Alberta Hansard — 15 April 2009, Afternoon sitting (13:30) (Legislature 27, Session 2)

20090415

Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Alberta Hansard Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Issue 24 The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Kowalski, Hon. Ken, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, Speaker Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Mitzel, Len, Cypress-Medicine Hat, Deputy Chair of Committees Ady, Hon. Cindy, Calgary-Shaw (PC), Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Allred, Ken, St.

Albert (PC) Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Solicitor General and Public Security Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Berger, Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Sustainable Resource Development Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Advanced Education and Technology Blackett, Hon.

Lindsay, Calgary-North West (PC), Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (AL), Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition Official Opposition House Leader Boutilier, Guy C., Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (PC) Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Nose Hill (PC) Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Campbell, Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Deputy Government Whip Chase, Harry B., Calgary-Varsity (AL), Official Opposition Whip Dallas, Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) Danyluk, Hon. Ray, Lac La Biche-St.

Paul (PC), Minister of Municipal Affairs DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Denis, Jonathan, Calgary-Egmont (PC) Doerksen, Arno, Strathmore-Brooks (PC) Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Elniski, Doug, Edmonton-Calder (PC) Evans, Hon. Iris, Sherwood Park (PC), Minister of Finance and Enterprise Fawcett, Kyle, Calgary-North Hill (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (PC) Fritz, Hon. Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC), Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Goudreau, Hon.

Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace (PC), Minister of Employment and Immigration Griffiths, Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Agriculture and Rural Development Groeneveld, Hon. George, Highwood (PC), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Minister of Education, Government House Leader Hayden, Hon. Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC), Minister of Infrastructure Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St.

Albert (PC), Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Jablonski, Hon. Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC), Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC) Johnson, Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC) Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL) Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC), Minister of Service Alberta Knight, Hon. Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC), Minister of Energy Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Liepert, Hon. Ron, Calgary-West (PC), Minister of Health and Wellness Lindsay, Hon.

Fred, Stony Plain (PC), Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Lukaszuk, Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (AL) Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (NDP), Leader of the NDP Opposition McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) McQueen, Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Environment Morton, Hon.

F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC), Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (NDP), Deputy Leader of the NDP Opposition, NDP Opposition House Leader Oberle, Frank, Peace River (PC), Government Whip Olson, Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC) Ouellette, Hon. Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC), Minister of Transportation Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (AL), Deputy Official Opposition Whip Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Redford, Hon. Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC), Minister of Justice and Attorney General Renner, Hon.

Rob, Medicine Hat (PC), Minister of Environment, Deputy Government House Leader Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Education Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Health and Wellness Snelgrove, Hon. Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC), President of the Treasury Board Stelmach, Hon. Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC), Premier, President of Executive Council Stevens, Hon.

Ron, QC, Calgary-Glenmore (PC), Deputy Premier, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL), Leader of the Official Opposition Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (AL) Tarchuk, Hon. Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC), Minister of Children and Youth Services Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (AL) VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste.

Anne (PC) Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Weadick, Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Webber, Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Energy Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Employment and Immigration Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Minister of Aboriginal Relations, Deputy Government House Leader Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly Clerk W.J. David McNeil Clerk Assistant/ Director of House Services Louise J. Kamuchik Clerk of Journals/Table Research Micheline S.

Gravel Senior Parliamentary Counsel Robert H. Reynolds, QC Senior Parliamentary Counsel Shannon Dean Sergeant-at-Arms Brian G. Hodgson Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms J. Ed Richard Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms William C. Semple Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Liz Sim

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 639 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, 2009 [Mr. Mitzel in the chair] head: Prayers The Acting Speaker: Let us pray. As Canadians and as Albertans we give thanks for the precious gifts of freedom and the peace we enjoy. As Members of this Legislative Assembly we rededicate ourselves to the valued traditions of parliamentary democracy as a means of serving our province and our country. Amen. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Guests The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Lacombe-Ponoka. Mr.

Prins: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me a great deal of pleasure today to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly a group of children from Clive public school. They are accompanied by their teacher, Mrs. Christine Howe, and teaching assistants Mrs. Carrie Knight and Mrs. Jackie Healing and parent helpers Adam Schedlosky, Mrs. Hanne Giles, and Mrs. Jamie Hodgkinson. They are seated in the members’ gallery. I would ask them to rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. Thank you. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Decore. Mrs. Sarich: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Today it gives me great pleasure and is my honour to rise to introduce to you and through you to all members of the House visitors from my constituency of Edmonton-Decore. There are 44 students in the members’ gallery from Northmount elementary school, who are joined by t eachers Miss Jill Sharun and Miss Krystal Mah, teacher assistant Mrs. Deana Gates, parent helpers Mrs. Monique Pomeranz and Mrs. April Monkman. I would now ask that the students of Northmount elementary school, their t eachers, teacher assistant, and parent helpers rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. Thank you.

The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I am delighted today to introduce to you and to all members of the Assembly some crackerjack students from Edmonton-Riverview, Our Lady of Victories school. I spoke with them before we entered the Assembly, and I can tell you that not only are they very bright and well educated; I think a handful of them might well end up being members of this Assembly some day. They are accompanied by teachers Mr. Mike Marr, Mrs. Laura Blythe, and Mrs. Therese Savard and parent helper Doreen Sasseville. They’re in both galleries.

I’d ask them to rise, and let’s give them a warm welcome. Thank you. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to rise to introduce a very special guest this afternoon. His name is Andrew Halliday. He is my new constituency assistant, who has recently arrived in Alberta from Prince Edward Island. I met Andrew some time ago. We share a common passion for politics. Despite his youth he has a deep understanding of this country and the important role of the Legislature and governments.

He worked extensively in the Leader of the Opposition’s office in Prince Edward Island. I am very pleased that he has been able to join us today. I’d ask him to rise in the members’ gallery and receive the warm welcome of the House. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. Mr. Blackett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to rise today to introduce to you and through you to all members of this Assembly Mr. Francis Damberger, a U of A graduate and a producer and associate director of the Canadian war epic Passchendaele.

Also joining us today, seated in the members’ gallery, are location sound recordist Garrell Clark and costume designer Wendy Partridge. Alongside his work on Passchendaele Mr. Damberger is a respected award-winning filmmaker whose credits include On the Edge, Due South, Solitaire, and North of 60, just to name a few. He is a true Renaissance man of the screen, with multiple wr iting, directing, and acting credits to his name. It is truly an honour to have such a talented and unique man with us today.

I want to applaud his efforts and the efforts of the entire crew of Passchen- daele for helping to create an opportunity to tell an Alberta-based story at home and abroad, not to mention the six awards that they won at the recent Genies, that I was lucky to be able to be part of, in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago. Passchendaele is no ordinary project, Mr. Speaker. It was a centennial-funded project that tells an important part of Alberta’s history and is a memorial to our coun- try’s veterans and the sacrifices they made in the First World War. The entire film was shot in Alberta. Mr.

Speaker, I’d ask that the three individuals rise and receive the warm reception of this House. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you to the members of this Assembly four people from Angel Flight Alberta. Organized in 2006, Angel Flight Alberta is a charitable organization that provides free and accessible air transpor- tation for people who must travel for medical purposes.

There are many individuals who need to travel to centralized medical facilities in Edmonton and Calgary who do not always have the financial means to pay. Angel Flight Alberta exists to serve Albertans in need. I’ll be discussing this organization further in a member’s statement, but for now I would like to introduce Dr. Kerry Pawluski, the founder; Mr. Ernest Pawluski, founder; Mrs. Mary Ellen Pawluski, who we affectionately now refer to as the mom of Angel Flights; and Mr. Peter Moloney, the director of Angel Flights.

I would ask all four of them, who are seated in the members’ gallery, to please rise and receive the traditional warm greetings of the Assembly. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Mr. Sandhu: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to introduce to you and through you to this Assembly 25 truck operators in the gravel hauling business. They are all sitting in the members’ gallery. Many of these visitors live in my beautiful constituency of Edmonton-Manning. They are hard-working people, like all other Albertans. I would like to thank each and every one of

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009640 them for taking time out of their busy schedules to be here today. It was a great honour that the hon. Minister of Transportation was able to come and meet these truck operators as well. They are here today to thank our government for wo rking with them to allow for common-sense change to hauling for loose loads of gravel. I would ask these fine gentlemen to stand and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. Thank you very much. head: Members’ Statements The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Manning. Vehicular Axle Weight Restrictions Mr.

Sandhu: Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I introduced some truck operators from the Edmonton area who are sitting in the members’ gallery today. I now rise today to speak about an issue that is important to my constituents and many other Albertans in the gravel trucking business. When I was door-knocking last year, I met lots of truck operators who raised the issue of axle weight restrictions. That’s why I had proposed Motion 610 urging the government to amend the Traffic Safety Act to allow for the shifting of loose loads during transporta- tion.

These truck drivers must follow the laws about the weights that they can haul, both for gross vehicle weight and also for limitations placed on each vehicle’s axle. Truck drivers were being fined if their load shifted, making the load too heavy on one axle, even if the load was balanced at first but moved while driving. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that Department of Transporta- tion officers are working with the truck drivers by generously providing for a 10 per cent weight allowance on an axle.

I am very proud that this government has acted on this issue that was the subject of my first motion, being as it was very important to me and to my constituents. Overall, Mr . Speaker, these allowances are a demonstration of how the province is co-operating with Albertans on a common-sense issue. I would also like to thank the hon. Minister of Transportation, the hon. Minister of Aboriginal Relations, from Edmonton-Mill Creek, who started working on this issue one year ago, and the Member for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne for their work on this file. Mr. Speaker, this was my first victory as MLA for Edmonton- Manning.

Thank you. The Acting Speaker: Hon. members, we have another person celebrating a special day today, and that is the hon. Member for Lacombe-Ponoka. Please join me in wishing him the very best. The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. 1:40 Budget Criticism Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If this government’s depression-recession recovery plan A is awful and there’s no plan B backup, what can Albertans do to break their budgetary blunder blues? The traumatic duo of Red I and Pink Lloyd have made it too expensive to drown your sorrows, and you’re too broke to smoke.

If their boom-bust budget gives you a pain in the neck or lower extremities, you’re out of luck because chiropractic services are no longer covered. If you can’t see your name on a cataract surgery list, it could be (

a) your growing glaucoma, (

b) the lack of publicly funded/staffed operating rooms, or (

c) the exceeded budget for privately contracted services. Forty per cent of single-coverage seniors have been double Blue Crossed by this government into covering the costs of the other 60 per cent. With the critical shortage of long-term care beds lucky senior lottery winners get first dibs on acute-care beds while the losers get hospital hallways. Depending on how you spell it, superboard or superbored either refers to the centralized oversight of health services delivery or the perpetual state of mind of 80,000 and rising jobless Albertans unable to find work.

