The Alberta government’s Bill 11 opens the door for doctors to work in both public and private healthcare, casting serious doubt on Angela Pitt’s resolve to defend Alberta’s public system—a promise she made to reject privatization. (Press, 2025)
- Pitt has repeatedly vowed to fortify and defend public healthcare, firmly rejecting any move toward privatization. (Employees, 2023)
- Relatedly, Discover Airdrie reports that Angela Pitt called for provincial support for the One Health Initiative, a proposal she described as critical for the city. (May, 2024)
- Despite the United Conservative Party’s Public Health Care Guarantee, which claims no Albertan will ever pay out of pocket for a doctor, fears are mounting that public healthcare will deteriorate if resources are siphoned off to private providers. (Hands Off Our Hospitals, 2025)
Critics argue these changes could spike patient costs and force marginalized communities to the sidelines, making care harder to reach. (Employees, 2024) According to Friends of Medicare, the government’s secretive handling of Bill 11 raises concerns that the initiative prioritizes private profits over improving care for Albertans, a departure from the public healthcare commitments made during the election (Friends of Medicare, June 06, 2025).
The party insists: “Our UCP government will move Alberta forward, guaranteeing Albertans world-class health care—whenever and wherever needed—through a public system. We refuse to let the NDP’s high taxes and job losses undermine critical funding or threaten care.” (UCP Promise)
Airdrie faces an acute medical crisis. With more than 80,000 residents and no hospital, it is Alberta’s largest city left behind. (Heintz, 2025) The lone Airdrie Community Health Centre struggles to meet demand for urgent care, X-rays, and lab tests. (Temporary overnight disruption of Urgent Care at Airdrie Community Health Centre, 2025)
Capacity and Demand
- According to Alberta’s Health 2023–2024 Annual Report, the average wait time to see a physician in the emergency department reached 6.7 hours during that period, up from 6.2 hours the previous year. (AHS Annual Report 2023-2024)
Community Response and Advocacy
- Local health advocates insist the shift toward private care will gut public services, jeopardizing healthcare for all but the affluent. (Government admits privatization of health care is a failed experiment, 2023)
- Airdrie residents demand urgent healthcare action—calling for a hospital and more medical professionals without delay. Now is the time for the community to stand together and insist that the government and representatives deliver on these critical needs. (Tentative completion date set for resumed Airdrie health centre renovations, 2025)
Town Hall Discussions
- Recent town halls exposed Airdrie’s glaring healthcare deficit and a sharp disconnect between official pledges to protect public care and policies that fuel privatization. (Amato & Penrose, 2025) This growing gap between Pitt’s promises and actions is eroding public confidence and fueling questions about her accountability. (Robb, 2025)
References
Press, C. (November 24, 2025). Alberta bill allows doctors to toggle between public and private pay for surgeries. 980 CJME. https://www.cjme.com/2025/11/24/alberta-bill-allows-doctors-to-toggle-between-public-and-private-pay-for-surgeries/
Employees, A. U. (August 22, 2023). Government admits privatization of health care is a failed experiment. AUPE. https://www.aupe.org/news/news-and-updates/government-admits-privatization-health-care-failed-experiment
(December 31, 2024). Hands Off Our Hospitals. Rebuild Our Healthcare. https://www.rebuildourhealthcare.ca/hands-off-our-hospitals/
Friends of Medicare (June 06, 2025) New Report: Public Funds for Private Profit. https://www.friendsofmedicare.org/public_funds_private_profit
May, C. (July 18, 2024). Airdrie MLA Angela Pitt excited about new health care facility proposal. DiscoverAirdrie.com. https://discoverairdrie.com/articles/mla-angela-pitt-excited-about-new-health-care-facility-proposal
Employees, A. U. (September 25, 2024). Privatization of essential nursing care comes at a high cost. AUPE. https://www.aupe.org/news/news-and-updates/privatization-essential-nursing-care-comes-high-cost
(August 22, 2023). Government admits privatization of health care is a failed experiment. AUPE. https://www.aupe.org/news/news-and-updates/government-admits-privatization-health-care-failed-experiment
Heintz, L. (June 2, 2025). Airdrie Urgent Care to close for electrical work this week. Calgary CityNews. https://calgary.citynews.ca/2025/06/02/airdrie-urgent-care-electrical-work/
Amato, A. & Penrose, C. (January 3, 2025). Health care dominated Alberta lobbying registry in 2024. Airdrie City View. https://www.airdriecityview.com/beyond-local/health-care-dominated-alberta-lobbying-registry-in-2024-10027965
Robb, T. (February 7, 2025). Alberta Premier Danielle Smith denies any wrongdoing amid AHS political interference allegations. Edmonton Journal. https://www.aarc.ab.ca/sites/default/files/inline-files/Edmonton Journal – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith denies any wrongdoing amid AHS political interference allegations (article).pdf
(June 13, 2025). Tentative completion date set for resumed Airdrie health centre renovations. Airdrie Health Foundation. https://airdriehealthfoundation.com/news-media/tentative-completion-date-set-for-resumed-airdrie-health-centre-renovations/
(June 2, 2025). Temporary overnight disruption of Urgent Care at Airdrie Community Health Centre. Alberta Health Services. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/Page19060.aspx
AHS Annual Report (2023-2024) Alberta Health Services. Annual Report https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/about/publications/ahs-pub-pr-2023-24-q4.pdf