Tuesday, November 18: The UCP government introduces Bill 9, which seeks to use the notwithstanding clause to protect from legal challenges three pieces of legislation the government introduced last year that target transgender youth and adults. Bill 9 comes less than a month after the UCP invoked the notwithstanding clause—the first use of the clause in Alberta’s history—to force teachers back to work.
Read more: Stripping Away Rights
Wednesday, November 19: Auditor General Doug Wylie releases a report investigating recent government procurement and contracting. It found $125-million in unnecessary expenses, most of it linked to a deal with DynaLife to privatize community lab testing. Wylie said “we did not receive all the relevant information we requested… documents were either not provided or were heavily redacted.” Nonetheless it’s clear, he concluded, “the government’s own procurement processes were not followed.”
Read more: The Hidden Connections in the Skybox Photo
November 19: The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), representing Alberta nursing care staff, serves strike notice after mediation was unsuccessful. The strike notice comes after almost 20 months of bargaining and after 98 per cent of staff voted in favour of striking.
Read more: Why can’t you Get a Family Doctor?
Thursday, November 20: Alberta minister of arts, culture and status of women Tanya Fir says that today—Transgender Day of Remembrance—is an occasion to “reflect on the importance of building a safe society where everyone can live free from violence and prejudice” and vows that “our government remains a dedicated partner of transgender Albertans.” Her statement comes days after the UCP government invoked the notwithstanding clause to protect from legal challenges legislation it introduced targeting transgender youth and adults.
Read more: The War on Trans Youth Comes to Alberta
The Week in Alberta is updated weekdays by 4:30pm MT.
