The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - Smith further protects Albertan’s rights

00:00:00.000 Hey everyone, we're kicking off the show once again with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith,

00:00:04.820 who offered a sneak peek into upcoming Bill of Rights amendments to protect Albertans that will

00:00:09.520 be legislated this fall. Smith hinted at further protecting vaccination choice, property rights,

00:00:15.360 and legal firearm ownership in upcoming amendments to the Alberta Bill of Rights.

00:00:19.640 I'm Isaac Lammer, your host of the Alberta Roundup.

00:00:30.000 I'm sure that like me, you're excited to see that Smith is constantly making headlines ahead of her

00:00:38.740 upcoming leadership review on November 2nd. The review follows almost right after legislature

00:00:44.260 recommences on October 28th, so we'll see what Smith can implement right before the review.

00:00:49.880 Let's dive a bit deeper into Smith's recent announcement. Smith revealed three amendments

00:00:54.540 that would be coming to the upcoming legislative session in a post to X on Tuesday. First,

00:00:59.540 she said that every Albertan will have the right to make their own vaccine and medical decisions.

00:01:04.040 Additionally, no Albertan will be deprived of their property without due process and just

00:01:08.580 compensation. The final measure announced was an amendment to defend the rights of all legal

00:01:12.800 and responsible firearm owners. Since its inception, the Alberta Bill of Rights has been a reflection of

00:01:18.640 our shared values, recognizing the fundamental rights and freedoms that are essential to a free

00:01:24.300 and democratic society. It enshrines the principles that every Albertan holds dear. Freedom of speech,

00:01:30.860 freedom of religion, and the right to equality before the law, among other fundamental rights.

00:01:36.380 It serves much like a constitutional document in that it ensures all provincial laws and policies must

00:01:42.860 align with those listed rights and freedoms. Now, the Bill of Rights has served its purpose well over the years,

00:01:49.900 but as our society evolves, so too must our laws to ensure our rights and freedoms remain properly

00:01:55.580 protected in an ever-changing world. The Premier's first amendment will ensure that any Albertan who

00:02:00.780 has the mental capacity to do so can make their own choices regarding the medical treatments they receive,

00:02:06.060 which includes not only receiving vaccinations, but any other medical procedure. Smith said,

00:02:12.060 quote,

00:02:12.620 The second amendment said that it will ensure no Albertan can be deprived of their property without

00:02:32.540 due process of law and just compensation, which Smith said will help affirm rights of Albertans

00:02:38.220 to own and enjoy the properties that they've worked so hard for. A spokesperson for the Minister of

00:02:42.860 Justice told me the amended Bill of Rights will strengthen property rights, which is a cornerstone of

00:02:48.140 living in a free and democratic society. Lastly, Smith said there will be an amendment to defend the

00:02:53.500 rights of legal and responsible firearm owners, because firearms are critical to many Albertans'

00:02:59.420 livelihoods and way of lives. Smith said, quote,

00:03:03.100 I personally feel that law-abiding firearms owners have been unfairly targeted by our federal

00:03:07.900 government for decades, and it is my hope that these amendments will protect the rights of our

00:03:12.860 farmers, ranchers, hunters, and sports enthusiasts. The Minister of Justice spokesperson told me that they

00:03:19.260 will continue to advocate to the federal government on what they feel are unfair restrictions on lawful

00:03:24.780 firearm owners. While the Alberta Bill of Rights amendments are set to strengthen property rights

00:03:29.340 and protect law-abiding firearms owners, they are unlikely to overrule the federal government's

00:03:34.140 firearm buyback program, which recently saw it cost rise to $67 million, despite failing to collect a

00:03:42.380 single gun. Under Canada's constitution, criminal law, including firearm regulation, falls under federal

00:03:49.500 jurisdiction. Although Alberta can legislate on property and civil rights, which includes some

00:03:55.020 aspects of firearm ownership, the federal government holds the power to enforce laws that protect

00:04:00.940 public safety. Similar actions have been taken by provinces like Saskatchewan, which introduced the

00:04:06.220 Firearms Act in 2022 to complicate the federal buyback process by introducing strict transportation

00:04:13.260 regulations for firearms. Quebec also attempted to preserve its long gun registry after the federal

00:04:19.100 government dismantled it. However, the Supreme Court ruled in the favor of Ottawa, affirming the

00:04:24.540 federal government's control over firearm regulation. Therefore, while Alberta's amendment may assert

00:04:30.060 provincial rights and challenge federal policies, its actual impact on the buyback program will likely be

00:04:36.700 limited, with any significant legal challenges requiring lengthy court battles that the province will likely lose.

