Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert MLA Doug Horner shot down critics last week who argued the Alberta Health Act — the dominant issue in the fall legislature session which resumes Monday — won't actually translate into concrete improvements to health care delivery in the province.
"I think what this really is is the culmination of MLA Fred Horne's consultation across the province that was very well attended. Every one of the ones that I heard had great feedback about how it was conducted and the manner in which it was done and this is the culmination of all that input from Alberta," Horner said on Thursday.
"If critics are saying, 'this won't do anything,' I would say they're actually criticizing what Albertans told us to do."
On Wednesday, Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky accepted all 15 recommendations from an advisory committee report presented to him last month.
Zwozdesky said he will introduce a proposed Alberta Health Act during the fall legislative session as the first phase of implementing all of the report's recommendations, which are the result of a four-month consultation process with the public and health care professionals earlier this year.
The act is aimed at setting the direction for health care delivery in the province by focusing on patient care, increasing public consultation and establishing a health advocate to resolve public concerns.
But opposition Alberta Liberal health critic Kevin Taft called the idea of a charter "vacant."
"[When] this minister and this government have the nerve to come forward with something as vacant as a health charter, it tells you they're desperate," he told CTV News last week.
Electoral divisions, distracted driving on agenda
The government is also expected to accept the recommendations of the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission to add four new ridings in Alberta — two in Calgary, one in Edmonton and one for the Fort McMurray area.
Although he protested any modifications, Horner will see some slight changes to his riding of Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert. The report recommended the riding lose its northeast corner, which will be added to the Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock electoral division.
"You're always disappointed to lose an area that you've been representing for awhile and people kind of get used to the area that they live in so I'm disappointed from that perspective only on a personal level. On a positive side, they're going to be well represented in the new riding," he said.
The fall legislative agenda also includes the Distracted Driving Amendment Act, the Carbon Capture and Storage Statues Amendment Act and the Police Amendment Act.
St. Albert MLA Ken Allred could not be reached for comment before press time.
