Red Deer-North MLA and new Health Minister Adriana LaGrange (left), and Premier Danielle Smith during Friday's swearing-in ceremony at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton. (Gov't of Alberta YouTube)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

new role

Mayor, premier and others react to MLA Adriana LaGrange’s appointment as Health Minister

Jun 9, 2023 | 7:33 PM

Reaction poured in Friday after it was announced that Red Deer-North MLA Adriana LaGrange will become Health Minister in Premier Danielle Smith’s new UCP cabinet.

rdnewsNOW was speaking to Red Deer Mayor Ken Johnston at the grand opening of the Red Deer Dream Centre on Friday, breaking the news to him shortly after the announcement had been made by Smith in Edmonton.

“I admire Adriana for the effort she’s put into education. It’s a difficult portfolio, and she had to navigate through COVID. I think the premier has recognized an extraordinary talent, and an extraordinary ferocity of purpose in Adriana,” Johnston said.

READ MORE: Premier Smith announces new cabinet

“It speaks well for where our hospital project will go, and it speaks well for the medical resources we’re looking for across central Alberta, not just in Red Deer. I hadn’t yet heard this, but I am thrilled that one of our local MLAs is guiding what I would argue is the most important ministry in the province.”

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LaGrange was part of a post-swearing-in media availability Friday afternoon.

The two-term MLA, who was formerly minister of education, for a short time filled in as minister of health when Tyler Shandro was on vacation in August 2021.

Premier Smith was asked about LaGrange’s history as past president of Red Deer Pro-Life and a board member of Alberta Pro-Life.

“Everyone knows my position on the issue of choice, and my position hasn’t changed, nor has the position of our government,” said Smith. “Everyone also knows that Adriana LaGrange is one of our most competent ministers, she’s done a tremendous job in education, and we have an enormous task ahead of us in health care to implement our agenda.”

Smith said that agenda includes ensuring everyone has a family doctor, expanding continuing care, and making progress on shortening EMS response times, as well as hospital and surgical wait times.”

“These are the things she’ll be focused on,” Smith said, asked in a follow-up to be clear about her government’s intent as it pertains to abortion laws.

“We will not be changing any laws regarding a woman’s right to choose,” said Smith.

LaGrange, who was a Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustee in 2018 when two local high schools sent buses of students to an anti-abortion demonstration in Edmonton, didn’t comment.

Reaction elsewhere came from, among others, Friends of Medicare, who touched on not only LaGrange’s appointment, but also those of Jason Nixon as Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, and Dan Williams as Minister of Mental Health and Addiction.

“We hope that the new Ministers will bring fresh eyes and perspectives to the issues that we face in health care, and that they will be more willing to meet with, and listen to, health care stakeholders when making decisions going forward,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director.

“The government urgently needs to reverse course on their privatization agenda, because the fact of the matter is that their privatization schemes are only worsening Alberta’s urgent health care short staffing situation.”

The Opposition NDP also held a press conference Friday to react to the cabinet announcement, first saying it’s disappointing to see there are only five women.

On LaGrange, NDP Deputy Leader Sarah Hoffman said the former education minister completely neglected K-12 schools and left them 2,000 teachers short.

She then said the NDP will immediately convene discussions with frontline health care workers, and will demand progress on critical projects such as the Red Deer hospital expansion.

On the subject of LaGrange’s past work with pro-life groups, Hoffman said Albertans have a right to be concerned about it.

“This isn’t something that is a ‘history’ either, it’s something she’s actively working on, to try and erode the rights of women and Albertans to make decisions about their own bodies, and whether or not they get pregnant, and what happens during that pregnancy.”

Asked to clarify after that press conference, the NDP says Hoffman was alluding to comments LaGrange made four years ago, which can be found in Hansard archives from June 4, 2019. The NDP says LaGrange spoke about wanting the unborn to have the same rights as the born.

Said LaGrange in her maiden speech, verbatim: “I am committed to ensuring that every human being is valued and cared for. I was recently asked what my definition of inclusion is. My definition of true inclusion is when we as a human society can remove all labels and barriers, when we can look across the room at each other and no longer see the colour of skin, the gender, the sexual orientation, the religion, the disability, the nationality, immigrant or refugee, born or unborn, the very young to the very old, and so on.”

rdnewsNOW has asked LaGrange’s team to clarify is she still has any formal association with any pro-life groups. They have not provided a statement as of 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Hoffman said the NDP expect to announce a shadow cabinet in the coming days.