---
title: "Alberta Bill 33 Would Ban DEI in Hiring Across the Public…"
canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/alberta-bill-33-dei-hiring-ban-public-sector"
language: "en"
author: "drashtigarach"
published: "2026-10-28T13:57:00.000Z"
modified: "2026-10-28T13:57:00.000Z"
---

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# Alberta Bill 33 Would Ban DEI in Hiring Across the Public Sector, Including Cities and Universities

Alberta's Bill 33 would stop cities, universities, school boards and other public bodies using DEI measures in hiring and promotion. Here is who is covered.

[![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach)

[October 28, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/10)13 min read

![Alberta Legislature dome in autumn sun](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/alberta-bill-33-dei-hiring-ban-public-sector-hero.jpg)

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Alberta's Bill 33 proposes amendments to the Alberta Human Rights Act meant, in the province's words, to [ensure hiring and promotion decisions in public institutions are based on merit, not diversity, equity and inclusion policies](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB), and it reaches well beyond provincial ministries. The bill text names [public post-secondary institutions, school boards, municipal authorities and municipal or regional police services](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) among the employers it would cover. The bill [received first reading Tuesday, Oct. 27](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), so it is a proposal, not yet law, and it would only apply [if passed](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/). For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers applying to a city, a college, a school board or a health agency in Alberta, the useful detail sits in the bill itself, covering which employers are named, what they could no longer do, what training would change and which protections stay in place.

## What Does Bill 33 Actually Change in the Alberta Human Rights Act?

Under section 10.1 of [the Alberta Human Rights Act](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf), it is not a contravention of the Act to [plan, advertise, adopt or implement a policy, program or activity](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) that aims at [the amelioration of the conditions of disadvantaged persons or classes of disadvantaged persons](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf). In plain terms, the section [permits programs intended to improve conditions for disadvantaged people](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), provided they achieve or are reasonably likely to achieve that goal.

Bill 33 [adds a new section 10.2](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) that cuts across it for public employers. Under the text, [no provincial body shall plan, advertise, adopt or implement an ameliorative measure relating to hiring or promotion by the provincial body](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf). An ameliorative measure is defined as [a policy, program or activity referred to in section 10.1](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), so the bill borrows the existing definition rather than inventing a new one.

The existing section stays on the books. The bill [would leave that provision in place but restrict its use in hiring and promotions by designated public bodies](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), so the new limit reaches only the provincial bodies the bill names or the regulations add.

The personal characteristics listed in the bill are [race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status or sexual orientation](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf). Those are the same grounds on which [section 7 of the Act](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) already bars an employer from refusing to employ any person.

## Which Employers Would Be Covered, From Cities to Universities?

The bill calls them provincial bodies, and the list is long. It covers [an employer who appoints or employs persons in accordance with, pursuant to or subject to the Public Service Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), which covers [government jobs](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/government-jobs-pay-and-benefits) in the Alberta public service itself. The full list in the bill text also names these employers.

- [A public agency as defined in the Alberta Public Agencies Governance Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- [A Crown-controlled organization as defined in the Financial Administration Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- [An entity that is authorized or required to exercise a power or perform a duty or function under an enactment](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- [An entity that receives public funding from the Government for the purpose of providing a public service](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- [A provincial health agency or regional health authority under the Provincial Health Agencies Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), plus [a provincial health corporation](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) under the same Act.
- [A public post-secondary institution as defined in the Post-secondary Learning Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- [A board as defined in the Education Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), meaning school boards.
- [A municipal authority as defined in the Municipal Government Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- [A municipal police service or regional police service as defined in the Police Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- [Any other person or entity prescribed by the regulations](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).

Non-profits are an open case, since government officials indicated the change [could apply to non-profit agencies receiving government grants, but that would be determined through future regulations](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/). Anyone applying to a funded service provider should treat that as an open question until the regulations appear.

## Who Is Left Out, and Who Decides the Exemptions?

Some employers are carved out by name. Under the bill, [a band as defined in the Indian Act (Canada)](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), the council of a band, [a settlement as defined in the Metis Settlements Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) and [the General Council under the Metis Settlements Act](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) are not provincial bodies. Regulations could also exclude particular public service employers, public agencies, enactment-based entities and funded entities [by regulation](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).

Exemptions are the second release valve. A covered employer would not break the law if it [has been granted an exemption under the regulations with respect to the position, hiring or promotion program, initiative or situation](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) the measure relates to. The power to write those regulations sits with [the Lieutenant Governor in Council](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).

