Alberta Hansard — 11 May 2009, Afternoon sitting (13:30) (Legislature 27, Session 2)

20090511

Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Alberta Hansard Monday, May 11, 2009 Issue 38 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

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1039 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Monday, May 11, 2009 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 11, 2009 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Welcome back. Let us pray. We confidently ask for strength and encouragement in our service to others. We ask for wisdom to guide us in making good laws and good decisions for the present and the future of Alberta. Amen. Hon. members and ladies and gentlemen, we’ll now be led in the singing of our national anthem by Mr. Paul Lorieau. Please feel free to join in in the language of your choice. Hon.

Members: O Canada, our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free! From far and wide, O Canada, We stand on guard for thee. God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. The Speaker: Please be seated. head: Introduction of Visitors The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Environment. Mr. Renner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise to introduce to you and through you to members of the Assembly His Excellency Pedro Moitinho de Almeida, ambassador of the Portuguese Republic. Accompanying His Excellency is Mr. Carlos de Sousa Amaro, consul general from Vancouver, and Mr. Aurélio Carmo Fernandes, honorary consul from here in Edmonton. I was honoured to host a special luncheon today in honour of His Excellency’s first visit to Alberta. Alberta and Portugal have a solid trading relationship, and the Portuguese community plays a prominent role in our province.

We value the hard work and dedication of the Portuguese community in enriching our province. Their work helps increase the quality of life in our province and helps build stronger communities and a stronger Alberta. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the delegation rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of this Assembly. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. Premier. Mr. Stelmach: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today it’s a great pleasure to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Legisla- ture very special guests, students from Mundare school. I just took a picture with them.

They’re excited, well behaved, and spending an interesting afternoon here in the Legislature. They are accompa- nied by teacher Robin Derow and parent helpers Lisa McNeely and Michele Zurborg. They are seated in the members’ gallery, and I would ask them all to rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of our Assembly. The Speaker: The young people from Mundare should also know that today is the birthday of their Member of the Legislative Assembly. The hon. Member for Athabasca-Redwater. Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s a pleasure to rise and introduce to you and through you to members of this House 65 constituents, visitors from Gibbons school. We have three grade 6 classes here, and they are led by their two teachers, Ms Colleen Lowe and Miss Amy Jensen, and are accompanied by parent helpers Mrs. Niki Smyth, who’s actually a councillor at the town of Gibbons, as well as Cory Smyth, Sherida Allison, Becky Sturm, Sandra Welsh, Stephanie Thimer, and Shiela Fediow. I had the pleasure to meet them and take a picture on the steps, and they took

part in the mock Legislature this morning. I just want to welcome them and ask them to rise and please receive the warm welcome of this Legislature. The Speaker: The hon. President of the Treasury Board. Mr. Snelgrove: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I indeed have a great privilege to introduce two people to you and through you to members of the Assembly. One of them is my sister, who is here from Eugene, Oregon. She was the oldest in our family – so if I become out of control or unruly, she probably didn’t do the task she was left to do that my mother left her – my sister Peggy. With her is my mother, Margaret.

It’s just maybe a little more special because of yesterday being Mother’s Day. For those of us that had the opportunity to spend some time with our mothers, those of us that are lucky enough to still have them, on behalf of all of the Assembly to all the mothers of Alberta: let’s give them a genuine welcome through my mother to them. [applause] The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Employment and Immigration. Mr. Goudreau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have the privilege of introducing to you and through you to Members of the Legislative Assembly members of my staff from the workforce supports division.

These are the people who work behind the scenes, supporting Albertans to upgrade their skills, make informed career choices, and get jobs. They create the policies around the skills investment, career services, and partnerships that help Albertans succeed in the workforce. I appreciate their commitment, dedica- tion, and the high standard of work they consistently produce in support of all Albertans.

I would ask that our guests stand as I introduce them: D’Arcy Claypool, Beryl Keller, Donna Bruce, Jaclyn Denman, Linda Willis, Shirley Meakin, Melissa Sliter, Denise Gazloff, Caroline Maran, Cindy Kleinmeyer, Synora Thomas, Azmina Walji, Annya Masse, Emma Abdelmaseh. I would ask all of the members of the Assembly to give these guests a very warm welcome to our Legislature. The Speaker: Are there others? The hon. Member for Edmonton- Riverview. Dr. Taft: Well, thanks, Mr. Speaker. I have a special introduction today. Every year I am so impressed with the calibre of applicants for summer STEP positions.

Edmonton-Riverview has been most fortunate again this year. I’d like to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly Rebecca Kos, who is seated in the public gallery. Do you want to stand up, please, Rebecca? She’s entering her third year at the University of Alberta this coming September in the Faculty of Busi ness, with a major in accounting and a minor in business law. I might need her services in the future.

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091040 Who knows? In her free time her interests include a variety of sports, including swimming and tennis, as well as singing and theatre. We’re very fortunate to have her talent and enthusiasm in our office, and I’d like all members to please give her a warm welcome. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a pleasure to introduce to you and through you today to the members of the Assembly seven members of the Kingsway Business Association.

These members represent approximately 300 organizations in my constituency and are here today to show their support for the Edmonton City Centre Airport. I’ll be discussing more about the KBA in a member’s statement this afternoon. For now I would like to introduce board chair Mary Anne Stanway, Paul Gervais, Bob McEwen, Kathy Hall, George Marine, Don Koziak, and Karon Kosof. I’d ask them all to rise and please receive the traditional warm greeting of the Assem- bly. head: Members’ Statements The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lesser Slave Lake. Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service Ms Calahasen: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. When destruction hits our homes, our roads, our communities, when a disaster strikes and leaves us immobilized, when we are filled with fear and unable to help ourselves, or when an accident occurs and we are in need of help, the brave and selfless firefighter is there to come to our aid.

The late author Kurt Vonnegut said: “I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine.” That resembles the members of the Lesser Slave regional fire service, who are heroes to many in our community because they em body skill, training, compassion, and commitment, and they help many, many people in need. 1:40 There is one individual, however, who has received recognition for his outstanding efforts. This past December, just five days before Christmas, a woman from Slave Lake drove into town to pick up her daughter.

On the way home their truck hit a patch of ice and flipped upside down. As you k now, Mr. Speaker, in my constitu- ency it’s a long way to the hospital. Jamie Coutts, volunteer firefighter and acting fire chief of Lesser Slave regional fire service, who lived nearby, was able to reach the accident scene within minutes, before other firefighters arrived, and saved two lives that day. He received commendation from the Minister of Municipal Affairs for his actions on behalf of his team. When I asked him if I could use the names of the other firefighters who came to help he said: “Oh, no. Don’t even mention my name.

Names aren’t necessary. Firefighting is the ultimate team effort.” However, today on behalf of the family I do want to thank Jamie Coutts, who we call the man of the hour, who worked hard to save the two people. I’d also like to thank the Lesser Slave regional fire service for their service and commitment to their community. Keep up the great work. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung. Anniversary of Canada-Israel Diplomatic Relations Mr. Xiao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On behalf of myself, my colleague from Edmonton-Mill Creek, and all Members of the Legislative Assembly I rise to recognize the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Israel. Canada recognized the state of Israel upon its founding in 1948 and established formal diplomatic relations on May 11, 1949. Over the last 60 years Canada and Israel have deepened this relationship through strong political, economic, cultural, and social ties. Alberta’s Jewish community of 14,000 has been important to the development of these relationships, acting as a bridge between our two countries.

In a world that f aces many challenges, let us celebrate this 60th anniversary of relations and our commitment to continuing positive ties between Canada and Israel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-McCall. Calgary Airport Runway Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My constituents and I are very concerned about the Calgary Airport Authority’s plan to construct a fourth runway.

We understand that the new runway is needed to serve Calgary’s growing airport traffic, but we are opposed to how the authority’s plan will not only segregate northeast Calgary from the airport but will affect 200,000 residents living on the east side. To construct a new runway, the city must close down Barlow Trail north of McKnight Boulevard. This will sever the northeast from the only link it has to the Calgary International Airport. Worse yet, there are no plans to build a new link between the northeast and the airport despite the fact that the northeast is the city’s fastest growing quadrant.

Through the airport, the northeast is Calgary’s gateway to the entire world. To maintain this position, the city needs adequate transportation infrastructure. To address this issue, my constituents have proposed that a t unnel be built under the new runway. The tunnel has been endorsed not only by the communities in my riding but by the city of Calgary and by the communities in the ridings of Calgary-Cross, Calgary-East, Calgary-North Hill, and Calgary- Montrose, whose members are seated on the government benches. I’m sure that communities in the other ridings of members opposite will also agree. Mr.

Speaker, this transportation artery is necessary to maintain the economic vitality of the whole city of Calgary. The price we would pay now is far smaller than the costs that would come later if we do nothing now. Without this link to the airport, Calgarians will see more pink slips, more business closures, a worsening quality of life for their families, and continuous transportation delays. This administration should accept the recommendations of Calgarians and ensure that the tunnel is built. It is the right thing to do for not only Calgary’s future prosperity but also Alberta’s. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Kingsway Business Association Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Edmonton Kingsway revitalization zone, or BRZ, was established by the city of Edmonton by bylaw in November of 1987. The Kingsway Business Associa- tion is an organization comprised of board members that represent both the large and small businesses in the region. The KBA has continually worked towards making Edmonton Kingsway the preferred place to shop, play, fly, and stay.

The major goals of this nonprofit organization are to continue to enhance the projects for Edmonton Kingsway and to support efforts to promote the long-term viability of the Edmonton City Centre Airport. Again, the debate about the City Centre Airport is one that

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1041 affects many people in Alberta. The status of this airport is integral to organizations like the KBA because they are trying to make Edmonton Kingsway into a destination, and without an active airport this would be very difficult. The KBA is also concerned about the future of the airport, and frankly so am I. The ongoing debate needs to address the issues with the city and key stakeholders to ensure that the best interests of the capital region are met.

It is important to keep the dialogue going and to pay close attention to the wisdom and concerns voiced by organizations like the Kingsway Business Association. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for West Yellowhead. National Mining Week Mr. Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize National Mining Week, which was first celebrated in 1996, acknowl- edging the importance of the Canadian mining industry to the economic development of Canada and Alberta. I’ve spent over 35 years in the mining sector, 30 of them in coal.

