Members of Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party (UCP) voted in favour of a series of resolutions Saturday including repealing the province’s forthcoming auto insurance changes, returning to using coal as an energy source, and banning the fluoridation of public water.

More than 4,000 UCP members are gathering in Edmonton this weekend for the party’s annual general meeting where they approved all but one of 36 of the party’s policy resolutions.

Such resolutions are not binding on the government, though some resolutions from last year’s UCP annual general meeting have become law including the banning of vote tabulators, the government’s recent “Jordan Peterson” law regarding professional governing bodies, and several policies pertaining to transgender persons.

“You have a responsibility to the broader electorate, and that’s what we always have to do, is look at what our core membership says, and then listen to the broader stakeholder community and see what we can move forward and implement,” party leader and Premier Danielle Smith said in an interview.

“You always want to make sure you’re implementing a policy agenda that has the majority support of Albertans.”

The policy suggestions range across multiple topics and include proposals as general as building a stronger Alberta while others are more detailed and specific.

Some are already, in whole or in part, government policy, while others challenge the province’s current plan, including on parts of the memorandum of understanding Smith signed with Ottawa on Thursday.

Virtually all of them were approved by a strong majority of members.

Here’s a selection of some of the policy proposals approved by UCP members on Saturday afternoon.

Auto insurance changes

Resolution 2 received large cheers from the crowd when it was introduced. It calls for the repeal of what it describes as the government’s no-fault insurance legislation, though the province prefers to characterize it as “care-first” and notes it still allows for legal action in certain circumstances.

“Returning to a tort-based system aligns with conservative values by promoting personal responsibility and accountability, ensuring fair compensation based on fault and reducing fraudulent claims,” it reads.

The government introduced the legislation last March, though the transition to the new model is to come in January of 2027.

Late-term abortion funding ban

Resolution 29 calls for the ceasing of “public funding for third-trimester abortions, except in cases where the physical health of the mother is at serious risk.”

Health experts have said such procedures are extremely rare in Canada, and typically related to unviable pregnancies. Smith has previously said she does not plan any changes to the province’s abortion laws.

Carbon emissions

The memorandum of understanding Smith signed with the Prime Minister Mark Carney includes plans to negotiate a new figure for the province’s industrial carbon tax.

Resolution 13 called for the government to oppose “all attempts by the federal government to regulate or legislate on industrial carbon emissions within Alberta’s boundaries.”

The proposed changes in Thursday’s memo will keep industrial carbon pricing within the province’s jurisdiction, though the price appears likely to rise substantially.

Stand-your-ground law

Resolution 10 calls on the government to increase “the legal capacity for each citizen to protect self, family, and property.”

Such stand-your-ground laws are common in the United States. Canada’s Criminal Code includes references to self defence and reasonable force.

Smith said her government is introducing a motion on Monday stating provincial agencies will not enforce or prosecute Albertans defending their homes and families from intruders.

Flags

Resolution 3 seeks to allow only government flags to be flown on provincial and municipal government buildings.

The resolution asserts that flags of “non-governmental entities or special interest groups create ideological division amongst Albertans and negatively impacts the social fabric of our province.”

Several municipalities, including Westlock and Barrhead, have passed bylaws banning Pride flags.

Temporary resident healthcare

Resolution 4 notes the province’s culture that “embodies personal responsibility and self-sufficiency” in calling for requiring temporary residents, visitors, undocumented individuals, and unsuccessful asylum seekers to pay out of pocket for access to provincially-funded healthcare and social benefits.

Pension plan

Resolution 9 renews the familiar pitch to replace the Canada Pension Plan with an equivalent or better provincial plan.

It notes the concept of an Alberta pension plan has so far proven unpopular, including through the government’s own 2023 survey which it withheld for nearly two years and showed just 10 per cent of respondents were in favour of the idea.

Fluoridation

Resolution 28 called for the abolishment of adding fluoride to public water supplies, which is done by some municipalities to improve oral health.

“Community water fluoridation constitutes medical treatment without consent, which is contrary to the Alberta Bill of Rights,” the resolution reads.

Clean coal

Resolution 15 calls for permitting “the use of clean coal in Alberta as a source of electricity” as a means of cheaper electricity.

Alberta stopped using coal to generate electricity in 2024.

Others

Other resolutions passed by UCP members on Saturday included:

• Vaccinations: prohibiting vaccination status from being used as a condition of employment, and ensuring MRNA products are not being injected into livestock or food sources

• Churches: Declaring all places of worship and their outreach as essential services

• Guns: Advocating for provincial jurisdiction over ownership and use of firearms

The lone defeated resolution sought to bar foreigners from owning land in Alberta.

mblack@postmedia.com

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