The once popular catchphrase Alberta advantage has now become a historical reference reserved only for Conservative cabinet ministers, who awarded themselves a 35 per cent raise last year and bonused their deputies and top-ranking officials to the tune of 40 million taxpayer dollars this year. The government ministers responsible for these excesses shouldn’t be in charge of selecting new mottos for Alberta licence plates. They should be behind bars manufacturing them.

Whether you’re one of the 21 per cent of eligible Albertans who mistakenly voted for these tired Tories or you’re one of the 79 per cent that didn’t, your opinion counts. Visit our Alberta Liberal caucus website at www.budget2009.ca or call us at 1.888.886.budg. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Angel Flight Alberta Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dr. Kerry Pawluski, founder of Angel Flight, has been flying for 21 years. In those 21 years he has used the Edmonton City Centre Airport extensively.

It has afforded him the opportunity to commute between Grande Prairie and Two Hills, where he has provided medical locum tenens services in the past. It has also enabled him to bring patients into Edmonton for admission to the Stollery or Royal Alexandra hospital for timely care. Dr. Pawluski is able to ta ke in-patients from the Royal Alex hospital back to High Level or Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan, thus freeing up critical bed space in a timely fashion. One of the major issues that Angel Flight sees on a daily basis deals with health care accessibility for rural Albertans.

Angel Flight believes that without the Edmonton City Centre Airport, this issue of accessibility could worsen. This organization strives to ease the burden that individuals in need of health care face by utilizing a network of volunteer pilots, aircraft owners, and ground support. Angel Flight Alberta is modelled after Angel Flight Vancouver Island, which serves a population one-quarter the size of Alberta’s, with a geographic area one-tenth the size of this province. Angel Flight Vancouver has been in operation for the last seven years and consistently provides about 150 flights per year.

This is the number which Angel Flight Alberta anticipates reaching in the near future. Angel Flight’s objective is to transport ambulatory patients whose medical and/or financial situations make it difficult or impossible for them to travel by conventional means. The service that Angel Flight Alberta provides to Albertans in need is truly commendable. They are one of the many organizations that rely on the Edmonton City Centre Airport. While Angel Flight Alberta operates from my constituency of Edmonton-Calder, it affects each and every one of your constituencies, both rural and ur ban.

It is important to keep organizations like this one alive and well for all Albertans in need. Thank you. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay. Education Awards Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Calgary board of education’s Barbara Bannon, principal of Olympic Heights elemen-

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 641 tary school, was recognized as a woman of vision by Global TV for her efforts in actively engaging and inspiring good deeds and hard work in her students, staff, and greater community. Under Ms Bannon’s leadership Olympic Heights has dedicated itself to creating an environment of peace in the sc hool and sur- rounding community as a member of Peaceful Schools International. Barbara’s vision has motivated students, parents, and staff at Olympic Heights to take on many humanitarian endeavours such as Children Changing the World.

With the co-operation of her students and community they have contributed to the construction of 15 water wells in rural India and raised funds to help build schools for children in Africa. Barbara has also championed environmental stewardship at her school. Through a partnership with Enmax and the Calgary board of education Olympic Heights became the pilot school for the Gen E program. The program gives students and teachers the opportunity to explore the environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse gases.

Through this stewardship Barbara continuously promotes environ- mental responsibility and encourages staff and students to reduce their own environmental footprints. Continuing on the environmental stewardship front, the Calgary board of education is being recognized as the first school board in western Canada to receive the EcoLogo environmental stewardship award. The CBE received the award for choosing environmentally preferable cleaning chemicals that help protect the environment as well as the health of staff and students.

The CBE was nominated by Avmor Ltd. to receive this award, an award that recognizes organi- zations for their commitment to environmental protection through green purchasing. CBE received this recognition as it has success- fully rolled out a comprehensive Clean for Health program. I congratulate the Calgary board of education and Ms Bannon for receiving these awards. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Decore. Royal Tyrrell Museum Education Award Mrs. Sarich: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It gives me great pleasure to inform this Assembly that Alberta’s Royal Tyrrell Museum recently won a national award from the Canadian Museums Association. Each year the association presents awards to celebrate and encourage excellence within the Canadian museum sector. In January the Royal Tyrrell Museum’s distant learning program was selected for an award for outstanding achievement in the education category. This is the second straight year that the Tyrrell has won an award for its efforts in educational programming.

The museum received its award at the Canadian Museums Association annual conference in the month of March. Using video conferencing equipment in conjunction with the Alberta SuperNet, the Tyrrell has delivered 475 programs to over 12,800 students in Alberta, Canada, the United States, and abroad. Mr. Speaker, this award is a testament to the high quality of educational programming at our province’s museums and historic sites.

The Tyrrell has also helped to meet one of the four key points of our province’s cultural policy by ensuring that Albertans have greater access to our culture, in this case to education programs at our museums and historical sites. Special heartfelt congratulations to all of the staff of the Royal Tyrrell Museum for their continued pursuit of educational excel- lence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. head: Oral Question Period The Acting Speaker: The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Health System Restructuring Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This administration continues to shoot itself in the hip as it dismantles Alberta’s most cherished public health care system. What Albertans want is a careful, honest analysis of evidence, respect for public values, and a planned approach to change in the health care system itself. Instead, what we get resembles a car careening along the road and lurching into the right ditch. To the minister of health: what evidence did the minister use to create the Alberta Health Services Board? 1:50 Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr.

Speaker, first of all, it seems like there’s a little competition over there between the two opposition parties as to who can be the most outrageous in their

preambles to the questions. I know that there’s . . . An Hon. Member: Who’s winning? Mr. Liepert: Well, I think they’re both losing if you want to know the truth. Mr. Speaker, I’ve answered that question on several occasions in this House. There were a number of reasons for the creation of the Alberta Health Services Board, and those reasons are going to continually become more obvious as we move forward. I would say that the most recent one is the fact that without one health services board it would have been very difficult to integrate emergency medical services into the health care system.

I think that’s the most recent one. Dr. Swann: Again to the minister: what benefits can Albertans see right now from the creation of this Alberta Health Services Board? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I just answered that question. Over the next year we will lay out in conjunction with Alberta Health Services Board some performance measurements that we will hold the board and the management team of Alberta Health Services accountable for.

I would suggest and I have said publicly that I think that anyone – only the Liberals and the Calgary Herald would have expected that we would have seen efficiencies during the administrative changeover. This is the test year. Dr. Swann: Again to the minister: what is the health budget based on if a major decision like delisting 40 services isn’t included? Mr. Liepert: Well, I know that the Leader of the Opposition hasn’t had much experience in drafting budgets, Mr. Speaker, but there is an incredible amount of input that goes into the drafting of a budget.

I could go through all of those details, but it would seem to me that that would be an appropriate question to ask during estimates, when I can take all the time, up to three hours, to explain that to the hon. leader. The Acting Speaker: Second question. The Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier has given this health minister an axe to perform complex surgery to our health care system. Yesterday in this House the minister admitted that the decision to cut gender reassignment surgery was not based on

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009642 medical advice. To the minister: is the minister of health going to create an expert panel to advise on which health services to delist? Yes or no? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Member for Calgary- Buffalo asked me a similar question, and I can repeat what I believe is in Hansard. One of the things that we have discussed is the need to create – for lack of a better term let’s call it an expert panel. This expert panel would operate in a similar way that the one on drugs does.

It operates very well and gives good, independent advice to government on what should be covered under publicly funded health care and what shouldn’t be. Dr. Swann: Well, yesterday the minister said that “there’s a list of some 30 or 40 different programs and grants and coverages that will not be proceeding.” If the minister already has a list of 40 programs he’s going to cut, will this expert panel simply be a rubber stamp for his decisions? Mr. Liepert: Well, the expert panel, Mr.

Speaker, would be one that would be more designed to look forward as new technologies and new procedures come into the marketplace and determine whether or not they should be publicly funded. I would hope that this panel, once up and running, would also have the ability to have the independency to take a look at what currently is covered under publicly funded health care and make recommendations to govern- ment. The Acting Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the minister table the list of 30 or 40 services that he’s planning to delist?

If not, why not in the interests of transparency? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, what we have found is that through our department we funded a number of programs and grants for a number of things and that there were some duplications in the previous health regions and sometimes in other departments. Now that we have one delivery arm of health care in this province, what we have decided to do is go through our budget and, appropriately so, send those delivery programs to Alberta Health Services. It will be up to Alberta Health Services to decide which programs are duplicative in nature and which ones should continue.

What we need to ensure is that we’re not, as I say, duplicating services but, most importantly, having the right arm delivering the services. The Acting Speaker: Third Official Opposition question. The hon. Member for Calgary-Currie. Nurses’ Contract Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Health and Wellness stated recently that he feels that the nurses contract in Alberta is a horrible deal, and in order to address the inefficiencies that deal caused, he doesn’t mind pushing for contract changes even if it “creates some angst among the union leadership.” To the minister: why is the minister punishing nurses when it was he and his government who created the inefficiencies in the first place? You guys signed the deal that you say is so bad. Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, nobody’s punishing anybody.

We have a contract with United Nurses in this province which the government – I must correct the member – did not sign. The contract with the United Nurses of Alberta is with the former regional association. Any new contract will be negotiated with Alberta Health Services. We are in a different environment than we were when the last contract was signed. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dodged that bullet.

The nurses union has said that the solution is to hire more nurses because right now you don’t have enough part-time nurses in the system to cover the workload without running up a huge overtime bill. Why wasn’t this recognized back when the deal was signed? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, we can debate whether hiring more nurses or having more nurses that work part-time work full-time is going to help solve the issue around the delivery of health care, but what this government is committed to do is ensure that we have a more efficient, more accessible health care system than we currently have today.

The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That, of course, involves having enough bodies to deliver the services that the front-line patients need. Given that this minister feels that front-line nurses should be taking the fall for the government’s failures, will the minister also be decreasing his own salary to reflect his own failures in the manage- ment of the public health care system in the province of Alberta? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, as is so typical of this particular member, he’s saying things that have never been said.

Nobody is saying that anybody should be taking a pay cut, and I think that’s what he’s alluding to. Again, this is one of the issues we have in dealing with this particular opposition continuing to fearmonger out there and, quite frankly, not tell the truth in most cases. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Delisting of Medical Services Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, the smiling mask of our Premier has finally slipped, and Albertans are seeing the grim privatization visage of Ralph Klein.

