Legislation on property rights, gun ownership, tourism and parental involvement in education should pique the interest of rural Albertans, the UCP House leader speculated as he announced plans for this week’s joint session of the legislature.

But pleasing people who live beyond the province’s cities is not driving his party’s fall agenda, Joseph Schow said before politicians returned to the House floor this week.

“We don’t necessarily distinguish between rural and urban Alberta. We govern for everyone,” Schow told reporters.

“So as a rural politician I certainly know the interests of my southern constituency and I trust that MPs know their own interests,” said the MP for Cardston-Siksika.

The UCP has highlighted 13 bills it plans to introduce this fall.

Among other things, the bills will affect rights, privacy and access to information; education, early learning and childcare; fairness and safety in sport; health; meat inspection; justice; financial status; and tourism.

The All-season Resorts Act will “recognize that there is a lot of Alberta to explore in a responsible and environmentally conscious way,” Schow said, answering a question about the legislation and rural Alberta.

“We have such a beautiful landscape and Albertans want to share that story with visitors to Alberta, the country and the rest of the world,” said Schow, who is also the minister of tourism and sport.

In an opening statement to the media, Schow addressed controversial topics surrounding the growing profile of transgender Albertans. The government plans to protect children from “making potentially life-changing and often irreversible decisions for adults that involve changing their biological sex,” he said.

The legislation will “support student success and well-being in school by strengthening the connections between parents and their children’s education.” It will make the sport fairer by ensuring biologically born women and girls can compete in female-only biological categories, he said.

To ensure transgender athletes can also “meaningfully participate in sport”, the government will support the creation of divisions for more than one gender, Schow said.

The government will continue to work with smaller municipalities in crafting new legislation, the House leader said in response to a question about major clashes with rural Alberta municipalities.

The association representing 69 counties and municipal districts in Alberta, the RMA has criticized the government on issues such as the regionalization of victim services and increased control over municipal decision-making.

“It’s important for us to make sure we can continue to work (with municipalities) in a seamless way, but also understand that sometimes our interests don’t always align,” Schow said.

“So when it comes to RMA, they do a good job on behalf of their members. And I personally interact with counties and municipalities all the time in the constituency. But I know at a much higher level, (Municipal Affairs Minister Ric) McIver is doing a tremendous job of reaching out, consulting with the RMA and other municipalities as they face challenges in our ever-evolving province.”

The absorption of 200,000 new Albertans last year is putting pressure on both rural and urban municipalities, Schow said.

“I applaud Mr. McIver. He has done a great job of consulting with municipalities, working with them and responding to their concerns.”