction, the Liberals should take responsibility for the consequences and implications of its immigration decisions that have increased pressure on Alberta's classrooms.
00:10:47.000If passed, Bill 6 will mark the province's latest effort to tackle classroom complexity by legislating early intervention and ensuring every child struggling with reading or math is identified before small challenges become lifelong barriers.
00:10:59.000Our next section will cover two separate stories involving Alberta's Environment Minister, Rebecca Schultz.
00:11:04.000She said British Columbia and Coastal First Nations cannot decide Alberta's economic future.
00:11:09.000defending the province's proposed West Coast pipeline after renewed calls to uphold the federal tanker moratorium were made by BC Premier David Eby and Coastal First Nations leaders.
00:11:20.000We have heard the concerns of Premier Eby and a number of First Nations in British Columbia.
00:11:24.000That said, we have also seen a lot of support from First Nations communities who want to continue to see our energy industry grow and prosper.
00:11:31.000She added that Alberta's position is rooted in Canada's constitution, not politics.
00:11:37.000It is the constitutional responsibility of the Prime Minister of Canada to ensure that there is free and fair trade across interprovincial boundaries and that one province or one premier cannot block the assets of 5 million Albertans in our most important industry.
00:11:52.000The comments came hours after Eby and Coastal First Nations leaders signed a declaration urging Ottawa to uphold the federal oil tanker moratorium act, which prohibits crude oil tankers along the northern BC coast.
00:12:03.000Eby said the ban, which he said had been in practice for decades, remains essential to protecting both the environment and the province's coastal economy.
00:12:10.000The BC Premier said he highlighted in various meetings with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other ministers that he believes the oil tanker ban is a foundational and critical catalyst for economic activity in British Columbia and the nation.
00:12:22.000That it is the key that will unlock tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.
00:12:28.000He described the ban as a consensus that has existed for half a century and said there is no pipeline project, no route, no proponent, no financing, echoing nearly identical language used by Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi in a recent interview with True North.
00:12:42.000The Alberta government maintains the ban blocks vital access to global markets.
00:12:46.000Premier Daniel Smith has urged Ottawa to list a West Coast bitumen pipeline among its next wave of major projects, which is set to be announced by the Grey Cup, and previously warned that if the federal government and BC do not cooperate, she will turn south to willing partners in the United States.
00:13:01.000Smith said, quote, there is no universe where Alberta will tolerate being landlocked in our own country by our neighboring province, especially when the same industry he continues to demonize has generated so much wealth for his province and the country.
00:13:15.000The Supreme Court has determined that the reason we have a country and have given trade and commerce power and control over ports and interprovincial infrastructure to the federal government is for exactly this reason, so that a pariahal premier isn't able to block nation-building projects.
00:13:30.000Schultz also took aim at the federal electric vehicle sales mandate, calling it impractical, and warning, it will raise costs and destroy jobs.
00:13:37.000In a letter to Federal Environment Minister Julie DeBruson, she said the Liberal government's 60-day review of the mandate confirmed clear and unanimous feedback from provinces, industry, and consumers that the policy must be abandoned.
00:13:50.000She wrote, quote, over those 60 days, and for many years before that, your government has heard the same clear message from provinces, territories, municipalities, industry,
00:14:00.000This mandate is impractical, expensive, and must be abandoned.
00:14:05.000Rarely has the government received such clear and unanimous feedback from such a broad range of Canadians.
00:14:10.000She added that if the Liberals ignore the overwhelmingly negative feedback, they would be responsible for lost investment and manufacturing jobs, more expensive vehicles, and stranding Canadians in rural and northern Canada.
00:14:22.000Schultz said the mandate would strain electricity grids, limit consumer choice, and leave rural Canadians stranded.
00:14:29.000Canadians want practical, balanced, affordable solutions, not costly experiments driven by ideology.
00:14:35.000Schultz urged DeBruson to move past the divisive approach previously championed by former Environment Minister Stephen Guibault.
00:14:41.000Prime Minister Mark Carney paused the mandate in September, announcing a 60-day review to identify future flexibilities and ways to reduce costs.
00:14:49.000The policy would have required 20% of new vehicle sales in 2026 to be electric, rising to 60% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.
00:14:58.000Alberta's Environment Ministry previously told True North it would use every legal tool to stop the policy, calling the regulations unconstitutional.
00:15:05.000The ministry also highlighted that the Liberals previously imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs.
00:15:11.000As a consequence, China slapped a 75.8% tariff on Canadian canola, a $43.7 billion annual industry.
00:15:18.000China has instead turned to Australia for its canola, abandoning the import of 7.9 million metric tons in 2024 that supports 206,000 Canadian jobs.
00:15:51.000I urge you to seize this moment and put Canadians first.
00:15:54.000But for our next story and our last one here, we'll swap over to immigration because new polling suggests residents of Alberta's two largest cities are divided over immigration and its effects on affordability.
00:16:04.000Surveys by Canada Pulse Insights for City News found that roughly half of Calgarians and Edmontonians believe Ottawa's immigration management has worsened over the past year,
00:16:13.000despite Mark Carney's pledge to bring and take down to sustainable levels.
00:16:17.000In Edmonton, 51% said the federal government's handling of immigration has not improved, while 24% said it actually has worsened.
00:16:25.000In Calgary, nearly half agreed. Ottawa's performance is stagnant.
00:16:29.000A majority of respondents in both cities said immigration is straining housing, healthcare, and employment.
00:16:34.00064% of Calgarians and the same share of Edmontonians blamed immigration for worsening housing affordability.
00:16:40.000In Calgary, 59% said job competition is caused by high levels of foreign worker permits.
00:17:04.000The reason why housing prices have spiked, why food affordability has spiked, and why affordability on every front has spiked is because you have too many people chasing too few jobs and homes.
00:17:12.000Alberta Immigration Minister Joseph Scow similarly added that Canada is on pace to accept more than a million new immigrants this year, with over 3 million temporary residents already here.