Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government plans to spend $180 million over three years to build two involuntary drug addiction treatment centres.
Speaking to reporters in Calgary on Monday, Smith said the new facilities are tied to her government’s plan to put forward a proposed compassionate intervention act.
Originally promised in 2023, the legislation would allow a family member, guardian, doctor or police officer to request a mandatory treatment order if someone is deemed a danger to themselves or others, regardless of their desire or consent to receive treatment.
“There is no compassion in leaving people to suffer in the throes of addiction,” Smith said.
“We will not sacrifice our communities or give up on those suffering from addiction.”
Funding in this week’s budget
A spokesperson for Dan Williams, Alberta’s minister of mental health and addiction, told CBC the legislation will be introduced either during the spring sitting, which begins Tuesday, or in the fall.
Smith said funding for the centres — which will be located in Edmonton and Calgary and have 150 secure beds each — is to be included in the budget on Thursday.
If the budget is approved, Smith said, construction could start next year and the centres would be operational in 2029.
In the meantime, Smith said, she’s directed Williams to identify existing treatment beds in the province that could be used under the legislation while the centres are being built.
Williams said details are being finalized about the processes that would underscore the legislation.
But he said each application would be reviewed by a commission that would be responsible for ensuring that an individual’s rights and “civil liberties” aren’t being violated.
Approved cases “would meet the absolute highest standard of the most extreme examples of destruction in our society and in one’s life because of the addiction,” Williams said.
A government news release said the commission would consist of lawyers, physicians and members of the public.
“Individuals would have access to legal support and the health advocate and would retain the ability to appeal,” it said.
Williams said the two centres would be operated by Recovery Alberta, one of four new public health agencies the government has set up to replace Alberta Health Services.
NDP urges pause on contracts
Janet Eremenko, the Opposition NDP’s mental health and addiction critic, said no construction contracts should be issued given recent allegations made by the former head of AHS.
In a wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed two weeks ago, Athana Mentzelopoulos alleges she was pressured to sign off on overpriced contracts for private surgical facilities by government officials as high up as the premier’s office, including Smith’s former chief of staff Marshall Smith.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Before serving in the role, Marshall Smith was chief of staff to multiple mental health and addiction ministers between 2019 and 2022. He left government in October.
He has denied any wrongdoing, as have the premier and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.
Eremenko said Marshall Smith’s involvement in developing the United Conservative Party government’s recovery-centred drug policy is more reason to delay issuing any contracts.
