With Alberta set to curtail how regulatory bodies can discipline its members for ‘expressive conduct,’ the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta says it is reviewing the implications of the new legislation.
Federations in Quebec representing medical specialists and residents, along with the association representing pharmacy owners, have also filed their own legal challenges against the law.
Justice Minister Mickey Amery also noted that education or training that address ‘political, historical, social, or cultural issues’ will be permitted under the act if it is ‘directly related to professional competence or ethics.’
This law significantly alters the parameters of negotiation between doctors and the government, but also potentially with other professionals, writes pharmacist advocate Marc Parent.
Sandra Azocar, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, or AUPE, says it gave strike notice Wednesday morning to Alberta Health Services, after bargaining fell apart over wages.
The office of Health Minister Marjorie Michel would only say the government knows the cost of such treatments presents a challenge for many Canadians and it would have more to say ‘in due course’—the same response it has provided since the election.
The government’s plan drew praise from the Montreal Economic Institute think tank, which pointed to Denmark where the same public and private model is allowed.
