Re-focus the justice system’s core mandate

By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

Hello Chestermere-Strathmore readers. We hope you can join the 2022 Canadian Walk for Veterans (CWFV). It will take place in Calgary on Sept. 24, at South Glenmore Park from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The 2022 CWFV will partner with veteran and first responder, registered not-for-profit or charitable organizations, to hold in-person events in their respective cities. Dollars raised will be shared with the local teams to help them finance their valuable work in supporting Canada’s veterans and first responders. To register/participate virtually, please visit their website (https://canadianwalkforveterans.com).

Our farmers feed Alberta and Alberta feeds the world. I grew up in and I’m proud to represent the rural riding of Chestermere – Strathmore. Still, you don’t need to live in rural Alberta to recognize the importance of agriculture to our economy and the livelihood of our entire country. As you know, it is impossible to talk about agriculture without talking about nitrogen regulation. The Trudeau government has crossed a line in trying to have it both ways with farmers – expecting more from them while demanding they do it with less. The trade-off with carbon pricing was “supposed” to not damage sector-specific policies, but now the Trudeau Liberals want to have it both ways. You can ask a farmer how to get a better crop with a higher yield. Lord knows they’ve spent the last century trying to achieve that and they don’t need a policy from Ottawa to find efficiencies. Our goal is to increase yields and increase production. We have made billion-dollar investments in irrigation and that must continue.

Albertans must be able to know that their safety is Alberta Justice’s top priority. Last year according to the department’s annual report, the legal aid’s budget was cut by $28.7 million compared to the budget approved by the Legislature. 

The current plan for an Alberta Provincial Police won’t change the number of officers funded and the cost overruns to date undermine my confidence that transition costs will be reasonable. When we speak to folks, especially those in rural Alberta, our municipal leaders, and our ethnic communities, we hear the same thing; Alberta’s Justice system needs to re-focus on its core mandate: ensuring that we can all live in safe and resilient communities and have access to a fair and adaptive justice system. 

After consultation with Albertans like you, I have the following proposals:

• To consult with the caucus regarding the Alberta Provincial Police transition, including the addition of our municipal leaders at the table every step of the way, and ask the caucus to endorse suspending work on an Alberta Provincial Police at this time. We know hybrid models have been effective in some communities, but the human component has been left out of the equation. Our province needs actual officers and recruiting must be job number one. 

• Ensure funding to Legal Aid is restored to levels approved by the Legislature. What does this mean? We will restore the funding from the 2021-22 fiscal year to support additional Legal Aid services in the current year.

We will leverage the strength of our municipal partners and the RCMP to develop an RCMP recruitment and retention strategy to ensure adequate Human Resources to meet Albertans’ expectations and look at systemic and structural reforms led by all parties transparently. 

Finally, the Fatality Review Board has the responsibility, duty and authority to review investigations to determine if there is a need for holding a public fatality inquiry. The Board also reviews complaints regarding misbehaviour or neglect of duty by medical examiners and makes associated recommendations to the Minister. The ideal candidate must be in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta; have a minimum of five years of experience as a physician; have good interpersonal skills with an ability to ask difficult questions, as well as demonstrate an ability to participate in consensus decision-making; have excellent verbal and written communication skills; and have proven analytical strengths with a track record of principled and consistent decision making on complex issues. The appointment is made by order-in-council approved by the lieutenant governor in council. The remuneration payable to the physician member, unless they are the chair, is $325 for up to four hours or $650 for more than four hours and up to eight hours for the time necessarily spent in the performance of the duties as a member of the Fatality Review Board.

As always, we love to hear from you. 

(Leela Sharon Aheer is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore)