Commentary
If a new bill becomes law, Alberta’s public sector will henceforth be forced to hire and promote based on merit instead of immutable characteristics like race or sex. Every province, regardless of the political stripe of its government, should take this common-sense approach.
Bill 33, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, would amend the Alberta Human Rights Act “to ensure hiring and promotion decisions in public institutions are based on merit, not diversity, equity and inclusion policies.”
Premier Danielle Smith promoted the bill in a post on X, saying “The best person for the job should get the job. Period.”
The legislation is sweeping in scope, with the definition of “public institutions” encompassing such varied bodies as “public agencies, Crown-controlled organizations, public post-secondary institutions, school boards and municipalities.”…