The Premier hid his plans to privatize health care during the election, but last week he revealed his plans to delist services. It doesn’t matter if you call it a two-tier system, the third way, or private health care, it all means the same thing: Albertans won’t get the health care that they need. My question is to the Premier. Why won’t you admit that you’re taking advantage of this recession to do what you’ve always wanted: bring in U.S. two-tier health care? Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, there have been perhaps two parties that talked about privatized two-tier American health care system; that has been the NDP and the Liberals. Mr. Mason: Mr. Speaker, there’s one party that doesn’t talk about it but keeps trying to do it. Alberta’s delisted health services now include chiropractic care, gender reassignment surgery, eye care, seniors’ drug coverage. Lab services are next, and physiotherapy is in the government’s sights. This government is systematically dismantling public health care in

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 643 Alberta, leaving Albertans of modest means out in the cold. To the Premier: why didn’t you tell Albertans during the last election about your plans to resurrect the third way and to dismantle our public health care system? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, once again the leader of the third party is wrong. We were very clear in the commitment we made to Albertans during the last election, and that is that we support a publicly funded health care system.

We’re also going to ensure that the system that we enjoy today will be sustained well into the future not only for our children but for our grandchildren. 2:00 Mr. Mason: Mr. Speaker, the Premier would like Albertans to believe that, but in actual fact they don’t want to end up sitting broke in wheelchairs, wracked with pain because they can’t get the necessary services that they want because they can’t afford them. The delisting of essential medical services will send more people to hospitals, increase wait times, and make health care more expensive. My question is to the Premier.

When will you realize that the only way to maintain a healthy population is through a publicly funded and publicly delivered system, not the third way, not the fourth way, and certainly not the American way? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I agree with him. We’re all together in supporting a publicly funded health system, and we’re going to ensure that health care is delivered in a timely and accessible fashion, that the system is effective, that it’s accessible to all Albertans.

We’re going to work with all of the health care providers in this province to build in the efficiencies and the effectiveness and, most importantly, the sustainability for the next generation. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Strathmore-Brooks, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Provincial Deficit Mr. Doerksen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that my constitu- ents, like most Albertans, understand that the province is facing some economic challenges related to the global financial situation.

They understand that we are in a deficit position for the first time in well over a decade, and they do want to understand this govern- ment’s plan to deal with that. My first question is to the Minister of Finance and Enterprise. Can the minister assure Albertans with regard to the government’s plan to deal with the current deficit situation? Ms Evans: Mr. Speaker, I’m actually very pleased to answer this and to give an accolade to the hon. member asking the question for his work with grade 6 students in his constituency to make sure they understand what we’re doing.

With that in mind, I’m going to just say that the sustainability fund is our government’s plan to deal with the deficit. It’s part of our savings for emergencies, part of the way we protect ourselves when revenue drops. So when we don’t have enough money to meet our expenses, it’s like taking money from our savings account and putting it into our chequing account so that we can cover those expenses. This year we will spend $4.7 billion to cover that deficit. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Doerksen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My second question to the same minister: will that drawdown affect the Alberta heritage savings trust fund in any way? The Acting Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s with those children in the town of Strathmore in mind that we’re saving for the future. The heritage savings trust fund does just that. We have no intent to touch any portion of that fund. We will use the funds from the sustain- ability fund next year. Anticipating that this period of recession will continue, we’ll use some $2.8 b illion to help, again, top up our chequing account.

In the third and final year of what we expect to be a deficit situation, we’ll use $1.8 billion, expecting to return to a surplus situation in 2012. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Doerksen: Thank you. The third question to the same minister, Mr. Speaker. In the report on the budget there has been some combining of the capital and sustainability funds. Can the minister provide some clarity with regard to the future of those funds and what role they’ll play into the future? The Acting Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We understand that over the longer term there will be always some volatility in a very energy- rich province like we are, so we have protected for the shorter term savings in the sustainability fund, funds to make sure that we follow through with the capital commitments, with our carbon capture and storage commitments, with our commitments for the public transit through Green TRIP. In one entire account of $17 billion we will be able to accommodate these expenditures during this period of a deficit.

In short, when we get surplus funds, we will replenish this account so that we build it back up to roughly $10 billion, at least to that level, before we put any other savings elsewhere. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar, followed by the hon. Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose. Delisting of Medical Services (continued) Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since 1992 there have been 11 deputy ministers of health. We have gone from 17 health regions to nine health regions to now one supermess.

While this government spends lavishly on bureaucratic reorganization, salaries, and multimillion dollar severances for senior executives and hand- picked advisers, it cuts core public health care services. My first question is to the minister of health. Why won’t the minister of health just admit that it is this government’s mismanagement, total mismanagement, of the public health care system that is the disease? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, what I will admit is what I said yesterday in this House. It’s these two parties who want to stay with the status quo. The status quo is not sustainable.

If we stay with the status quo, we will have exactly what they say this government is trying to do, and that is more private health care because we won’t be able to continue to afford to provide what we are today. So today we are making some very tough decisions to ensure that the publicly funded health care is here for generations to come. Mr. MacDonald: Mr. Speaker, Albertans know that this minister and this government are willingly dismantling our public health care system. Now, an access to information request shows that an $1,800-a-day consultant to the Alberta Health Services Board was allowed to

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009644 charge thousands of dollars more to the taxpayers than his contract stated. In six months this c onsulting contract realized over $240,000. Again to the minister of health: how can the minister of health fail in basic contract accounting and then cut public health care services to try to make up for his own mistakes? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I have no idea what he’s talking about. If he wants to supply me with the information, I’d be happy to answer the question, and if he wants to show up at estimates in a couple of weeks, that would be an appropriate question to ask.

The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The hon. minister knows exactly what I’m talking about. Again to the hon. minister. When the Alberta Health Services Board, that this minister controls and hand-picks, fired its executive operating officer after just eight months, Albertans were left on the hook for potentially over a million dollar severance package for one executive. How can the minister of health now turn to vulnerable Albertans such as sick Albertans and senior citizens and take away their services in order to pay for your own mismanagement? Mr.

Liepert: Let’s make sure we have it on the record. In this particular budget that we’ve just brought forward, Alberta Health Services has an additional $550 million to deliver services to Albertans. This particular government, Mr. Speaker, is ensuring that out of all of the departments health care received the largest increase in expenditures. We are committed to a publicly funded health care system. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Wetaskiwin-Camrose, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. First Nations Consultation Capacity Mr. Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My questions are all for the Minister of Aboriginal Relations. First Nations receive numerous consultation requests, very often from industry, regarding everything from clearing of trees, building of roads, bridging creeks, oil and gas wells, and so on, and I think that a lot of the times they don’t have the capacity to respond as quickly or as thoroughly as everyone would hope. I have some concerns about this capacity issue, and I’m wondering if the minister can advise what he’s doing to make sure that the First Nations can respond to these requests. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Minister of Aboriginal Relations.

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, thank you. Thank you, hon. member, for the question. It’s a very serious issue. Consultation is something we take very seriously, and I know industry does, too. Obviously, First Nations are critical partners. We do a lot to help them through a program called the consultation capacity investment program. In fact, this year, hon. member, we’ll be providing another $6.6 million to help facilitate that consultation capacity.

In central Alberta, around the area where the hon. member serves, we provided over a quarter of a million dollars just recently to help facilitate consultations in that area. We also have the important traditional use studies program. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Olson: Thank you. Yes. Regarding the traditional use studies, I know they yield critical information that’s needed, and I under- stand that they’re living documents, that they don’t necessarily get done once and come to an end.

I’m wondering what the minister’s intention is in terms of continuing the support for this program so that that information is readily available. 2:10 Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, that was a three-year program that was scheduled to end March 31 of this year, but I’m happy to inform the House and this hon. member in particular that we were success- ful in getting that program continued. We’ll be adding 1.7 million new dollars into that traditional use studies program because it does yield that critical information.

That’ll bring our total investment over the past six years up to over $12 million for traditional use studies, a very important consultation piece. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Olson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question relates to the other side of the coin, which is the need for industry to have certainty and predictability. I’m wondering, from an industry perspective, what specific steps are being taken to ensure that within the existing consultation process they are receiving that kind of timely information and help. Mr. Zwozdesky: Well, Mr.

Speaker, there are several initiatives that the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations provides and has under way at the moment. For example, we are going to be reviewing the 2005 First Nations consultation policy and guidelines. We’ll also be looking at the aboriginal policy framework. We also are developing a trilateral process involving First Nations, industry, the government of Alberta.

At the same time we also have the new protocol agreement signed by our Premier, the grand chiefs, and myself, and that ensures and guarantees annual meetings, at least three per year, that will help with the particular issue at hand. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview, followed by the hon. Member for St. Albert. Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

The cardiovascular intensive care unit at the Mazankowski heart centre, according to the Alberta Health Services website, is “a 20-bed dynamic, fast-paced unit providing care to patients pre and post open-heart surgery.” The website also lists its hours of operation: zero. In fact, the hours of operation for the cardiac rehab program, the cardiology in-patient unit, and almost every other program at the Mazankowski are listed as zero. Things are better for the lost and found, which has been open for one hour. Maybe the minister of health should go there to look for his lost credibility.

To the Minister of Health and Wellness: a year after the official opening why does the Mazankowski stand empty? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, it’s my understanding that there have been some issues around commissioning this particular facility. It is a highly technical facility. I will say that it’s important for this member to recognize that it was not the government of Alberta that had the official opening. It was the former Capital health region that had the official opening. What we want to ensure is that when patients are in that facility, there are no safety issues.

If the member wants to stand here and say, “Open the building before you’re satisfied that it’s safe,” then have him do so. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member.

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 645 Dr. Taft: Well, thanks. The fact that the Mazankowski institute stands empty a year after it was officially opened is a testament to this government’s inability to manage a public health care system. Staff and patients are furious, Mr. Speaker. They rightly believe that this government and this minister are not competent to run the health care system. Will the Minister of Health and Wellness admit that the construction of the Mazankowski institute has been brutally bungled by this government? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr.

Speaker, the reality of it is that this government is not managing the construction of the Mazankowski Heart Institute. It started out under the Capital health region and is currently being managed by Alberta Health Services. Now, I have recently been in contact with the new CEO of Alberta Health Services. He assures me that . . . [interjections] I don’t know if the yipper over here wants the floor or not, but if he wants it, he can have it. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

Cardiac intensive care unit hours of operation, zero; echocardiography lab, zero; ECG-Holter monitoring lab, zero; cardiovascular surgery in-patient unit, zero; and on and on the list goes. Given that the Minister of Health and Wellness has misled his Premier, who thought that facility was fully operating, and has misled this Assembly about the functioning of the M azan- kowski, will he at least give this Assembly a list of the commission- ing and engineering problems that have led to this delay? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, cardiac patients in this province today receive some of the best care in the world.

