Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government has introduced promised legislation to allow for people to be forced into addiction treatment facilities.

If the bill passes, parents, family members, health-care professionals, police or peace officers can apply for a treatment order from a new provincial commission.

Under the bill, those using substances and deemed a risk to themselves or others can be apprehended by police and ordered into treatment in a secure facility for up to three months, with the possibility of six months in community-based treatment. 

The Alberta government and its auditor general are at odds over the province’s decision to bring lawyers directly into the investigation surrounding multimillion-dollar health contracts.

The issue arose after the Opposition NDP revealed a leaked email this week from Alberta Health that directs public servants to contact a lawyer to co-ordinate if auditor general Doug Wylie requests an interview as part of his investigation.

The Alberta United Conservative government introduced two bills Tuesday to reduce the self-policing powers of elected public school boards and municipal councils.

One bill, if passed, would cancel local councils' codes of conduct and put an end to any ongoing complaints or sanctions that aren’t before the courts.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver, before introducing the legislation, told reporters that in some cases, codes of conduct had been weaponized to silence dissent on municipal councils.

Alberta is fundamentally changing how it funds hospital surgeries, but critics say the change won't improve the public system and will only accelerate more care in the privatized system.

Premier Danielle Smith announced Monday a new "activity-based" model is on the way, to be implemented for some surgeries in 2026. The model ties public funding to the number and type of procedures performed.

Smith said the program will drive costs down by fostering competition among public providers and those who perform publicly funded procedures in private clinics.

Alberta’s government is taking another step toward giving municipalities the option of ditching the RCMP in favour of a new provincial police service.

Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis says an independent Alberta service could step in to help address concerns he's heard about the Mounties' staffing shortages and rising costs.

If passed, a proposed bill would mean a new agency must operate under a Crown corporation that would be at arm's length from the government.

The head of Alberta Health Services says the agency is halting a proposed food-reduction policy after public outcry over patients potentially being cut off from snacks and drinks.

The agency's interim president and CEO, Andre Tremblay, said the policy was set to go into effect Tuesday to change how food is stored and delivered in an effort to reduce waste -- not to deprive patients of food.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's efforts to defuse an escalating trade war with the United States should be commended.

Moe's comment comes as Smith heads to Florida for an event at an undisclosed location with a far-right U.S. influencer who has mocked Canada as a "silly country" and spoken about it being annexed as the 51st state.

Amid continued tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, Moe says Smith is one of Canada's strongest advocates.

Mounties in Alberta have launched an investigation following a complaint regarding the province’s front-line medical care provider, Alberta Health Services.

RCMP won’t provide details, but the investigation follows allegations from the agency's former CEO that there was high-level arm-twisting, possible conflicts of interest, political interference and corruption in multimillion-dollar health deals.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced restrictions Wednesday on booze, gambling machines and government purchasing to fight back against sweeping U.S. tariffs.

She said there won’t be any change to oil and gas shipped south.

And she echoed comments from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump are the vanguard of a plan to crater Canada's economy in a takeover bid.

The Alberta government has hired a former head of Manitoba's provincial court to investigate allegations of high-level arm-twisting in lucrative government contracts. 

The government said Monday that Raymond Wyant's work is to begin immediately with an interim report to go to the government by the end of May.

He is to review multimillion-dollar Alberta Health Services contracts for children's medication and for surgeries done by for-profit providers.