00:04:43.740 I'd like to show that in my view, these amendments to the Bill of Rights are not just legal changes.

00:04:48.460 They are a reaffirmation of the values that make Alberta one of the freest jurisdictions on earth.

00:04:53.500 They are about protecting our rights, our freedoms, and our way of life. We are sending a clear message

00:04:58.940 that in Alberta, the rights of individuals are paramount, and that government must respect those

00:05:04.140 rights at every turn. As your Premier, it is my duty and my honour to stand up for your rights. I believe deeply

00:05:11.180 in the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility that have guided and built this

00:05:15.900 province for generations. Some of the upcoming legislation was first hinted at by Smith at the

00:05:21.900 Canada Strong and Free Network in Red Deer last Saturday, which I attended. That's when she said that

00:05:27.260 she would make it illegal for governments to discriminate against individuals for refusing

00:05:31.900 medical treatments such as vaccines. She also said that legislation would be introduced to prohibit gender

00:05:38.060 reassignment surgeries for minors and ban puberty blockers for those 15 years old and younger.

00:05:43.900 An opt-in for topics on gender ideology and sexual identity in schools will also become available to

00:05:49.740 parents. Lastly, Smith promised to ensure that biological females can compete in sports leagues

00:05:55.660 against one another without having to face stronger biological males who identify as transgender. 0.74

00:06:02.380 These were among six other key takeaways from Smith at the conference that I felt important to share with you

00:06:08.220 all. To start her keynote speech, Smith was introduced by Erika Barutz, who finished second place in Alberta's

00:06:14.380 2021 Senate election behind Pam Davidson. So right at the jump, Smith took aim at Trudeau for overlooking Alberta,

00:06:22.380 and she said the following. In any case, both of them should be sitting representing us in Ottawa as opposed to a radical extreme LGBT activist as well as a radical extreme fundraiser for the Liberals for a long time.

00:06:39.900 So that I don't think is very reflective of what it is that Alberta has voted for.

00:06:44.300 Smith also spent some time highlighting that her government has lifted Alberta out of the hole that the Alberta NDP had dug.

00:06:51.660 Smith said, quote,

00:06:52.940 We know this because under the disastrous job-killing policies of the NDP, we watched our great province move backwards.

00:07:01.600 During this time, we saw six credit downgrades, 13 quarters of consecutive out-migration, billions of dollars in lost investment,

00:07:08.940 $80 billion in brand new debt, and a job crisis that devastated families.

00:07:14.180 Conversely, under her leadership, Alberta has seen six credit upgrades in the last year and a half,

00:07:19.120 resulting in lower interest rates, which has allowed her to finance the Alberta NDP's debt at a lower rate.

00:07:24.880 She also highlighted that Alberta has created over 100,000 jobs in the past year, leading the country with 90% of private sector job creation.

00:07:33.540 While the province is set to lead the nation in job growth until at least 2028,

00:07:37.840 she warned that bad leadership can still stymie a province as prosperous as Alberta.

00:07:43.040 The Premier also revealed that Alberta will be introducing compassionate intervention.

00:07:47.340 Albertans suffering from addiction or mental health problems that pose a danger to themselves or others

00:07:52.900 will be ordered into care for three to four months, where they will be treated and can recover.

00:07:58.040 Smith said, quote,

00:07:59.100 This was a very divisive idea when we first proposed it, but today we are seeing some surprising governments that are also supporting it and following our lead in British Columbia.

00:08:08.740 The sort of birthplace of safe supply and crack pipes being issued in vending machines has now decided that they're going to introduce compassionate intervention legislation.

00:08:18.200 Sticking on the subject of health care, Smith spent quite a bit of time talking about AHS, Alberta Health Services, highlighting that while she wanted to give them a chance to show that they can succeed, if they don't, she will show them the door.

