Alberta Hansard — 29 March 1978, Afternoon sitting (14:30) (Legislature 18, Session 4)

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Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

March 29, 1978 ALBERTA HANSARD 361 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA Title: Wednesday, March 29, 1978 2:30 p.m. [The House met at 2:30 p.m.] PRAYERS [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] head: PRESENTING PETITIONS MR. HORSMAN: Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the Assembly the following petitions for private bills: one, the petition of the Alberta Wheat Pool for

An Act to Amend The Alberta Wheat Pool Act, 1970; two, the petition of the Society of Industrial Accountants of Alberta to amend a private bill,

An Act to Incorporate the Society of Industrial Accountants of Alberta; three, the petition of Paul Gerald Otke, George Rode, Luther Edgar Schroeder, Vernon Arthur Raaflaub, and Robert Glen Guebert for

An Act to Incorporate Conco rdia College; four, the petition of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception for

An Act to Incorpo rate St. Joseph's Hospital, Radway; five, the petition of the Royal Trust Company for

An Act to Amend The Royal Trust Company Act; six, the petition of Edward G. Robinson, R.W. Nickerson, W.A. Cochrane, J.F. Fendall, and R.W. Chapman for

An Act to Incorporate The First Western Trust Company. head: INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 21 The Workers' Compensation Amendment Act, 1978 MR. CRAWFORD: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to intro duce Bill No. 21, The Workers' Compensation Amendment Act, 1978. 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, in principle the bill is a reflection of the very useful work done by the select committee which reported late in 1976 and was under the chairmanship of the hon. Member for Calgary Milli- can.

The bill presents a series of points, the most significant of which would be the following. First, it does away with discrimination in regard to the amount of benefits available to widows who up to this time were covered by the previous act, thereby having been in the situation where a superior benefit was paid to widows under the act that took effect January 1, 1974. For the approximately 1,000 widows who survive and were covered under previous legislation, the anomaly will be done away with and the benefits equated.

Secondly, under the bill the board will be able to waive the limitation period during which certain claims must be filed in certain cases, the provisions being for three years. It will be possible for the board to waive that in cases where extraordinary hardship might appear. Temporarily disabled workers will be able to receive a more realistic benefit in cases where the temporary disability lasts more than one year. The occasional worker who is in the position where his disability is still temporary after the period of one year has in the past been trapped by the lower payments preceding.

A few other points in principle, Mr. Speaker. The clarification of the situation of employers in regard to the need to be covered: an amendment will be pro posed whereby directors, officers, and persons who are clearly employers will not have to be covered, and that coverage will become optional.

As well, changes in regard to the coverage of members of a family: in order to make it clear that where an employer/ employee relationship exists, members of a family are covered by workers' compensation without reference to whether or not they reside in the household of the employer. [Leave granted; Bill 21 read a first time] Bill 242

An Act to Amend The Municipal Taxation Act DR. WEBBER: Mr. Speaker, I request leave to intro duce Bill No. 242,

An Act to Amend The Municipal Taxation Act. The objective of this bill is to permit an urban municipality to assess vacant and inactive land or substantially unimproved land at up to full market value or a percentage thereof. If an urban municipal ity feels it can increase the supply of housing and influence the cost of housing by imposing a tax on certain lands, the passage of this bill would allow the municipality to do so. [Leave granted: Bill 242 read a first time] Bill 246

An Act to Repeal The Health Insurance Premiums Act MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to introduce Bill No. 246,

An Act to Repeal The Health Insurance Premiums Act. The purpose of this bill would be to eliminate medicare premiums in Alberta. [Leave granted; Bill 246 read a first time] head: TABLING RETURNS AND REPORTS MR. FOSTER: Mr. Speaker, I would like to file the 1977 annual report of The Legal Aid Society of Alber ta. In due course I will make copies available to all members of the House, but I don't have them at the moment. MR. CRAWFORD: Mr. Speaker, I would like to table copies of the answer to Motion for a Return No. 108, and copies of the annual report of the pension bene fits branch.

362 ALBERTA HANSARD March 29, 1978 head: MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Department of Education MR. KOZIAK: Mr. Speaker, in the Budget Address on March 17 my colleague the Hon. Merv Leitch pro vided some details of the priorities for education announced in the Speech from the Throne. I am pleased at this time to expand the information on four high-priority areas of assistance for handicapped and learning disabled pupils. The first relates to special education teaching posi tions.

