Do authoritarian changes in the US and Alberta put justice at risk or are we there already?
The US is increasingly seen by the rest of the world as no better than Russia.
The US invaded Venezuela. They starved Cuba. Ending USAID has put dozens of millions of people at risk of dying from malnutrition and disease. They’ve caused untold pain around the world. The President threatened Canada and Greenland.
Since the US elections in November 2024, the Russian missile attacks on Ukraine have skyrocketed and worsen every week. July 2026 was the worst month for civilian deaths in Ukraine since the start of the invasion.
437 civilians killed in July 2026. The worst month for deaths in the last 4 1/2 years.
The war on Iran and the global economic effect brought countries to their knees. The President declared he’s going to make the Strait of Hormuz an American territory. The people of Iran rose up against their government, encouraged by the US, and thousands of them were killed and the American Administration sat back and did nothing.
And America is fine with this. Have Americans lost touch with reality?
Responsibility
Look at the way American citizens are being treated on their streets. The US is preying on the rest of the world to accomplish the will of billionaires who care solely about money and power.
What price justice? Canadians critical of the US government are at risk of being denied entry to the US or being detained when crossing the border back into Canada.
Am I at risk for even writing this?
And why do I care about the US?
My concern arises from authoritarian initiatives by Alberta’s government that echo those in the US.
Several recent Alberta government actions have concentrated power in the provincial executive, weakened institutional checks and balances, and reduced the independence of institutions that are supposed to hold government accountable.
Alberta is small fry on the global landscape, but it’s home for me and is the jurisdiction of my political responsibility.
Photo by Naturalist Boat on Unsplash
Hello Alberta
In the past 18 months there have been major changes in Alberta:
- Expanded executive power over municipalities.
- Greater ministerial control over education.
The government’s proposed Bill 25, introduced in March 2026, would give the Education Minister significant new oversight. There would be unprecedented control in one minister’s hands.
Not to mention the highest provincial level of funding private schools in Canada. And the institutionalizing of a two-tier health care system.
- Use of the notwithstanding clause.
Perhaps the most serious issue is Alberta’s willingness to use the notwithstanding clause to protect legislation from Charter challenges. Other Canadian provinces have used the clause but not with the frequency of Alberta.
- The Alberta Sovereignty Act.
- Information transparency
In May 2025, Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner found that the government had adopted practices and interpretations for processing freedom-of-information requests that were non-compliant with Alberta’s FOIP legislation. The investigation involved 27 government public bodies and followed a 21-month investigation and came from an independent oversight body.
What Price Justice Referendum
Five of the ten questions in Alberta’s Fall referendum are about immigrants. Whatever the intent and motivation, the outcome is scapegoating a demographic that puts them at risk.
Maybe that is smart politically but it flies in the face of human dignity.
We are Alberta, the Bible belt of Canada. Should not a higher ethic be expected from a province espousing the superiority of Judaeo-Christian values? Unless that is just a reference to populist religious history.
The first female President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, speaking to the UN on August 19th, said that it’s not solely heads of state and institutions that are responsible for justice, but “every individual with the power to make a difference share this responsibility.”
What price justice? Someone has to pay when wrong is made right.
Justice can be costly, inconvenient, and uncomfortable.
What price justice? Jesus shows us that God does not ignore injustice; He entered our brokenness to redeem it.
What price justice? The cross reminds us that grace is free to us, but it was not cheap.
Following Jesus means being willing to pay a price to stand with those who are at risk.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your voice. Maybe commenting is a starting point of action. One small step. Please join the conversation and post a comment below. Thank you.
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