00:08:33.260 By decentralizing much of the province's medical care, Smith said that AHS can focus on their 106 facilities and show that they can run them well.

00:08:43.180 She said she'll reevaluate in a year and see where they stand.

00:08:46.440 Smith was having a fireside chat with the conference's chair, Michael Binion, who recently had to go to the United States to get a surgery done on his hip.

00:08:54.960 His wife had to do the same for a different surgery. 1.00

00:08:57.540 So he had to pay $35,000 for the surgery, and Smith said that if it were to cost $25,000 in Alberta, he'd be reimbursed with the latter amount.

00:09:06.980 So yes, Smith said that she is considering implementing a surgical wait time guarantee,

00:09:11.320 where if a service cannot be delivered within the recommended period, the province will reimburse you for services sought abroad.

00:09:18.400 However, she said the following.

00:09:20.160 Maybe we try that as a pilot project.

00:09:23.380 I'm not quite there yet because I still believe that the vast majority of people are middle-income families or lower-income families who need this system to work.

00:09:32.260 It's only going to be a solution for a small number of people to be able to go somewhere else.

00:09:37.080 And so we need this system to work.

00:09:38.860 That's why I'm focused on that first.

00:09:40.240 But if taking the pressure off and creating a little bit of an incentive for them to figure out better ways to deliver services,

00:09:47.840 if that type of program does that, then I might be open to having that conversation.

00:09:52.600 Also at the conference, Smith began to slightly change her tune on immigration.

00:09:56.940 She's been generally more pro-immigration than other premiers,

00:10:00.320 but said she sees the Liberals' immigration policies as unsustainable

00:10:04.620 and urged them to return to numbers seen under Stephen Harper around 1% of the population.

00:10:09.980 Notably, Alberta's immigration has been largely driven by interprovincial migration

00:10:14.920 thanks to the Alberta is Calling campaign, which is not available to international migrants.

00:10:20.680 Also, Smith said that the province, joined by Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia,

00:10:26.500 is against the Fed's relocating asylum seekers.

00:10:30.560 The last key point I'll share with you from the conference was very interesting,

00:10:34.220 which is when Smith explained why she thinks conservatives don't succeed

00:10:38.440 and why a cornered Trudeau is dangerous.

00:10:41.400 What Smith said was pretty powerful, so I'll just let you watch the whole clip.

00:10:44.380 You know what I will say, you know why conservatives, this is why conservatives don't succeed,

00:10:49.200 because conservatives are incrementalists, and I understand that,

00:10:51.760 because I've had other conservative commentators say,

00:10:54.400 she's not a conservative, she's doing too much reform. 1.00

00:10:56.920 Here's my view, is that the left comes in, and they move us this far,

00:11:02.120 and then we say, oh, but we're incrementalists, so let's just keep on moving it back a little bit at a time,

00:11:06.440 and then they get elected again, and then they move it this far.

00:11:08.440 My view is, you have to kind of recalibrate back to where the regular person is,

00:11:14.640 and then you can do more incremental change.

00:11:20.380 So we've got a lot more to come, and I can tell you the left takes advantage of these kinds of situations all the time.

00:11:26.780 Gerald Butts, let's not forget what his advice was to Kathleen Wynne,

00:11:29.680 and he's even said this publicly.

00:11:31.460 He knew she was going down in flames, so he said, let's just go for broke these last 10 months,

00:11:36.020 because then it would make it more difficult for the new guys coming in to reverse course,

00:11:40.660 which is why this period of time right now is very, very dangerous,

00:11:45.380 with Trudeau on his last legs.

00:11:47.940 This could be the time where they actually bring through the worst of their legislation,

00:11:53.520 and so that's part of the reason why we have to be on guard for that.

00:11:55.760 But I don't think we're going to make that same mistake as a conservative government.

00:11:59.300 Be bold. We have to be bold.

00:12:00.700 And just demonstrate that by being competent and getting things done,

00:12:06.740 that you'll be able to win the next election.

00:12:08.640 That's our strategy.

00:12:10.600 Now moving on to some news with the Jasper wildfire situation.