In the past year, 24 new teaching positions were established for education of the severely handi capped, bringing the total of this type in the province of Alberta to 428, more than double the 206 such classes in the 1971-72 school year. The hon. mem bers of the Legislature will be aware that the number of pupils in such classes ranges from three per teacher in classes for the blind, up to nine to 12 per teacher in classes for the trainable mentally retarded.

We also now support 979 resource room and related teachers for the mildly handicapped and learning dis abled, an increase of 601 since the 1971-72 school year for this category of special education classes. Mr. Speaker, subject to approval of our estimates by the Legislature, we propose to fund a total of 120 new special education teaching positions in these two categories for the 1978-1979 school year. The net result will be that approximately 1,525 teachers, nearly 7 per cent of the total provincial teaching force, will be devoted exclusively to special education instruction.

Put in another way, approximately one teacher in 15 will be in full-time special education instruction. This assistance is in addition to the indi vidual attention to special education needs given by regular classroom teachers. The total number of such positions will have almost tripled since 1971- 72, while the enrolment in schools has dropped from the 1971 peak of 425,468 to the current 421,827. Our second thrust in this area, Mr. Speaker, is to allocate $108,000 for the development of a provincial curriculum guide for programs for the educable mentally retarded.

Living and vocational skills such as money management, travel, understanding of self and others, as well as modified academic areas will be included. Suggestions for parent involvement and for wide use of community resources will be provided. Preliminary drafts for some program guides are expected to be available for review by this summer. In the third area, Mr. Speaker, many learning texts, references, and resources must be specially produced for the visually impaired students in Alberta.

We have been supplying through the materials produc tion centre some large-print books, Braille books, and tapes on request from special classroom teachers. We propose to increase the volume and improve the quality of such materials by the acquisition of new equipment to improve production. The hon. members of the Legislature will note that our spending for materials will be doubled to nearly $170,000 to pro vide visually impaired students with special copies of text and reference resources.

Further, through deployment of three present staff positions from the Department of Education, and the addition of five new permanent positions, we are prepared to satisfy the special demand for materials and facilitate the inte gration of many of these students into regular classrooms. In the fourth area, Mr. Speaker, the province of Alberta increasingly has been educating the blind within the province rather than sponsoring such edu cation elsewhere.

Children attending centres outside Alberta have had the opportunity for special mobility training, enabling them to learn the skills of being as independent as possible in moving from place to place. For the 1978-79 school year, we propose to establish a new category of grants to support school boards in their employment of persons to provide mobility training for blind children in school pro grams. The grants are proposed to cover up to 30 hours of such instruction for each child per term. For 1978-79 a total of $40,000 is being provided.

These four proposed developments reflect initial additional assistance of over $800,000. I say initial assistance because the new special education teach ing covers the school system year from September 1978 to the end of the government fiscal year in March 1979. The continuing costs for full years of operation will be as. much more again. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share these details of our continuing priority assistance for improved educa tional service and assistance to school children with handicaps and learning disabilities in Alberta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. head: ORAL QUESTION PERIOD St.

Albert Development MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct the first question to the Deputy Premier and Minister of Transportation. It flows from comments made last week by the MLA for St. Albert, who told the St. Albert city council that he had received agreement from the Minister of Transportation for the start of the west by-pass road in 1978. Is it the position of the Alberta government that for the by-pass road to start in the vicinity of St. Albert in 1978, the city of St. Albert must agree to the terms outlined by the MLA for St. Albert in his meeting with St. Albert city council last week? DR.

HORNER: Mr. Speaker, the agreement we have is that to us in Transportation, it makes more sense to have a by-pass, when one is required, on the west side of St. Albert rather than the east. That has to do with the difficulty of entry into the city of Edmonton, relatively. The question of whether or not a by-pass is indeed required at the moment is academic. The major traffic on Highway 2 is in fact generated from the city of St. Albert itself, so those traffic figures have to be taken into any consideration of where and when a by-pass is built. MR. CLARK: Mr.

Speaker, a supplementary question to the Deputy Premier. As far as the city of St. Albert is concerned, has the government made a decision to proceed in 1978 with a by-pass in any form — be it on the west side, which the government appears to favor, or the east side, which some of the people in the city of St. Albert appear to favor? Has a decision been made with regard to going ahead on either side?

