Red Deer rallyers call on MP Bailey to push for intervention on Alberta’s Bill 11

Their mission Tuesday was to call on MPs of all political stripes to demand urgent action from Prime Minister Mark Carney and his cabinet to denounce Alberta’s Bill 11, also known as the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025.

That piece of legislation comes into force today, Sept. 1.

The provincial coalitions point out that in the nine months since Bill 11 was passed by Alberta’s Legislative Assembly, the federal government has yet to intervene, and they believe it to be a “gross violation” of the Canada Health Act.

Lawrence Hrycan is a volunteer with Friends of Medicare, but was the spokesperson at a rally held outside the office of Red Deer Conservative MP Burton Bailey.

Hrycan said the legislation may be Alberta’s, but the entire country and the health care system it has long enjoyed could be at risk.

“Bill 11 is an American-style of medicare. I had a sister-in-law who died in the States because she couldn’t afford health care, and had she been in Canada, she probably would have been fine,” he shared.

“Bill 11 basically allows those who are rich to be healthy, and those who don’t have the funds, we just won’t be taken care of.”

Around 50 people attended the Sept. 1 rally in Red Deer, one with a sign reading ‘Do your job Bailey,’ and another saying ‘Bill 11 violates Canada Health Act.’

Hrycan believes other provinces could adopt the type of system he believes is emerging here, reiterating that it’d be particularly detrimental if the Government of Canada does not intervene.

Asked if there’s any world or reality where the type of system Bill 11 props up could work, he remarked, “If it’s for-profit, absolutely not. For me to have to pay $30,000 for a hip or knee operation, it’s just not the route to go. If I don’t have that money, I have to wait two or three years.”

Interestingly, the one thing Hrycan agrees on with MP Burton Bailey, who also spoke to rdnewsNOW Tuesday, is that the current system has its inefficiencies, and in some cases, just isn’t working.

Hrycan quipped that outside of changing the government, the first thing he’d ask people to do is consider the consequences of the nine non-separation-related questions on the Oct. 19 referendum ballot.

He said many people from abroad have come here and work or want to work in Alberta’s health care system.

“To deny them health rights and education rights, which is what those questions do, what’s going to happen? The government is dividing us, and I think that’s really unfortunate.”

For MP Bailey, the solution is different.

Red Deer MP Burton Bailey speaking in the House of Commons. (Image Credit: Supplied)

“Let’s face it, health care is not working right across Canada. Anyone who’s visited a hospital knows the system needs to be revamped, and we’ve got a Canada Health Act that’s close to 50-years-old,” he stated.

“I see, as an MP, the way money is used on the preventative side and how transfer payments occur, and I don’t feel that it’s [adequately] supporting the provinces. Look at Alberta, where $32 billion is spent on health care, and we are still faced with unacceptable wait times.”

He noted the federal government contributes about 20 per cent to that budget.

Bailey did agree that “Parliament is the protector of the Canadian Health Act,” but he believes there’s a lot of misinformation going around about Bill 11.

He also chided the term ‘two-tiered,’ opting for the ‘dual practice’ designation.

“Look at Delburne, where we have what I’ll call an ambulatory care facility run by doctors. Bill 11 is going to give them the ability to do things that they couldn’t do before, such as take stitches out, do X-rays, and expand the scope of what they can do in their private practice.”

Bailey said it’s things like getting stitches removed that shouldn’t need to be done at a hospital.

But he also pointed to medical tourism, be it for urgent surgeries or cosmetic procedures.

He claimed many Canadians return home and later have complications, which our system has to pay for.

“By having some of these types of surgeries performed right here in Alberta, we’re going to avoid some of the complications. We’re not going to see the infections from other countries, and we won’t see complications from travelling too soon after a major surgery.”

Additionally, Bailey noted an August letter sent to Alberta’s government by federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, which warned that Bill 11 may violate the Canada Health Act.

“Even the health minister is interested in learning more about the Alberta model because if it is successful, this is stuff that we’re going to be using right across Canada,” said Bailey.

“I sit on the health committee in Ottawa, and we are going to be doing some studies on these exact topics, such as wait times and how we can increase surgeries. Alberta is setting the bar.”

Red Deer-North MLA Adriana LaGrange, the province’s Minister of Hospital and Surgical Services, painted a different picture of the tone of Minister Michel’s letter in her Aug. 17 response posted to X:

The facts are that the administration and delivery of health care is an area of provincial jurisdiction, not federal. The federal government needs to respect Alberta’s jurisdiction and its authority to determine how health care is delivered in this province.

Dual practice does…

— Adriana LaGrange (@AdrianaLaGrange) August 17, 2026

Previous media reports indicate that in the letter, which hasn’t been released to the public in its entirety, Michel references the ‘discretionary penalties’ section of the Canada Health Act.

The section states that non-compliance with the Act can lead to dollar-for-dollar deductions from Canada Health Transfer payments — specifically if provinces or territories allow patient charges.

The Alberta NDP issued a statement Tuesday about the rallies, calling Bill 11 an “awful reality” for the province.

“Families across Alberta and Canada are rightfully concerned and that’s why people are taking to the streets across the country to protest the UCP,” said Sarah Hoffman, Shadow Minister for Hospital and Surgical Services.

“Alberta’s New Democrats know the answer is strengthening public health care, not privatizing it. In the coming weeks, we will release our plan to restore public health care in Alberta, a plan we are ready to take to Albertans in the next election.”

Around 50 people showed up to the rally in Red Deer.

by Josh Hall

Red Deer rallyers call on MP Bailey to push for intervention on Alberta’s Bill 11

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