00:12:14.500 Evidence was uncovered on Wednesday that showed the Liberals planned to cancel

00:12:18.340 prescribed burns in Western Canada just months before the fire.

00:12:22.540 Stephen Guibault told committee that you can't change the weather.

00:12:26.140 However, isn't that the whole point of his carbon tax?

00:12:29.100 So, we were more concerned about the situation than some governments.

00:12:33.500 We heard from Mr. Shepard that there were fairly extraordinary conditions.

00:12:38.360 There had not been a lot of snow the winter before in the region where Jasper is located.

00:12:44.040 Low precipitation during the spring.

00:12:45.840 So yes, there were conditions favorable to a forest fire.

00:12:49.200 A protective zone had been created, of course.

00:12:51.200 But you cannot change the weather.

00:12:54.200 You cannot make it rain.

00:12:55.680 MP for Red Deer Lacombe, Blaine Calkins, who used to work himself in Jasper National Park,

00:13:01.760 got heated at Guibault in committee when he said the following.

00:13:05.520 But I do have this.

00:13:07.080 I have from Jonah Mitchell a response to Melanie Kwong at Parks Canada that says,

00:13:11.960 At what point do we make the organizational decision to cancel planned prescribed burns in Western Canada

00:13:16.980 as more and more media articles raise public concern?

00:13:19.640 Public and political perception may become more important than actual prescription windows.

00:13:23.080 This is what your organization is doing.

00:13:25.620 And you're not giving them the direction.

00:13:27.300 And that lies with you, Minister.

00:13:28.720 You're responsible for that.

00:13:29.880 When are you going to take responsibility for the billion dollars of damage that happened in Jasper?

00:13:34.460 Everybody knew this was coming.

00:13:36.700 Everybody knew it.

00:13:37.660 And you were told.

00:13:39.660 And yet here we are.

00:13:41.100 A billion dollars worth of assets burned down.

00:13:43.000 And our beautiful Jasper National Park, where I used to work, is laying in ruins.

00:13:47.040 You may remember a True North exclusive where a whistleblower came forward and admitted

00:13:51.980 that Parks Canada was so confident in their ability to control and fight wildfires

00:13:56.400 that they intentionally allowed deadwood to collect inside of Jasper National Park.

00:14:01.780 According to Peter Schultz, who was hired by Parks Canada in 2008,

00:14:07.360 the Parks Canada wildfire chief at the time told him in a January 2008 meeting,

00:14:12.400 quote,

00:14:13.060 We have become so good at controlling and stopping fires that we just build up deadwood supplies.

00:14:19.660 Schultz estimated that by last summer, close to 40% of Jasper National Park trees were standing deadwood,

00:14:26.080 killed by pine beetle infestation, creating the perfect scenario for a massive wildfire.

00:14:31.180 In a LinkedIn post, Schultz pinned the blame of the wildfire directly on Parks Canada and Jasper National Park superintendents.

00:14:38.660 If Jasper Town burns, I blame the bureaucrats of Parks Canada,

00:14:42.280 especially all the Jasper National Park superintendents since 2005.

00:14:46.900 This is on you, he wrote.

00:14:48.860 Not doing your job because of eco-activists, who now will blame climate change,

00:14:53.080 rather than take responsibility for their own willful ignorance regarding proper forest management.

00:14:58.660 NDP MP Heather McPherson also spoke to Guy Bowen Committee.

00:15:03.120 She said that they cut firefighting supports by $30 million.

00:15:06.540 In fact, Smith has increased the budget by 50% in her first year,

00:15:11.040 and it's the highest that it's ever been.

00:15:13.080 A journalist made a similar error in July, but was quickly corrected by Smith.

00:15:17.240 I wonder how McPherson hadn't seen this.

00:15:19.120 Here's the clip.

00:15:19.680 Thank you for taking my question.

00:15:20.900 So your government, over the last few years, has made various cuts to Alberta's wildfire fighting budget.

00:15:29.700 Do you regret making those cuts now?

00:15:31.240 Why or why not?

00:15:32.280 Well, look, I mean, my first firefighting season was last year,

00:15:37.140 and what we did in response to that was we increased the firefighting budget by 50%.

