the season of resolutions

January is the season of resolutions – as individuals, we resolve to eat better, exercise more and generally do better in our lives. What if governments also saw the birth of a new year as a way to renew their commitment to better serve the public? After a year marked by controversy, conflict, and costly mistakes, Albertans are entitled to ask if our provincial government plans to do anything differently in 2026.
Resolving to respect democratic processes would be a good place to start. During the fall 2025 legislative session, the UCP government used the non-withstanding clause multiple times to curtail Charter rights: first to force teacher’s back to work, and then to protect a set of three laws impacting transgender youth and adults from legal challenges.
The notwithstanding clause was never meant to be a routine governing tool. It exists as a constitutional last resort—used sparingly, after courts have ruled, and with full acknowledgement that fundamental rights are being overridden in the public interest. Its legitimacy depends on restraint, transparency, and democratic accountability.
A commitment to respecting and retaining the best professionals to serve the educational and healthcare needs of Albertans will also be a welcome change in 2026. The government’s decision to curtail teachers’ right to strike through legislative action resolved an immediate disruption, but at the cost of long-term trust. Respecting collective bargaining rights while working together with teachers to ensure stable classrooms would signal a commitment to education as a public good rather than a political battleground.
Similarly, the government removed professional autonomy from physicians in providing healthcare for transgender youth and children. Doctors are being told they cannot always provide evidence-based care that aligns with patient best interests and accepted medical standards. When governments override rights in healthcare, they constrain patients’ choices and undermine the ability of health professionals to practice medicine ethically, independently, and in accordance with their training.
Rather than interfering with clinical care, the government would do well to apply itself earnestly to health system issues that are within its purview. Staffing shortages, long waits for surgery, and strained emergency departments affect rural and urban communities across the province. These pressures have been compounded by a series of procurement decisions that raised concerns about oversight and value for money. From failed outsourcing of laboratory services, to costly pain medication purchases that never reached patients, Albertans have been left wondering whether public dollars are being spent with sufficient care. A resolution to strengthen transparency, improve procurement oversight, and prioritize patient outcomes over ideology will go a long way to rebuild public confidence.
Alberta’s relationship with the federal government has often been contentious. Provincial advocacy is necessary, but constant confrontation risks failing to deliver results that matter to communities. A New Year’s resolution worth keeping would be for the government to prioritize collaboration with Ottawa in 2026, working constructively to achieve real outcomes for Albertans.
Our leaders would do well to remember that Albertans are proud Canadians who contribute more than our share of energy, food, and innovation to the country’s prosperity, while benefiting from a federation that provides shared infrastructure, disaster response, and social programs. Recognizing this interdependence doesn’t weaken provincial pride—it strengthens it.
Underlying all of this is a deeper issue: listening to Albertans. A clear sign that the government has been out of step with its citizens is the unprecedented number of recall petitions launched against UCP MLAs in 2025. When citizens take the extraordinary step of trying to remove elected officials before the end of their term, it is a signal that voices are not being heard and concerns are not being addressed.
In 2026, the government needs to move from performative consultations and curated town halls to genuine engagement with workers, communities, and citizens who live with the consequences of policy decisions. A government that truly listens would take these petitions not as political inconvenience, but as a call to reassess priorities, engage more meaningfully with constituents, and act in the public interest.
New Year’s resolutions are not about perfection. They are about direction. Albertans understand that governing is complex and mistakes happen. What we ask in return is humility, accountability, and a willingness to learn.
Those would be resolutions worth keeping.
Vamini Selvanandan is a rural family physician and public health practitioner in Alberta. For more articles like this, visit www.engagedcitizen.ca.