The coal mining community has played a significant role in the early and current development of the province. Over 1,800 mines are known to have operated in Alberta and were first mined to supply domestic heating needs. Lethbridge had its first coal mine in 1882, while the first mine in Edmonton was 1883. Some of the earliest mining in Alberta was within the now Banff national park. The Crowsnest Pass in southern Alberta was also developed as a coal mining centre to supply coal to the CPR.

A similar role was established in west-central Alberta for an area known as the Coal Branch in my constituency, an area just south of Hinton. A number of mines and towns developed to supply coal to the Grand Trunk and the Canadian National railways. The towns of Nordegg and Grande Cache both were developed for the purpose of coal mining. Early coal mining established the first major trade corridors between Alberta and British Columbia, the historic Coal Branch segment of the Canadian National Railway.

The trade and transport of goods between these two provinces has grown in size and diversity today from the beginnings of the Coal Branch railway. In 1964, Mr. Speaker, Great Canadian Oil Sands, now Suncor, started mining oil sands to produce crude bitumen when Fort McMurray was a small trading post. Commodities mined in Alberta include oil sands, coal, limestone, salt, shale, dimension stone, ammonite shell, sandstone, sand, and gravel. Today mining is a high-tech industry, and many aspects of modern mining are controlled by computers.

There are 15 major mines and quarries in Alberta: 11 coal and oil sands mines and four major quarries. Coal and oil sands mining contributes approximately 3.1 per cent, or $3.3 billion, to the provincial economy. The minerals industry, excluding oil and gas, is estimated to directly employ about 10,000 people in Alberta. Communities that have a significant dependence for their livelihoods on mining include Fort McMurray, Hinton, Edson, Grande Cache, Forestburg, Hanna, and Wabamun to name a few. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all members of this House join me in recognizing National Mining Week. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Mill Woods. Foreign Workers Mr. Benito: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Recently I was fortunate enough to attend a symposium on immigration laws and employment called Meet the Filipino Foreign Workers. It was sponsored by Iglesia ni Cristo, also known as Church of Christ, south side local, with approval and blessings from their head office in Manila, Philippines. The Asian Christian Cultural Association of Alberta Centre was filled to its capacity with noted guests, represen- tatives, stakeholders, and interested members of the public.

This invaluable and informative session brought together those with backgrounds in immigration law, legal rights, and employment standards to share information on foreign workers. I would like to thank the Philippine labour attaché, based in Vancouver, representa- tives from the employment standards, and the Alberta immigrant nominee program along with immigration law experts for attending the symposium. One topic that was brought forward to both employers and employees attending was the fact that the employer retains the discretion for layoffs, not the government.

Their decision should not be based on country of origin. Rather, the decision should be based on what is best for the business, its customers, and its employees. Laying off people must be a difficult decision for any employer. I would like to acknowledge those companies who choose to retain individuals based on the skills they bring, the contributions they make to the workforce, not on their country of origin. I would like also to acknowledge the hard-working Albertans, Canadians, and individuals who have left other countries to contrib- ute to the success of this province.

Whether you are a short-term or a long-term resident, your hard work is appreciated by this govern- ment and will continue to play a positive role in Alberta’s bright future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 1:50head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Parental Choice in Education Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The parental opt-out clause being proposed by the Alberta human rights legislation has become an international embarrassment.

Under the influence of minority right-wing groups this government has threatened our public education system and not considered the implications of Bill 44 on the teachers. This government had a chance to rid itself of the image of being backward and out of touch with the rest of the world, but it failed. To the Premier: why did the Premier allow such a controver- sial

section to be included in what could have been a very progres- sive piece of legislation? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I really do take exception to another elected member of this House calling this province backward, especially this Assembly, when we look at the number of people who have been elected to this Assembly from so many different religious backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, coming from so many different countries, looking to this province for opportunity, and who have really found it. I want to be very clear on this matter, very clear.

Bill 44 confirms the existing situation – existing situation – that exists in policy, to opt out of religious instruction and sex education. It does not give parents the right to opt out of other instruction on religious grounds. All I ask is: please read the bill. The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier has stated – and I was present at the time – that students could be pulled from class

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091042 on issues around evolution while the culture minister has said explicitly that they could not. Will the Premier clarify: which is the correct answer? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, it’s very clear in the bill, and again I’m asking all Albertans to read the bill. You know, every time these issues are raised in the House, that’s fine. It’s good for debate. But at least debate on correct information.

The other fact is that recently in a poll done by Maclean’s magazine, which I think probably is a little, you know, left of centre – I’m being very gracious to them – has said that Alberta, this great province of Alberta, is even more tolerant or accepting of people than our neighbouring province of British Columbia. I think that is a very positive statement for all Albertans. Dr. Swann: Well, again, Mr. Premier, will you answer the question? Can students be removed from class on discussions of evolution? Yes or no? Mr. Stelmach: Mr.

Speaker, let me read into the record again that Bill 44 confirms the existing situ ation to opt out of religious instruction and sex education. It does not give parents the right to opt out of other instruction on religious grounds. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Alberta Health Services Capital Reserve Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In the news release accompa- nying the budget, there was a statement regarding the three-year capital plan for health, mentioning a $1.5 billion cash reserve for Alberta Health Services; however, there’s no mention of how or when this $1.5 billion cash reserve will be spent. To the Premier: can the Premier explain how Alberta Health Services is expected to run a deficit this last fiscal year yet have $1.5 billion listed as capital reserve on hand? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the province of Alberta in our account- ing practices has to separate capital dollars away from operational dollars. That is the law.

That’s the way we do our accounting based on generally accepted accounting principles. We split it in terms of capital, you know, long-term investment, and operational, which would be the daily expenses of health. Whether it be heart surgery, cancer treatment, those are operational. Capital will be the new hospitals, the equipment in the hospitals, anything that is a long-term expenditure on infrastructure. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, why are there so many health facilities on hold, including Stollery children’s, Medicine Hat, and Grande Prairie hospitals, wh en Alberta is sitting on a $1.5 billion reserve? Mr. Stelmach: I’ll have the minister responsible reply to that specific question. Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. [interjections] We made it quite clear when we identified the financial plan for this year’s budget – and last time I looked, I was still finance minister – that the amount of money that was already provided to the various health authorities, $1.5 billion, that wasn’t spent over a number of years would be in fact lapsed to Alberta Health Services for expenditure and follow-up on over and above the amount of money that’s in this year’s budget for new capital expenditure, so it’s the reserve from years past. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Swann: Thank you.

To the health minister: can the health minister detail how much of and where the $1.5 billion capital reserve will be spent? Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, I think the Leader of the Opposi- tion has to recognize that the $1.5 billion in reserve is already committed dollars. What we had over the past couple of years – and I’m sure he’d recognize this – was a heated economy, and it was an issue of construction projects not proceeding as quickly as they had been budgeted for, and thereby there were cash reserves.

So this isn’t new money; this is money that has already been allocated for projects that could not be put out to the construction provider because they hadn’t yet got to a process where they could take that money. The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. Marketing of Agricultural Products Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Bill 43 is dissolving this Premier’s credibility in the red meat sector. It’s widely perceived as a favour from the Premier to the secret donors who backed his leadership campaign.

To the Premier: will the Premier admit that Bill 43 will hurt the smaller players in the beef industry and, in fact, is a serious blow to the pork, lamb, and potato producers while it’s a huge benefit to the giant feedlots that backed his leadership campaign? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, this line of questioning occurred before. It’s funny; he calls it secret, yet everybody seems to know – he knows at least – who contributed to everybody’s campaign.

I suppose the next time there’s a question that comes up on royalties, it will be significant to mention that that party received considerably more from one major oil company than the whole Progressive Conservative Party. So, you know, if you want to play games, we can play games. In terms of the red meat industry, we’ve come to a crucial point, and that is: how do we gain access to markets ar ound the world excluding the United States? I just came back from Switzerland. For the first time we had Alberta beef served in Switzerland.

Switzerland is not part of the European Union, but through Switzer- land hopefully we can reach out and access markets in the major centres because we ca nnot depend on one market, and that is the United States. They’ve shut us out a number of times, and we can’t do that anymore for the sake of all our producers. The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I’m sure the people watching know the Premier didn’t answer my question at all.

The same people and companies who were widely reported to have backed the Premier’s leadership bid with important but undisclosed resources also turn up on the board of ATB, on various PC donor lists, and in the last couple of years have r eceived millions of dollars in government grants. Some of these are also expected to benefit handsomely from Bill 43. Will the Premier follow best practice – that’s all we’re

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1043 asking here – clear the air on Bill 43, and finally disclose the list of secret donors to his leadership campaign? Here’s the opportunity. Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I can go back and pull the files in terms of who contributed to the campaign and who didn’t. This has got nothing to do with who contributed either to my campaign or to individual campaigns of any member of this House. I am sure that there are some people on the other side of the House that received donations from other beef producers.

However, set that aside and concentrate on how we are going to gain access in other markets around the world. That is the critical issue. This bill is referring to the check-off that producers pay, whether it be pork, potatoes, also beef. We’re meeting with the industry. We’re giving them a year to adjust. The bill is fair, it’s going through the House, and this is looking to the future of this industry. 2:00 The Speaker: The hon. member. Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Premier that all the members on this side of the Assembly have fully disclosed all donations.

I wish the Premier would do the same. My question to him is: out of respect to the large majority of beef, pork, lamb, and potato producers in this province, who I’m sure his office is hearing from, will the Premier put Bill 43 on hold? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, as the Premier of the province and also as one that is responsible for the welfare, the general direction that the meat industry has to take in this province of Alberta, I stand committed to the bill. We’ve got to move forward, take the politics out of it, and start positioning th is province as open to markets around the world.

This is something I learnt coming back from Switzerland. We have the best traceability in Canada and, indeed, in North America, in fact to rival many other countries, yet we cannot gain access to the European Union because other c ountries are beating us that don’t even have anywhere near the traceability. Now we have ensure that we do whatever we can to position ourselves through our world trade ambassadors to make sure that our needs are heard, that we work with all the industry, the red-meat industry, to build those markets.

We can’t depend on the Americans because they already showed us how they’re dealing with us under COOL. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Those are some pretty long answers. New Home Warranty Mr. Mason: My question is to the Premier. An increasing number of homes in Alberta are mouldy wrecks just a few years after being built. Many new-home owners have to dole out thousands of dollars to fix problems from the exterior insulation and finish system within just a year or two of taking possession.

