Alberta Hansard — 4 February 2008, Afternoon sitting (15:00) (Legislature 26, Session 4)

20080204

Alberta — Debates (Hansard)

February 4, 2008 Alberta Hansard 1 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Monday, February 4, 2008 3:00 p.m. Date: 08/02/04 The Sergeant-at-Arms: Order! All rise, please. [The Clerk read the Royal Proclamation dated January 16, 2008, summoning the Members of the Legislative Assembly to convene on this date] The Clerk: Please be seated. [The Sergeant-at-Arms left the Chamber] The Sergeant-at-Arms: Order! Order! Mr. Speaker. [Preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms, the Speaker, accompanied by the officers of the Assembly, entered the Chamber and took the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon, and welcome.

Please join me in the prayer. Almighty God, author of all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, we ask Your blessings on all here present. We ask Your guidance in order that truth and justice may prevail in all of our judgments for the benefit of all Albertans. Amen. Hon. members and ladies and gentlemen, I would now like to invite Mr. Paul Lorieau to lead us in the singing of our national anthem. Please feel free to join in in the language of your choice. Hon. Members and Guests: 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: Everybody, well done.

Please be seated. head: Entrance of the Lieutenant Governor [The Premier, the Clerk, and the Sergeant-at-Arms left the Chamber to attend the Lieutenant Governor] [The Mace was draped] The Speaker: Hon. members and ladies and gentlemen, the brass choir of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band will now play a brief musical interlude, the details of which are in your program. The Royal Canadian Artillery Band, Canada’s oldest regular army band, was formed in Quebec City in 1879. It was subsequently stationed in both Montreal and Halifax.

It has seen service in both world wars and in Korea, and it has travelled across Canada and beyond our borders. Reconstituted in Edmonton in 1997, the band is today under the direction of Captain David Shaw, who is in the Speaker’s gallery. [The Sergeant-at-Arms knocked on the main doors of the Chamber three times. The Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms opened the doors, and the Sergeant-at-Arms entered] The Sergeant-at-Arms: Ladies and gentlemen, all rise, please. Mr. Speaker, His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta awaits.

The Speaker: Sergeant-at-Arms, admit His Honour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor. [A fanfare of trumpets sounded] [Preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms, His H onour the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Norman L. Kwong, CM, AOE, and Mrs. Kwong, their party, the Premier, and the Clerk entered the Chamber. His Honour took his place upon the throne] head: Speech from the Throne His Honour: My fellow Albertans, welcome to the Fourth Session of the 26th Alberta Legislature. Our gathering here today is part of an enduring legacy of centuries of democratic tradition.

It’s so easy to take for granted the blessings of democracy that this province and this nation enjoy, but it only takes a read of the daily newspaper to be reminded that this tradition is not enjoyed everywhere around the world. We read of discontent, violence, and tyranny, and our hearts ache. Here, however, in this magnificent Chamber and in the communities outside these doors and across the province we see the rich rewards of our democratic tradition, and our hearts soar.

Our ability, our right to gather here today stems from a legacy of democracy which each of us must pledge to uphold and protect at all times. Today brave Canadian men and women in uniform are doing just that, half a world away. Indeed, many of those who have served us overseas have been fellow Albertans, our neighbours and our friends. As we gather to celebrate our blessings today, we should acknowledge with profound gratitude the courage and sacrifice members of our armed forces are demonstrating in pursuit of the most noble of goals, the promotion of freedom and democracy.

Today I speak as well of another legacy, not the legacy of a particular government or a particular Legislative Assembly but the 100-year legacy of an entire province and its people, a legacy born from Albertans’ dreams and hopes for their children and for their province. Indeed, new aspirations are being conceived right now to be fully realized in the years ahead. I speak of Alberta’s leadership role in Canada’s new west. Albertans know their province is poised to assume that leadership mantle.

The last decade in Alberta has been one of astonishing growth – population growth, economic growth – and cultural and social development. Because of this historic record of achievement Alberta stands poised on the threshold of a glorious future. Securing that future must be our legacy, and your government stands ready to help Albertans achieve this.

Your government has a vision for our province that is crafted from the dreams of Albertans and shaped by their hopes, a vision in which all Albertans benefit from the province’s prosperity by proper, effective investments into services and infrastructure that improve quality of life, a vision of a province well pos itioned to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, a vision in which Alberta is master of its own future and well prepared to weather the global economic storms that appear on the horizon from time to time, a vision of a clean, healthy, natural environment to be bequeathed to our children.

Above all, it is a vision of a province where individual Albertans are confident that the only limits to our success are the scope of our dreams and the strength of our desires, a province where families are strong and where young people have a

Alberta Hansard February 4, 20082 well-founded faith that the future holds promise for all in equal measure. In this legislative session and in all legislative sessions in which it has the privilege of governing, this government will lay out a clear plan for achieving this vision. This plan will suppor t strong communities as the key to sustaining and enhancing our high quality of life, it will take bold action to combine development with a strong environmental ethic, and it will capitalize on new opportunities to grow our economy and secure long-term prosperity for all Albertans.

