Ryan Berry

AM I A DEI HIRE? What a terrible question to have hanging over someone’s career simply because of the colour of their skin. Imagine spending years studying, working hard, making sacrifices and earning your qualifications, only to have someone quietly wonder whether you got the job because of your abilities, or you are another DEI hire?” Think about how insulting that is. Years of hard work and achievement reduced to race. And here’s the cruel irony: policies intended to empower minorities can sometimes leave them having to defend the very success they worked so hard to achieve. Let’s be clear. Racism and discrimination exist everywhere you go in the world. And for sure, civilized societies must confront them. And I believe many people who support DEI genuinely want to create a fairer society. But good intentions don’t always produce good outcomes, and we should be willing to question whether our approach is helping or hurting. I want an Alberta where every child can grow up believing something simple: If I work hard, develop my abilities and earn my qualifications, I will have a fair opportunity to succeed. Not because someone owes me a position. Not because an institution needs someone who looks like me. And certainly not because my background should define what others expect of me. But because I have something valuable to contribute. That’s what true inclusion should mean. Creating a fair opportunity for people to enter the room, contribute, succeed and be respected without anyone questioning why they’re there. That is why I wholeheartedly welcome Premier Danielle Smith’s government decision to introduce legislation aimed at putting merit and qualifications at the centre of public-sector hiring. Credit where credit is due! The Premier is bringing an important debate about merit, fairness and individual dignity into the open. We should NOT lower the bar but definitely remove the barriers. That’s exactly what this legislation is going to fix. DEI is nothing but replace discrimination with another form of unfairness. And don’t reduce anyone’s achievements to their race. Your skin colour is part of who you are. It should never be the explanation for what you’ve achieved. That’s the Alberta I believe in. And that’s why I support Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed public-sector hiring reforms. I admire her courage in tackling an issue that too often gets buried under political correctness and fear of controversy. Whether people agree with every detail or not, this is a debate worth having. Leadership sometimes means having the courage to challenge conventional thinking, ask uncomfortable questions and stand up for what you believe is right, even when it isn’t politically convenient. That’s the kind of courage I respect in Premier Smith. And that’s why I support her.