Will the Premier commit today to ensuring that builders take responsibility for their shoddy workmanship by extending the homeowner warranty on building envelopes to five years? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the whole situation came up just about a week ago, and the government, through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, is working with other ministers, looking at this issue of building code and will be able to report back to Albertans at a later date. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Currently builders are only required to take responsibility for the work for the first year of home ownership. In the case of condos the clock begins the moment the first owner takes possession, meaning the last owner to move in may have no warranty whatsoever. Engineers and other experts are calling on the government to require builders to back up their work for five years. Will the Premier commit today to protecting new-home owners by giving them a reasonable sense of security and introduce a five-year warranty on new-home exteriors? Mr.

Stelmach: As I said, I’ll take the whole question under advisement because this is a matter that we do take seriously as a government. We’ll thoroughly investigate and bring the information forward. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, we’ve seen how much the pine shake fiasco cost Albertans just a few years ago, and we know that leaky condos in B.C. cost homeowners billions of dollars. Here we go again, Mr. Speaker. Again home and condo owners are left holding the bag because this government doesn’t protect them.

Will the Premier commit today to ensuring that Alberta homeowners will not be stuck with costly repairs in one or two years’ time, or will he once again leave them soaking wet? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, as I said, we’re reviewing all of the information, looking at the evidence that’s coming forward, and we will be making the appropriate decision based on the best evidence brought forward. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Anthony Henday Drive Interchanges Mr. Xiao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I feel like it’s Christmas.

I was very pleased to attend the Edmonton ring road announcement this morning for the start of the Lessard Road and the Callingwood Road interchanges. These ring road interchanges have moved forward thanks to the commitment of the Premier, the minister, and all my caucus colleagues for investing in Alberta’s highway network. This is exciting news for my constituents, who have been concerned about the growing amount of traffic congestion in Edmonton’s southwest. My question is to the Minister of Transpor- tation. How quickly can these interchanges be completed and open to traffic? Mr. Ouellette: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I’m very pleased to say that my department is going to tender the Lessard Road and Callingwood Road intersections in the next week or two. That means that construction will begin this summer on these interchanges and that they will be complete by the fall of 2011. In fact, in 2011 that whole west side will be better because that’s when we will also be opening the Stony Plain Road and Anthony Henday northwest, the 21 kilometres of it. It’ll be great for northwest Edmonton.

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091044 Mr. Xiao: Again to the same minister. Thanks to the announcement today there is only one traffic signal left on the ring road. When will the minister commit to building th e final interchange at Cameron Heights Drive and remove all the traffic signals on Anthony Henday Drive? Mr. Ouellette: Well, Mr. Speaker, as you know, our Premier has set a goal of having all the ring roads done in Edmonton by 2015. When the Premier has a goal, I’m going to work my little buns off to make sure that that goal is achieved and that whole, entire side will be free flow by that time.

I will say that we’re going ahead right now with the design work on that interchange. Mr. Xiao: Well, you know, Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate that statement. To the same minister again: can the minister describe how the April 28 open house was advertised for the Ant hony Henday Drive interchanges at Cameron Heights Drive and Rabbit Hill Road? Thanks. Mr. Ouellette: Well, Mr. Speaker, the open house was advertised in a number of ways. We had roadway signs at six different locations to advertise to motorists about the open house.

We also sent out notices to the residents in the communities and advertised with the local community leagues. In addition, we advertised for the open house in the Edmonton Examiner and the Edmonton Sun. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill. Funding for Teachers’ Collective Agreements Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While this government can change legislation at the drop of a hat to run a deficit when it can’t balance its budget, school boards are prevented by law from running deficits.

School boards are entirely dependent on the government’s commitment to fund the salary increases promised as part of the five-year collective agreement. Without this financial commitment boards will be forced to significantly cut people and programs. To the Minister of Education: are school boards expected to spend whatever amounts they have managed to set aside for future projects in their surplus accounts before the government will provide the increased funding for collective agreements? Mr. Hancock: Mr.

Speaker, we’ve made the commitment to fully fund the teacher agreement that was entered into, that’s provided this great period of stability in the education system, and we will adhere to that commitment. We provided funding in the budget to make sure that school boards had the funding that they needed to finance their remaining collective agreements. It’s a little bit tighter for them because of the change that Statistics Canada made to their average weekly earnings index calculation, but those agreements the school boards made, they need to deal with.

As I said before, we’ve made an agreement to talk with the ATA and the Alberta School Boards Association about how we deal with the change in the way the average weekly earnings are calculated. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Chase: Thank you. The minister stated in the budget debate that teachers’ salaries are “not the school board’s problem.” Why, therefore, are Edmonton public schools expressing concerns about significant layoffs if the funding, $21 million worth, is in place? Where in the budget is this money guaranteed or accounted for? Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr.

Speaker, there’s no indication at all at the moment that there’s any additional money required, so of course it’s not in the budget or guaranteed or accounted for. What we did say is that we would meet the funding requirement to implement the teachers’ agreement, and we committed to that. At the time the budget went to bed, the number that was known was 4.8 per cent, and we’ve budgeted for that.

We have in pl ace an understanding with the Alberta Teachers’ Association and with the Alberta School Boards Association that we need to discuss whether there needs to be a change to the way the average weekly earnings index is calculated. Stats Canada has changed the way they’ve calculated it, but that’s a subject of discussion for us as we go forward. Mr. Chase: Unfortunately, while these calculations are being made, thousands of teachers are facing potential layoffs, and a lot of those teachers are the y oung ones in temporary and first-year contracts.

Having failed to reach the K to 3 class size targets, are these targets now going to be abandoned to make up for the funding shortfall in teachers’ wages? 2:10 Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, there is no funding shortfall for teachers’ wages. I don’t know how many times I have to say this to the hon. member or to people out there. The commitment that this government made to school boards is that we would fund the teachers’ agreement, and we will fund the teachers’ agreement. The question is: what’s the amount? We’ve said to school boards: budget on the basis that whatever the amount is, we’ve undertaken to fund it.

We have to determine what that am ount is, but there should be no school board across this province that is either laying off or terminating contracts for teachers on the basis that they’re not funded for their salaries b ecause they are funded for their salaries, and they will be funded for their salaries. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-North Hill, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Currie. Federal Infrastructure Funding Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In January the federal government announced over $12 billion in economic infrastructure stimulus.

My constituents were particularly interested to know that $4 billion of that over two years was going to restore aging infra- structure. My first question is to the hon. President of the Treasury Board. Could he give us an update on whether Alberta has received its share of the federal stimulus package this year? Mr. Snelgrove: No, Mr. Speaker, we haven’t received our share of the budget. We have been working very, very d iligently with the people from both Minister Merrifield’s and Minister Baird’s offices to try and get the agreement in place.

We have been working on the specific projects that have been identified by the different depart- ments in the Alberta government and some of the projects that our federal cousins have put forward. I would say that it’s a work in progress, but I would expect the agreement in principle is very close. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first supplemental is to the hon. President of the Treasury Board. I noticed that when this budget was delivered, there were a number of strings and conditions as far as sharing of funding and what projects might or might not get funded.

Could you please indicate whether this is impacting the amount of money that Alberta will be r eceiving, particularly since

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1045 Alberta has spent significant amounts of money in infrastructure and to municipalities in the MSI funding? Mr. Snelgrove: Well, Mr. Speaker, it is problematic in the way that Alberta has built over the past few years and continues to build infrastructure at a very rapid pace. The departments, quite honestly, have gotten very efficient and very good at understanding, organiz- ing, and putting forward these projects.

While it’s a train moving very quickly, where the federal government is trying to feed some of the hopper cars with some money and help us out, we haven’t been waiting. We have been trying to live up to the intent of their stimulus package, which is to get Albertans and, indeed, all Canadi- ans working. That’s what we’re trying to do, but it’s a work in progress. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the announcement of this economic stimulus money, is this changing any of the infrastruc- ture priorities in Alberta to be able to receive this money from the federal government? Mr.

Snelgrove: Well, yes, it does in a way in that it moves some of the projects that we were going to be unable to do up in line in the queue. It also allows the federal government to partner up in some of the projects that may be staged and otherwise would have taken years to complete. So it’s ki nd of a method of putting together where they’re comfortable with thei r participation in some of the staging, where they’re comfortable in participating in some of the ongoing maintenance, like they announced last week with our universities and colleges. We found, Mr.

Speaker, that by sitting down with the different departments, identifying where we are in the go-forward with the projects, we’re able to determine how it suits our capital budget. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Currie, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Automobile Insurance Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let’s talk car insurance today.

Using data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the Canadian Bar Association has found that the surge in auto insurance claims in New Brunswick had little to do with the increase in premiums and that there is no correlation between claims and the actual average premium. These findings completely contradict the reasoning that this government has been using for fighting its own legal battles to keep the minor injury cap in place. To the Minister of Justice and Attorney General: how much money has the govern- ment spent in legal fees appea ling the provincial court’s ruling against the minor injury cap in Alberta?

Ms Redford: Mr. Speaker, I think that the government of Alberta’s position is that this is an important piece of public policy. I know that there are governments across this country who are looking to what the government of Alberta is doing with respect to this. We are looking forward to the result, and we expect the Court of Appeal to make a decision shortly. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I will continue to look forward to an answer someday to my question.

To the minister of finance: will the minister be using the informa- tion found in the New Brunswick study to reform the government’s auto insurance policy on minor injury caps? The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Finance and Enterprise. Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister of Justice has identified, this issue is before the courts. We have not had any comment, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time. Mr. Taylor: Quite a few answers in a few weeks’ time, by the sound of things, Mr. Speaker.

Rather than continuing to spend taxpayers’ dollars fighting legal battles on the side of insurance companies, will the minister of finance fight on the side of Albertans and introduce public auto insurance? Ms Evans: Mr. Speaker, we’ve had conversations about that issue in this House before. We’ve identified, for example, the billions of dollars that other governments have spent in ways that are abusing taxpayers’ dollars to cover auto insurance. I believe that all Albertans are well served by the existing plan that we have in place. We hope it continues. The Speaker: The hon.

Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo. WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The provincial skills competition starts tomorrow in Edmonton, and the WorldSkills competition is about four months away. With over 1,000 competi- tors from 51 countries and an expected 150,000 spectators this is a huge event. However, WorldSkills is expected to cost taxpayers $21 million. My questions are to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. What is the economic benefit of this competition to the city of Calgary and this province? Mr. Horner: Well, Mr.

Speaker, that’s a very good question because it is taxpayers’ dollars that we’re putting out. We expect, based on some economic analysis that was done pre-event sponsored by the WorldSkills competition, that we’ll more than double our investment in returns to both the economy and to the city as well as to the province. Really, this is about much more than just the money. This is about training our young Albertans for careers in the trades and in skills competition. It’s about providing learning opportunities. It’s about highlighting the employers who share in the training of these young people.

This is a great event for Alberta. It will help showcase Alberta around the world. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My second question is to the same minister. There are so many talented tradespeople in this province. What criteria are used to select these individuals who represent their provinces and country, for that matter, for the world competition? Mr. Horner: Mr. Speaker, we have several competitions throughout the province that are ongoing. It’s similar to any other competition: you work your way through the playoffs, if you will.

Those students are going to be the ones that will be showcased in the competition.

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091046 Really, what we’re trying to do is inspire all of our youth who would look to or maybe not look to consider a career in the trades by way of this competition. In fact, my colleague the hon. Minister of Education is also supporting this WorldSkills competition, making it possible for an estimated 54,000 students to attend. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is to the same minister. Canada lags behind when it comes to world trade competitions. What are we doing to help our tradespeople to perform better on the world stage? Mr.

Horner: Well, Mr. Speaker, Alberta has a tremendous commit- ment to skills training. In fact, although we may have 10 per cent of Canada’s population, we train close to 20 per cent of Canada’s tradespeople. That alone suggests to Canadians that we take this very, very seriously. We’re going to show a very strong support for WorldSkills. It’s one of the reasons why it’s here. We agree that we want to raise the bar as far as our skills training goes and, again, highlight these careers that are available for young Albertans. Protection of Freedom of Expression Mr. Hehr: Mr.

Speaker, the lack of any thought into Bill 44, not only with the inclusion of the parental opt-out clause but with the exclusion of extending protection for freedom of speech in this province, and the fact that

section 3 of the act, which deals with freedom of speech, is not being amended back to the pre- 1996 wording are just other examples of how this government has failed in its attempt to revitalize human rights in Alberta. To the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit: why has this minister chosen not to protect freedom of speech in Alberta? 2:20 Mr. Blackett: Well, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think free speech actually needs to be defended in Alberta. We have free speech every day. We have it in this Legislature. We have it in our schools. We have it in our homes. We have it in our communities. We’re doing nothing different. We have some concerns with respect to the recommendations for

section 3 because we feel, our Progressive Conservative government, that we have to make sure that those individuals who are discriminated against, that the Human Rights Commission is supposed to protect, are protected against hate crimes. We’re not convinced that the provisions in the Canadian Criminal Code actually protect those. That’s the oppos ition’s response. That’s who they forget they should be representing. We represent all Albertans. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Hehr: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

As the parental opt- out clause has led to unintended consequences that the government didn’t even think about, how will this government deal with the unintended consequences of denying freedom of speech to Albertans such as complaints being filed with the commission about honestly held beliefs or cartoons about religion? Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, I look at excerpts from Hansard.

The hon. member asked this question on April 16: “What is [your] position on amending the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multicul- turalism Act to write in sexual orientation?” Again on May 21: “Can the minister tell me why race and disability are currently enumerated grounds but not sexual orientation?” Ms Blakeman: What’s your point? Mr. Blackett: The point is that in the last 13 months the hon. member’s opposition party never ever mentioned the words “freedom of speech.” Their cause célèbre was the inclusion of sexual orientation. That’s all they ever talked about.

We in this caucus, sir, have delivered a bill that encompasses all the beliefs of Albertans. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Hehr: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s kind of nice that the hon. minister did accept our recommendations for including sexual orientation. What the big print giveth, the small print taketh away sometimes, I’ve been warned. Will the minister commit to amending Bill 44 by returning to the pre-1996 wording of

section 3, as recommended by the Sheldon Chumir foundation? Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, when our caucus is assured that visible minorities or people in our aboriginal communities can walk around freely without the fear of being exposed unduly to discrimination with respect to hate crimes and that the Criminal Code will not have a test that’s so exorbitant that we cannot get a charge laid or a conviction made because of it, then we’ll look at that. It’s our responsibility as a government to make sure that we take care of the less fortunate. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona, followed by the hon.

Member for Peace River. Groundwater Monitoring Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to a national scientific report released today by the Council of Canadian Acade- mies, our groundwater is being increasingly threatened by contami- nation and misuse. We don’t know how much we have, where it is, or how it’s being used. What is this government’s answer? Cut the budget for groundwater monitoring by 50 per cent.

To the Minister of Environment: how can the minister justify cutting the budget at the very time scientists are telling us that we aren’t doing enough and that we need to do much better to protect our groundwater? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right: this Council of Canadian Academies came out with a report today. But this is a report that applies to all of Canada, and it’s a generalization, that generally speaking, there is insufficient background information available with respect to groundwater.

What this member has not acknowledged is that Alberta is far ahead of most other jurisdictions, and we’ve already begun and have a huge wealth of information and are committed to continuing to develop the information. Ms Notley: Well, Mr. Speaker, according to the report, the oil sands region is in jeopardy. The experts there say that our environmental impact assessments are inadequate, that we can’t measure the factors that impact tailings ponds leakage, and the government’s regulators do not have the expertise or the resources they need to evaluate industry’s groundwater studies.

That’s what the report says about Alberta, yet this government is planning to cut the budget for monitoring in half. To the minister: why won’t he admit that the problems identified in this report are only going to get worse in the face of his current budget cuts?

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1047 Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, this member was at committee the night that we discussed our budget. She knows perfectly well that the reductions in monitoring of groundwater have nothing to do with the industrial areas. The commitment was made, and I think I made it abundantly clear – she can check the record – that there are no reductions scheduled with respect to groundwater monitoring in the industrial areas.

The area where we slowed up our groundwater monitoring is in the development of new information, where we have moved from annual reporting to in some cases biennial reporting. So the question is not accurate. Ms Notley: Well, Mr. Speaker, overall the budget is being cut in half. Now this report suggests that the single most important factor in managing our water resources is knowledge. We need accurate and timely reporting, follow-up on water quality compliance, and insurance that contaminated sites are cleaned up. This ain’t gonna happen with a budget that’s being cut in half.

Will the Minister of Environment explain to ordinary Albertans why he feels comfortable gambling with the resources we all count on by cu tting the funds necessary to monitor them? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, one of the key objectives of this government is to implement cumulative effects environmental management tools. Cumulative effects environmental management tools deal with outcomes. This member is mired in the past. This member is mired in recording history and not looking at the reality that we are concentrating and are putting all of our focus on: the future.

We have determined that it is in the best interests of the environment and in the best interests of Albertans for us to focus on the future to ensure that we ha ve the necessary legislation and policies in place, to have the cumulative effects legislative regime in place. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Peace River, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Forest Industry Sustainability Mr. Oberle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday the govern- ment released its response to the recommendations contained in the Forest Industry Sustainability Committee’s final report.

The government was unable to offer direct financial support to the industry, so the response focuses on government policies and practices. My question is to the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. How will addressing government policies and practices help the industry? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to begin by acknowl- edging the debt that we all owe to the hon. Member for Peace River, who was the chair of the committee that wrote the report. An excellent report it was.

I’m also happy to report that we accepted 90 per cent, 43 of the 49 recommendations made in that report. These recommendations will provide new government policies and initiatives that will create a more competitive and more efficient forestry industry. We think that, for example, changes in the tenure system that allow flexibility and divisibility will help forestry companies decide how and when to develop fibre in a way that works for them. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Oberle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the risk of sounding like Chip ’n Dale, I’ll thank the minister for appointing me to the committee.

To the same minister: could he inform this House as to what is being done now to help the industry in the short term? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d remind the hon. member that his committee was asked to make recommendations for the long-term sustainability of the industry and not for the short term. In fact, we are doing a number of things that do address short-term concerns. The nine-point bioenergy plan, which forestry companies participate in, has provided $238 million in grants over five years.

We’re providing money to FPInnovations, which does research and product innovation and market research for forestry companies, and this year the community development trust fund is providing $10 million for worker retraining and retention in resource communities, again including forestry communities. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Oberle: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Finally, to the same minister: how long will it take fo r the industry to feel the benefit of govern- ment changes today? Dr. Morton: Mr.

Speaker, there are certain factors that influence the industry: the macro factors that we cannot control, and then there are things that we can control inside. The macro factors – the collapse of the U.S. housing market, the rise in the exchange rate on the loonie, the global recession credit crunch – are the big things that are hurting the industry. We can’t control those, but we are taking some of the initiatives and policies I alluded to earlier that w ill make a difference this year. If the macro factors don’t get worse, I believe that our initiatives will begin to show improvements this year.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Mackay. 2:30 Air Quality Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Alberta government’s air quality measurement doesn’t just suck; it wheezes. Last week downtown Edmonton was covered by a smoky haze from the brush fires near Fort Saskatchewan, yet the government’s air quality instruments continued to measure “good” for that period, which is a testament to Alberta’s poor air quality standards. My questions are to the Minister of Environment.

How can the ministry have instruments which measure air quality as good when the smoke is so bad that we can all smell it, see it, and breathe it? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, the gauge that is used to determine the air quality index is a combination of a number of different measure- ments, most of which have to do with identified pollutants. What the member is referring to was the result, as we all know, of fires that were in the region and relates to particulate matter.

Particulate matter, yes, is part of the air quality index, but the instruments that we use are checking for a number of other contaminants like ozone and SO2. Ms Blakeman: Well, particulates have the most serious effect on asthmatics.

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091048 Back to the same minister. The minister says that the government is outcome focused. What outcome, aside from smoky air, is the government implementing that’s an improvement on the national air quality index? Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, I guess the member suggests that I should have been out there putting out the fires. By the way, we were. My colleague from SRD had a number of people that were out working and helping with fighting those fires.

