Juno News - Smith vows to defend gun owners’ rights

00:00:00.000 Alberta is stepping up its defense of responsible gun owners alongside Saskatchewan while Prime

00:00:16.500 Minister Mark Carney has made matters a bit more confusing. Meanwhile, the province has

00:00:21.600 clarified its school library policy to target graphic sexual images without letting school

00:00:26.640 boards sweep classics off the shelves. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stood by the province's

00:00:32.040 proposed auto insurance reforms this week and she also highlighted some data showing that Alberta

00:00:37.620 leads the country in earnings despite unemployment climbing to an eight-year high. All that and more

00:00:43.100 on this week's Alberta Roundup, I'm your host Isaac Lamoureux and let's jump into that first story

00:00:47.240 right away. Alberta is sharpening its defense of responsible firearms owners amid Ottawa's

00:00:52.500 years-long confiscation saga. Premier Danielle Smith said Alberta, together with Saskatchewan,

00:00:58.600 will quote, do whatever we can to protect lawful owners' rights, including using every constitutional

00:01:04.740 power at her disposal. She said, quote, we told the municipalities, no, you can't have a handgun

00:01:10.380 ban. That is not municipal jurisdiction. We told the RCMP, no, you cannot participate in this

00:01:15.860 confiscation scheme. She added that the Alberta UCP has also told sheriffs and municipal police that

00:01:21.560 anyone who wants to participate in the confiscation program would require a permit from the Justice

00:01:26.720 Minister. However, no such permit would be issued, according to her. The comments came while speaking

00:01:32.240 at an Alberta next town hall in Lloyd Minister on August 27th. Smith said the province will be well

00:01:37.960 within its rights to regulate the legal use of firearms so that Albertans can continue to own,

00:01:42.700 collect, and use them for sports shooting, hunting, and other purposes. She said, quote,

00:01:47.660 we're working right now on what a legislative framework for an Alberta firearms license would

00:01:52.260 look like. We're going to fight it out because property and civil rights are our jurisdiction. 0.99

00:01:56.940 The federal government introduced a firearms confiscation program in 2020 through an order in

00:02:01.380 council, making thousands of legal firearms prohibited. Since then, the Liberals have expanded

00:02:06.600 the order to ban over 2,500 firearms, with costs expected to reach nearly $2 billion.

00:02:12.680 Canadians across the country remain skeptical of the policy. A previous Leger poll found that 55%

00:02:19.200 of Canadians believe the federal government should focus on cracking down on illegal firearms smuggled

00:02:24.020 in from the United States, while only 26% supported banning legal firearms through buybacks.

00:02:30.060 Even Prime Minister Mark Carney has conceded that most firearms used in violent crimes come from south

00:02:35.780 of the border. When asked about a string of shootings in Hamilton, Ontario in July, he said, quote,

00:02:41.020 I suspect the guns used here are from the U.S. And I also caught up with Public Safety Minister

00:02:46.260 Gary Anandasongri in Edmonton on Thursday, outside of the Liberal Caucus retreat.

00:02:52.100 He too, like Carney, claimed the gun ban was, quote, voluntary. He said the program will be launched soon

00:02:58.540 and has always been voluntary.

00:03:00.780 Excuse me, Mr. Anandasongri. Can you just clarify the comments Carney made yesterday about the gun buyback program

00:03:06.720 being voluntary? Are you changing the program?

00:03:09.620 Well, the program is going to be launched soon.

00:03:14.200 Is it going to be voluntary now?

00:03:16.280 It's always been voluntary.

00:03:17.180 How is that? Can you just clarify those comments? Is it possible?

00:03:22.840 Because people are, all the gun organizations I'm seeing are super confused.

00:03:25.900 They're saying, is it voluntary all of a sudden? Because from what I can tell the CCFR, for example,

00:03:30.060 they're all saying that it's been mandatory.

00:03:33.020 Why don't you contact my office and we'll be able to...

00:03:36.020 You have no comments on that for today?

00:03:37.380 Of course, this claim seems to contradict the belief among Canadians and gun groups from coast to coast.

00:03:44.460 Firearms writer Tim Thurley wrote on X, he said that the program as it stands currently is in fact

00:03:49.220 not voluntary. He said, quote, participation was initially voluntary with a grandfathering option.

