Fierce clash over rights, democracy, and use of notwithstanding clause dominate fall Alberta legislative sitting

Alberta’s fall legislature sitting ended this week with a fierce clash over rights, democracy and the use of the Charter’s notwithstanding clause, overshadowing the passage of 14 government bills.

Government House Leader Joseph Schow said the session was busy and protective, arguing the government had defended Albertans, protected children and worked to improve healthcare and education.

But NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi called the sitting deeply troubling and said the government spent weeks “attacking children, attacking workers and shutting down democratic debate.”

Key among the bills was Bill 9, which restricts gender-affirming healthcare for minors, expands parental-notification rules for name and pronoun changes in schools, and bans transgender girls from participating in amateur sports. The government invoked the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to prevent court challenges.

“We unapologetically defended Alberta’s children,” Schow said, accusing the NDP of being “on the wrong side of history” for opposing the bill. “We are protecting children from making life-altering, irreversible changes and protecting women and girls in sport.”

Pancholi countered, saying Bill 9 represents “one of the most significant attacks on children’s rights in Alberta’s history.” She said the bill targets transgender kids for purely political reasons and that using the notwithstanding clause “strips vulnerable children of their Charter rights before courts can even review the law.”

The government also passed Bill 1, requiring federal international agreements that touch provincial jurisdiction to be approved through Alberta law. Schow said Ottawa “too often steps out of its lane” on areas like education, natural resources, and municipal affairs.

According to Pancholi however, the UCP’s focus on jurisdiction is misplaced.

“This government is obsessed with picking fights with Ottawa while ignoring the real issues facing Albertans – health care, affordability, schools that are bursting at the seams,” she said.

Other bills passed during the season allowed for the creation of the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service and introducing a dual-practice model that allows doctors to work in both public hospitals and private clinics. Schow said that change will increase surgeries and reduce wait times while maintaining public health care.

The NDP sharply disagreed, warning the shift will drain staffing from the public system and accelerate a two-tier health model.

“Albertans want a health system that works – not one that privatizes its way into deeper chaos,” Pancholi said.

Schow dismissed recall efforts and labour-related unrest during the sitting, calling some petitions amongst the 20 filed against UCP MLAs, including the premier, “a coordinated effort by a handful of union cronies” and saying the government would not be distracted.

Pancholi said the unrest reflects widespread frustration. “Albertans are raising the alarm because they don’t trust this government,” she said. “People are worried about their kids’ schools, about their hospitals, and now about what new rights the UCP plans to suspend next.”

Defending the use of time allocation on four bills, Schow argued the opposition had ample opportunity to debate.

“There comes a point where you reach the magnitude of the potential of the quality of your debate,” he said.

However, Pancholi disagreed.

“This government is terrified of public debate,” she said. “They rammed through complex legislation with no interest in listening to anyone, not experts, not families, and certainly not the Opposition.”

Pancholi also said that time allocation was used to “shut down scrutiny” on sweeping bills.

Schow pointed to Alberta’s economic strength and said the government would continue focusing on affordability, investment and job creation when the legislature returns in 2026.

“I am proud of the work our government has done,” he said.

Pancholi, however, had a different opinion and said the sitting ultimately shows “a government that is more focused on ideology and conflict than solving problems,” adding: “Albertans deserve better than this.”