Article content

Alberta did the rest of the country a big favor this week by offering to pioneer the reining in of professional to political regulators.

on wednesday videoPremier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery announced a government review 67 regulated professional bodies It covers 118 professions, which, based on the findings of the review, will inspire a future government bill to protect freedom of expression. In an interview Thursday, Amery said new legislation could be tabled as soon as fall 2025.

Article content

“(Regulators) need to make sure our doctors are providing the best medical care they can provide. The Minister said they must ensure that our lawyers provide competent and skilled legal advice. However, this work does not include regulating “freedom of speech, the ability to express political or social views on important events or community issues”, which has little or no connection to professional competence.

This is an investigation of national importance because regulators are overstepping this limit everywhere. Although it was the duty of law societies, doctors’ colleges, professional engineering societies, and other similar ones to guarantee a certain standard of work, some of these regulators also added social justice to their role: some sprinkled progressive politics into their continuing education. Others began editing political speeches made by members in their free time.

Many of the jobs included in the review (e.g. land surveyors, water well drillers, and timber scalers) probably did not see their regulators engage in moralizing in a way unrelated to the job. But for those who make it, change requires leadership at the government level.

Article content

Article content

This is because they have this privilege even though many regulated professions are self-governing, separate from the state. from the government. The task was delegated below. So when professional regulators use their power to trample on the free expression of their members, far beyond enforcing basic competence, it is ultimately the government’s responsibility to bring them back into line.

The most notable case of mission drift in the country is that of the College of Psychologists of Ontario, which in 2022 investigated psychologist Jordan Peterson for his online behavior and later ordered him to undergo media training (however, No willing media trainer found).

Among Peterson’s sins: reference describing an them/them-describing city councilor as “a horribly self-indulgent moralistic thing”; the misgendering of a Canadian actor who now identifies as trans; former prime ministerial official Gerald Butts being called a “prick”; and providing critical commentary on the response to COVID-19 on the Joe Rogan podcast.

His words were abrasive, of course, but were they worth approving of? The college seemed to think so, claiming they posed a risk to the public and harmed the profession. By turning the rhetoric into a security concern and correcting political discourse critical of left-wing sacred cows, the regulator has shown itself to be off course.

Article content

All of this had a chilling effect, and Alberta’s justice minister took notice. Amery told me he was particularly concerned about “the countless professionals who say regulators are silencing themselves to avoid facing consequences.” This is an issue that has been constantly brought up since he took office.

In Alberta, the profile of these battles is a little lower. The law society, for example, passed a rule in 2020 that allows it to set “specific continuing professional development requirements” for its members and remove those who fail to comply. It was immediately used for the all-encompassing mission of political reconciliation that came into vogue when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its calls to action.

That’s why lawyers in Alberta are required to take an Indigenous “cultural competency” course. values ​​instruction. A number of them organized to have the rule repealed in 2023 (Native education was important, but should not be forced), but they ultimately failed with 75 percent of members voting support rule.

Article content

The legal community also went after former (Conservative) justice minister Tyler Shandro, hearing politically charged complaints about his conduct as a cabinet minister; it was him after all cleared The wrong thing was done at the beginning of this year, but the process was difficult. The previous justice minister, who filed a professional complaint after commenting on a case in 2018, avoided the ordeal. But he was on the NDP team; legal society Never brought the matter to the hearing.

Meanwhile, it was decided to regulate physicians in medicine in 2022. dedicate It is for the cause of anti-racism and anti-discrimination, which in practice often means offering better treatment to groups perceived to be underprivileged in order to balance the scales of social justice. Regulator of social workers waiting Its members should “strive to advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.” “The organizer of psychologists officially requires that its members “take reasonable steps to become familiar with current and historical injustices suffered by Indigenous peoples before providing services.”

Article content

While it is one thing to expect appropriate care to be provided to everyone, it is quite another to pontificate about “existing injustices” that are largely a matter of personal opinion.

An additional problem in all of this, says Amery, is that people who have never interacted with a professional in their work environment can often complain about their behavior and trigger disciplinary action.

The main disadvantage of such a comprehensive review is time. If it wants to move quickly, Alberta could forward a bill within weeks to protect free speech for workers in areas of concern. With such a wide-ranging review, it could take a year for legislation to be passed.

The upside of such a comprehensive review is that Alberta can pioneer an approach to regulating the professions that respects freedom of thought and expression by giving other provinces a template bill that can be worked on in a hurry.

Amery says professionals with specific complaints can “reach out to relevant ministries and raise these issues with the assurance that they will remain confidential and correspondence will be taken seriously.” In the name of freedom of expression across the country, let’s hope they do.

National Post

Article content