The fact of the matter is that we are focused on ensuring that we have a system in place that measures the kinds of pollutants that will be a true determination of the strength of our regulatory system in ensuring that our industrial emissions in this province remain within accept- able limits. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Blakeman: Thank you. Back to the same minister. Maybe I can help you out a bit. In the past the minister has said that the reason that Alberta doesn’t participate in the national air quality index is that Alberta’s circumstances are unique.

I’m wondering what unique circumstance Alberta could possibly have that means we measure smoky air as good quality. Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, the issue that the member refers to is that we have in place an air quality index that is a com ponent of a number of measurements, most of which relate to industrial emissions of one kind or another. We’re focused on ensuring that we can adequately measure the amount of volatile organic com- pounds that are in the air, the amount of NOx, nitrogen dioxide, that is in the air, which then results in smog.

At the end of the day, we feel that given the circumstances in Alberta, given the fact that we’ve got a high concentration of industrial emissions, it makes more sense for us to concentrate on those areas. Workforce Employment Services Ms Woo-Paw: Mr. Speaker, my first question is to the Minister of Employment and Immigration. Over the past few months we have seen many Albertans lose their jobs. My constituents would like to know: what is the government doing to assist Albertans affected by the current economic slowdown? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Goudreau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Our staff responds to layoffs they hear about through the media and through my particular office. Our staff reach out to those that are affected and offer free career services, including career planning, employment retraining programs, and connections to local employers who are hiring. I would emphasize that there are still employers who are hiring. Whether it is by posting jobs over our free website or holding recruitment events in our offices, we are helping employers find the people they need. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My last question is also to the Minister of Employment and Immigration. These employment services seem well intentioned, but how are they actually helping anyone? Mr. Goudreau: Mr. Speaker, our staff are helping hundreds of Albertans get back to work every day. I want to show one example, and that was the closure of the General Electric Money call centre in Edmonton. Our Employment and Immigration staff delivered presentations to the affected staff about our services. They orga- nized job fairs for 120 GE Money employees, with 19 employers talking to them.

To date 97 former GE Money staff have had interviews, and more than 50 have new jobs. The Speaker: Hon. member, is that okay? The hon. Member for Calgary-McCall, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Foothills. Ministerial and Senior Official Vehicle Fleet Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The ministerial and senior vehicle allowance is a very generous perk. Despite repeated requests, the Minister of Service Alberta has failed to bring in guidelines that would make the use of that perk more responsible to the environment.

In budget debates the minister said that some vehicles in the total government fleet were hybrids but did not talk specifically about the $40,000 perk that ministers and deputy ministers get. To the Minister of Service Alberta: why hasn’t the minister acted to put environmental responsibility as a requirement on these ministerial and senior official vehicles? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the fleet that Service Alberta runs and with respect to the fleet of executive and ministerial vehicles, they are two very separate items.

Most certainly, it is up to the individual choice of the ministers to decide if they choose to take a vehicle. With respect to the fleet, with respect to the whole issue of hybrid vehicles, I am pleased to say that we are up to 50 hybrid vehicles in the fleet, and we are moving forward on a number of those. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a perk of the job, and the minister could very easily put a requirement on it for environ- mental responsibility. This is not a hard change. We aren’t talking about many vehicles here, but the minister seems to need years of consultation.

We are talking about the ministerial and senior vehicle staff only. When will the consultation end and responsible decision- making begin, Minister? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, it will certainly not be years of consultation. In this whole area, again, in looking at whether it’s a hybrid vehicle and the uses for it in different parts of Alberta, that’s a number one concern. Again, I’ve said it before: we are not going to just merely do something just because it looks good.

It has to actually work, and it has to be a good use of taxpayers’ dollars with respect to the service fleet. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since the minister has been taking so long to think about these changes, there must be a draft proposal for fuel efficiency standards. What are they? The Speaker: The hon. minister.

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1049 Mrs. Klimchuk: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Another approach that we do take within the fleet is vehicles that are more efficient with respect to gas mileage, linking that with the hybrid vehicles. There are a whole number of areas that we have been working on with the Department of Environment, and we are hopeful that we’re going to be moving ahead on some very innovative directions, so you can certainly look forward to that. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Foothills, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Energy Efficiency Rebates Mr. Webber: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. I did some door-knocking on the weekend and had some pretty good chats with some constitu- ents of mine. In talking to them, a number of them are interested in making some energy efficiency improvements to their homes. I learned that some of these types of purchases are slightly more expensive than standard purchases. It’s not cheap to replace a furnace or a hot water tank. I know that we have a rebate program in place here in Alberta, but I wonder if it’s enough of an incentive in these difficult economic times.

My question is to the Minister of Environment: are Albertans taking you up on this offer, or are these purchases still out of reach? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Renner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, about a month ago we announced about $36 million in energy efficiency rebates to consumers. I’m very pleased to report that to date over 3,000 Albertans have filed applications for these programs. I think that’s an indication that Albertans recognize that it’s a wise investment despite the tough economic times that we find ourselves in. Rebates are engaging Albertans.

It’s giving them an opportunity to appreci- ate that everyone has a role to play and that there are opportunities to save money. More importantly, I think it creates some economic stimulus as well. Mr. Webber: My first supplemental to the same minister. With over 3,000 applicants in one month, Mr. Minister, that’s really quite excellent. The program seems very popular. But just what type of environmental difference is this making? 2:40 Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, a key plank in our climate change strategy is energy efficiency.

We’ve often talked in this House about carbon capture and storage and all of the other technologies that are associated, but this is an opportunity for individual Albertans to play a role. Overall, we have forecast a 24 million t onne reduc- tion in CO2 as a result of energy efficiency. This particular program, when it’s fully subscribed, should be responsible for about a million tonnes, or 200,000 cars off the road. Overall, that’s 200 megatonnes by 2050, and 24 megatonnes of that will come through energy conservation and efficiency. Mr.

Webber: My final question to the same minister: with the $36 million government investment in this initiative, is that enough? Is the minister considering expanding the program any time soon? Mr. Renner: Well, Mr. Speaker, I thin k this is one of those programs where you could truly say that there will never be enough. We could always expand this program. In my humble opinion, it’s not enough, and I think that we should be expanding the program. Will we expand the program? I guess that question really has to be addressed to the President of Treasury Board.

But the fact of the matter is that as we’re able to accommodate within a reasonable fiscal agenda, it certainly is my intention to continue to argue that programs like this are doing what they need to do and should be expanded over time. The Speaker: Hon. members, that was 94 questions and responses today. In 30 seconds from now we’ll continue the Routine. head: Introduction of Bills The Speaker: The hon. President of the Treasury Board. Bill 47 Appropriation Act, 2009 Mr. Snelgrove: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request leave to introduce Bill 47, the Appropriation Act, 2009.

This being a money bill, His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor, having been informed of the contents of this bill, recommends the same to the Assembly. Mr. Speaker, from the delivery of the budget back on April 7, 2009, by the Minister of Finance and Enterprise, five all-party standing committees of the Legislative Assembly have spent some 72 hours reviewing and debating the budget.

Very clearly, this budget represents the values and priorities of Albertans and during these uncertain economic times presents a clear and positive way forward for all the citizens of Alberta. [Motion carried; Bill 47 read a first time] The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness. Bill 48 Crown’s Right of Recovery Act Mr. Liepert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased today to rise and introduce first reading of Bill 48, the Crown’s Right of Recovery Act. Currently the province’s authority to recover health care costs resulting from wrongful acts or omissions is contained within the Hospitals Act.

This bill is proposing that separate legislation be created specifically for this authority because it covers more than simply hospital costs. Developing distinct legislation will enable the government to enhance the effectiveness of the cost-recovery process, provide authority to recover health care treatment costs from convicted criminals when that person suffered an injury while committing an offence, and enable the province to seek to recover health care costs caused by the wrongful acts of tobacco manufactur- ers. This is important legislation because, Mr.

Speaker, Alberta taxpayers should not be responsible for health care costs resulting from wrongful acts or omissions. Thank you. [Motion carried; Bill 48 read a first time] head: Tabling Returns and Reports The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. Mrs. Ady: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to table with the Assembly five copies of our written responses to questions raised by the opposition during the debate on Tourism, Parks and Recreation estimates on April 21. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre.

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091050 Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of my colleague the Leader of the Official Opposition and the Member for Calgary-Mountain View I would like to table the appropriate number of copies of correspondence to the Liberal caucus from Steve Schembri, who is writing to express his dismay, shock, and disbelief with the direction the government has taken the Alberta drilling industry. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I have one tabling today, and it’s the Qualitative Research Findings: Branding Alberta Message Testing Groups, January 2009. This is the focus group organized by Harris/Decima in various locations throughout Alberta and throughout the country and, I believe, across North America. It is noteworthy on page 10, hon. members, the photograph of the young couple in Northumberland in England. This is certainly not Sylvan Lake. It’s not Slave Lake. It’s a foreign photograph. It’s interesting, to say the least, how the government once again tried to pull the wool over the eyes of Alberta taxpayers. Thank you.

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview. Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I have a couple of tablings today. First off, I have letters from University of Alberta students Wayne Stelte, Ashlie Pratt, and Danielle Edge, all expressing their concern with the monopoly on ticket sales in Alberta and the lack of consumer protection. Second, I want to present a letter from Alberta senior Tine Steen- Dekker and a second letter signed by 59 Albertans. They are all participants in the Edmonton General hospital’s get fit program, which is designed to help seniors stay active and independent.

They’re writing because they’re opposed to the cancellation of the program scheduled for the end of this month. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two tablings. First, I’d like to table the appropriate number of copies of a

summary of a report from the Council of Canadian Academies titled Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Canada, which I referred to in my questions today. Secondly, I’d like to table the appropriate number of copies of 10 reports from long-term care workers indicating specific problems on shifts that were short-staffed.

These indicate that some residents were left in bed until late in the day, did not receive any care until after lunch, and also that some lifting that required two staff members was done by only one. head: Tablings to the Clerk The Clerk: I wish to advise the House that the following documents were deposited with the office of the Clerk. On behalf of the hon. Ms Evans, Minister of Finance and Enterprise, responses to ques- tions raised by Mr. Taylor, hon. Member for Calgary-Currie; Dr. Taft, hon. Member for Edmonton-Riverview; and Mr. Weadick, hon.