March 29,1978 ALBERTA HANSARD 363 DR. HORNER: Mr. Speaker, the priority I think all would agree with is that we have improved access between St. Albert and Edmonton. We spent a great deal of money last year, and we'll be continuing that on the 170 Street and 156 Street connections to 118 Avenue. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, that's hardly the by-pass we're talking about. Perhaps I could put the question to the Deputy Premier this way: since the MLA for St. Albert had a document outlining the proposal in some detail, why were the city of St.

Albert and MD of Sturgeon not informed of the plan before the surprise offer was presented to the city council? DR. HORNER: Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. Leader of the Opposition is going to have to have some direct communication with the MLA for St. Albert with regard to that question. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, then let me put the ques tion to the Deputy Premier this way: why were the city of St. Albert and the MD of Sturgeon not inform ed of the plans put before them by the MLA for St.

Albert prior to that — if I could refer to it as rather a surprise proposal — and the city being told virtually that they had to agree to the thing that evening or no work could be done in 1978? DR. HORNER: Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition should appreciate that some MLAs do their homework better than others. To my knowl edge, the MLA for St. Albert did in fact discuss in detail the question of by-pass and transportation problems in his constituency, in the city of St. Albert, and in the MD of Sturgeon.

Indeed, he has had both the city and MD councils in my office discussing the various transportation problems that are there. So to suggest it was some sort of surprise announcement is incorrect, and the hon. Leader of the Opposition had better do his homework a little better. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, then can I put the question to the Deputy Premier this way: has he made availa ble to the city of St. Albert and the MD of Sturgeon the same detailed plans which were hoisted upon those people last week by the MLA? SOME HON. MEMBERS: Order. DR. HORNER: Mr. Speaker, again the hon. leader should do his homework.

If he did he would know, number one, that we have helped all the cities in Alberta to develop master transportation plans for their areas. Indeed the proposition the MLA for St. Albert put forward is in the long-term plans of that transportation study done by the former administra tion in the city of St. Albert in conjunction with my department. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, let me put the question to the Deputy Premier once more. When can the city of St. Albert and the MD of Sturgeon expect to get the detailed back-up information to the proposal put to them last week by the MLA for St. Albert? DR. HORNER: Mr.

Speaker, I'm sorry, but the Leader of the Opposition again has not done his homework. If he did so, he would know all that back-up material has been, to my knowledge, in the hands of both councils and indeed, as I said earlier, concurs with the long-term transportation plan in the city of St. Albert. My hon. friend should not just read the newspapers but perhaps get in touch with both coun cils, from whom he could find out a great deal of information. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Deputy Pre mier should meet with them once again, and he'd get an earful too. Mr.

Speaker, with regard to the same announce ment, perhaps I'll direct a supplementary question to the Minister of Housing and Public Works. Has the Alberta Housing Corporation made a decision to enter into an agreement for some 200 acres of land within the boundaries of the county of Parkland to zone it industrial, and is this part of the scheme of the Deputy Premier and the MLA for St. Albert as far as the west by-pass is concerned? MR. YURKO: Not to my knowledge, Mr. Speaker. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, when does the Minister of Housing and Public Works plan to tell the MLA for St.

Albert that, at least to the minister's knowledge, the government doesn't plan to move in that direction? MR. YURKO: Mr. Speaker, the MLA for St. Albert and I are in contact on a number of matters; for example, the senior citizen housing project, which is going ahead with a lot of help from the MLA. But we haven't had any discussion on this particular matter. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to direct a further supplementary question to the Minister of Municipal Affairs. It deals with the same proposal. I wouldn't want the minister to feel left out.

My question is with respect to the conditions pre sented to the St. Albert city council requiring the city to withdraw its opposition to the Genstar annexation proposal, now before the Local Authorities Board, in order that this west by-pass could go ahead. Is it the position of the government that the city council of St. Albert must withdraw its opposition to the Genstar annexation proposal before the government is pre pared to move on the west by-pass? MR. JOHNSTON: Mr. Speaker, the hon.

Leader of the Opposition seems to have taken quite an interest — a newly found interest — in the Edmonton metropolitan area. I might advise the House that as recently as 0900 hours on March 20 I did meet with the mayor and the administrators of the town of St. Albert. That meeting was arranged by the MLA from the area. Among other things, we discussed the questions of annexation and urban form, and of course had to touch on the very important question of transporta tion. Naturally, it's been the position of this govern ment that we don't interfere in the positions taken by the municipalities.

