The Alberta government’s public safety department posted a job opening for a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) director for corrections.
With an annual salary of $89,829 – $137,536/year, the Director of DEI and Wellness will be responsible for implementing a diversity and inclusion strategy for staff, and possibly inmates.
“With eight provincial adult correctional centres, two provincial youth correctional centres, and over 40 probation offices across the province, the Correctional Services Division (CSD) is responsible for the custody and supervision of adults and young persons under correctional authority,” the job posting reads.
“You will be responsible for researching, creating, implementing, and overseeing programs in the areas that involve equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and employee wellness. This includes developing plans towards mentoring, promotions, recruitment, engagement, mental health and wellness.”
DEI has come under intense scrutiny in recent months for effectively implementing reverse racism in hiring practices.
On December 15, X CEO Elon Musk called out DEI for replacing one form of discrimination with another. Other diversity hires have reared their ugly head of late, with one resulting Harvard University’s reputation becoming an international joke after they hired a black woman who seemingly plagiarized half of her scholarly work.
UCP at a crossroads with DEI
Nowhere in Premier Danielle Smith’s mandate to Mike Ellis, the Minister of Public Safety, is there a mandate to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Last year the United Conservative Party’s (UCP) Minister of Advanced Education, Rajan Sawhney, said that her party’s members do not represent the province at large and need to be educated on issues related to DEI.
Sawhney’s statement came just days after the UCP’s record-breaking annual general meeting, where members proposed — and passed — a number of non-binding policies for the government to consider, including one that called to abolish DEI offices in post-secondary institutions.
“The membership at the AGM doesn’t really reflect the broad base of the Conservative movement in the province,” Sawhney said.
“I think it’s always important to have conversations and have the opportunities to educate on exactly what some of these initiatives are as they relate to DEI,” she added.
Update 11:30 A.M: Minister Mike Ellis’s office responded to The Counter Signal’s inquiry: “Minister Ellis has often spoken about a paradigm shift where law enforcement agencies are no longer seen as an arm of the state, but rather an extension and a reflection of the communities they serve. The position mentioned includes the duties of supporting recruitment, engagement, mental health and wellness for employees. Successful candidates are selected based on their merits and qualifications.”