00:03:55.780 It was made mandatory by Minister Blair in response to criticism by members of anti-firearm groups,

00:04:01.580 one of whom is now in cabinet. He explained that to actually make it voluntary, the law would have to

00:04:06.060 be modified so that Canadians were legally allowed to still possess those firearms.

00:04:11.080 He said that backing down would be a contradiction from Carney and go against the wishes of some of his

00:04:16.020 cabinet colleagues. However, Thurley added that he hopes that this change is real.

00:04:20.620 He said, quote, if not, he is being misleading, intentionally or otherwise, about the effects of

00:04:25.720 non-participation in the program. The only practical legal alternatives to participation are export

00:04:31.620 or destruction of the firearm. Hoping for a continuation of the amnesty,

00:04:36.060 confiscation without compensation or prison. Unless that changes, the program remains effectively

00:04:41.180 mandatory. He also reaffirmed that Carney's reference to assault rifles was not accurate

00:04:45.620 because they are not impacted or included in this confiscation program, despite Carney claiming that

00:04:50.780 only assault rifles are affected. But for our next story, we'll move to Alberta books again,

00:04:55.240 because after a brief pause tied to the Edmonton Public School Board's controversial removal list of

00:05:00.460 200 books, the province has reissued its school library directive, narrowed to explicitly target

00:05:06.240 books containing images of sexual acts, while protecting access to classic literature. Education

00:05:11.860 minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the revisions were prompted by EPSB's proposed list of 200 plus

00:05:17.520 titles, which included The Handmaid's Tale, Brave New World, The Color Purple, and The Godfather,

00:05:22.440 which Alberta premier Daniel Smith labeled as, quote, vicious compliance. She said, quote,

00:05:27.140 if they need us to hold their hand through the process to identify what kind of materials are

00:05:31.280 appropriate, we will more than happily work with them to work through their list one by one. We are

00:05:35.720 trying to take sexually explicit content out of elementary schools. That's what our objective is.

00:05:40.280 She previously also clarified how that help would come. She said, quote, one, get graphic pornographic 0.66

00:05:45.680 images out of school libraries. Two, leave the classics on the shelves. Three, we all know the

00:05:50.320 differences between the items in one and two. Let's not play any more games in implementing this policy

00:05:55.440 for our kids. The government reiterated it did not create that list or have any role in doing so,

00:06:00.980 and that its intention was always to prevent graphic sexual content from reaching children,

00:06:05.420 especially visuals, without scrubbing legitimate literature from shelves. Nicolaides said, quote,

00:06:11.520 our goal has always been to make sure students are not exposed to visually graphic sexual material

00:06:16.540 in school libraries. I am confident we can meet that goal while making the process as simple and

00:06:21.520 straightforward as possible for schools and teachers. The revised order will ensure that

00:06:25.580 classic literary works remain in school libraries, while materials with explicit visual depictions of

00:06:30.920 sexual acts do not end up in the hands of children. Ministerial order number 34, 2025 now focuses on

00:06:37.660 visual depictions of sexual acts, including images of penetration, masturbation, sex toy use,

00:06:43.520 or child molestation. Novels, poetry, and other works with written descriptions of sex can remain in

00:06:49.640 school libraries if they do not contain explicit imagery. The order does not apply to non-sexual

00:06:55.060 images or activities related to sexual acts, such as puberty, menstruation, breastfeeding,

00:07:00.880 kissing, or hand-holding. At a media briefing, Nicolaides said, quote,

00:07:04.980 one of the main differences is developmental and age appropriateness. An image can be understood

00:07:09.740 and conveyed to you at any grade level with any degree of comprehension, whereas, of course,

00:07:14.660 vocabulary and understanding progresses and develops throughout the school year.