If they want to make the presenta tion to take a position in terms of their own boundary adjustments, they have that opportunity, and it's not our intention to interfere. [interjections] MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, another supplementary question to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, whose

364 ALBERTA HANSARD March 29, 1978 memory is amazing on some occasions. Has the minister yet received from the Local Authorities Board its recommendations with regard to the two annexation proposals in the St. Albert area, the Gens- tar proposal and the proposal put forward by the city? MR. JOHNSTON: Mr. Speaker, as I have answered similar questions in this House before — and I know the hon.

Leader of the Opposition is aware of the implications of an answer of that type: if I answer in the affirmative, that I have received the LAB orders, then of course it's clearly understood that it's a posi tive recommendation. So, Mr. Speaker, in terms of my position [inaudible] deal with those issues before, I will not answer that question. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, just one last question of the minister.

Is it the new policy of this government that once the people of an area, by means of plebi scite — the duly elected officials, the city council, go before the Local Authorities Board, tell the Local Authorities Board that in fact they don't want a par ticular annexation project to go ahead, in this case the Genstar project, and yet the minister, before he has received any advice from the Local Authorities Board, goes and asks the city council, or blackmails the city council, into withdraw . . . [interjections] MR. SPEAKER: Order please. MR.

CLARK: . . . asks the city council to withdraw its point of view just to save the MLA from that constituency? MR. JOHNSTON: Mr. Speaker, there is so much speculation in the question of hon. Leader of the Opposition that it doesn't even require rebuttal. MR. JAMISON: A supplementary, Mr. Speaker. First of all I'd like to thank the Leader of the Opposition for his good publicity today. It's unfortunate he doesn't know all the facts of the whole story. To set the matter straight for the hon. Leader of the Opposition, the Genstar application was complete . . . MR. SPEAKER: Order please. Is the hon. minister for St.

Albert making an announcement? [laughter] Firestone Plant Closure MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, now we'll get back to question period, after that short speech. Mr. Speaker, the second question is to the Minister of Business Development and Tourism. It's with regard to the Firestone plant in Calgary. When was the minister first advised by officials of Firestone that it was their intention to close down the plant? MR. DOWLING: Mr. Speaker, as the hon. leader will recall, I did indicate I made a phone call to Mr. Moore, the president of Firestone, when the layoff occurred in the Calgary plant.

On the 15th of this month my office had a phone call from Mr. Moore, indicating he would be in Edmonton on the 20th and would like to meet with me. I agreed to the meeting on the 20th and was informed at that time. The next day the announcement was made in Calgary. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, a supplementary question to the minister. Did the minister express the disap pointment of the government that it hadn't been taken into the confidence of Firestone prior to that, so that some possible alternatives could have been looked at either by Firestone or by Firestone and the government? MR. DOWLING: Yes, Mr.

Speaker, I did express to the president my concern about the pending closure. I told him of the priorities of our government to create new jobs and maintain those that are there. I told him that over the last three years we had created 112,000 new jobs in Alberta, 37,000 last year. So we were truly interested in maintaining the position of the Firestone plant. However, he pointed out that there were three major reasons for the closure, and I have already indicated those to the House. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, to the minister.

Has the government done any sort of study that would indi cate the cost of converting the plant so it would in fact be able to increase greatly its capacity to produce radial tires? MR. DOWLING: Mr. Speaker, I think I did indicate that some $9 million was expended on the Firestone plant in Calgary to convert it to what they felt was a product of current need in the Alberta market. That expenditure was made, and they found the return on the expenditure was not such that they could con tinue the operation of the plant.

You should also know that the Firestone organiza tion, and others as well, have in the course of a very few years turned around the import situation which existed, where Canada and Alberta were importing product from the United States. We are now self- sufficient in tires. The Firestone plant in Joliette, Quebec, and two in Ontario will supply all the requirements of that organization for Canada. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, to the minister. What assi stance are either the minister's department or other government departments giving to those people who will be out of work?

What kind of assistance can those people expect from the minister's department? MR. DOWLING: Well, Mr. Speaker, we have been assured by the management of the Firestone organi zation that they will do everything they can to reloc ate the people who have been relieved of their posi tions with the Firestone organization. I have also had conversations with the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Advanced Education and Manpower with regard to this problem. We are concerned that these people will be re-employed. I think there shouldn't be too much difficulty in the expanding province of Alberta. MR. CLARK: Mr.

