Alberta Record

· Order in Council / Provincial Priorities Regulation · in-force

Provincial priorities regulation oic 2025 41

Order in Council 41/2025 enacts the Provincial Priorities Regulation, designating various public and quasi-public entities as 'provincial entities' and requiring them to obtain prior ministerial or Executive Council approval for intergover…

High impactCentralization of powerInstitutional independenceLocal autonomyThe public, directlyMunicipalitiesSchoolsLibrariesHealth-care bodiesPost-secondary institutions

What changed

  • An additional Deputy Minister position, designated as Deputy Minister of Operations, is authorized for the President of Executive Council.
  • Enyinnah Okere is appointed as Deputy Minister of Operations.
  • These changes are effective March 17, 2025.
  • Designates intermunicipal and municipal library boards, controlled corporations, growth management boards, regional services commissions, and certain municipal entities as 'provincial entities' for the purposes of the Act.
  • Includes Calgary Homeless Foundation, Homeward Trust Edmonton, and entities operating Alberta Social Housing Corporation assets as 'provincial entities'.
  • Requires designated provincial entities to obtain prior approval from their responsible Minister before entering into, amending, extending, or renewing intergovernmental agreements.
  • Mandates ministerial assessment of proposed agreements based on alignment with provincial priorities, potential intrusion into provincial legislative jurisdiction, and alignment with the provincial long-term fiscal plan.
  • Requires Executive Council approval for agreements involving $5 million or more in federal funding or those deemed by the Minister to intrude on provincial legislative jurisdiction.

Why it matters

  • Expands the senior administrative structure of the President of Executive Council's office by adding a new Deputy Minister role.
  • Introduces a new senior administrative position focused on 'Operations' within the executive branch, potentially centralizing or streamlining certain functions.
  • The appointment of a specific individual to this new role indicates an immediate operationalization of the expanded structure.
  • Centralizes authority over intergovernmental agreements, shifting decision-making from designated entities to provincial Ministers and the Executive Council.
  • Reduces the institutional autonomy of a broad range of public and quasi-public bodies in their ability to engage with other levels of government.
  • Establishes a formal mechanism for the provincial government to ensure intergovernmental agreements align with its stated priorities and fiscal plans.
  • Increases oversight by the Executive Council for agreements involving significant federal funding or those touching on provincial jurisdiction.

Other governance concerns

  • Expansion of executive administrative capacity
  • Potential for increased centralization of operational decision-making
  • Reduced institutional autonomy for designated entities
  • Increased provincial oversight of local and regional intergovernmental relations
  • Potential for political influence on agreements based on alignment with 'Government of Alberta priorities'

Primary sources (2)