Government officials pointed to [some exceptions to the prohibition but didn't provide examples](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/). Asked at the news conference, Justice Minister Mickey Amery pointed to [physical requirements for firefighters, such as lifting a specified amount of weight](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), an example that [concerned job requirements already recognized under human rights law](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), and he [did not identify a specific equity-related hiring program that might receive an exemption](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring).

> Albertans expect public institutions to hire and promote the best qualified people and ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed based on their skills, experience and qualifications, Premier Danielle Smith told reporters in Edmonton, according to [the Canadian Press report on Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/).

## What Would Happen to Mandatory DEI and Bias Training at Work?

The training rules apply to [an employee](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) of any covered body, not just hiring panels. No provincial body could require staff to complete training that [addresses one or more of the following matters](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), namely [cultural competency](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), unconscious bias, or diversity, equity or inclusion.

Two wider limits also apply. Required training could not [seek to dictate, expressly or by implication, the range of acceptable or unacceptable opinions or beliefs on any political, historical, social or cultural issue or on a matter of conscience](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf). It also could not promote ideas such as that [a person is morally superior to another person because of a personal characteristic](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) or that [a person's status as privileged or disadvantaged is necessarily determined by a personal characteristic](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).

There is a job-duty exception. Employers could still require training on a political, historical, social or cultural issue [if that education or training is reasonably necessary for the employee to competently perform the duties and functions of the employee's position](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf). [Voluntary DEI training would not be directly prohibited](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring).

## What Reasons Does the Government Give for the Bill?

The government frames the bill around fair competition for public jobs. The government's case is that [Albertans deserve a fair opportunity to compete for public-sector jobs based on their skills, qualifications and experience](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB), with decisions based on [merit and job requirements rather than personal characteristics, except where a specific characteristic is genuinely required to perform the work](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB).

Premier Danielle Smith argued that [these changes will help to ensure that fairness is at the heart of hiring](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/). At the news conference she added that the amendments [would allow provincial bodies to focus on serving all Albertans rather than being divided by ideological concepts](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring).

Geoffrey Sigalet, whom [a National Post opinion column](https://nationalpost.com/opinion/danielle-smith-bans-dei-hiring-daring-the-ndp-to-oppose) identifies as a UBC political science professor, argues in [the government's announcement](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB) that [merit-based hiring is essential to maintaining public confidence in our universities and trust in the research they produce](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB).

## What Do Critics and the Public Service Union Say?

Opposition and union voices question whether there is a problem to fix. Kathleen Ganley of the Opposition NDP countered that her party [hasn't heard any concerns about DEI hiring practices](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/) and suggested the bill distracts from priorities like affordability and health care.

> This is a solution in want of a problem, Opposition NDP member Kathleen Ganley said, according to [the Canadian Press report on Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/).

Sandra Azocar, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, said [public sector employers already hire the best candidates](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/). Her union [represents nearly 100,000 workers that are mostly in the public sector](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/).

Reporters also asked about evidence. Amery was asked [how many employees had been hired through DEI-related programs](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), and he [defended the need for consistent hiring practices based on skills and competence, but did not provide a count of those hires](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring). Smith [emphasized that the government wants its workforce to reflect the population it serves](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring). Asked whether the province would release demographic data on hiring and promotions so the effects could be measured, Smith replied, "[I don't think that we track people based on race within our system](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring)," and offered to [check with the head of Alberta's public service to confirm](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring). The proposed amendments [do not define merit or establish a uniform process for evaluating job applicants](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring).

## Does Anything Change for Provincial Government Jobs Right Away?

In the view of government officials, [provincial employees are already hired based on merit](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/), and Smith described the bill as one that [would extend that approach to other public institutions](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring). Columnist Rob Breakenridge wrote in [a National Post opinion column](https://nationalpost.com/opinion/danielle-smith-bans-dei-hiring-daring-the-ndp-to-oppose) that officials [acknowledged that there currently are no DEI hiring practices in place within the public sector, and they were unsure about the extent to which they existed in any of the bodies covered by the bill](https://nationalpost.com/opinion/danielle-smith-bans-dei-hiring-daring-the-ndp-to-oppose).

