April 11, 2025
The fifth week of Alberta’s Spring Legislative Session sees the provincial government navigating uncertainty on the global stage and facilitating big changes in policies back home. As headlines focus on developments south of the Canadian border, the provincial government is advancing major legislative changes to reorganize key sectors like health care, municipal processes, and legal aid funding, embracing both the praise and weathering backlash that comes with changes.
What We're Watching
Electrifying Developments: Changes Coming to Alberta's Energy Grid
Bill 52, The Energy and Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, aims to modernize Alberta’s utility system in response to growing population and energy demand by prioritizing reliability, affordability, and innovation. Key provisions include enabling hydrogen blending in the natural gas system, updating electricity market rules to support a day-ahead reliability market, and reforming transmission policies to lower costs and optimize infrastructure use. The Bill also ensures only those using hydrogen-blended gas will bear related costs and expands the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission board from seven to 13 members to enhance governance and support new initiatives.
Why This Matters
Changes to Alberta’s electricity market have been a key focus for Minister Neudorf and Premier Smith. While these changes may introduce lower costs for Alberta ratepayers, they also have the potential to generate financial uncertainty amongst Alberta’s power providers. This is because assigning costs based on who causes them can force businesses that use large amounts of electricity or operate in more remote or industrial areas to pay disproportionately more if new transmission lines are needed to serve them. Given the Government’s dual priorities of lowering electricity costs and adding capacity to Alberta’s grid, it will be interesting to see how generators react to these forthcoming changes.
Go Deeper
The Globe and Mail takes an in depth look into the Alberta’s grid restructuring.
Acutely Aware of the Bottom Line: Alberta's New Acute Care Funding Model
On Monday, Premier Danielle Smith announced a shift in the province’s surgery funding to a new “activity-based” model that ties funding allowances to the number and type of patients treated at a hospital and the complexity of their care. Termed Patient Focused Funding (PFF), hospitals and chartered surgical facilities will compete for funding, while all current publicly funded surgeries will remain free for patients. The Government is optimistic that the new program will lower costs for the province by fostering competition amongst acute care providers, while also improving efficiency and thereby lowering wait times for Albertans in need of routine surgeries. A working group has been established to oversee a pilot to determine where and how PFF can best be applied and implemented this fiscal year, with full implementation for select procedures coming in 2026.
Why This Matters
The new funding model is being introduced as part of Premier Smith’s overarching health care reforms, which include decentralizing Alberta Health Services, pledging to reduce wait times and improving cost transparency. While proponents argue the new funding model could streamline service delivery and promote funding transparency, critics have highlighted concerns that prioritizing activity-based incentives may favour private providers, potentially intensifying debates over further privatization of health care in Alberta.
Go Deeper
This Global News article offers a comprehensive dive into the goals of Alberta’s newly proposed hospital funding model while also addressing common criticisms.
Bill 50: A Municipal Overhaul
On Tuesday, Bill 50, The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, was introduced by Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver. The Bill will update three pieces of legislation that include the Local Authorities Election Act, the Municipal Government Act and the New Home Buyer Protection Act. Bill 50 will eliminate municipal codes of conduct for councillors, which the government states will “prevent abuse while working with municipalities to develop a fairer, province-wide accountability system.”
Why This Matters
Bill 50 represents a significant shift in how municipal governments will operate in Alberta by centralizing authority at the provincial level and reshaping the democratic landscape at the local level. By eliminating municipal codes of conduct and asserting the power to override local bylaws deemed contrary to provincial policy, the Bill could profoundly impact how municipalities function in Alberta.
Go Deeper
This piece from CBC takes a closer look at the elimination of municipal codes of conduct.
Question Period - Top Issues
Grassy Mountain coal mining project;
Alberta Law Foundation;
Alberta's response to tariffs;
Health care funding; and
Mature asset strategy.
On the Order Paper
Government Bills and Orders
Second Reading
Bill 37 – Mental Health Services Protection Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 39 – Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 40 – Professional Governance Act
Bill 41 – Wildlife Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 44 – Agricultural Operation Practices Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 45 – Critical Infrastructure Defence Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 46 – Information and Privacy Statutes Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 47 – Automobile Insurance Act
Bill 48 – iGaming Alberta Act
Bill 49 – Public Safety and Emergency Services Statutes Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 50 – Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 51 – Education Amendment Act, 2025
Bill 52 – Energy and Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2025
Committee of the Whole
Bill 38 – Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2025
Private Bills
Referred to the Standing Committee on Private Bills
Bill Pr5 – Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta Act
Bill Pr6 – Burman University Amendment Act, 2025
Public Bills and Orders Other Than Government Bills and Orders
Second Reading
Bill 209 – Reconciliation Implementation Act
Bill 210 – Employment Standards (Protecting Workers’ Tips) Amendment Act
Bill 211 – Arts and Creative Economy Advisory Council Act
Bill 212 – Organ and Tissue Donor Information Agreement Act
Bill 213 – Cancer Care Delivery Standards Acts
Bill 214 – Eastern Slopes Protection Act
Bill 215 – Prohibiting Ownership of Agricultural Lands (Pension Plans and Trust Corporations) Act
Schedule of the Legislature
The spring session is expected to sit until May 15, 2025. A full schedule can be found here.