00:15:43.560 In 2023-4, it was $100.4 million.

00:15:48.720 In 2024-25, we increased it to $155.4 million, and that's the highest it's ever been.

00:15:54.860 I'm sure we'll see the Jasper wildfire situation evolve further over the coming days, weeks, and months,

00:15:59.820 and I can only hope that whomever put us in this mess gets brought to justice.

00:16:04.380 Now, a bit of a flashback with news regarding Calgary pastor Derek Reimer,

00:16:09.500 who was arrested and charged after protesting at a drag queen story hour at a public library.

00:16:15.640 Reimer was previously on the Alberta Roundup in March 2023, where he discussed his case,

00:16:21.620 as well as the new bylaw in Calgary, which prohibits specified protesters from coming within 100 meters of a public building,

00:16:29.300 and which expands the harassment bylaw to include intimidation.

00:16:32.780 Reimer has been acquitted of two charges related to his protest at Calgary Public Library.

00:16:39.340 The following statements can be attributed to the Canadian Independent.

00:16:42.900 Reimer had been charged under the criminal code with causing a disturbance and mischief.

00:16:47.780 Specifically, he was accused of unlawfully obstructing the library board's operations of the event

00:16:53.160 and causing a disturbance by shouting and using insulting language during the session.

00:16:57.960 According to the ruling, while Reimer's presence and shouting during the event caused emotional upset to some attendees,

00:17:04.640 it did not result in a legally sufficient public disturbance or interference with the library's operation.

00:17:11.380 On the mischief charge, the court concluded that Reimer did not unlawfully obstruct or interfere with the library's operation.

00:17:18.000 Although his protest was loud and emotional, the judge determined that the Calgary Public Library Board's functions were not hindered.

00:17:26.600 Justice Fradsham ultimately found no evidence that Reimer's actions were wrongful in the sense required to meet the threshold for criminal mischief.

00:17:35.060 The last story we'll cover today is some recent data from a city news poll.

00:17:38.960 The poll showed that the majority of residents in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver believe their mayor and city council are out of touch with what residents want.

00:17:50.060 I'll let you guess which city is in last place.

00:17:53.140 Without making you wait too long, surprise surprise, it's Calgary, where 74% of residents felt their mayor and council were out of touch.

00:18:01.340 Next place was Edmonton at 72%, Vancouver at 70%, and Toronto at 61%.

00:18:06.880 I wasn't surprised to see Calgary in last place given the recent drama with the LRT.

00:18:12.580 Across all four cities, only one in four residents felt their mayor should be re-elected.

00:18:18.740 Again, last place was Calgary, where only 18% of respondents said that Jyoti Gondek deserved re-election, and 41% said she was doing a good job.

00:18:29.240 She was followed by Ken Sim in Vancouver, where 25% said he deserved re-election, and 50% said he was doing a good job.

00:18:36.880 Next place was Edmonton's mayor, Amarjeet Sohi, with 26% saying he deserved re-election, and 47% thinking he did a good job.

00:18:45.500 Leading the pack was Mayor Olivia Chow, where 36% of residents said she deserved re-election, and 58% said she was doing a good job.

00:18:53.180 Look, when Olivia Chow was leading the pack, we know that Canada's top mayors can't be very well liked. 0.74

00:18:59.340 Remember back in April when the Alberta government announced that it would be introducing a bill that would feature political parties at the municipal level?

00:19:07.400 If that ever comes to be, maybe it will strengthen the trust in mayors among citizens, as they'll be much more aware of who they're getting into bed to when they vote them in.

00:19:16.160 Let me know if you think it will make any difference in the comments.

00:19:19.300 Speaking of comments, let's jump right into the comment roundup.

00:19:22.600 It was very challenging to choose from the almost 500 comments last episode, and I could have easily picked like 100 of them, but I just decided to go with the first few that stood out to me.

00:19:34.660 But you should all know that I read every single comment, and I do appreciate them greatly.

00:19:39.100 So the first comment comes from at Diana Carr, KJ7BK, who said,

00:19:44.660 I just was at my doctor's today. When I arrived, there was a long lineup I have never seen out of the seven years I have been going.