Member for Lethbridge-West, on April 22, 2009, Department of Finance and Enterprise main estimates debate. On behalf of the hon. Mr. Liepert, Minister of Health and Wellness, return to order of the Assembly MR 7 and MR 20, both asked for by Mr. Mason on April 6, 2009. On behalf of the hon. Mr. Horner, Minister of Advanced Educa- tion and Technology, responses to questions raised by Mr. MacDon- ald, hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar, and Dr. Taft, hon.

Member for Edmonton-Riverview, on April 28, 2009, department of advanced education main estimates debate. 2:50head: Orders of the Day head: Motions for Returns The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Lottery Fund Grant Announcements M25. Ms Blakeman moved that an order of the Assembly do issue for a return showing copies of all invitations sent to opposi- tion Members of the Legislative Assembly for lottery fund grant announcements in the constituencies they represent and any photographs of these members taken at the events in question. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The history behind this particular motion for a return is that there have been lottery grant programs in Alberta, which, I will add and underline, are much valued by the NGO and voluntary sector. These have been in place for a significant period of time, not always in the exact configuration that they are today, but there have been grant programs that are disbursing lottery funds out to the NGO and voluntary sector based on criteria established by the government for some time. For the same period of time, Mr.

Speaker, the government has used the distribution of the cheques that go along with these various grants as a photo opportunity. Often we see those sort of door-sized cartoon cheques or photo op cheques that are handed out with everybody gathered aro und them, and the photo appears in the newspaper. We actually even got to a point in the last term where backbenchers’ names were appearing on these big photo op cheques as though the individual backbencher had written the cheque out of their own account to give to a particular not-for-profit.

When the Liberal opposition brought that to the attention of the government, eventually the Premier ordered that that practice was to stop, but a few months went by, and we’re back to having the big cartoon cheques given away at the photo op again. Recently we’ve had other examples of government MLAs that are writing in public documents that they have certain pots of money or money that is assigned to them or available to them.

I’ve heard of two sets of money, one was $750,000 and the other one was more than that, several million dollars, I think, depending on what the status is that they hold in the particular caucus. But the truth is, Mr. Speaker, that we don’t know. We get little glimpses of this, little pieces of this, but what we know in the Official Opposition is that we’re never asked to hand out the cheque to groups that are in our cons tituency that receive the money, and we’re not in the photo that goes out to the media.

It’s pretty carefully done by government to enhance government although this is supposed to be lottery money that often the local MLA, including the members of the Official Opposition and the third-party opposi- tion, has supported and lobbied for and even written letters in support of. We have examples of government MLAs saying that they have pots of money that they are responsible for giving out. We’ve even brought forward examples of government MLAs showing control over the grant amounts and over the timing of the grant amounts.

That example was Foothills-Rocky View and their neighbouring constituency, Banff-Cochrane. That was $1.5 million and $1.5

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1051 million, for a combined $3 million. So I guess that answers my colleague’s question. The government, when we’ve raised these issues, likes to refute this by saying: well, look at all the money that goes to the constitu- ency in Edmonton-Centre; that disproves everything you’ve been saying. It actually doesn’t, Mr. Speaker, because we’ve been saying that government MLAs have access to a pot of money that we don’t, and saying that Edmonton-Centre agencies are getting money doesn’t mean that I have any access to it.

I’m certainly not invited to the photo op, and I don’t get to put my name on the cheque. So I thought: well, you know, let’s find out about this. Just let me point out that Edmonton-Centre is home to the major arts facilities in the city that we all share in and enjoy, and frankly they should have that support. They are a reflection of our city and of our province. There also are major NGOs, our larger NGOs: Catholic Social Services, United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Any number of large helping agencies also tend to be centred in the downtown core because that’s where people are clustered, looking for those services. As I said, we haven’t been invited to these cheque handouts and the photo ops although the government says that somehow all things are equal, so I thought I’d ask, Mr. Speaker. I took advantage of the parliamentary process that’s available with motions for a return and put it on the Order Paper some three weeks ago. Now, timing is everything, Mr.

Speaker, because on Thursday, just a mere two business days before this particular issue was going to come up in the Assembly today, the Liberal caucus got an invitation from staff in the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit’s office 45 minutes before an event, inviting the Liberal MLAs to go to a cheque handout. I thought: well, that’s really interesting except that the minister knew or should have known that, in fact, all of the Liberal opposition MLAs were going to be at a media conference 15 minutes before this started.

I say “should have known” because with the number of resources that are available to these government MLAs and particularly the minister through the Public Affairs Bureau, surely somebody checked to see if there was going to be any conflict with the minis- ter’s 11:45 media conference, anything around that time like, say, oh, an 11:30 a.m. media conference that was being hosted by the Liberal caucus. That media notice had gone out at 8:38 that morning, so a fair amount of notice had been given.

It was certainly available for the minister and his staff, and being the excellent staff that I know them to be, I’m sure they checked, and they knew that we would all be standing in a little row in the basement of the Legislative Assembly doing our own media conference and that the likelihood that we would make it to fulfill the minister’s obligation was slim to none aside from the fact that we’d actually been issued this invitation 45 minutes before the event was to take place. So even at that, that was pretty tight timing to have a number of MLAs reschedule things and be able to make it to this.

I suppose, strictly speaking – and I’ll be really interested to see. I bet you money that that is going to end up being used as proof that the ministry is open and had always been willing to extend an invitation. But the timing of it certa inly is very interesting. In my head I’m sort of classifying that as an attempt to race through the yellow light of the timing that is set by the motion for a return coming up. Unfortunately, because we had already scheduled something and there was public knowledge about our media conference, the minister got caught by the equivalent of a red-light camera.

I have moved that motion for a return. It is on the Order Paper. It is asking for copies of invitations and any photographs of our members that were taken at the events in question. I look forward to the minister’s response to Motion for a Return 25. Thank you. Mr. Blackett: Well, Mr. Speaker, the hon. member loves to come up with these conspiracy theories, but the fact remains that all these lottery-funded programs, community investment programs, are government of Alberta programs.

Last I checked, it was a Progres- sive Conservative government in Alberta, not the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, that administers these programs. We believe strongly that we should have an opportunity to have those individu- als, those volunteer groups, those organizations who raised a lot of money, and those sponsors have recognition for that. So we have events, we invite the media to them, those volunteers get some recognition, and they’re all very, very thankful. In response and without a lot of

preamble, the government is prepared to accept Motion for a Return 25 with amendments. I wish to propose an amendment to Motion for a Return 25 that would add a time frame to the request. Without a specific time frame this request is simply too broad. In addition, the Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit is only just over a year old.

With that in mind, I propose that the motion be amended to read: Copies of all invitations sent to opposition Members of the Legisla- tive Assembly for lottery fund grant announcements in the constitu- encies they represent from the date of inception of the ministry on March 12, 2008, to March 31, 2009, and any photographs of these members taken at the events in question. Prior to 11 a.m. today, Mr. Speaker, I did share the proposed amendment to the motion for a return with the Member for Edmonton-Centre as per parliamentary procedures.

I now request that the proposed amendment to Motion for a Return 25 be circu- lated to all members. I see that it appears on their desks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: On the amendment the hon. Member for Edmonton- Centre. Ms Blakeman: Indeed. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to respond to this amendment b ecause I think there’s a concept here. I recognize that we are dealing with a minister who has not been in place for a very long period of time.

Nonetheless, there is quite a bit of paid staff and a great deal of experience from his colleagues in the House here that could have assisted him with this. As I mentioned, these grant programs have been in existence for some time. They have been in other ministries at various times, but there certainly is a long history of these particular grant programs. I’ll specify the community facility enhancement program and the community initiatives program, which was formerly the community lottery boards’ money.

Then when the lottery boards were dis- banded, that money was rolled over into the community initiatives program, and the media at the time was quite clear in connecting those two, so I will connect them as well. 3:00 So here we have a minister who is saying: well, I’m only going to talk about this stuff from when my ministry was created and I was the minister for it. I would argue that that’s inappropriate, Mr. Speaker. We have the parliamentary precedent ahead of us that’s pretty clear, and I’ll point you towards

section 428(ll) of Beauchesne – let me just dig that out for you – which acknowledges under the

section on written questi ons that, you know, there’s a long list of things which should and should not be done. It does acknowledge

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091052 under the (ll) section: “seek from an ex-Minister information with regard to transactions during that person’s term of office.” That is always the standing rule in this Assembly. For example, I cannot ask the current Minister of Environment what he did in his previous ministry of Municipal Affairs. That would be inappropriate. But, certainly, it would be expected that I could ask this minister something about policy that had been developed in the Ministry of Environment four and five years ago, when he was not minister.

There is an expectation of institutional memory and institutional responsibility. As a matter of fact, it’s called ministerial responsibility. Ministers are expected to know this. They are supported by the staff, that give unbiased information to them. So to somehow say, “Well, no; I can only talk to you about what has happened in this ministry when I was minister” flies in the face of some fairly weighty tomes on parliamentary process here, that clearly say that the minister is responsible for the department they’re in and for all of the department they’re in back in history, not starting the day they took over.

If the Speaker would like, I also have references from M and M that I can dig out. The Speaker: That’s not required. Ms Blakeman: Okay. The Speaker: It is a point of ministerial responsib ility that you go back in the department, as the hon. member has said. This is the debate now on a motion, please remember. Ms Blakeman: Thank you so much. You are always so kind to me, Mr. Speaker. So would I accept this motion? No. What I see in this amend- ment is an attempt – and I don’t know if this is true or not – to get out from answering the question that is a long-running issue in this Assembly.

That is that the government members are given access to money that the rest of the members in this Assembly are not and that they are able to take advantage of that, some of them with very generous timing very close to election campaigns in ways that will advance their election likelihood, and that’s just wrong, plain old wrong. Will I accept this amendment from the minister, attempting to amend my motion for a return, which was asking for information?

Now, if he’d said, “This is too wide open; you can only go back five years” or one term or something, but to tie it specifically to when he took over that ministry I don’t think is appropriate. I think it does fly in the face of the parliamentary precedent that we have under the concept of ministerial responsibility. So I would urge my colleagues in the Assembly to not support the amendment to curtail the time period in which the information should be handed over to me, the person requesting it. Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Yes.