Breakenridge also argued in that column that the bill is [almost certainly aimed squarely at universities and other post-secondary institutions](https://nationalpost.com/opinion/danielle-smith-bans-dei-hiring-daring-the-ndp-to-oppose). The University of Alberta's recruitment policy carries a [most recent approval of March 27, 2026](https://ualberta.ca/en/alfresco/uappol/humanresources/recruitment/policy/recruitment-policy.pdf). Under that policy, [the university selects Candidates based on each Candidate's Qualifications, skills, experiences and each position's Bona Fide Occupational Requirements and institutional purpose to achieve its overall strategic goals](https://ualberta.ca/en/alfresco/uappol/humanresources/recruitment/policy/recruitment-policy.pdf). In Breakenridge's account, the previous policy [required that if two candidates were equally qualified for a position, the candidate from a historically under-represented group would be favoured](https://nationalpost.com/opinion/danielle-smith-bans-dei-hiring-daring-the-ndp-to-oppose).

Last year Alberta [passed legislation prohibiting professional regulatory bodies, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, from making members undergo training around diversity initiatives](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/).

## When Would the Changes Take Effect, and What Else Is in the Bill?

The hiring and training section [comes into force on Proclamation](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf). [No commencement date has been specified](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring). The bill's formal name is the [Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 (No. 2)](https://www.assembly.ab.ca/assembly-business/bills/bill?billinfoid=12134&from=bills), and it is a [government bill](https://www.assembly.ab.ca/assembly-business/bills/bill?billinfoid=12134&from=bills) [tabled by Justice Minister Mickey Amery](https://globalnews.ca/news/12123342/alberta-to-end-dei-hiring/).

The same bill covers online abuse. A new provincial offence for sharing intimate images without consent could bring [fines of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB), with the fine in Canadian dollars (C$10,000 is about US$7,120). Protections would extend to [digitally altered and AI-generated intimate images, videos and audio](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB).

Other changes touch the courts and the legal profession. Under the King's Counsel Act, eligibility would widen so lawyers [are not disadvantaged due to parental or other types of leave](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB), and changes to the Court of King's Bench Act would support [the Family Focused Protocol in the Alberta Court of King's Bench](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB).

## What Protections Do Job Applicants Keep Under the Human Rights Act?

Under section 7, no employer shall [refuse to employ or refuse to continue to employ any person](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) or discriminate in employment because of a protected ground. Under the proposal, hiring or promotion decisions would [continue to be subject to existing human rights protections](https://www.alberta.ca/announcements.cfm?xID=98021F6651386-B162-68FB-0F3314F80DCA0DEB). The bill adds one carve-out for exempted measures, since [a provincial body granted an exemption with respect to an ameliorative measure does not contravene section 7 if the provincial body hires or promotes a person because of a personal characteristic for the express purpose of achieving the objective of that ameliorative measure](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).

Job ads and application forms are covered too. Section 8 bars any application form, job advertisement or [written or oral inquiry of an applicant](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) that [expresses either directly or indirectly any limitation, specification or preference indicating discrimination](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) on a protected ground, or that [requires an applicant to furnish any information](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) about one. The exception for real job needs also stays, since section 7 does not apply to a preference [based on a bona fide occupational requirement](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf).

Existing duties, including [employers' duty to accommodate and their ability to establish genuine occupational requirements](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), would remain. If you believe you were turned down for a protected reason, a complaint to the commission [must be made within one year after the alleged contravention](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) of the Act.

## What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

Under the bill, any hiring or promotion measure aimed at disadvantaged groups at a covered public employer, including how it is advertised, would need [an exemption under the regulations](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf), while [section 7](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) still bars discrimination against every candidate.

- **Match the posting line by line.** Show each [skill a government posting asks for](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/skills-over-degrees-government-jobs) with a concrete example.
- **Watch for the regulations.** Regulations could exclude employers, add new ones and grant exemptions [under the bill's regulation powers](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf).
- **Know your rights if something goes wrong.** Write down any interview question about a protected ground and the date it was asked, so a [human rights complaint](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/media/1utjxb3e/alberta-human-rights-act.pdf) can be filed in time.

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## People Also Asked

### Q: What is Alberta Bill 33?

A: Bill 33 is the [Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 (No. 2)](https://www.assembly.ab.ca/assembly-business/bills/bill?billinfoid=12134&from=bills), a government bill that would amend the Alberta Human Rights Act so public bodies could not use [ameliorative measures relating to hiring or promotion](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) unless exempted, among other changes to justice laws.

### Q: Does Bill 33 apply to Alberta universities and cities?

A: Yes, the bill names [public post-secondary institutions and municipal authorities](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) as provincial bodies, alongside school boards, health agencies, police services and public agencies.

### Q: Is Bill 33 law yet?

A: No. It [received first reading Tuesday, Oct. 27](https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/alberta-bill-would-restrict-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-programs-in-public-sector-hiring), and its hiring section would only start [on Proclamation](https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_31/session_2/20251023_bill-033.pdf) after it passes.

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