The Alberta government is doing away with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for public bodies. The Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, or Bill 33, was tabled on Tuesday, proposing amendments to multiple pieces of legislation, including the Alberta Human Rights Act. The bill, if passed, would ban mandatory DEI workplace training in provincial bodies such as school boards, municipalities, post-secondary institutions and any other organizations that receive government funding. Those bodies will also be prohibited from having policies aimed at reducing barriers for workers facing a disadvantage due to race, religious beliefs, gender or gender identity, or a physical or mental disability. “This bill puts fairness back at the centre of public hiring. It keeps the focus on the requirements of the job,” said Justice Minister Mickey Amery. “Together, these amendments would allow provincial bodies to focus on serving all Albertans rather than being divided by ideological concepts,” Premier Danielle Smith said. Public hiring practices would still be subject to existing human rights protections, the province said. The Alberta Human Rights Commission would be responsible for upholding and enforcing the new legislation, though no details were given on penalties. The changes, according to Smith and Amery, will ensure that hiring and promotion decisions are based on “merit and job requirements,” and that workplace training is “ideologically neutral.” Smith said “merit-based” hiring practices are already in place for Government of Alberta employees. “Every single person who’s been hired can feel confident that they were the best person for the job, and that’s what we want. So this is now extending that policy,” she added. Alberta follows in the footsteps of U.S. President Donald Trump, who last year made a series of moves aimed at eliminating workforce DEI initiatives in both federal and private sectors. In Canada, a 2025 report found most workers said they view DEI favourably, with just 16 per cent viewing it negatively. Intimate images The province said new legislation around the non-consensual sharing of intimate images will complement federal laws, giving victims more options and providing additional deterrents to bad actors. Last year, the federal government introduced Bill C-16, which made it illegal to distribute non-consensual deepfake sexual images. Alberta’s Bill 33 would add a provincial offence for people who share or threaten to share non-consensual intimate content, including digitally altered or fabricated, with penalties including fines up to $10,000 and two years in prison. “To anyone who thinks they can create, share, or threaten to share someone’s intimate content without consent, if you do this, make no mistake, the consequences will match the crime,” said technology minister Nate Glubish. “To every Albertan who has lived through this, it was not your fault. You are not alone.” The current law in Alberta allows people who have had an intimate image shared without their consent to sue for damages and to have the image removed, but it is limited to pictures or videos. Amendments expand illegal materials to include audio recordings and digitally altered content; victims can also sue a person who threatens to distribute an image, even if they have not. And, the province said school principals will be given the power to recommend suspension or expulsion for students who break the new rules, including threatening to distribute intimate materials. Regarding perpetrators, courts would be allowed to order community service as an alternative to punitive damages. Alberta NDP MLA and former justice minister Kathleen Ganley said the opposition party supports the changes concerning intimate images. However, she accused the United Conservative Party (UCP) of using the omnibus bill to further divide Albertans. “Those things have been tied together with elements that are just the UCP trying to create problems where none exist,” Ganley said. “They have done nothing in the last five years to act on issues, like costs and jobs or health care, that are important to Albertans, and so they try to create a boogeyman and pit Albertans against each other.” Should the bill pass, changes are expected to come into force in the spring. The bill also makes amendments to three pieces of legal legislation: the Court of King’s Bench Act, the King’s Counsel Act and the Legal Profession Act. Those changes include changes related to Law Society of Alberta appeals, expand eligibility for King’s Counsel and clarify what Court of King’s Bench Act application judges can hear. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Chelan Skulski