Thank you very much. I’m pleased to participate in the debate on Motion for a Return 25, as proposed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, in particular the amendment as proposed by the hon. Minister of Cultural and Community Spirit. I don’t understand how this amendment could be presented to the Legislative Assembly, restricting and limiting this request to the period of time through March 12, 2008, until March 31, 2009. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre is quite right. I would remind the hon. member that the lottery funds are disbursed from the Department of the Solicitor General and Public Security.

They have been for some time, to my knowledge. When you look at some of the programs that were available in the past, particularly in the run-up to the election, there was a lot of money spent, in excess, I would say, comfortably of $400 million, in the Culture and Community Spirit program, specifically to programs which, if we were to accept this amended program, we would have no idea if any of us ever got an invitation or, if we did, if there was a photograph taken. I have no recollection of ever being invited. Now, I’m busy, I may have missed some of this, but I can’t think of ever being invited, Mr. Speaker.

If we look at the major community facilities program of $140 million, which this year has been eliminated or omitted from the budget for obvious reasons, and if we go back to 2007-08 and take this amendment to Motion for a Return 25 as it’s worded, we would have no information on that major program. That’s $140 million. After the big 72-seat majority is acquired, that’s conveniently eliminated. Now, there are major fairs and exhibitions. Going back two years, they have a $53 million allocation. It’s dropped to $23 million in this budget year.

We would have no record – we would be excluded – of the information regarding the lists and the invites and whatnot that the hon. member is seeking. In conclusion, in the run-up to the provincial election there was significant money, millions and millions of dollars, spent through the lottery program, through various constituencies. I’m not saying that it’s good or that it’s bad. The fact is that you only have to look at the annual reports, and the AGLC is in the Solicitor General’s department, not in the hon. minister’s department. Ms Blakeman: CFEP is in his department. Mr. MacDonald: Yes. That is correct.

But the money flows from the hon. Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security through to various organizations. For the hon. member’s request we need all of the information, not just part of it. So much money was spent in the immediate past from the dates that the hon. minister is talking about here that I think we need to go back and get all of the invitations, not just the ones from the 12th . . . Ms Blakeman: There aren’t any. Mr. MacDonald: There are none? Ms Blakeman: You didn’t get any. I didn’t get any. I don’t think there are any. Mr. MacDonald: I didn’t get any, no. No, I did not.

But I might have missed them. I don’t know. Certainly, I would like to point that out. Thank you. The Speaker: If you can direct your thoughts through the chair, he’s kind of interested. The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give the hon. Minister of Culture and Community Spirit cred it for being so direct in his approach. While he’s only been the minister and elected since March 3, 2008, he’s quickly felt the sense of entitlement that this government has had for the last 40 years. He doesn’t have to get up to speed. He was running, and he’s there already.

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1053 Now, regardless of whether we receive the motion as amended or the original motion for a return, we know what the result is, Mr. Speaker: a big fat zero. The government has the feeling that it is their money that they are passing out to the constituencies regardless of whether they were elected to represent those constituencies. It’s not taxpayers’ money, Mr. Speaker.

It’s something that they have stroked the golden goose, got the golden egg, exchanged it at the money market, and now out of their goodness – note the Premier’s signature on the bottom of the cheque – it’s theirs to do as they wish because they’re the government. Well, guess what? It’s the taxpayers’ money. It’s lottery money that has been earned from constituents throughout the province. 3:10 Mr.

Speaker, I have no problem with the minister leaving money behind and maybe a silver bullet like the Lone Ranger in Calgary- Varsity, for example, as he did in January, when he provided $10,000 for a community rink, which I’m very much in support of, but until I saw the minister’s smiling face in the Calgary-Varsity newsletter, Varsity Acres – Varsity Voice is the name of the document – I had no understanding that this wonderful generosity of the lottery grants had been awarded to the constituents of Calgary- Varsity. Now, I’m very pleased that they received it.

I would have even been more pleased if the minister had indicated that something that I had lobbied for and supported my constituents for some time in the receipt of finally arrived. This business of the government believing that it is their money and therefore they can do with it what they like – and then we have this amended motion, which basically does the Orwellian thing of trying to erase history, the whole business of he who controls the past controls the future. Well, here’s another example. Get out the large daub of whiteout.

However, in this case it doesn’t really matter because we weren’t invited, we’ve never been invited, and if this government continues in power, we probably never will be. Ms Blakeman: Well, let’s find out. Maybe they’ve got something. Mr. Chase: As the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre says: well, let’s find out. Maybe the invitation that was through Canada Post is in the mail, and somehow the Pony Express never made it to our constituency offices.

It’s ridiculous that the governme nt thinks that lottery money is their own sole possession to dole out as they wish to try and undermine the constituencies of those members who are not government members. We’re all elected to do our jobs, to represent our constituents to the best of our abilities, and when the government throws arguments: well, do you want us to take back the grant? Of course not. We just want to be considered as the elected members of being worthy, whether we’re elected as opposition or not, to be a part of that celebration, which to date has not occurred. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: Others? [Motion on amendment carried] The Speaker: We’re back now to the debate on the motion as amended. Anyone want to discuss further? Hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre, do you wish to conclude debate, or should I just call the question? Ms Blakeman: Well, I am interested to see what we’re going to get here, Mr. Speaker, because I think we’ve been pretty clear, and we’ve tried over a number of years to raise this issue. This just does not pass the test. I don’t think it passed the ethical test, that the government is helping itself to a funding source which it then uses to advance its own cause.

I don’t think that passes an ethical test. I don’t think it passes a moral test. Certainly, the responses I’ve had from people that have read my comments in this House around this issue go: “We had no idea that was going on. This is not right.” They feel that the government is using this as a slush fund, and it’s inappropriate. Let me be really clear here, Mr. Speaker. I don’t think anybody in this House would say that the groups don’t deserve this money. I think they do.

I think it’s th e manner in which the government chooses to control the amounts that the groups are getting, the timing that they’re getting it, and the way that it’s being handed out. It’s meant to aggrandize the government members, and it’s inappropri- ate. I think the final test is the mom test, and I don’t think it’s passing the mom test either. I think that what is contemplated here is sneaky and underhanded. It’s meant to deceive. It’s meant to make the constituents that live in constituencies that have a nongovernment member believe that their member isn’t working hard for them. I know that’s wrong.

I think it is wrong. It doesn’t pass any of those tests. The bottom line is that what the government is doing here is inappropriate. I’m going to continue to raise th is issue. Why I put this motion for a return there was to get them to step up and show us these invitations. At one point it was heckled back to me in response to one of my questions: oh, we’ve invited you guys before. Really? Let’s see it. If it’s on the level of what we got out of this minister’s office on Thursday, I think that’s going to tell us a whole bunch.

If we end up with other invitations that got lost in the mail or that never got there or were delivered after the event happened, that’s going to tell us a whole bunch more about how the government is handling the distribution of these lottery-based funds through the grant programs. Just as a final point, I think it’s disrespectful. It disrespects the number of people who chose to vote in someone who wasn’t a government member. I think that’s where it’s disrespectful, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to receiving the information a bout the invitations that were given to us. I will see where it goes from there.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. [Motion for a Return 25 as amended lost] head: Public Bills and Orders Other than Government Bills and Orders Committee of the Whole [Mr. Mitzel in the chair] The Deputy Chair: I’d like to call the committee to order. Bill 203 Local Authorities Election (Finance and Contribution Disclosure) Amendment Act, 2009 The Deputy Chair: Are there any comments, questions, or amend- ments to be offered with respect to this bill? The hon. Member for Athabasca-Redwater. Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It’s a pleasure to rise and open Committee of the Whole debate on Bill 203, the local authori- ties election amendment act. I would like to thank my colleagues from both sides of this House for sharing their thoughts and concerns during second reading. I would also like to quickly review the primary components of Bill 203.

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091054 This bill was designed to be a unifying piece of legislation that would provide clear and fair local election regulations for campaign finances that would be consistent province-wide. It would mirror rules that already apply in provincial elections and would be similar to legislation already enacted in Ontario, B.C., and Quebec. It has four main elements. First, it would apply a $5,000 limit on contribu- tions from any one individual, corporation, trade union, or employee organization.

This limit was designed to ensure that all Albertans regardless of personal wealth were able to play a meaningful role in the electoral process. Second, Bill 203 would require all candidates to file disclosure statements with the municipality following the conclusion of an election. These statements would be made publicly available and must include the names and addresses of those contributors who donate more than $100 to a candidate as well as record the total dollar value of all contributions $100 or less. Mr.

Chairman, disclosure statements ensure public confidence and can also protect candidates from insinuations or outright accusations of undue influence. Third, Bill 203 would provide clear guidelines for the handling of surplus campaign funds following an election. Candidates who record surplus campaign funds exceeding $500 would be required to pay the amount of that surplus to the municipality to be held in trust for the candidate for their use in the following election.

Should the candidate choose not to run in the subsequent election, the surplus funds held in trust may be directed to a registered charity by that candidate. These measures protect the contributor and ensure that contributions are used for their intended purpose, the municipal election campaign of the candidate. 3:20 Fourth, finally, Bill 203 clearly identifies who is eligible and ineligible to donate to a municipal campaign.

The list of prohibited organizations is mirrored from the Election Finances and Contribu- tions Disclosure Act with a few minor relevant alterations, including prohibiting donations from municipally owned corporations and nonprofits who have received recent municipal grants. These provisions are designed to build upon the commendable efforts of municipalities across Alberta and ensure that all Albertans can expect the same level of transparency, fairness, and accountabil- ity in their municipal and provincial elections regardless of where they live. Mr.

Chairman, I’d like to take this opportunity to address some of the specific questions brought forward by my hon. colleagues during second reading. I thank the hon. Minister of Municipal Affairs for his question regarding whether I had thought to extend Bill 203 to include school division trustees or trustee elections. I would like to state that no provision in Bill 203 precludes such a regulation from being explored or implemented in the future, but because Bill 203 is a private member’s bill, I believe it’s important for it to have a narrow scope of focus.

This is to ensure proper consultation as well as thorough debate and, possibly most important, to maximize its chance of success. Since this is the case, I did not include them within the scope of this bill at this time. I believe that extending its measures to school trustee elections could be a worthy item for discussion at a future date. Another important question raised by the hon. members for Edmonton-Strathcona and Edmonton-Gold Bar relates to a key provision of Bill 203, the proposed contribution limit of $5,000.