For this particular member to stand here and say what he’s saying is an insult to the medical community of this province. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for St. Albert, followed by the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East. Dirt Fill for Anthony Henday Drive Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The contract for the north- west leg of the Anthony Henday ring road was let in August of last year, and I continue to be amazed at the progress that they’re making adjacent to St. Albert. The amount of earth that has been moved and the progress on several of the overpass structures has been beyond expectations.

In the open houses held last year, residents were advised that several tree stands within the transportation and utility corridor would be preserved. Now it appears that these tree stands have been removed in order to accommodate excess excavation. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Why did trees have to be removed to stockpile excess dirt? Mr. Ouellette: Well, Mr. Speaker, the trees were recently cleared so that we could permanently store excess dirt removed from the interchange at St. Albert Trail.

The reason we have all this surplus material is due to the fact that we’ve excavated Anthony Henday Drive below St. Albert Trail. It’s been dug down to reduce the noise and visual impact of the interchange, and the surplus material has been placed along the outside edge of the roadway. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Allred: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. A supplemental to the same minister: is it not customary in road design to balance the cuts and fills in order to optimize haulage distances and avoid having to either borrow or waste dirt from offsite? Mr. Ouellette: Well, Mr.

Speaker, yes, we typically balance all the cuts and fills. In fact, to a large degree that’s what’s being done there. The excess dirt from St. Albert Trail is being hauled to other interchanges where the dirt is needed. For example, it’s being hauled to the bridges at Yellowhead Trail and 137th Avenue, but unfortunately there’s so much extra dirt that we’ve needed to store it near that interchange. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My final supplemental to the same minister: in view of the fact that there is excess material, can this material be used to constr uct and landscape berms in order to reduce traffic noise from the completed freeway? Also, can some of the trees that have been removed be replaced? Mr. Ouellette: Yes, Mr. Speaker, we can and we will be landscap- ing the excess dirt. We’ll be shaping the mounds and seeding them with grass. The mounds of excess dirt will be wide and flat and about two and a half metres high. For nearby residents that will help to provide some visual screening from the road.

Although the excess dirt was not designed for noise attenuation, it will help reduce noise, I’m sure, from the roadway. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Blue Cross Premiums Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The minister of Health has said that his justification for tr ipling the cost of premiums for nongroup participants was to bring Blue Cross more in line with employer and private insurance plans.

Is it not a contradiction for a minister of a public health system to feel that his top priority is to make our public health care compete with private insurance plans? To the Minister of Health and Wellness: can the minister clarify if he was referring to the cost of the coverage or the services being covered when he said yesterday in this House that it was necessary to bring Blue Cross up to the equivalency with the employer plans? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, the government of Alberta offers through Blue Cross a government program for some hundred thousand Albertans for supplemental insurance.

The premiums for that particular plan have not increased since 1993. The government of Alberta was subsidizing a hundred thousand Albertans to a signifi- cant degree with their supplemental insurance, to the point where we were having employees of corporations or employer plans drop off those particular plans and subscribe to the government-run plan. If the Liberal opposition wants us to subsidize an insurance plan for some hundred thousand Albertans, then say so. 2:20 Ms Pastoor: That was a bit of a reach.

The most recent financial statements from Blue Cross show that it has positive net assets and even ran a surplus. Why was it necessary to increase the premiums , or is this the first step to privatizing Blue Cross for profit? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, the question shows how naive this particular opposition is about how th is particular program runs, so

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009646 let me explain it to them. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit corporation. They do, however, on behalf of the government of Alberta adminis- ter our government plan. The government plan has absolutely nothing to do with the profits or lack of profits that Blue Cross makes on its private insurance plans. I hope it’s clear to the member. Mr. MacDonald: It’s like crop insurance. Ms Pastoor: Yeah. Exactly. One of the questions we’ve received for Budget 2009 is from Victor in Edmonton. “My wife and I, both seniors, live on pensions.

Both being cardiac patients, we spend almost $600 a month on prescription drugs. The proposed government drug plan starting in 2010 will mean our paying several thousand dollars before benefits kick in. My question: barring selling our home or going back to work, where do we get the money to pay for this?” Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, let me assure Victor, as I have assured the Member for Lethbridge-East, that we have heard from seniors that in light of a changed economic environment there are some issues around the seniors drug plan that we announced last Decem- ber.

I have been very clear in this House on probably more occa- sions than I’d like to remember that we are reviewing this particular program, and I hope that within the near future we can be in a position to bring something forward that would more reflect the economic times we’re in. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill. Delisting of Medical Services (continued) Ms Notley: Thank you. Mr.

Speaker, physiotherapy is a preventa- tive service that reduces the overall health costs of ailments like breast cancer, cerebral palsy, spinal cord and brain injuries, and arthritis. Albertans who use physi o are trying to do what this minister keeps telling them to do: take the time to take personal responsibility for their health. To the minister of health: why won’t you admit that delisting services like physiotherapy means that we’ll pay more and we’ll pay later for the more expensive acute care that physio could have prevented? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr.

Speaker, yesterday in response to the question I said that it was a dishonest question, and I’ll explain why I said that. Nobody has delisted physiotherapy, so the

preamble to the question is dishonest. Ms Notley: Well, Mr. Speaker, if the minister is going to get up and commit right now to not delisting physio, I’m quite happy to hear it, but until then, delisting physio doesn’t make the costs go away. It just transfers them directly to the sick. The wealthy will line the pockets of insurance companies in a bid to get care, the price of services will increase, and regular Albertans will do without.

To the minister of health: why won’t you stop this political drive to hand over our health care system to insurance companies and, instead, right now commit to not delisting and admit that prevention services like physio keep people healthy, out of the hospitals, and on the job? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, what this government will commit to is what Albertans want us to commit to, and that is to a publicly funded health care system that is sustainable into the future for our children and our grandchildren.

I know that the particular member of the opposition doesn’t like that b ecause that goes against what she believes in, and that is that we should tax everybody to death, that the Crown should own everything, that we should pay for every- thing, and it goes on and on and on. Ms Notley: Mr. Speaker, this plan, this policy has nothing to do with sustainability and has nothing to do with the bottom line because his plan is going to hurt Albertans’ bottom line, and he knows it.

These people are struggling just to hang onto their jobs, and you want to dismantle health care, and you want to burden them with higher health care costs. How will you explain to Albertans who need physiotherapy, chiropractic therapy, that this government is no longer interested in helping them get healthy and back on the job? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know of anyone who needs physiotherapy today that isn’t going to get physiotherapy the same way they did yesterday, so the question is irrelevant. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre.

Victims Restitution and Compensation Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government is committed to hitting organized crime and gangs where it hurts the most, the wallet. The Victims Restitution and Compensation Payment Act is a good example of this. Can the Minister of Justice provide this Assembly with an update on the effectiveness of this legislation? The Acting Speaker: The hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question, hon. member. I’m pleased to say that we’ve now had almost four months of success with this legislation.

The key message that we have been trying to communicate – and I think the public are helping us to do that – is that we need to ensure that if people are committing criminal activity, we are hitting them where it counts, that we are able to take property that has been either purchased as a result of criminal activity or is property that will be used in the commission of a crime. We think it’s very important, as we proceed through this, that we highlight the successes that we’ve had.

I think members of the public who watch the news will have seen in the last two months tremendous seizures of property, applications with respect to forfeiture that deal with vehicles, houses, and property used to steal fuel. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister. Recently the federal government announced some legislative changes to the Criminal Code aimed at gangsters.

While due justice is an important value, my constituents believe that we must tackle the issue of gang activity a nd violence through a multipronged approach which seriously diminishes the lucrative lifestyle of organized crime. Will the minister inform this Assembly of any additional work her department is doing to accomplish this objec- tive? The Acting Speaker: The hon. minister.

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 647 Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Premier an- nounced the safe communities initiative, he was very clear that we need to deal with the immediate issues facing this community. We have to deal with enforcement. We had to deal with prosecution. The safe communities plan is a three-year plan. We need to accomplish a lot in those three years. But what we have to do, most importantly, now that we’ve dealt with enhanced policing and enhanced prosecutions, is look to the root causes of crime. We have to get involved in education and awareness.

We’re hosting a gang summit in June. The Premier will be speaking at that. What he will be doing at that is announcing a long-term gang prevention strategy that will include education and awareness and making sure that people don’t end up in lives of crime. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final supplemental to the same minister. At this time of year many Albertans are feeling a sense of frustration as they’re preparing and submitting their 2008 tax forms to Revenue Canada.

Can the Minister of Justice inform this Assembly on any work or initiatives she is undertaking with our federal government to link law enforcement and Justice officials with Revenue Canada to ensure that appropriate resources are directed at investigating the assets and proceeds of criminal gangsters, not law-abiding taxpayers? The Acting Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a very important piece of the work that we’re now able to do under this legislation.

We have to work closely with the federal government, but one of the reasons we introduced this legislatio n is that we need to target the property that’s involved in crime. We have civil forfeiture officers in our police services that are new this year that are working with our prosecutors. One of the things that they do is work with the RCMP’s integrated proceeds of crime unit to identify opportunities where we may see property that has been purchased as a result of criminal activity that we may be able to make applications to seize. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, followed by the hon.

Member for Calgary-Fort. Public Education Exemptions Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Culture and Community Spirit has been musing aloud r ecently about a pr oposal to entrench parents with a legal right to prevent their children from receiving education on any subject or issue that these parents regard as unacceptable from a religious perspective. There are a number of unanswered questions and long-ranging consequences from such a legislative change. My questions are to the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. Will any parameters be placed on this parental opt-out?

For example, can parents remove children from a classroom if a non Christian-based religion is being taught? Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, when I was asked by a member of the media about parental rights, it was in response to the hon. Minister of Education, who in this House answered that particular question, and I said that the United Nations has it entrenched in its particular charter. It was a comment at the time. We haven’t made any decisions as a caucus on human rights legislation on the whole. When we have something to report, we’ll bring that to this House. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member.

Ms Blakeman: Well, thank you very much. One of the questions that keeps coming up is around sexual orientation. Back to the same minister: can the minister explain where in the curriculum sexual orientation is taught? Is there a module for gay 101 or some sort of course that they take that a parent could remove a child from? Could you explain that, please? 2:30 Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, I don’t understand where the member is going here. I’m not the Minister of Education.

As far as I know, sexual orientation, as far as I can see with my own kids in the educational system, isn’t there, so I don’t see what the point of the question is. Ms Blakeman: Excellent response. Back to the same minister: why is the minister contemplating changing the human rights act when the ultimate goal of this administration is to give direction to the school board and to the curriculum, which is exactly what the minister has noted? So why the human rights act? Mr. Blackett: Well, funnily enough, Mr.

