Province backtracks on third health-care decision in three weeks as health inspectors move to Primary Care

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Zoe Mason
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Premier Danielle Smith is walking back a planned transfer that would have made public health inspectors direct government employees rather than employees of Alberta Health Services.

It is the third rollback of a health policy decision in as many weeks.

The transfer would have moved affected workers from the Health   Association of Alberta to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, without guarantee that negotiated rights concerning wages, vacation or seniority would move with them.

On her call-in radio show on June 27, Smith said the inspectors will instead be moved to Primary Care Alberta.

Smith told a rural public health inspector who called into the show suggesting the ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services take over responsibility for public health inspectors that her proposal was, “exactly the right solution.”

“That then maintains all of the seniority and the various benefits and various pay levels – that was the real issue we discovered,” said Smith.

“I think the solution you proposed is the right one, and we’re moving on so we can reduce the disruption.”

Smith responded to a question from the same caller during her last appearance on the Your Province, Your Premier program on June 13.

During that exchange, Smith said the move was designed to clarify the mandates of the health pillars.

“The intention is to make acute care and hospital services only do acute care and hospital services,” she said.

“They’re in the wrong department.”

Concerns were raised public health inspectors may be forced to relocate as part of the restructuring, but Smith clarified there was no intention to centralize the positions, which are currently spread across the province.

HSAA, the union that will continue to represent public health inspectors, welcomes the decision to keep them in the public health care system.

“This would be a positive step for members and for public health,” said president Leanne Alfaro.

“Our goal has always been to ensure that public health professionals are respected for the important work they do and that they can continue protecting Albertans with the rights that they have fairly negotiated.”

It is the latest in a string of policy reversals related to the health care refocusing.

After a cabinet shuffle that assigned new portfolios to three of the four health ministers, new hospitals minister Adriana LaGrange announced a pause to an ongoing rebranding effort for EHS-Alberta. She also halted the procurement strategy for integrated fire and EHS operators that had been underway for several Alberta municipalities, including Lethbridge.

Municipalities with integrated fire and paramedic services were told costs would be raised or else services would be split, with the province taking the reins for ambulatory care.

“We must deliver emergency health services in a consistent, fiscally responsible and patient-focused way – and we need to get this right,” wrote LaGrange, regarding the procurement pause in a statement to her social media last month.