Speaker, then to the Minister of Advanced Education and Manpower — or the Acting Minister of Advanced Education and Manpower, who I assume would be the Government House Leader. Are funds available for those employees now out of jobs at Firestone to take manpower retraining pro grams either at the AVC in Calgary or through ap prenticeship training programs? Is financial assis

March 29, 1978 ALBERTA HANSARD 365 tance now available for those people, or is the gov ernment prepared to do that on a special basis? DR. HORNER: Mr. Speaker, if I could, the Minister of Advanced Education and Manpower is ill today, but I'd be quite pleased to take it as notice and have an answer for him shortly. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, one further question of the Minister of Business Development and Tourism.

In light of the fact that there appears to be no way in which the Firestone venture in Calgary can continue to operate — at least that appears to be the position of the government and Firestone — my question to the minister is: what action are the government and Firestone, along with the city of Calgary, involved in to attempt to use that facility for other kinds of manufacturing processes? Is the province presently working this out with the city and with Firestone itself? What initiative has the government in that area? MR. DOWLING: Mr.

Speaker, at this time I haven't had a conversation in that regard with the mayor of Calgary. However, I'm prepared to undertake that type of meeting at any time requested. We know that the Firestone organization does have the property for sale. We understand also, through rumors, that there are some potential buyers. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, a question to the hon. Minister of Business Development and Tourism to clarify the government's position.

Is it then the posi tion of the Alberta government that there is in fact no future for the Firestone plant in Calgary and that the independent assessment has verified that? Or is it the view of the government that there could be an opportunity to reopen the plant at some point? MR. DOWLING: Mr. Speaker, the question was asked Wednesday last, which I intended to answer today. We have not undertaken a study with regard to market potential for that type of product, but we have been told three things which I think I should relate to the members of the Assembly.

The market for automobile tires has remained con stant over the last five years. Advances in radial tire technology, along with the advent of lighter cars, have resulted in longer tire life and hence reduced demand for replacement tires. And three, the manu facture of radial tires requires more sophisticated equipment, longer manufacturing times, than does the older technology. In addition, new technologies are being developed all the time.

The Firestone organization felt that it would be another bad invest ment to go into this highly technical field when they had the type of plant in eastern Canada that could supply the Canadian need. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, a supplementary question to the hon. minister. During the course of the discus sions with officials of Firestone, was the minister able to elicit from the officials whether the company was losing money on the Calgary venture or whether their rate of return was lower on Calgary compared to their average rate of return on other plants? MR. DOWLING: Mr.

Speaker, as I recall the conversa tion and did say in the House earlier, 1972 was the last year the company made a profit. At that time it was something of the order of $1 million. I could verify that figure by checking. The year before that it was some $4.1 million, and since 1972 the company has lost money in the Calgary plant. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, a further supplementary question to the hon. Minister of Business Develop ment and Tourism.

Can the minister advise or assure the House that in fact the Firestone people gave the government of Alberta access to the records, so that we can be assured of the losses the minister has cited? SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh. MR. DOWLING: Mr. Speaker, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the president of the Firestone organization, a great contributor to the Canadian economy and, in a normal situation, one who would be in a position to expand our 37,000 new jobs in Alberta this last year. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, a further supplementary MR.

SPEAKER: We're going to have to get on with the other members who are waiting to ask their ques tions. Perhaps we could have a final supplementary by the hon. Member for Spirit River-Fairview, fol lowed by the hon. Member for Vegreville, then the hon. Leader of the Opposition to conclude that topic. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, my supplementary ques tion to the hon.

Minister of Business Development and Tourism relates again to whether the government has considered, is considering, or is willing to consid er an independent assessment of the plant's capacity in Calgary, in view of at least the dispute — the workers in the area indicate that in their view it is a feasible proposition; they would even like some help to try to take the thing over. My question relates to an independent study now, not what has been done but whether the government is prepared at least to assess that prospect to see whether there is any possibility of keeping that plant going. MR. DOWLING: Mr.

Speaker, with the facts we now have at hand and with contact with other entre preneurial experts in this field in the Alberta scene, we believe that the facts presented are true. You should know too that on the 11th of this month we will be having a meeting with officials of Local 635, United Rubber Workers of America, who have re quested a meeting. At that time I am sure they will be making a proposal to us with regard to the Fires tone plant. I'm not in a position to discuss that matter until I see the proposal. MR. BATIUK: A supplementary to the Minister of Business Development and Tourism, Mr. Speaker.

Could the minister advise whether it's customary for the government to get involved when any business in the province closes its doors, when 37,000 new jobs were created over the past year?

