At a Glance: May 2 - May 13

Changes Made to Alberta’s Bereavement Leave

The Alberta Government has made changes to its bereavement leave legislation amid newly re-energized abortion debate. Opponents criticized current legislation saying that it allowed leave for stillbirths and miscarriages but did not specifically address abortions. Labour and Immigration Minister Kaycee Madu introduced an amendment this week that, if passed, would allow leave for any pregnancy that doesn’t end in a live birth.

“With this amendment, the legislation will provide the broadest approach possible to address any situation where pregnancy ends (in) other than a live birth, regardless of the reason or timing for the end of the pregnancy,” Minister Madu told the house as he introduced the proposed change. Opposition critic Sarah Hoffman claims that this change is not extreme, and that the government should include descriptions of each type of pregnancy loss including abortions.

Alberta Government Pauses Proposed Insulin Pump Coverage Changes

The Government of Alberta had initially planned changes to the province’s insulin pump coverage, but after feedback from Albertans with type 1 diabetes (as well as Diabetes Canada), the government has announced they will no longer be implementing the August 1 changes. The changes Insulin Pump Therapy Program (IPTP) would have resulted in affected Albertans needing to rely on employer insurance or on government sponsored insurance plans such as the Blue Cross to continue to have access to their insulin pumps.

Joan King, the Alberta government relations director for Diabetes Canada, said that the group is pleased with the province’s response to their concerns. Even NDP health critic David Shepherd praised Health Minister Jason Copping saying he was glad to see him “taking a step back” and further saying he was happy with the response. Minister Copping announced that he will not be moving ahead with any changes until he is “absolutely comfortable that we’re not going to leave anyone else behind on the program”. Minister Copping also invited Diabetes Canada to consult with the provincial government on the program to ensure that the needs of Albertans with diabetes are being met.

Alberta Prosecutors to Negotiate New Agreement with Justice Ministry

Alberta prosecutors will not be taking strike action as the provincial government commits to addressing the concerns brought forward the Alberta Crown Attorneys’ Association (ACAA). Justice Minister Tyler Shandro will be entering negotiations to create a new framework agreement for prosecutors. The new agreement would acknowledge the ACAA as the organization officially representing Crown lawyers and pave the way for future collective agreements.

The province has made “market adjustments” to prosecutors’ salaries and has indicated it will be providing better metal health support. This comes after the ACAA threatened the province with a province-wide strike should their concerns not be addressed by the government. ACAA president Dallas Sopko said that their intentions are to “ensure the long-term viability of our prosecution service”, adding that he is “cautiously optimistic that within the next six weeks of so there will be substantive change that will be in the best interest of everyone”.

Ex-Staffer Wants Premier Kenney to Testify in Wrongful Dismissal Lawsuit

Former senior staffer Ariella Kimmel first received media coverage after filing lawsuit eight months after she was dismissed as chief of staff to Jobs, Economy, and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer. In the lawsuit she alleged she was dismissed for raising concerns about the sexual harassment of government employees by a senior government staffer. Kimmel is alleging that the Premier’s Office fostered a “poisoned work environment”, claiming that her attempts to get the office to address sexual harassment complaints were ignored and that she was subjected to malicious gossip and online harassment before being dismissed.

If successful, Premier Kenney will be expected to appear in court for questioning on June 17, 2022. In addition to petitioning the premier, Kimmel’s legal team is attempting to get a copy of the third-party review of the governments HR policies for staff. After the alleged incident, the Premier’s Office hired Jamie Pytel, the City of Edmonton’s integrity commissioner, to conduct the third-party review. A copy of the report has yet to be released but Kimmel’s legal team insists that the report is relevant to the case.