EDMONTON — Alberta's Advanced Education Minister Myles McDougall says the UCP government's proposed campus neutrality and free expression legislation sets clear expectations for post-secondary institutions, but intends to give schools latitude in how they apply those principles."You know, the law is often full of nuance, but it is my expectation that we're going to make it clear that the law requires the ability for individuals within the postsecondary community to be able to speak freely on issues within the law, and that's a strong statement," said McDougall during an interview with the Western Standard."It's a clear statement, and we would expect the institutions to have the common sense and ability to determine what it takes to comply with that principle.".McDougall introduced Bill 38 on November 3, which, among other things, directs Alberta's post-secondary institutions to remain neutral on political and social issues while seeking to protect freedom of expression for individuals."I think we've seen in a number of post-secondary institutions in Canada and internationally where there has been some question as to whether or not the institutions were providing an environment for free speech," McDougall said."It's also a bit of a response to cancel culture and a lot of bullying taking place in some environments when people try to raise difficult questions. And so we just felt that it was clear that in terms of Alberta post-secondary institutions, this is the principle that we wish to apply.".Mount Royal University's dismissal of Dr. Francis Widdowson has become a prominent example in Alberta's debate over academic freedom and freedom of expression.Her dismissal followed controversy surrounding her public comments about residential schools and the Black Lives Matter movement.Widdowson has also faced restrictions and legal action from other Alberta universities that have prohibited her from holding speaking events about these topics on their campuses.Bill 38 would require institutions to allow individuals to exercise their freedom of expression, provided their conduct is lawful.The Western Standard asked McDougall whether Widdowson's situation would be protected under the legislation. Though the minister declined to comment on the case because of ongoing legal proceedings, he said, "I think your readers will be able to look at the legislation and draw their own conclusions.""My expectation is that faculty members would be free to speak their conscience and their opinion on anything that is lawful," McDougall said when the Western Standard asked about a broader example."Of course, hate speech is not allowed by the law. But yes, expectation would be that any academic, any faculty member, any student, any staff member would have the freedom to express their opinions on the campus.".Drawing conclusions is a recurring theme surrounding Bill 38, which establishes the principles of "institutional neutrality" and "freedom of expression" but does not offer a clear picture of where those boundaries lie. Much of the detail is expected to be established through future regulations.McDougall said the Alberta government will establish minimum standards, but individual institutions will determine how to implement them.This has drawn criticism from some individuals who are skeptical about what the "minimum standards" will entail and whether they will be sufficient to create a neutral environment and protect freedom of expression.McDougall said giving institutions latitude is important because their boards of governors, administrators and faculty councils can discuss implementation, while the government can answer questions and provide clarification where needed."My intent and my desire is to leave it to the institutions themselves and their own board of governors and administration to determine where those lines are and that are consistent with the principles of the legislation," McDougall said."My hope is that it's not something that the government needs to be involved in; that they can take care of these things themselves."The minister acknowledged that the government has yet to determine what consequences institutions could face for failing to comply with the legislation, saying further discussions will be needed..Critics have questioned whether the legislation could restrict institutions from commenting on broader political and social issues. McDougall said the intention is to ensure institutions remain focused on matters directly related to their mandates."When you're talking about international students, if they were to say something along the lines that, 'We will suffer a revenue loss because of reduction in, you know, international students,' for example, I would consider that to be factual and not to be appropriate given their mandate," McDougall said."Overall immigration policy, however, that does not connect directly to their specific mandate, I would consider to be offside."Despite questions about implementation, McDougall said Alberta's post-secondary institutions have generally been receptive to the legislation, adding he has received limited pushback during discussions with schools.