00:07:18.820 Originally, the order mandated a two-phase implementation. Schools were to remove books

00:07:23.040 with detailed sexual acts by October 1st, 2025, and by January 1st, 2026, school boards were to provide

00:07:29.480 policies for parental review of removed books. Under the revised rules, school boards must now submit

00:07:35.860 a list of titles they intend to remove to the minister by October 31st, 2025. Materials with

00:07:42.480 explicit sexual imagery must then be removed by January 5th, 2026. Schools are prohibited from

00:07:49.260 removing books before providing a list to the minister. Also, the definition of school library

00:07:54.740 materials has been expanded to school literary materials. And distinctions for grade levels found

00:07:59.840 under the previous order were also removed. School authorities must regularly review library materials

00:08:05.440 and publish a publicly available list of all school library materials. Classroom collections are

00:08:10.300 exempt from public listing but must be available to parents upon request, for instance, by viewing a

00:08:15.640 bookshelf during a parent-teacher meeting. It does not apply to municipal libraries, even those in

00:08:21.220 schools, learning and teaching resources approved by the minister, or materials students bring into

00:08:26.180 schools without authorities' knowledge. The province again issued a viewer discretion as advised warning when

00:08:32.280 sending a book package to media, which included books previously found in schools like Genderqueer,

00:08:37.380 Fun Home, Blankets, and Flamer, all containing heinous sexual imagery. If you plan to look at it,

00:08:43.500 don't say you weren't warned. But for our next story, moving over to CARS, Alberta Premier Danielle

00:08:49.340 Smith has defended her government's auto insurance reforms in the face of growing grassroots discontent,

00:08:54.420 claiming that no perfect solution would have satisfied everyone. Last weekend, Juneau News'

00:09:00.360 Kian Bextie asked Smith at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Calgary if she was

00:09:05.520 committed to the CARE First model. The changes that you've announced to the Insurance Act has sort of

00:09:11.520 not gone over very well with party members, from the ones I've spoken to at least. Are you committed to

00:09:16.360 those changes? Do you think they'll actually benefit Albertans? Do you think that they'll lower the price of

00:09:21.140 premiums or has that sort of faded? Smith replied saying, quote, I think people are going to be

00:09:26.060 unhappy either way. She said Albertans pay the highest car insurance in the country regardless

00:09:31.880 of their driving record or what car they drive. Some reports showed Albertans were paying double

00:09:36.980 for mandatory auto insurance premiums compared to Ontario and triple compared to some Atlantic

00:09:41.960 provinces. However, some stakeholders have raised concerns with the new approach. KMSC law warned that

00:09:48.080 the changes proposed by the UCP government would embolden insurance companies. Their press release

00:09:53.580 reads, quote, under the new CARE First, no fault model, injured Albertans will have their treatment

00:09:59.260 and benefits controlled entirely by insurance companies. These companies, motivated primarily

00:10:04.480 by profit, will determine the nature and extent of your care and benefits, not your own health care

00:10:10.080 providers. Also, between 2022 and 2024, over 20 insurance companies were fined over $3.1 million

00:10:17.260 for overcharging drivers through ineligible surcharges, programming errors, and a failure

00:10:22.520 to apply proper discounts, according to the CTV. The government initially proposed that the changes

00:10:27.660 would save Albertans up to $400 per year. However, a government report released after that claim in

00:10:32.900 August did not repeat earlier promises of the $400 annual savings from the reforms. Officials claimed that

00:10:40.380 rising costs from inflation, U.S. tariffs, and natural disasters like the Jasper wildfire

00:10:45.080 made the pricing impact uncertain, according to the CBC. The new CARE First model, brought in under

00:10:51.340 Bill 47, is set to take effect in 2027. The province has promoted the reforms as a way to

00:10:57.360 speed up care and lower premiums, but some critics have pointed out similarities between the proposed

00:11:02.340 approach and BC's no-fault insurance model. The Canadian Bar Association's Alberta branch commissioned

00:11:08.840 a nano study in May on the matter and found that most Albertans want to retain the right to sue. The

00:11:15.100 survey found that 47% of Albertans found it to be unlikely that savings would occur from the no-fault

00:11:20.280 system. Three-quarters wanted the right to sue for compensation when harm or injury occurs, and over

00:11:25.060 eight in ten, 82%, said that individuals should be held legally and financially responsible if their actions

00:11:31.560 cause harm or injury. Over half, 52%, thought it was not urgent or somewhat not urgent to amend the current model.

00:11:37.100 Jenny McMarty, the co-chair of the CBA Alberta's Working Group on Auto Insurance Reform, said,

00:11:43.100 quote, This research highlights just how strongly Albertans value accountability and the ability to

00:11:48.140 seek recourse when they've been harmed. These findings point to a need for further consultation.