366 ALBERTA HANSARD March 29, 1978 MR. DOWLING: Mr. Speaker, no. Our policy position is simply this: we support any entrepreneurial ven ture. We try to lend that shoring-up effort that gov ernments can and should do. But we try to avoid any interference with the private sector, so it can operate successfully in Alberta. MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask just one last supplementary question of the minister.

In light of the economics the minister has outlined as far as the Firestone plant in Calgary is concerned, and having regard for some of the difficulties the Goodyear plant in Medicine Hat is having, I wonder if the minister would take it upon himself to use his good offices to check with the Goodyear people in Medicine Hat to take whatever steps can be taken jointly to ensure the continuation of the Goodyear plant in Medicine Hat. [interjections] Just hold the phone. It's my informa tion that that plant is now operating some two to three days a week.

If this government can take some steps to save those jobs in Medicine Hat, that would be a step in the right direction. My question to the minister is: would he get hold of the Goodyear people in Medicine Hat to take the opportunity to meet with them to see what steps can be taken to shore up that venture in Medicine Hat? MR. DOWLING: Mr. Speaker, we're not certain the Medicine Hat Goodyear organization is having any difficulty. But I've already been contacted by the hon. member from Medicine Hat requesting that very thing some four or five days ago. Irrigation Reports MR. NOTLEY: Mr.

Speaker, I'd like to direct this ques tion to either the hon. Minister of Agriculture or the hon. Minister of the Environment. It flows from a report given some coverage a few days ago, prepared by the irrigation division of the Department of Agricul ture, which reportedly recommends that irrigation should expand in the St. Mary district, or at least that the emphasis should be in the St. Mary district as opposed to the Lethbridge northern district. Is it the government's intention to table that report in the House during this session? MR. MOORE: Mr.

Speaker, I've not yet had an oppor tunity to review the report the hon. member is refer ring to. If he'd forward a copy of it to me or indicate exactly what report it is, I might be in a better position to answer whether or not it will be made public. I say that because a variety of reports in relation to irriga tion expansion are being compiled by the irrigation division of the Department of Agriculture, and indeed by the Department of the Environment. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, if I could put the question to the hon. Minister of the Environment.

The report I'm referring to is with respect to irrigation prospects. It assesses the St. Mary prospects compared to the Lethbridge northern prospects. Has the government had an opportunity to review this particular report? MR. RUSSELL: Mr. Speaker, I'll be glad to take that question under advisement. The report may be in the department. I don't recognize it from the description the hon. member is giving. If he has a title, perhaps he could put it on the Order Paper. MR. NOTLEY: Mr. Speaker, a supplementary question to the hon.

Minister of the Environment flowing from the report which assessed the two alternatives. Where do things stand on the apportionment agree ment between the provinces of Alberta and Sas katchewan, vis-a-vis water flowing into Saskatche wan? Are there now negotiations under way to rene gotiate that agreement? MR. RUSSELL: No, there aren't, Mr. Speaker. The apportionment agreement is very clear as to the volumes and the annual flow passed on to Saskatch ewan each year. Syncrude Ownership MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the hon. Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

In the interests of the people of Alberta, is the government considering purchasing an addi tional portion of Syncrude? MR. GETTY: No, Mr. Speaker. The matter is not being given consideration at this time. I should point out to the hon. member that the Alberta Energy Company has an option to acquire an interest in the Syncrude plant — a minimum of 5 per cent and up to 20 per cent — and that option is available for some period of time after the plant goes on production. MR. TAYLOR: A supplementary to the hon. minister.

Should the Alberta Energy Company pick up that option, will the people of Alberta have an opportunity of getting into this through the purchase of shares? MR. GETTY: Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure whether it would require a new issue of shares, from the Energy Company's point of view. However, if it did, it would have to handle the issue in the manner prescribed in The Alberta Energy Company Act. Agricultural Exchange Students MR. MANDEVILLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the hon. Minister of Agriculture.

It's with regard to the International Agricultural Exchange Association, which allows young Cana dians to work on farms in other countries and brings trainees from foreign countries to Canada. What's the position of the government with regard to the formula announced in Ottawa which states that the exchange students should be on a one-to-one basis; that is, one Canadian student into a foreign country and one foreign student into Canada? MR. MOORE: Mr. Speaker, that matter is being nego tiated and handled by the Minister of Advanced Edu cation and Manpower, who is not here today, and perhaps the hon.

Government House Leader and Min ister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs. I can say, however, that it has been our position that the program to which the hon. member refers should continue. We were anxious that the arrangements made during the course of the past few months for trainees coming into Alberta this year be continued