Reconciliation Implementation Act

Summary#

• Bill 209 would require the Alberta government to act on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in clear, trackable ways.

• It sets rules for how ministers, public officials, and MLAs must consider reconciliation, consult Indigenous Nations, and report progress.

• Key changes:

  • A minister must create a truth and reconciliation action plan within 3 months, with concrete steps and ways to measure results.
  • Cabinet and public officials must consider reconciliation principles before making decisions.
  • MLAs must consult affected Indigenous Nations before introducing bills that affect Indigenous Peoples and relate to a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Call to Action.
  • The government must report every year on progress and publish the plan and reports online.
  • The plan, reports, and this Act must be translated into several Indigenous languages.

What it means for you#

• Indigenous Peoples and Nations

  • More formal input before laws are introduced if they affect Indigenous Peoples and link to TRC Calls to Action.
  • Annual public reports show what the government did and what results it achieved.
  • Access to translations of the plan, reports, and the Act in key Indigenous languages.

• Provincial ministries and public officials

  • Must consider reconciliation principles (respect, engagement, rights, cultures, and concrete action) before making decisions.
  • Need to build and carry out an action plan with clear measures and evaluation methods.
  • Ongoing duties to consult, translate, publish, and report.

• MLAs (including Ministers)

  • Must notify affected Indigenous Nations, give a real chance to respond (oral or written), and answer in writing before introducing certain bills.
  • Must tell the Legislature what consultation was done when introducing the bill.

• General public

  • Better clarity on what the province is doing on TRC Calls to Action through yearly public reports.
  • Possible changes to how programs and services are designed and delivered, with more focus on reconciliation.

• Businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations

  • May be asked for input as the action plan considers “all sectors of society.”
  • May see timelines or approaches shift if government takes extra steps to consult and assess impacts tied to reconciliation.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Creates real accountability by requiring a public action plan, yearly progress reports, and measurable results.
• Builds trust by setting clear rules for meaningful consultation before laws that affect Indigenous Peoples are introduced.
• Improves government decisions by requiring leaders and officials to consider reconciliation principles every time.
• Honors treaties and constitutional rights by embedding them in everyday decision-making.
• Translations make information accessible to Indigenous language speakers and show respect for cultures and languages.

Opponents' View#

• Could slow law-making and government decisions because of added consultation and translation steps.
• Adds administrative costs for planning, engagement, reporting, and translating, without a clear budget.
• “Must consider” rules might create uncertainty for public servants and could conflict with other priorities or timelines.
• May duplicate existing consultation processes or create confusion about who is “affected” and how consultation is judged “meaningful.”
• Could lead to legal disputes over whether consultation was sufficient before a bill was introduced.