Speaker, I was in here from the first day, I think, some time over 12 months ago and had nothing from the opposition – on the human rights act, if you look at Hansard, they have asked no question but about having sexual orientation included and having it done immediately. Ms Blakeman: What? Are you crazy? Mr. Blackett: Am I crazy? Look at Hansard. You’re a one-trick pony. Are you kidding: am I crazy? The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fort, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo. East Calgary Health Centre Mr. Cao: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Over a year ago the then Minister of Health and Wellness together with myself and the hon. Member for Calgary-East broke ground for the construction of the east Calgary health centre. Recently I heard that the building construction has been completed but that the inside was put on hold. This is unacceptable to my colleagues in the area. My question today is to the hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. What is going on with this project, Minister? Mr. Liepert: Well, actually, that’s maybe the toughest question I’ve had all day, Mr. Speaker.

I guess one of the anomalies that was discovered as we move from various regions to one health region was that in the case of the facility in east Calgary the building was built, but no money was set aside to do leasehold improvements. So we’ve had a building sitting there for quite some time that has not been usable. I’m pleased to say that in the capital plan that we released with this budget, we have included some $13 million for leasehold improvements for that particular facility. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Cao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good news.

Now, given that the construction will be going on, my question is: what kind of service will be delivered through that health centre?

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009648 Mr. Liepert: Well, it will be a full-service facility, including healthy living promotion, chronic disease management, mental health services, a whole host of services. It’ll be a nice complement, Mr. Speaker, when the quarter-billion-dollar expansion of the Peter Lougheed comes on at the end of August, which between the two facilities will significantly enhance the service to the residents of east Calgary. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Cao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the same hon. minister: when can the constituents of Calgary-Fort and Calgary-Montrose and Calgary-East expect the opening of the centre? Mr. Liepert: I’m told by Alberta Health Services that they are in the accelerated stage of getting a contract finalized and that they’re hopeful that construction can begin almost immediately. It’s probably going to take somewhere between five, six, eight months to get completed. Hopefully, it would be nice if that facility was up and running by Christmastime, hon. member. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo, followed by the hon.

Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. Sand and Gravel Royalties Mr. Hehr: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In his October 2008 report the Auditor General noted that sand and gravel royalties have not changed since 1991. Further, the Auditor was unable to find any evidence of a royalty review since that time. To the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development: why did the government not review the royalty framework for over 17 years? Dr. Morton: Mr. Speaker, our ministry does have responsibility for sand and gravel under the lands department.

The question of gravel rates is reviewed from time to time internally, and it’s been deter- mined that as it stands, it’s appropriate. Mr. Hehr: The Auditor General also reported that the ministry lacks the control to ensure that all revenues from sand and gravel are recorded and that due to the Limitations Act the ministry may never be able to fully collect these royalties. To the same minister: how does the minister justify this mismanagement to Albertans? Dr. Morton: Mr.

Speaker, I’m happy to report that those recommen- dations from the Auditor General have been acted upon, and that’ll be reflected in future reports. Mr. Hehr: The Auditor further notes that usage amounts for sand and gravel are self-assessed by companies and that the ministry is at least one year behind on many of the reviews of these assessments. The largest gravel mine needs to be reviewed back to 1990. To the same minister: if we’ve acted on all of these assessments, has this assessment back to 1990 on the largest gravel producer now been completed? Dr. Morton: Mr.

Speaker, I don’t know the exact answer to that question, but I can say that, particularly in these times of economic hardship, our view in regulation is not to hire lots of civil servants to run around and monitor everything but to put in pl ace outcome- based regulation, where we get the results at a reasonable price. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Research and Innovation Funding Mr. Benito: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The development of a knowledge-based economy is critical to Alberta’s future success.

To the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. My constituents of Edmonton-Mill Woods are wondering: how is this government fostering the growth of businesses that conduct research and development in this province? The Acting Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Horner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A very good question. Over the years this government has maintained a policy of very, very low tax rates for our businesses, which has obviously been a huge benefit to the people of Alberta given the amount of people who are employed in our province today.

In addition to that, last year we announced a platform of programs for the knowledge-based economy of the future which included a science and research experimental development tax credit, which makes us even more competitive amongst other jurisdictions. That credit is a 10 per cent research and development credit on up to $4 million in research, so up to a $400,000 credit. It is certainly having the desired effect in that companies are looking to Alberta to come and do research and development here. Mr.

Benito: My first supplemental to the Minister of Finance and Enterprise: what is the anticipated net economic effect of the Alberta scientific research and experimental development tax credit? The Acting Speaker: The hon. Minister of Finance and Enterprise. Ms Evans: Yes. While we’re still in the early stages, we see this refundable tax credit as a fairly significant incentive. I know that both the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology and our own department receive a number of questions. Because it is a refundable credit, companies will benefit even if they don’t yet pay income tax.

It is a refundable credit available to them. It’s impor- tant for early-stage companies as well as for those emerging technology companies that might be more advanced in their thinking but have new opportunities because of the tax credit. Mr. Benito: My second supplementary to the Minister of Finance and Enterprise: how will this tax credit help new technology companies who might not earn enough income to pay tax? Ms Evans: That credit remains, so it’s still there when they at some point in time will have to pay tax, and then they will be able to draw on that credit.

We expect that the annual benefit of the credit to Alberta companies will be in the neighbourhood of $60 million. Mr. Speaker, I’ve always felt that the best news story would be that we had paid out tax credits of a hundred million, maybe $200 million. It would speak clearly and eloquently to the number of companies that are emerging to do good business and to expand their businesses here in Alberta. That’s exactly what we want: the creation of jobs and the creation of opportunity. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-East.

Parks and Wildlife Preservation Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation business plan notes that the ministry will be going forward with creating “more campgrounds that accommodate larger trailers.” The government’s 2008 Survey of Albertans’

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 649 Priorities for Provincial Parks notes that 61.3 per cent of Albertans want to protect more natural land and leave it undisturbed. Why is the minister continuing a policy, as Joni Mitchell would say, of paving paradise and putting up a parking lot? 2:40 Mrs. Ady: Well, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think that’s correct at all. I think that our ministry will be reflecting in the park plan, which will be announced sometime next week, a balance between conservation and recreation.

This is a very big province with lots of opportuni- ties, and this government is actually very proud of its record of creation of new parks. Mr. Chase: Yes, it is a delicate balance between concrete and conservation, but you’re losing the fight. The business plan also highlights policy to build more trails for all-terrain vehicles, yet the government’s own survey of Albertans’ priorities again shows that 71 per cent of Albertans are opposed to increased off-road vehicle infrastructure. Why is the minister going forward with a policy that will further disturb and destroy what’s left of our natural protected areas?

Mrs. Ady: Well, Mr. Speaker, I have to disagree with the hon. member. I’ve said before in this House that we want a well- managed trail system in this province. We can either let the problem manage us, or we can manage it. We’ve got the hon. member across the way heading up a committee to bring back to us recommenda- tions that help us manage this issue. The Acting Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Chase: Thank you. You didn’t manage it at Indian Graves two years ago. You didn’t manage it at McLean Creek last year. I can hardly wait till this year.

Why doesn’t the minister and this government support a policy which sees funding going towards park and wildlife preservation as opposed to ripping up and paving over vast tracts of provincial parklands? Mrs. Ady: Well, Mr. Speaker, as I said before, this government has a really good track record when it comes to increasing parks, and I can of course go over that with you. The OH Ranch, that we brought in this year, brought us some 20,000 acres of grassland ecology. We had the Eagle Point provincial park and recreation area, another great example. We’ve got the Lois Hole centennial park, the river valley park.

Oh, I could go on and on. I would say to the hon. member that he’s not correct. This government has done a good job. head: Members’ Statements (continued) The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Bonnyville-Cold Lake. Supportive Living Units in Bonnyville-Cold Lake Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a pleasure this afternoon to speak to an aspect of Budget 2009 that will greatly affect the people in my constituency and all Albertans. Seniors make up a large part of my constituency, and currently there is no assisted-living facility in B onnyville-Cold Lake and the MD of Bonnyville.

Through Budget 2009 Seniors and Community Supports will be providing capital funding in the form of $150 million over the next three years for affordable supportive living initiatives, or ASLI. This is in addition to the $84.4 million in ASLI funding for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Some of the recent f unding given through this program to Cold Lake will help build an assisted-living complex called Points West Living. This facility plans to meet the needs of seniors in the Cold Lake community by developing 24 DAL suites, 21 supportive living apartments, and 21 life lease apartments. Mr.

Speaker, this is a total of 84 suites for the residents in need. This housing is affordable and intended to give seniors choice, support while maintaining their dignity and quality of life. I am so excited to see this funding being utilized in a way that benefits the people in my constituency. I would like to thank the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports for this increased support, support that many Albertans need. This reflects the Alberta government’s long-term commitment to supportive living.

Since 1999 the government has provided $365 million in funding to support the development or modernization of close to 8,000 supportive living units. Our province is committed to seniors aging in the right place, and through actions in my constitu- ency and across Alberta it is becoming a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Acting Speaker: B e f o r e w e m o v e o n , m a y w e r e v e r t t o Introduction of Guests? [Unanimous consent granted] head: Introduction of Guests (continued) The Acting Speaker: The hon. Minister of Employment and Immigration. Mr. Goudreau: Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker, for allowing me to introduce to you and through you to the rest of this particular Assembly three individuals from my constituency. They’ve travelled quite a few miles to be with us today. These three individuals are Ryan Gauthier and his brother Brett, accompanied by their mother, Rhonda Clarke-Gauthier. These individuals have been extremely involved in the parliamentary process and have been to the Legislature a few times and have been able to debate legislation through some of the programs that are offered through the province of Alberta.

As well, this family is very, very keen on 4-H and are active members of 4-H clubs, and the mom is actually a leader of the 4-H club in the Donnelly community. I would like the Assembly to officially welcome them by offering them the traditional warm welcome. Please rise if you can. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Lesser Slave Lake. Ms Calahasen: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to introduce to you and through you to all the members of the Assem- bly – and I’m sure she’s not new to anyone here – my assistant, Hana Marinkovic, and her friend, who are seated in the members’ gallery.

I’d ask that they both stand and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. head: Introduction of Bills The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Airdrie-Chestermere. Bill 205 Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure (Third Party Advertising) Amendment Act, 2009 Mr. Anderson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce B ill 205, the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure (Third Party Advertising) Amendment Act, 2009.

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009650 Bill 205 would clarify the parameters of third-party election advertising during provincial elections. [Motion carried; Bill 205 read a first time] head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Yes. Thank you very much. As requested by the minister of health, I have a number of tablings today regarding questions on the agenda. The first tabling I have is an invoice from J.L. Saunders & Associates Inc. It is for work done from November 1 through to the 27th of 2008, plus a contract cancellation fee.

