Julia Hayter

Julia Hayter is an Edmonton-born Canadian politician from the Alberta New Democratic Party who was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Edgemont in the 2023 Alberta general election. She was the 964th Member to be sworn into the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. She serves as the Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Status of Women.

Life and career

Hayter received a developmental disability certificate from the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, British Columbia. She has worked for various non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals with disabilities. Hayter assisted people to live their best lives at work, at home, and in the community.  Prior to being elected- Hayter worked as an educational assistant with the Calgary Board of Education. With Hayter’s passion for public education and service to her community she served as chair and vice-chair on her children’s school council from 2017 to 2019. 

Hayter has worked extensively on election campaigns around the Calgary area, as well as having worked as a constituency assistant for a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Work in the community

It is very important for MLA Hayter to know the issues of the Calgary-Edgemont riding. She attends events within the communities and regularly canvasses the riding, knocking on doors asking constituents how they are doing and if there are any concerns with provincial government services that are impacting them.

MLA Hayter has an ongoing period poverty drive raising awareness for menstrual inequality. “Access to period products is a basic necessity and should not be considered a luxury. Eliminating the stigmas around menstruation and ensuring that everyone has equitable access to menstrual products will ensure a more equitable future for the menstruating population of Alberta.”

Her office collects donations of pads, tampons, period underwear and menstrual cups. As well, baby formula and diapers are collected to support those struggling in the community. These resources are given to local organizations and constituents within the Calgary-Edgemont riding.

Provincial politics

During the Fall sitting of the 31st legislative session, Hayter sponsored Motion 503, which addressed universal access to free prescription contraception. It was defeated on division by the UCP government.  This motion would have benefitted millions of Albertans throughout their lifetime, all the way from high school to perimenopause. This motion could save women up to $10,000 in their lifetime. It empowers people to make their own decisions based on health not price, this gives women control over their lives and futures. Throughout Canada, many provinces have had free contraception proposed or even accepted. British Columbia and Manitoba have announced free prescription contraceptives for residents. Similar motions have been presented in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. The federal government passed a bill that covers the costs of contraception. ⁶

Hayter introduced Bill 208, The Psycho-Educational Assessment Act  The bill is intended to address issues relating to access to psycho-educational assessments by creating a school psychological services committee. Psycho-educational assessments are a kind of psychological testing that children who display signs of ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, or giftedness can undergo to receive diagnoses and become familiar with their specific learning styles/needs. In 2019, over 114,000 students in Alberta schools were coded with special learning needs codes. However, experts estimate thousands more students have learning challenges that are going undiagnosed. Bill 208 ensures that children who need psych-eds will get them, but it goes a step further - ensuring teacher training and funding for complex classrooms are also addressed. Learning differences can present in many ways and teachers are not thoroughly taught how to recognize these signs, which often leads to only the most disruptive students getting flagged. This disproportionally affects girls as they often mask their challenges more than their male counterparts. Right now, in Alberta, children who need vital psycho-educational assessments are struggling to access them. This is because school board-funded psych ed assessments are limited, and private psych ed assessments are costly, ranging from ~$1000-$4000 and for some families, this fee is not covered by insurance. Bill 208 takes a critical step to ensure students, teachers, and staff have the support they need to ensure Alberta education stays world-class.

She is currently a member of the Standing Committee on Private Bills.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayter, Julia
Living people
Alberta New Democratic Party MLAs
21st-century Canadian women politicians
Women MLAs in Alberta
Politicians from Calgary
Politicians from Edmonton
Canadian women educators
21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
1974 births