00:19:51.960 So as I walked up, there were many Asian descents in line, at least 32 that I counted, just out the door.

00:19:58.860 These were mostly elders and about 12 to 15 younger Asians. Our healthcare system is so maxed out. 1.00

00:20:04.560 So, yeah, that first comment telling the story about the visitors to the doctor's office.

00:20:11.640 I decided to highlight this one because I've had various reasons to need to go to the doctors over the last few months,

00:20:17.800 but honestly, I'd rather deal with the pain and struggle than go to the doctors and live through that experience.

00:20:25.260 Also, recently, people have been sharing their favorite things about Canadian healthcare after Trudeau bragged about it on Stephen Colbert.

00:20:34.560 Some of the Canadians' favorite things they shared to X recently were being taxed to death for the healthcare system without using it for 50 years,

00:20:44.560 dying on wait lists, and being offered MAID instead of having to wait years for surgery.

00:20:50.500 The next comment comes from Bill Parsons, RB3VD, who said,

00:20:55.920 I support Jennifer Johnson 110%. That was a perfect example of gaslighting by definition. 1.00

00:21:02.760 I'm not one of Jennifer's constituents, so I can't vote for her, but wish I could.

00:21:07.120 I called her constituency office to give my support.

00:21:09.780 I would say that Jennifer represents the views of the majority of Albertans and Canadians.

00:21:14.540 I urge Premier Smith to bring her back into caucus immediately.

00:21:18.380 Jennifer should have never been ejected. 1.00

00:21:20.700 Yeah, so Bill, I just wanted to highlight this because I think it's commendable that you called her office to offer her support.

00:21:29.320 I think that it's important that we all start standing up for one another when the woke mob tries to gaslight us, cancel us, and take us down.

00:21:36.820 The last comment today comes from Mike Height9855, who said,

00:21:40.880 I fly between Edmonton and Amsterdam 12 times a year, and the days vary.

00:21:46.300 Every plane coming home to Alberta, the plane is full.

00:21:48.900 90% of the people on the plane are East Indians and predominantly Sikhs.

00:21:53.060 This has been going on since COVID ended.

00:21:55.300 These are not immigrants dressed in suits and ties and what would you consider professional types, 1.00

00:21:59.440 but middle-aged to senior people with a small percentage of younger families.

00:22:03.380 There are three flights a day to Canada, all leaving around the same time in the afternoon.

00:22:07.720 Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto departures.

00:22:09.540 The other planes have about the same amount of East Indians on them as you walk between the gates and look. 0.99

00:22:15.640 The Premier said, we didn't want any more immigrants, 1.00

00:22:18.460 but I can tell you the amount of people coming in has not slowed down even a little bit.

00:22:22.960 So yeah, Mike, the last comment I decided to highlight today was yours

00:22:26.240 because of a similar anecdote a family member recently shared with me.

00:22:31.760 He was on a plane coming back to Canada,

00:22:34.340 and he said it was filled with Indians who didn't speak a word of English

00:22:37.620 and couldn't even figure out how to open the bathroom door on the airplane.

00:22:42.800 These are the type of immigrants we have coming into Canada by the millions.

00:22:47.220 Look outside.

00:22:48.560 Surely this isn't the Canada you remember growing up.

00:22:51.540 So I'd like to thank everyone for making it all the way through my third episode of hosting the Alberta Roundup.

00:22:56.620 Every week I get to host the show, I grow a deeper admiration for my job

00:23:02.360 and the great honor that it is to have this opportunity to share these stories with you all.

00:23:09.620 As for those who have recommended that I get a comb,

00:23:12.600 I think my mom actually tried to give me one once, but I said no thanks.

00:23:16.460 I don't need a comb because my hand, you know, it does the trick.

00:23:22.520 Also, I didn't just wake up.

00:23:24.440 This took me like 5-10 minutes in the mirror,

00:23:26.860 and I know it's a fiasco, but it's a delicate art, people,

00:23:29.720 and my hair is, yeah, it's not what it used to be.

00:23:34.000 Anyways, thank you, God bless, and have a wonderful weekend.

00:23:37.520 Thank you, God bless, and have a wonderful weekend.

The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux - September 28, 2024

Smith further protects Albertan’s rights

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