The Alberta United Conservative Party has called out some NDP candidates who advocated ending the Catholic school system. .“United Conservatives believe that parents have the right to choose the education their children receive,” said Alberta UCP candidates Rebecca Schulz (Calgary-Shaw), Adriana LaGrange (Red Deer-North), and Dan Williams (Peace River) in a Thursday letter to parents who choose Catholic education. .“In 2020, we enshrined that choice in law while the NDP opposed it at every step.” .Alberta NDP candidate Nathan Ip (Edmonton-South West) is an Edmonton Public Schools trustee who called for the elimination of the Catholic school system in 2018. .NDP candidate Cathy Hogg (Cypress-Medicine Hat) called for the eradication of the Catholic school system because it is duplicative. .NDP candidate Jaelene Tweedle (Red Deer-North) said in 2022 she would rather see one education system instead of more choice. Tweedle called to defund school choice, saying politicians should "stop overspending on ‘systems.’” .The letter said the UCP will continue to support a parent’s right to choose how and where their children are educated. If re-elected, it said it will continue to ensure equitable funding for all choices. .It added it was firm in its commitment to supporting publicly-funded Catholic education. .The NDP said it wants to defund independent schools and disagrees with the UCP’s support for charter schools. While its past positions are known, Schulz, LaGrange, and Williams said these comments “make it clear Catholic education is also not safe under an NDP government.” .The letter concluded by saying Ip, Hogg, or Tweedle could be education minister under an NDP government. .“We urge families in Alberta who choose Catholic education to consider this when they vote on May 29,” said Schulz, LaGrange, and Williams. .Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said in 2017 her government was uninterested in scrapping the Catholic school system. .“I think we have high-quality of education delivered both through the public school boards and through the Catholic school boards, and I support being able to continue with that record,” said Notley. .The 1905 Alberta Act grants Catholics the right to form separate school districts.