It’s a total invoice for $47,000. I have another invoice here from J.L. Saunders & Associates Inc. from October 1 through to the 31st, 2008, and it’s for 43,800 and some-odd dollars. The third invoice I have is also from J.L. Saunders & Associates Inc., and it’s for a period of time from September 1 to the 30th. It’s for consulting fees, and it’s for $42,360. The Acting Speaker: Hon. member, is it your intent to read all of those sheets? Mr. MacDonald: That was the end of it, Mr. Speaker. I have other tablings as well.

The minister of health challenged me to provide this information, and I think for the House I should. This is an agreement, copies of the agreement for consulting between J.L. Saunders & Associates Inc. and East Central health. The last tabling I have is from July 22, 2008. It’s a letter to the hon. minister of health from Charlotte Robb, interim chief executive officer, regarding the employment letter of Paddy Meade. Thank you. The Acting Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings today.

I’d like to table the appropriate number of copies of information from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. These benefits were referred to today in question period by my colleague the MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona. Also, I would like to table the appropriate number of copies of two letters expressing concern about the cancellation of public funding for gender reassignment surgery. They state that such procedures are medically necessary and that cancelling public funding will cost the government more in the long run. The letters are from Marcus Peterson and Nicole Hankel.

Thank you very much. 2:50head: Tablings to the Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following document was deposited with the office of the Clerk: on behalf of the hon. Mr. Liepert, Minister of Health and Wellness, response to Written Question 5, asked for by Mr. Mason on April 6, 2009. The Acting Speaker: Hon. Member for Calgary-Bow, you rose on a point of order. You caught my eye. Do you wish to speak? Point of Order Members’ Statements Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

We do have a rule in this House that there are no points of order allowed during a member’s statement, but that rule is based on a certain self-control being exhibited by the members. I did not hear that in the member’s statement, so I did believe that I needed to draw that to the attention of the House. I apologize for taking up the time of the House. Thank you. The Acting Speaker: Thank you, hon. member. The hon. member is correct. There are no points of order during members’ statements.

Since 1993, when Members’ Statements was first introduced, the agreement was that all of the statements would be on something that is happening within your constitu ency, to bring something to light that is a positive to the benefit of your constituency. On that point, it sort of has deviated a little bit from that once in a while. I think that taking into account, certainly, perhaps the notoriety that the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity has gained with some of his waxing eloquent, there was no malicious intent involved in this.

The ruling is that there is no point of order on this. head: Orders of the Day head: Committee of Supply [Mr. Cao in the chair] The Chair: The hon. Deputy Government House Leader. Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wonder if we could have unanimous consent to just recess for about three or four minutes. [Unanimous consent granted] [The committee adjourned from 2:54 p.m. to 2:58 p.m.] The Chair: Let’s call it 3 o’clock now. I would like to call the Committee of Supply to order. head: Main Estimates 2009-10 Executive Council The Chair: I would like to call on our Premier to move the esti- mates. Mr.

Stelmach: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and hon. members. I’m pleased to appear before this committee to move and discuss the 2009-10 Executive Council budget estimates and also the ’09-12 business plan. Executive Council is a vital part of government operations, with staff serving Albertans in a number of ways, from promoting good governance of government agencies to facilitating two-way communication with Albertans. I’d like to first intro duce the staff of my office who are with me today.

On the floor we have my chief of staff, Ron Glen; Brian Manning, Deputy Minister of Executive Council; Grant Robertson, deputy secretary to cabinet; Steve MacDonald, deputy chief of policy co-ordination; Roxanna Benoit, managing director of the Public Affairs Bureau; and Elaine Dougan, who is the executive director of corporate services.

Some of staff are also up in the gallery, including Elan MacDonald, deputy chief of staff; Jordon Copping, my executive assistant; George Samoil, executive director of House procedures and legislative affairs; Bob Fessenden, deputy minister of the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy; Peggy Hartman, assistant deputy minister of the Agency Governance Secretariat; Paul Stanway, my director of communications; and Tom Olsen, director of media relations.

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 651 3:00 Mr. Chairman, my remarks today will include a brief fiscal overview for 2009-10, followed by some details on upcoming initiatives from the business plan. Executive Council spending for ’09-10 is forecast at $35.8 million, an increase of $5.8 million over last year.

The increase is attributed to the following initiatives: $1 million is budgeted to cover the costs of convening the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy, bringing the council’s total budget to $2 million, and $5 million will be dedicated to implement the Alberta brand campaign, bringing the campaign’s ’09-10 budget to $10 million. Budget changes also reflect the standard increases for salary settlements and the removal of funding for achievement bonuses this fiscal year. I’d like to offer a quick review of Executive Council’s program areas and priorities as outlined in the business plan.

Executive Council includes my offices here in the Legislative Assembly, including communications and correspondence, and in McDougall Centre in Calgary; and the deputy minister’s office, which provides advice and support to me on policy and organizational issues and leadership to the Alberta public service.

We also have cabinet co- ordination and support, the policy co-ordination office, the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy, the Agency Governance Secretariat, the protocol office, administrative support for the office of the Lieutenant Governor, the Alberta Order of Excellence Council, and the Public Affairs Bureau.

Executive Council has outlined a number of strategic priorities in the ’09-12 business plan, including strengthening agency gover- nance, enhancing policy capacity, continuing the establishment of the Council for Economic Strategy, implementing the Alberta branding initiative, continuing implementation of a strategic communications plan across government, and utilizing social media technology to enhance communications.

These priorities reflect my government’s commitment to be financially responsible, open, and accountable as well as to ensure that Alberta maintains a strong position nationally and internationally. One strategy to achieve this goal is to convene the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy. Council members will represent a broad range of senior-level experience with the major economic sectors of importance to Alberta and will be tasked with providing advice and strategies to ensure a high quality of life for Albertans. Last year the council was in the developmental stage. This year it’ll begin its work.

The additional $1 million will cover remuneration for council members, travel and other costs associated with meet- ings, and fees for consultation, advice, and support from experts in the field. I’d now like to briefly mention some of the other work that Executive Council will be undertaking. The policy co-ordination office will continue to support policy development across govern- ment and to improve the transparency, accountability, and gover- nance of government agencies.

The Agency Governance Secretariat will continue to support the implementation of policies outlined in the Public Agencies Governance Framework. Mr. Chairman, I’d like to just talk a bit about Alberta’s brand campaign. In this time of economic uncertainty it is vital that we promote our province, that we protect our markets and our ability to attract investment and tourism. We want to ensure that Alberta remains a place of opportunity, a place of prosperity and quality of life. We have a very good story to tell, and we’re going to tell it.

The budget for the brand initiative is $25 million over three years, with $10 million allocated for ’09-10, this fiscal period. This is an increase of $5 million from last year. This year’s budget will primarily be dedicated to implementing the brand campaign in local, national, and international markets and to directly advocate Alberta’s interests in those markets. As the brand is open and available, funds will also support the development of high-quality promotional materials for both government and others who are promoting the province to use.

Those others could be from universities to sc hool boards to whoever wants to use the Alberta branding initiative. The funds will be used prudently. In fact, $1 million of last year’s budget, $5 million, 20 per cent of the total budget, was returned to Treasury. Brand implementation is being led by the Public Affairs Bureau, which facilitates two-way communication between Albertans and their government. The bureau is also working to strengthen communication with Albertans, Canadians, and the world through emerging web technologies such as webcasts, blogs, and two-way conferencing. Mr.

Chairman and members of the committee, this concludes my introductory comments. I welcome members to ask any questions that they might have. Thank you. The Chair: The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Swann: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to address the Premier and his staff on issues relating to Executive Council, the estimates briefing

summary in particular. I approach issues of budget, as I think the Premier has articulated, as comparable to managing a household budget, in which one wants to look carefully at what the plan is, where we’re going, where we’re saving appropriately for the future, where we’re spending, and how we’re getting value for those dollars. I’m sure that’s not a surprise to anyone here. Some of the questions that I’ll be asking will relate fundamentally to: if there is an increase, why is there an increase?

If we’re spending more in one area, what are the measurement tools that we would use to assess whether we’re getting value for money? If we’ve chosen not to increase, what were the decisions around that? It’s not simply around increases, but it’s about where we are going.

I think an important question to be asking the Premier and his particular Executive Council is how he models within the Executive Council the direction and the vision of this government and how this expenditure of public dollars is reflected in that conscientious approach to establishing a vision, establishing a plan, clarifying how we’re going to spend those dolla rs, and then the discipline with which we actually follow the plan. In

summary, then, the total budget for Executive Council is $36 million, for the record, for 2009-10, an increase of $6 million from $30 million, amounting to roughly a 20 per cent increase. The reasons given for the increase are the provincial branding initiative and the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy. I’m wondering if the Premier would agree to going through one phase of this for the hour and, over the several phases of this budget, asking for the Premier’s response as we deal with them.

In that context, then, we’ve talked about the branding initiative to improve the image of Alberta and the rest of Canada internationally and the Council for Economic Strategy to provide advice to the Premier on economic strategies that would ensure a high quality of life for Albertans and make Alberta a good place to live, work, visit, and invest. Well, first to the Public Affairs Bureau, Mr. Premier.

Here we don’t see substantial increases but a significant expenditure of public dollars that I think most Albertans would assume would be operating in the public interest and communicating to the public on behalf of the government of Alberta, so questions continue to be raised in my jurisdiction about how that money is being spent, why it’s so much different from other provinces, why that bureau is reporting to the Premier instead of to the government, and some of the concerns around partisan reporting and influencing of the kinds of messaging that Albertans are hearing about the activities of the government.

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009652 The need for independence, I guess, is what I’m alluding to. I know the Premier has alluded to some of that in the past, that he would be examining that whole question of independence of reporting. I would like to hear the Premier comment on the role of the Public Affairs Bureau and the extent to which Albertans can have confidence that it’s reflectin g the objective results that the government is getting for spending its dollars and how it’s serving all parties, I guess I would say, all perspectives on the development of this province. It supports government ministries.

It helps to inform Albertans about programs and policies, and it co-ordinates communications across the government initiatives. 3:10 Today we spoke in the press about the substantial increase in communications spending across all government departments and the surprise, frankly, that there was a 55 per cent increase in communications from this government, taking all of the departments into consideration.

One has to wonder how that is being co- ordinated by the Public Affairs Bureau, why the substantial increase in these departments, to what extent there may be duplication, and especially when we see the very high number of public dollars going into the Public Affairs Bureau, how it could be justified that this government needs so much to communicate to Albertans that it’s doing a good job. Those are fundamental questions that I’m being asked and that I have also.

