Medicine Hat, AB – At its November 19, 2025 meeting, the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors unanimously adopted three significant policy positions aimed at reinforcing economic accountability in public service and improving access to allied health care across Alberta.

The newly adopted policies include:

1. Embedding Economic Stewardship in Alberta’s Code of Conduct and Ethics for Public Service
   This policy calls for the inclusion of economic stewardship and fiscal responsibility as guiding principles within Alberta’s public service ethics framework. By integrating these values, the Chamber seeks to ensure that government decision-making prioritizes long-term economic sustainability, transparency, and efficient resource management.

2. Embedding Economic Stewardship in Municipal Public Service
   Recognizing the critical role municipalities play in shaping local economies, this policy advocates for municipalities to incorporate economic stewardship. The goal is to foster responsible budgeting, innovation, and efficiency at the local level, ensuring that municipal governance supports competitiveness and community prosperity.

3. Equitable Billing and Referral Privileges for Allied Health Professionals
   To address systemic barriers in health care access, this policy recommends expanding billing and referral privileges beyond physicians to include allied health professionals. This change would reduce wait times, improve patient outcomes, and support a more integrated, team-based approach to health care delivery—particularly in rural and underserved areas.

These policies reflect our commitment to building a resilient economy. In addition, we know that a responsive health care system can help reduce downtime for businesses and employees when seeking to access care close to home,” said Aaron Fleming, President of the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce.

“Embedding economic stewardship into public service, mirrors a recently adopted policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce with a focus on the federal Government. Our Chamber felt it was important to have economic stewardship embedded into the values and ethics of all three levels of Government, mandating value-for-money reviews, economic impact assessments on decisions and reporting on economic outcomes. The policy focused on Equitable billing and referral privileges is intended to recognize our allied health professionals and the strength and skills they bring to health care services, ensuring that we have the ability to reduce wait times, improve patient outcomes and ensuring our health care professionals have reduced regulatory burden to provide the care patients need. We continually look at practical solutions that we can advocate for that will benefit businesses, communities, and families across Southeast Alberta.”

The Chamber will advance these policies through its provincial and municipal advocacy in the coming weeks, aligning with the Chamber’s broader mission to promote competitiveness, accountability, and sustainable growth in Southeast Alberta.

For more details on these policies, visit:

• Economic Stewardship in Alberta’s Public Service
• Economic Stewardship in Municipal Public Service
• Equitable Billing and Referral Privileges for Allied Health Professionals

Please direct all media inquiries to:

Aaron Fleming

Chamber of Commerce President, 2025-2026

Phone: (403) 527-5214 ext. 225

The Chamber of Commerce is a member-driven, volunteer-led organization, proudly representing the interests of businesses in our region, and working diligently to stimulate a strengthened and vibrant economy through our connections, support and influence. For over 125 years, the Chamber has stood for promoting business, monitoring government and championing managed growth in the local economy. The Chamber represents close to 900 businesses in our region and is aligned with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC), which represents over 24,000 businesses, the Canadian Chambers of Commerce (CCC), which represents over 200,000 businesses and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), representing over 45 million companies in more than 170 countries. With the largest and most influential business organizations locally, provincially, federally and internationally, the Chamber network is the most unified, valued and influential business network in Canada and works together to shape policy and programs that will make a difference to businesses in our region.