It seems like every week there’s some big news coming from the Alberta government.
This week, it was all about personnel, with one big departure followed by a somewhat controversial addition.
On Tuesday, Premier Danielle Smith announced that her chief of staff, whom she has described as “the spiritual leader for all of us in the government,” was leaving his post. In a statement released on social media, she said that earlier this year Marshall Smith told her he intended to retire from public service in October.
Marshall Smith, who is not related to the Premier, has been described as a pioneer in the province’s approach to substance-use disorders, which heavily favours treatment and recovery above harm reduction.
The Premier credits what’s known as the Alberta Model for saving lives.
“After countless achievements, the Alberta Model is gaining international recognition and sweeping Canada as the common sense approach to addressing mental health and addiction,” the statement says.
The model, which has faced criticism from harm-reduction advocates, includes pursuing involuntary treatment for some who use illicit drugs. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has praised the model and other conservative governments have also been looking to Alberta for guidance on how to deal with their own substance abuse issues.
“Without Marshall’s vision and knowledge this shift would not have been possible. Countless lives have been saved and improved thanks to his commitment and service to the people of Alberta, steering our governments response to the addiction crisis,” the Premier said.
But with roughly four weeks to go before United Conservative Party members vote on the Premier’s status as leader, as The Globe’s Kelly Cryderman wrote in her column, “it’s most curious timing.”
Not only is the Premier facing what could be a very tough leadership test next month, the fall legislature sitting will start soon with several planned bills sure to ruffle some feathers and generate some heat, including on sex education, pronouns and gender-affirming treatments for youth.
Rob Anderson, the executive director of the Premier’s office, will take over as chief of staff at the end of the month.
And then there was the addition.
On Wednesday, the United Conservative Party welcomed back into its fold an MLA who once compared transgender youth to a batch of cookies laced with “a little bit of poop.”
When the 2022 comments by Jennifer Johnson, who represents Lacombe-Ponoka, surfaced ahead of the 2023 election, she was told she would not be allowed to sit in caucus.
But caucus members voted to let her rejoin the government benches.
“Prior to being elected, I used an inappropriate analogy while discussing education policy surrounding trans youth. And for that I sincerely apologize,” Johnson said in a video posted to social media. “I want all children working through gender identity issues to know that you are cared for, valued and respected.”
In a press release, the UCP caucus said Johnson has “engaged on topics of importance” with LGBTQ+ advocates and is “committed to continuing that work.”
And remember, Season 2 of the Globe podcast, In Her Defence, is available now. Reporter Jana G. Pruden investigates the death of Amber Tuccaro, a young woman who was killed more than a decade ago just outside Edmonton and whose final words, caught on tape, have haunted her family and investigators ever since.
Where to listen:
This is the weekly Alberta newsletter written by Alberta Bureau Chief Mark Iype. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for it and all Globe newsletters here.