Questions on separatism and health care have been brought to Premier and MLA Smith and MLA Wright

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Smith said during opening statements that having two MLAs strengthens the region’s voice, acknowledged Alberta’s fiscal challenges, including lower energy prices and rapid population growth, and said the province remains focused on health care, education and infrastructure investments.

Smith also referenced an upcoming referendum and budget discussions, inviting residents to continue sharing their input.

Before the Q&A session took place, Fleming requested that constituents and the audience of about 150 people be respectful, saying, “If your intentions were to come here to be disruptive or to mock the process here this evening, we ask that you leave the theatre now. If you cannot maintain the proper decorum, you will be asked to leave.”

Interruptions and disorderly comments occurred moments after Fleming’s remarks, with the individual being escorted out by security.

The first submitted question in the Q&A asks whether Smith and Wright are separatists, and whether they would denounce the movement and whether they would support a petition for separation.

Smith said she is not a separatist but would not “denounce anybody who’s lost a vote in Canada,” adding that while the government is not initiating a referendum, a successful citizen petition would go to a ballot.

Smith stated that she has trust in the people in Alberta and said she believes “Canada can work,” while acknowledging frustration among some Albertans.

Wright said the question of separation should be decided by Albertans, not “87 people in Edmonton,” and added he believes Canada can function effectively if governments work together.

Health care became a dominant area of discussion, with Smith and Wright highlighting multiple key topics.

Those topics include the shift from Alberta Health Services, with Smith noting that since 2019, the province has added about 2,000 doctors, 12,000 registered nurses, 3,400 licensed practical nurses, and 1,300 paramedics, and that physician numbers are set to rise six per cent in 2025, outpacing two per cent population growth.

Wright said 13,005 physicians are practising in Alberta and 15 local clinics are accepting new patients, adding that an urgent care centre is in design and he is advocating for land funding in Budget 2026.

Smith said 3,700 continuing-care beds are coming online this year, surgical wait lists will be centralized, and electronic records, along with an online surgical portal to help patients navigate care.

Concerns were raised about HALO Air Ambulance dispatch.

Wright cited a case where HALO was stood down in favour of another helicopter, and said changes are underway, with Smith saying dispatch is under review and now falls within a stand-alone ambulance services department.

A question involving firearms, Smith said the federal government controls the Criminal Code, but provinces oversee policing and prosecution, and according to Smith, Alberta has directed police not to participate in federal confiscation efforts and advised prosecutors not to pursue related charges, focusing instead on criminal misuse.

Wright said Alberta was first to take that position, and most provinces and territories have followed.

Smith spoke on recall petitions, saying that failing to meet thresholds costs little, while successful efforts requiring validation and a vote are more expensive.

Wright said Elections Alberta has identified efficiencies to lower projected costs.

Discussing a question on education, Wright said he tabled a teacher’s concerns about classroom complexity, citing a class of 28 students, 24 with complex needs, 11 English-language learners and two in diapers, without educational assistants.

Smith said the government meets regularly with the Alberta Teachers’ Association and is developing additional supports, including complexity teams.

Following the submitted questions, constituents were given the opportunity to ask questions from the floor during the Q&A session, which were asked to be brief.

Josie Doll, who lost her 15-year-old son Christian in the summer of 2024, asked if licenses could be revoked for those charged with dangerous driving causing death.

Wright responded by saying he has met with the family regarding a proposed legislation referred to as Christian’s Law, and is working with the ministries of Public Safety and Emergency Services and Transportation and Economic Corridors on the matter.

Doll said Christian’s Law is to protect the public by revoking the driving privileges of individuals accused of dangerous driving and causing death until their court cases are concluded.

“I began to look online and was able to see that there are proposed laws in two other provinces that address the same issue,” Doll said.

“Dangerous drivers need to be removed for public safety on the road,” she added.

“I feel hopeful that we can invoke some change that will change things for any kind of family in the future.”

Doll said that bringing Christian’s Law forward to the town hall will cause some changes.

“Having met with Justin [Wright] already, and now being in front of the Premier, I feel hopeful,” Doll said.

“They’ll see that there is a need for this kind of law, and I feel like it will let Christians light live on, moving forward.”

Smith said the province is working to open a Mustard Seed site in Medicine Hat as part of a navigation centre for homelessness, citing a successful Redcliff complex care model.

Polling on Alberta separation has ranged from 15 to 42 per cent according to Smith, most recently at about 32 percent, and said that if a vote were held today, the outcome would be in favour of remaining in Canada, but could shift depending on future federal actions.

Smith said that caucus supports a sovereign Alberta within Canada, with the province exercising exclusive jurisdiction over its constitutional areas of authority.

With a question asked on immigration, Smith said Alberta will prioritize economic migrants and limit taxpayer-funded services for temporary residents.

Smith said provincial labs now perform 96 million tests annually, with wait times cut 40 per cent, and that an advisory panel is reviewing emergency room operations.

Highway 3 twinning design is underway, Smith said, with the Medicine Hat–Seven Persons section a priority.

In closing, Smith said the coming budget will focus on key priorities, while Wright emphasized the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund’s role in stabilizing the economy.

by Jett Schwaier

Questions on separatism and health care have been brought to Premier and MLA Smith and MLA Wright

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