The Premier needs also to address the question of how it is that in his department 40 per cent of the entire budget is allocated to the Public Affairs Bureau. Including the branding campaign, of course, that comes up to $25 million. With respect to the total amount going through other government ministries on communications, we identified $15.5 million, which does not include the Executive Council, does not include housing, Municipal Affairs, and Service Alberta.

So the total, then, for communications, including Executive Council, is $38,600,000, clearly a staggering fee for communicating to Albertans about the day-to-day activities of their government. In the two years 2007-08 to 2009-10 the communications throughout government increased 55 per cent, as I indicated, and throughout the rest of government ministries a total of at least $15 million is spent on communications, according to the line items in 2009-2010 government estimates.

How does the Premier explain the need to be spending a total, then, of $39 million on communications which in many cases must be duplicating some of what’s happening in his Public Affairs Bureau? On the other hand, addressing the office of the Premier, only $11 million assisting in policy planning and development. There seems to be an imbalance there. One has to raise the question about whether image becomes more important than substance when so much is dedicated to public communica- tions. Has the Premier considered or done a value-for-money audit in the Public Affairs Bureau?

We could maybe leave those questions and ask for your responses before we move on to the other changes. The Chair: Hon. member, do you wish to combine the 10 minutes of yours with 10 minutes of our Premier’s, 20 minutes together between the two? Dr. Swann: Yes, please. The Chair: Okay. The hon. Premier. Mr. Stelmach: Well, thank you. There’s no doubt that the role of this Legislature is to carefully examine the budgets of all the ministries.

These are public dollars, and I can assure the taxpaying public that we will apply disciplin e to spending all the money that comes to a vote before this House very prudently and carefully. With respect to the comparison, I think, made by the hon. leader to other provinces, the province of British Columbia has $28.8 million in their Public Affairs Bureau – I believe that was last year’s figure – and the FTE count is 223. The increase that was mentioned by the hon. Leader of the Official Opposition – I think he talked about a 50 per cent increase.

I have a copy of the government of Alberta communications budget that was put out by the director of communications for the Alberta Liberal caucus. Well, if you look at the PAB communications budget – now, this is excluding the branding initiative; just take the branding initiative out – the ’07-08 actuals were $12,528,000. The ’08-09 forecast was $13,083,000. That was an increase of $555,000, which is a 4.4 per cent increase. The ’08-09 forecast was $13,083,000, and the ’09-10 estimate is $13,051,000, which is actually a decrease of 0.2 per cent. So we’re relatively holding our own.

Again, that’s excluding the branding initiative. With the government communications budget, excluding the branding initiative, ’07-08 actuals were $24,867,000. The ’08-09 forecast was $27,747,000, which is an increase of $2.8 million, an 11.6 per cent increase. Now, for this coming budget the estimate is $28,622,000. The ’08-09 for ecast was $27,747,000, which is an increase of $875,000, which is actually a 3.2 per cent increase.

This is keeping in line with what was established as the increase in budget through consultation with various business, community, not-for- profit agencies, Albertans that said, “Keep your increases to the rate of inflation plus growth in population,” which is about that 3.7 per cent. The majority of the increase is in the branding initiative. That’s an additional $5 million for this year. We are going to pursue getting Alberta’s story out, as I said before, not only within Alberta but within Canada and the North American continent, and we will do it internationally.

We depend on exports of our products to other countries, and we’ve got to get the correct information, talk about what Alberta has in advantage and the fact that we want to do business with as many countries as we can. Of all of that Albertans produce, 60 per cent of it is exported outside of Alberta. Ninety per cent of that goes to one country. We do a lot of business with the United States. Given the fact that the Americans are really reeling from this economic downturn, we have to do whatever we can to find new markets.

I don’t want to tie the future of this province to one country in terms of trade, even though we have a very, very good trade agreement with the United States. As a matter of fact, the state of California is our largest trading partner within the United States, and of course that state is going through some exceptional economic issues given just a huge budget deficit. I think it’s something like $85 billion. So some of our markets are at stake, and we’ve got to get the correct information out. Is there a lot to communicate? Yes, there is. We have been very active as a government since December ’06.

This Legislature has worked very hard. We’ve made a lot of policy changes. A lot of bills went through the House. New programs were intr oduced. Whenever there’s a new program introduced, whether it be for seniors, whether it be for a school board, for any Albertan, the onus is on government to get the information out through media, whether it be regular media, mail-outs to those parties that benefit from a program change. It’s important to have that two-way communica- tion. 3:20 This year we will expand our communication to new technologies. I firmly believe, this government believes, that we have to communi-

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 653 cate through a lot of the social media because a lot of Albertans are getting their information from, you know, maybe blogging, Twitter, Flickr, and whatever else is out there. That’s an important demo- graphic of Albertans, and this is one way of communicating with them. That, I think, will capture the increase in this budget. Once again, I will not apologize nor will I back down from the need to further extend our branding initiative internationally. The world is chang- ing. Most economists are saying that the GDP of the United States will decrease compared to the worl d GDP.

If that’s the general trend, then let’s not just sit back here and hope that things will recover. We’ve got to be aggressive and seek those international markets, really, for all sectors – energy, agriculture, forestry – and invite people to visit our province in tourism and also invite people from around the world to invest in this great province of Alberta. The Chair: The hon. member. Dr. Swann: Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Council for Economic Strategy stated that one of the main reasons for the $6 million increase for the fiscal plan included $5 million for the branding initiative.

I’d be very interested to hear what the minister is receiving in terms of ec onomic planning, counsel, and support. Who’s being hired to do what? What kind of deliverables? Why, in fact, are they needed beyond the existing ministries that support our planning in this government, at a very hefty price tag; that is, including those related to the ministries of Finance, Treasury Board, and Executive Council itself? How does value for money get translated there?

Especially when we’re in a time of real economic constraint, I think Albertans want to know that we’re using every means possible within the resources we’ve already been given to provide the leadership, the planning, and the initiatives that we have begun and have committed to. So if the Premier could enlighten us a bit about who’s on the council, something a bout what the fees are that are being provided, and what kind of deliverables we can expect from that, that would be helpful.

Just jumping back briefly to th e branding initiative, it would be interesting to know whether we ’re using provincial resources, provincial staff, provincial companies to do the branding initiatives, if you could enhance our understanding of that, and what kinds of communication we’re going to be seeing from that branding initiative, where the money is actually going in terms of communi- cating through the Internet, television, what modalities that money is going to, and how, ultimately, we’ll measure the impact of that branding initiative.

People who are losing their jobs, people who are finding their medical services delisted, people who are struggling are really raising important questions about whether we’re managing their resources in the public interest or whether there are some other agendas that are influencing our spending decisions and that, in fact, it will be very difficult to measure the impacts of this branding within this administration’s time frame and, therefore, hold them accountable. Some indicators of success would be welcome. I’ll take my seat and allow the Premier to speak. The Chair: The hon. Premier. Mr. Stelmach: Thank you.

With respect to trying to find a balance in government on the expenditure side, health, education, research, technology, innovation are very important as we move to a knowledge-based economy. Will it happen over 10 years? No. Will we get there in 20? We’ll be closer to achieving our goals in 20 years. Certainly, in 30 years, together with the city of Edmonton, the city of Calgary, other municipalities, our universities, that is the goal: to be leading edge in technology and research not only in Canada or in the United States or on the North American continent but in the world. That’s the overall goal.

Many have said, you know, that there’ll be a transition from fossil fuel to a knowledge-based economy. We know that. Will fossil fuel be around for the next 30 years? Yes. Will it be around for the next 50? Yes. There w ill be tec hnologies introduced in terms of reducing carbon and dealing with some of the other issues tied to the environment. At the same time, while we move to a knowledge- based economy, we have to constantly create wealth.

You don’t pay for health or education just by reaching deeper in a pocket or running larger deficits or huge debt that at some time the country of Canada and various provinces have to pay for. That’s not the way to go. So we are being affirmative, we’re being proactive, and we are putting together, as I said before, the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy in conjunction with the branding initiative. Now, the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy. As I said in my opening remarks, the first year was just working towards putting together the council. What we did was we had three committees.

These were committees convened of city of Edmonton and area based people, Calgary and area based people, and then a committee of Albertans living in Grande Prairie to Lethbridge to other commu- nities. They came from all walks of life – business, education, academic – obviously those that have a lot of experience interna- tionally, that have rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s brightest, not only in research a nd technology but in business, and have put a list together. We’re now working off of that list and inviting people to join the committee. There are over, well, 60 Albertans that . . .

The Chair: We’ve just completed the first 20-minute segment. Should we continue on with the second 20 minutes? Mr. Stelmach: Okay. These are, you know, 60 Albertans that got together and talked about: what areas of expertise should we concentrate on? This is all focused on the future, which is very important for our province. We are now in the recruiting phase. I’m pleasantly surprised that as of today we will have some of the world’s leading experts in many areas that, when asked to join the committee, just jumped on the opportunity to work with and give Alberta advice.

Once all of the candidates are called, then we will make the announcement, but at this time we’re just working through it. There are a few more candidates to call. Sometimes it’s difficult to reach them because they are in different corners of the world. They’re very, very busy people. But I can tell you that they’re going to bring tremendous expertise, counsel, and experience to the province of Alberta, again, setting the direction. It will require some research dollars, some support. We’re looking, probably, at two meetings a year, and then the information will come forward to the Premier.

Then we’ll work through our ministries with Albertans in terms of implementing the long-term plan. I’m still pleasantly surprised that so many leading international experts know of Alberta. They want to help us and are fully aware of the growth in Alberta, our technology, and the investment that we’ve made. The candidates will dedicate a considerable amount of time because we’re going to be asking some very tough questions leading to seeing how we can pos ition Alberta in a relatively short period of time and transition it to a knowledge-based economy.

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009654 3:30 The council will consist of 12 members. We have Bob Fessenden, who is the deputy minister, and two staff members, and that’s just the three people dedicated. We are looking at a balance between some Alberta born and raised and presently working in Alberta, looking across Canada, the North American continent, and also around the world. We’re trying for, you know, maybe four, four, and four, whatever works out.

We’d like to have a good contingent, a sample of people that have done very well in different countries, different businesses, especially in high tech, those that have even brought major companies from near bankruptcy to doing very well in the world using technology, investing in research and innovation. The additional funding requested for remuneration for council members: we haven’t decided what it will be; you know, so much per meeting. Most of the costs would be, I assume, in travel because many will be travelling some great distance to do work here in Alberta.

It is fees for consultation, advice, and support. The remuneration for council members will follow the guidelines that we laid out in the public agencies governance framework, which is a framework that was supported here in the House. With respect to the brand campaign there were questions raised on the purpose of the brand campaign and the timing. You know, if you’re in business and if your revenue stream is diminished, then some people pull back. Of course, good business leaders look at how they can grow their revenue stream and grow their business at a time when many would look at it as a disincentive.

