CALGARY—The United Conservative government won’t say how far it might go to enforce U.S.-crafted free-speech policies for universities in Alberta.

The UCP platform says the government will require universities and colleges to comply with free-speech policies that conform to the Chicago principles, which come from a statement crafted by scholars at the University of Chicago to affirm the school’s commitment to freedom of expression. Experts say that the principles gained wider attention, especially for politicians, after they were picked up by the U.S. right as a good model for protecting campus free speech.

Star Calgary asked the UCP government questions about the Chicago principles on Monday, but didn’t receive a response until Tuesday morning.

In a statement, Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides didn’t answer a direct question about whether Alberta post-secondary institutions could face penalties like funding cuts if they don’t comply with the Chicago principles.

That’s the approach Ontario Premier Doug Ford has taken in his requirement that the province’s universities and colleges adopt the Chicago principles.

Nicolaides said the Alberta government plans to have a “thorough, collaborative consultation with institutions, faculty, and students in order to fulfil this campaign promise, which Albertans have endorsed.”

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He added that he wants to see the pledge realized “in a way that does not simply create onerous administrative requirements.”

The government wants to see schools adhere to the Chicago principles, Nicolaides said, because they are “committed to ensuring that people’s fundamental freedoms are protected.”

He also connected freedom of expression to students’ future economic success, saying it helps “develop the critical thinking skill students will need to compete in the global economy.”

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Alberta’s new government also promised during the campaign to measure labour market outcomes of university programs “to identify the correlation between provincial subsidies and economic returns for taxpayers.”

It’s unclear whether Premier Jason Kenney will announce a deadline for universities to implement new policies that demonstrate commitment to the Chicago principles. Post-secondary institutions already have their own statements on supporting academic freedom and the right to freedom of expression.

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