Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard and Todd Lowen, MLA for Central Peace-Notley are two of 16 UCP MLAs denouncing the government's decision to reinstate COVID-19 health restrictions in an open letter to Albertans issued yesterday.

"We believe that yesterday's announcement to move our province backward, effectively abandoning the plan that Albertans had worked diligently over the past months to follow, is the wrong decision," states the letter.

"After 13 painstaking months of COVID-19 public health restrictions, we do not support the additional restrictions imposed on Albertans yesterday, and we will continue advocating for a transparent path forward that provides certainty to Alberta families, communities, and businesses."

The 16 MLAs also call upon their colleagues to join them in opposing the government's action.

Allard says in a Facebook post that “agonized over signing this letter” and that she holds her colleagues in high regard who have to make the decisions on COVID-19 restrictions.

Allard says that she remains committed to representing her constituents and advocating for them.

“Grande Prairie, I am committed to representing your voices and working in collaboration with my colleagues to secure a brighter future for all Albertans. That includes continuing to listen to my constituents, working together in transparency with leadership, and working to protect lives and livelihoods.”

In a post on Facebook. Loewen says, “Even as MLAs who sit in the government caucus, our job is to continually hold the Government (the executive branch, premier and cabinet) to account and represent our constituents.”

He also shared that “there is a large portion of Albertans (and caucus) who think there is a better way to handle COVID than heavy-handed, blanket restrictions. I have consistently pushed for a regional approach, sticking to a plan that does NOT take us backwards anymore, and a return to normal—no "new" normal!”

NDP leader Rachel Notley took a swing at Premier Jason Kenney on the matter during yesterday's question period.

"Instead of preparing for the inevitable reinstallation of restrictions, this premier has been distracted by the so-called free speech within his caucus, which is all about rejecting and undermining public health rules," said Notley. "Albertans deserve a government that respects science, that respects the law, that supports public health. Instead, they have been fighting among themselves, and they haven't been doing the work that Albertans expect."

Kenney said freedom of speech is a constitutional right that is alive and well in the UCP caucus and questioned if that is the case in the NDP caucus.

The open letter signed by 16 UCP MLAs.