As members of this Assembly we are aware that Alberta’s Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act establishes contribution limits to political parties, constitu ency associations, and registered candidates during and between election campaign periods.

Section 17(1) limits contributi ons to local constituency associations to $1,000 in a year that is not an election year. Furthermore, it limits contributions to a registered candidate during an election year to $2,000. Mr. Chairman, this means that over a three- to four-year term the maximum any donor can contribute to any one provincial candidate’s campaign is approximately $5,000. The $5,000 limit was set, again, to mirror the opportunities that currently exist for a provincial candidate.

It was selected after consultation with the AUMA and the AAMD and C as well as widespread discussion with some of my many members of caucus who have valuable municipal experience. The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona questioned why contributions are higher for provincial candidates. They are not. As I have described, they are consistent with each other and were set through careful consultation but certainly could be adjusted, if warranted, in the future. Another question brought forward by the hon. Member for Calgary-McCall and others relates to the matter of making contribu- tions tax deductible. Mr.

Chairm an, I believe this is a notable suggestion. No provision of Bill 203 precludes such a measure from being explored or implemented in the future. Once again, this relates to keeping the scope of this private member’s bill focused on aspects that are achievable in the short term. We also would need serious consultation on who would fund such a tax credit. This potential tax credit is an idea that would need more in-depth consideration and wider consultation with stakeholders and affected ministries. I prefer to propose that the four essential elements of the bill proceed first. The hon.

Member for Lethbridge-East addressed the matter of surplus funds and whether those funds would be available should a candidate or councillor choose to run for election at another level of government.

Section 147.05(4) of Bill 203 requires candidates who choose not to run in a future municipal election to direct surplus funds left over from the prior election to a registered charitable organization as defined by

section 149.1(1) of the Canada Income Tax Act, or it will become revenue for the local municipality. A candidate may only use prior held surplus funds under the condition that he or she chooses to run in the subsequent municipal election. Therefore, a candidate who chooses to run for office in another level of government may not use surplus funds held from a prior munici- pal election campaign. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to address questions that a number of hon. members raised in regard to trade unions. The hon.

Member for Calgary-Varsity suggested that Bill 203 disenfranchises members of particular unions. Furthermore, the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East questioned whether members of a union in addition to their organization could contribute to a municipal candidate. I’d like to state that Bill 203 was designed to ensure that all contributors – be they individuals, trade unions, corporations, employee organiza- tions – are treated fairly and equally. To this end, it mirrors existing legislation governing provincial elections. In conclusion, I’d like to address a particular concern raised by the hon.

Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. The member suggested that trade unions and corporations were being treated differently under Bill 203 due to their respective

definitions. She noted that

whereas

section 147.01 deems all locals of a trade union to be one trade union, no such restriction exists for corporations and those corpora- tions associated with it. I would like to assure the hon. member that it was the intention of Bill 203 to mirror the provincial legislation in this regard. As such, I’m pleased to move an amendment to Bill 203 that will address this potential discrepancy. Its language is identical to existing provisions within Alberta’s Election Finances and Contribu-

May 11, 2009 Alberta Hansard 1055 tions Disclosure Act with respect to corporate donors. This amendment essentially says that for the purpose of the contribution limit of $5,000 all corporations associated with each other are treated as one corporation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to debate on Bill 203 and the proposed amendment and thank all the hon. members for their careful consideration. The Deputy Chair: Hon. members, this will be amendment A1. We’ll just pause for a moment to make sure that it’s passed out. Hon. members, we’ll be debating amendment A1. Any members wish to speak? The hon.

Member for Calgary-Varsity. Mr. Chase: Thank you for the opportunity. As I indicated when Bill 203 first came up, I am in support of this pi ece of legislation, and I thank the hon. mover of the bill, the Member for Athabasca- Redwater. I also support the clarification provided in his amend- ment. I believe that in previous debate I pointed out that the idea of limiting the influence, whether it be of corporati ons or unions or individuals, is something that came out of the Liberal government under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. The purpose of the amendment and its clarification spells out just exactly that.

For example, take CUPE. It has various locals, but the entire organization would only be allowed a certain amount. Likewise, there are several subcompanies within a larger company that previously could potentially have given donations within their subcompany status,

whereas this particular amendment, A1, clarifies that. Therefore, I’m very much in support of it. Thank you. The Deputy Chair: Any other members wish to speak? The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Yes. On the amendment. This amendment is in

section 3 of the proposed Bill 203. Certainly, if I’m to understand this correctly, it is changing the definition of a corporation in the federal Income Tax Act. I still have questions, and I can understand where the hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona is coming from because of the existing definition for trade unions. The hon. member submitting this amendment suggested that this would level the playing field. Now, one has to look at the definition of corporations associated with

section 256 of the Income Tax Act. That is certainly interesting.

Section 256(1) of the Income Tax Act of Canada shall read as though the words “at any time in the year” were struck out. 3:30 Now, are we capturing associated corporations with this definition as I understand it? When we compare this to a trade union, Mr. Chairman, we would be looking at – let’s pick the AUPE as an example – where for the purposes of this Bill 203 all locals of a trade union in Alberta are deemed to be in one trade union.

So there would be lots of locals of the AUPE scattered throughout the province, but they’re to be deemed by this legislation to be captured in the same definition, as I understand that. Now, if I understand correctly, the definition of associated corporations here in the Income Tax Act is that For the purposes of this Act, one corporation is associated with another in a taxation year if, at any time in the year, (

a) one of the corporations controlled, directly or indirectly in any manner whatever, the other; (

b) both of the corporations were controlled, directly or indirectly in any manner whatever, by the same person or group of persons; and it goes on and on. There’s also

section 256(1.1), the definition of a specified class, and 256(1.2). Under this amendment, as I understand this, they would all be applicable, would they not? Perhaps I can get an answer to that from the hon. member before we proceed any further, Mr. Chairman. Thanks. The Deputy Chair: Do any other members wish to speak? Are you ready for the question on the amendment? Mr. MacDonald: Mr. Chairman, I had directed a question to the hon. member, and I was hoping to get a response before we go any further. Mr. Johnson: Mr. Chairman, I thank the hon. member for his question.

The amendment and the Income Tax Act of Canada are fairly clear. As I stated in the introduction to the amendment, the amendment is brought forward to mirror exactly what we have in our Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act. It has always been the intent of this bill that it would not create a greater burden on municipal elections than we have on ourselves at the provincial elections. So what we’ve done is take the exact language right out of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act and plopped that into this bill.

The member is correct in that the intent of this is that every corporation that’s associated with each other would be considered one corporation for the purpose of contribu- tions, just like every union local associated with each other would be considered one entity for the purpose of a donation. Thank you. The Deputy Chair: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Thank you. I appreciate that response from the hon. member. Now, I don’t know how this legislation or even this amendment, Mr. Chairman, can be policed. There is a shortage of resources as it is at Elections Alberta.

The former Elections Alberta CEO, or Chief Electoral Officer, certainly indicated on the public record and suggested that there is a Wild West of accounting here with contributions. There are very few rules. I would like to know how the hon. member plans to enforce this amendment if it is to become law. How is this going to work in light of the very disappointing statements from an individual who was in charge of not only this act but Elections Alberta for a period of three-plus years? That individual had very little confidence that the system worked.

Now that we are providing this amendment to this legislation – we will see where it goes in the House – how, precisely, is this going to work? Thank you. Mr. Johnson: Mr. Chair, the question on who is going to police this amendment and the bill itself, for that matter, is a good question, but there aren’t a lot of resources required to police this. This is going to be policed essentially by the public. This is just a disclosure for the public.

Once these things are made public and accessible by the public, then, of course, if we see some serious violations, it would be up to the prosecutor’s office to decide whether they would move forward on those. The intent is not to create a whole mechanism to police this. This is just about proper disclosure to the public. The Deputy Chair: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity on the amendment. Mr. Chase: Yes. Thank you. The hon. Member for Edmonton- Gold Bar has raised an important concern. This is a terrific amend-

Alberta Hansard May 11, 20091056 ment, A1. I’m very supportive of it. I’m supportive of the bill, as I’ve previously indicated. But there were 18 infractions that were pointed out as a result of the last provincial election, and the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo continuously approached the hon. Minister of Justice about looking into the 18 infractions.

Therefore, with potential infractions that occur in the future, even though we’re trying to tighten up the regulati ons and bring them into line with provincial legislation, what assurances can be provided that the intent of this terrific amendment will actually be able to be governed and followed up not only by Elections Alberta, which, as the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar indicated, brought up over 150 concerns that needed to be dealt with, never mind the 18 infractions?

I would look forward to an explanation of how, going beyond this terrific amendment, we can actually make sure that it gets legislated and enforced. How will the rules be changed to make sure that the rules that previously weren’t followed are now more closely followed as a result of this improved legislation? The Deputy Chair: Any other members wish to speak on the amendment? If not, I will call the question on the amendment. [Motion on amendment A1 carried] The Deputy Chair: On the bill as amended, the hon. Member for Edmonton-Gold Bar. Mr. MacDonald: Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Whenever we debate any, you know, private member’s bill in this Assembly, we have to be mindful of two rather significant pieces of legislation that have passed the Assembly here in the last number of years, and both of them – I don’t know who in the government has been reluctant to proclaim them. I’m not going to suggest for a minute it’s the President of the Treasury Board because I know he likes tax cuts as well as the next person. The first bill that I would bring to the Assembly’s attention is a private member’s bill that was passed.

The former Member for Strathcona had a bill, and it was a good bill, to give tradespersons a break when they were first buying their tools or upgrading their tools. It was a tax credit. Many people, including this hon. member and even many government members, thought that this bill had become law and started to talk about it and encourage taxpayers to access this. Some auto or heavy-duty mechanics spend thousands of dollars annually. Some of them have $35,000, $45,000 worth of tools that they take with them daily in their work. They thought that this was going to be a tax credit.

But the government has refused to do anything about it. Now, the hon. Member for Calgary-Lougheed, of course, last year had proposed a tax credit for individuals who were active, or exercising. 3:40 The Deputy Chair: Hon. member, we’re talking about the bill. Mr. Ma

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20090511
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L27 S2 20090511 1330 01 han.pdf
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	176a4c32cc49695caf78d82b6c1175d352602cc0

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