In this particular case we’re looking at it as a tremendous opportunity. The opening comments that I delivered covered the intent, but with respect to the website the brand belongs to Albertans, and it’s albertabrand.com. The site provides tools to Albertans so that they, too, can help tell Alberta’s story around the world. Now, in the first two weeks following the launch of the brand, there were nearly 40,000 visits. Actually, updated as of March 26, there have been 47,000 visits to albertabrand.com, 11,000 viewings of the video, which is quite outstanding.

In fact, this morning the Edmonton Real Estate Forum ran the video twice, and we had guests here from different parts of Canada. There were five Alberta stories selected to be posted on the site, 55 Alberta photos posted, and 37 requests to sign up as ambassadors. Seventy per cent of visitors to albertabrand.com were within Canada, 20 per cent from the United States, and 10 per cent were from outside of North America. The site has had visits from 111 countries. The government of Alberta website stats. The websites are increasingly used by Albertans, Canadians, and international audiences to find information.

In ’08-09 the main website had 7.6 million visits, up from 6.3 million in ’07-08. That’s almost 21,000 visits per day. Satisfaction with the main website is at about 65 per cent, and usefulness of the information is at 85.4 per cent, and those are ’07-08 figures. Now, I made some comments with respect to social media and some of the stats. Use of social media continues to grow in Alberta but also amongst Canadians. We know that men and women use the Internet equally.

Alberta at 85 per cent has the third-highest Internet penetration in Canada, just behind B.C. at 90 per cent and Ontario at 89 per cent, and the source for this, of course, is Ipsos-Reid. Two- thirds of online Canadians now have high-speed Internet access, and an additional 1 in 5 have high-speed light service. Dial-up users continue to decline, now accounting for only about 12 per cent of online Canadians. Since 2006 there has been an upward trend of the older generation of Canadians, 55-plus years old, getting online, with the average age being 51 years old.

Sixty-five per cent of online Canadians have visited Facebook, 47 per cent have visited Wikipedia, more than have visited the Yellow Pages. I didn’t even know that myself. Maybe the book is too heavy to hold. Thirty-five per cent have visited Canoe, 32 per cent have visited CTV, 24 per cent have visited CBC, and 20 per cent have visited the Canwest news site. Again, the sources are not the government but comScore Media Metrix and others that follow these sorts of things.

I think that gives us a bit of an idea of the value of the social media and how it is growing in popularity, and it’s incumbent that we do use the social media. Now, with respect to the br anding initiative and using the advertising, in the last week of March we ran a TV, radio, print, and online advertising campaign across Alberta to show Albertans the brand and how it will be used to promote the province. The cost of that campaign was about $460,000. It’s all part of the overall budget for Public Affairs. As I said before, we’ll continue to do whatever we can to get Alberta’s story out internationally.

The Chair: Hon. member, before I recognize you to speak further, may I just take a moment here to refresh our memory about the new process here. All members should be reminded that the vote on the estimates will be deferred until we are in Committee of S upply on May 7. Any amendment moved during the committee consideration of the estimates will also be deferred un til we are in Committee of Supply on that date. Also, the process today is that any member who wishes to speak has 10 minutes, but if you want to combine the 10 minutes with the Premier, you have 20 minutes in total.

There’s a minimum two hours of debate on the estimates of Executive Council. With that, I would say that we can proceed. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Dr. Swann: Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Well, clearly, the devil is in the details. It’s very hard to get details on some of the spending decisions, and it’s certainly difficult to get evaluative frameworks reported. I’m wondering if the Premier will be giving details about this economic council: who is on it and the kinds of salaries they’re getting and some of the specifics of the deliverables that are being expected.

Albertans want to know that we’re getting value for money. That’s an increasingly pressing concern in these times. I’ll move on to bonuses and ask the Premier a number of questions around this through Executive Council. For the 2008-09 fiscal year the government will pay out $40 million in bonuses to senior-level ministry officials. We do know that the $40 million pool for bonuses is allocated to 6,100 civil servants.

We want to make sure that our emphasis is not on all of those civil servants but on the high- level ministry officials – deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers – those who are receiving substantial bonuses. 3:40 Will the Premier tell Albertans what role the Deputy Minister of Executive Council plays in determining the bonuses given out in the 2008-09 fiscal year? Will he tell us what role the Premier’s office played in evaluating the deputy ministers and the bonuses they received? Will the Premier provide and table the criteria used for determining bonuses for deputy ministers and other senior officials?

Page 10 of the fiscal plan states that there were $215 million found through a value review. Will the Premier give details of what that entailed? Will he acknowledge that by cutting executive bonuses, that would have made a significant impact, roughly 20 per cent of that amount? Mr. Stelmach: On the achievement bonuses the budget that was allocated was $40 million. This is a process that was started a

April 15, 2009 Alberta Hansard 655 number of years ago. It was a three-member committee that brought recommendations to the Premier of the day, my predecessor, and we have followed that process to this last fiscal year, that ended March 31 of ’09. From April 1 of ’09 on the bonuses have been suspended, and it’s, again, in keeping with the fact that our revenue has diminished dramatically and that we’re starting a new fiscal year and that it’s, you know, roughly $40 million that can go to other needs within the budget.

For the previous year we’re being fair with all, whether it be out of scope, which is those that are not in a union, in management positions, or those in a union.

We’ve pretty well served notice that next year we’re going to work together and see how we can ensure that within our three-year business plan, the deficit budget that we rolled out this year and into next year, the money that we have set aside in a savings account, the $17 billion, we can stretch it out and meet the needs of Albertans yet ensure that on the operational side, not on the capital side but on the operational side, we don’t go to the bank to borrow. I’m proud. We’re the only jurisdiction in North America that has set this much money aside for times such as these. You know, we learned from the past.

The last time that we had a serious recession, Alberta was really the whipping province during that time. We had high interest rates. Oil and gas prices diminished dramatically. We had a federal government policy that was hostile to Alberta, to western Canada. Times are different. We have historically low interest rates. We have international trade agreements that are allowing us more trade with other countries. We have, you know, our free trade agreement with the United States, which has really served us well over the period of time.

We also have two emerging economies, China and India, that were not there in the early ’80s, that even with depressed economic growth are still estimating their growth at about 5 per cent. So that’s good news for the province of Alberta. The other is that Alberta is recognized internationally now more than ever, especially with respect to our expertise in energy technol- ogy. We’ve attracted some of the world’s best to our universities, and that in itself has created a good ambassador program for us. Of course, as I said, the program has been suspended.

We will work through, you know, the difficult decisions over the next year, but we will look to constantly finding additional dollars in the budget without significantly disrupting any of the programs. Now, with respect to the bonus, just for the record, the ’08-09 budget, the previous budget, was around $40 million. These bonuses are taxable income. They’re not pensionable earnings. There are nearly 27,000 employees in the Alberta public service.

The management group – that means all levels – is around 4,000, and then the opted out and excluded employees number about 2,100, so, as the hon. leader said, about 6,100 individuals. Key numbers from the corporate demographics report: average age of the Alberta public service employee is 46; average age of the entire management group is 50. Now, ministers’ executive assistants were also eligible for the achievement bonus, and that as well has been terminated. The median achievement bonus provided last year, for ’07-08, was around $5,300 individually. There was a formula that was used.

How was the bonus established? A minister sits down with the deputy of the Executive Council. The minister has, you know, looked at whatever the mandate for the deputy and for the manage- ment is. How did they perform? Was the departmental budget in line? Was it balanced? How did the deputy minister and his staff – you know, the ADMs and executive directors – move public policy, the decisions that were made in this House? All that goes into deciding what the bonus was. Where are we compared to others?

My chief deputy has com- pleted all performance appraisals of all deputy ministers for fiscal ’08-09, reviewing the targets that they achieved in their individual performance bonuses. The achievement bonus: of the 10 provinces in Canada eight other provinces offer an achievement bonus program, four are awarding the full allocation, one reduced alloca- tion, and three provinces have not yet made the determination. The Chair: The hon. member. Dr. Swann: Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the Premier.

I wonder if it would be possible for the Premier to table some of the evaluative comments about these individuals. Clearly, one would be surprised if the deputy minister of health received a bonus, given the chaos that our health system is in. One would have to wonder if Albertans would support that kind of decision. What is the evidence that we’re actually following these guidelines? I think Albertans have a right to know where $40 million is going and that these were objective evaluations. The Chair: We are now on the last 20-minute period for the Official Opposition. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

A couple of other questions come through the ’07-08 annual report of Executive Council and relate to page 10 of the annual report, showing that there were 68 trade missions made. I guess the question around that is: how much money was spent on these 68 trade missions, and how would Albertans evaluate that this was money well spent? Do we have measures of evaluation of these trade missions? Can we look at details of where the money was spent? That’s obviously a big issue for Albertans, to know on individual trips where the money went. We’ve heard lots of rumours about high-flying spending and side trips.

I think Albertans need to know more about the details of that kind of activity. Page 29 of the report shows that accommodation costs of the Public Affairs Bureau were $488,000 for the year ended March 31, ’08, an increase of almost $170,000 from 2007, a 53 per cent, in fact, increase. Perhaps the Premier could comment on that further, those two issues. 3:50 Mr. Stelmach: Sure. In keeping with openness and transparency, every time a minister or an MLA on the government side that may be asked to represent a minister travels, the purpose of the trip, the expenses are posted online.

There’s also a report at the end of every mission in terms of the accomplishments, whom the minister talked to, what meetings were held. We will continue to be in the face of many decision-makers not only on this continent but around the world as often as we can. I’ll give you an example. You know, we talk about transparency. On the one little, quick jaunt to Houston, Texas, I was there with two other Premiers: Premier Gary Doer, Premier Brad Wall, and myself.

Very clearly in the news release we said that we were going to cohost – cohost – a luncheon at NAPE, which is a large North American petroleum congress, where Premier Wall and I spoke. Premier Wall spoke just before me. I believe they signed their declaration a few minutes before we did, incorporating the province of Alberta in 1905, although I believe they held their parade three days later. But he spoke first; I followed. There were about 1,200 people in the audience. Coming back to Alberta, I find that the cost of the cohosting of that luncheon was attached to my plane flight. Talk about stories.

Alberta Hansard April 15, 2009656 Sure. One TV station in the middle of this province said, “Whoa, man, he must have flown executive class,” you know, just supposi- tion. Just ask for the information if you couldn’t understand, which was clearly stated, that we actually cohosted a luncheon. Is it necessary? You bet it’s necessary. The state of Texas, the province of Alberta, and the province of S

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20090415
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L27 S2 20090415 1330 01 han.pdf
Language	en
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