00:11:53.420 The new Automobile Insurance Act will require insurers to cover medical, rehabilitation, and other

00:11:58.060 prescribed services for Albertans injured in collision regardless of fault, while also providing income

00:12:03.260 replacement, permanent impairment, and death benefits for spouses or dependents. It restricts most lawsuits

00:12:08.860 against at-fault drivers except in limited cases such as criminal convictions or losses exceeding policy

00:12:14.380 limits, and establishes a new tribunal for disputes over care and treatment decisions.

00:12:19.580 In response to Bexie's question, Smith insisted the new model was a middle-of-the-road approach. She said,

00:12:24.380 quote, We thought we took the middle-of-the-road approach that preserved as much of the private market as

00:12:28.940 possible but still addressed the legitimate concerns we've been hearing for many years.

00:12:32.780 Moving to a story on employment, Premier Smith highlighted Alberta's earnings leadership and

00:12:37.340 strong labor force participation this week, while Statistics Canada's labor force survey

00:12:42.140 showed the province's unemployment rate rising to 8.4% in August, which is the highest since August

00:12:47.420 2017 if you exclude the pandemic. Smith said, quote, Hard work pays off in Alberta country in average

00:12:53.260 earnings amongst all provinces paired with low taxes and relatively affordable homes. The Alberta

00:12:58.620 advantage is alive, and our government will keep driving down everyday costs so families keep

00:13:03.740 more of every paycheck. Data released by Smith showed average weekly earnings in Alberta for June were

00:13:09.900 $1,369.72, which was the highest in the country compared to the national average of $1,302.11,

00:13:18.060 and Prince Edward Island had the lowest earnings at $1,144.78. But despite data released by Statistics

00:13:25.820 Canada showing that Alberta had an unemployment rate of 8.4% in August, which is above the national

00:13:31.020 average of 7.1%, Smith tried to highlight a silver lining. She showed that while Calgary led the entire

00:13:37.820 country in workforce participation rate at 70.1%, Edmonton followed closely behind in third place

00:13:43.420 with a rate of 69.2%. The two cities had an unemployment rate of 7.7% and 8.5% respectively.

00:13:51.100 The workforce participation rate measures the working age population that is in the labour

00:13:56.300 force either working or actively searching for work. Therefore, even those who have been laid off

00:14:02.060 and are claiming unemployment insurance, for example, would be added to this percentage as you

00:14:07.260 cannot claim employment insurance unless you claim to actively be searching for work.

00:14:11.740 Smith said, quote, With Calgary leading the country in workforce participation rate and Edmonton close

00:14:16.540 behind, it is clear that Alberta is at the forefront of job creation. We'd be able to create even more

00:14:22.220 jobs if Ottawa would repeal its investment-killing policies that are holding back the energy sector.

00:14:27.580 Albertans lost 14,000 jobs in August, the second consecutive month of decreases,

00:14:32.780 according to August's labour force survey. Ontario and British Columbia also saw large job losses,

00:14:38.140 shedding 26,000 and 16,000 positions respectively. But nationwide, 66,000 jobs were lost following a

00:14:45.260 41,000 loss in July. The CIBC even went as far as warning in a recent report that Canadian youth

00:14:52.060 unemployment is hitting recession levels. And the report highlighted that non-permanent residents

00:14:57.340 accounted for a large portion of labour force growth between 2022 and 2024. Smith even went as far to call

00:15:04.540 youth unemployment recently alarming when she was questioned at an Alberta Next Panel. She cited

00:15:10.220 unprecedented federal immigration levels as a factor, with 450,000 newcomers arriving in Alberta

00:15:16.380 over the past three years, triple the normal rate of 50,000 a year she hoped to restore. She said, quote,

00:15:22.540 You're seeing the pressure. Higher housing prices, harder to rent, crowded schools, difficulty getting

00:15:27.180 a doctor. These are why people are connecting those two things. Nationwide, the youth employment rate is the

00:15:32.540 lowest it's been since 1998, again excluding the pandemic years. But that wraps up this week's Alberta

00:15:38.220 Roundup. My name's Isaac Lamoureux. Have a great weekend, thank you, and God bless.

Juno News - September 14, 2025

Smith vows to defend gun owners’ rights

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