Your government will act on what Albertans have told it, and it will introduce legislation and initiatives that reflect the time-honoured values of Albertans and the bold spirit of Alberta’s future. Albertans know that the success of the last decade has led to unprecedented opportunity, and they also know, as this government knows, that complex problems emerge as growth creates prosperity.

Albertans are concerned about access to health services even as the province spends record amounts on health care, they are troubled by what seems to be increased crime and violence in their communities even as new crime-prevention programs begin to reap dividends, they are bothered by traffic snarls on Alberta’s roads even as the province invests heavily in new infrastructure, and they are anxious about the number of homeless Albertans even as the province enjoys great prosperity.

In particular, they are concerned about the rising cost of housing and other expenses even as family incomes increase, and they worry about the province’s natural environment even as citizens and government become more environmentally wise with each passing year. The government’s plan forcefully addresses these concerns and commits to working in close partnership with Albertans on practical solutions, building a sound and sustainable legacy for the future. Let us turn to that plan. A major focus of the government’s plan for the coming year is the promotion of lifelong health.

We will continue the dialogue begun at last month’s forum on healthy communities to help individuals, families, and communities take greater control of their health; we will work closely with community partners, First Nations, and other stakeholders to address social causes of poor health, especially as they affect children and youth; and we will outline strategies to further increase access to community-based health care and improve access to family physicians. Your government will also take advantage of opportunities to improve the quality and safety of Alberta’s health system.

From implementing provincial standards to prevent and control infection to investing in health infrastructure, Alberta will continue building an innovative health system that is among the best in the world. Alberta will plan and provide for its current and future health workforce needs, which is vital to improving access to services.

Government will increase the number of training spaces for health care workers, continue its recruitment of internationally educated health professionals, and by working with the federal government and regulatory bodies, we will make it quicker and easier for qualified professionals to join the health workforce. These and other policy changes will be guided by a new, long-term directional plan for Alberta’s health system. The plan will create a comprehensive framework designed to support high-quality health care that is accessible when and where Albertans need it.

Lifelong learning goes hand in hand with lifelong health as key elements of a high quality of life. International testing shows that Alberta students are already among the best in the world. This government will not let up on its efforts to further strengthen our education system. To provide a fresh and youthful perspective on learning, the government will establish a youth advisory committee on education. This committee will explore new and innovative ways to improve the learning opportunities available to young Albertans.

Your government will also co-host an education research sympo- sium to ensure that Alberta’s learning system meets the needs of students of the 21st century, and to establish stability in Alberta’s classrooms, it will implement the historic agreement to resolve the unfunded teachers’ pension liability. For the postsecondary education system the government will introduce legislation to reflect how Alberta’s postsecondary institutions are operating under a new, clearly defined framework designed to support an unprecedented era of co-operation focused on benefits for students, taxpayers, and society.

This new Campus Alberta approach will improve transferability and access for students throughout the province and enhance the accountability of all partners to ensure accessible, affordable, and quality education. Alberta’s higher learning institutions will be responsive to all aspects of the skilled and knowledge-based workforce, especially in high- demand areas such as health-based fields and trades training. With education comes the desire for meaningful employment, and Albertans are finding that type of employment at record rates today.

In fact, with Alberta’s strong economy and low unemployment rate, meeting workforce demands continues to be a challenge. You need not go very far in Alberta to see the signs of a hot labour market and a shortage of workers. The government and employers are working together to address this challenge through Alberta’s 10-year labour strategy, Building and Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce. This year sector-specific strategies will be developed to address the needs of the forestry, transportation, and nonprofit and volunteer sectors and to increase participation of aboriginal Albertans in the workforce.

With an anticipated shortage of workers and slowing interprovin- cial migration Alberta is looking abroad to help meet future labour needs. As part of Alberta’s immigration strategy a foreign qualifica- tion recognition plan will be implemented this year. It will put in place mechanisms to ensure that newcomers with foreign credentials and work experience are able to make the most of their skills in Alberta’s economy. Your government will expand th e provincial nominee program. This program allows Alberta to better target immigration towards our specific labour needs.

The number of people nominated will double, to 5,000 next year. Alberta will also continue to work with the federal government to ensure that the temporary foreign worker program meets Alberta’s needs and protects temporary foreign workers. Your government will provide support to workers through new advisory offices opened in December and through stepped-up inspection of workplaces. I now turn to other aspects of your government’s plan for Al- berta’s future. Successful communities require modern, efficient public infrastructure. Catching up and keeping up with those needs continues to be a priority.

Your government has developed a 20-year strategic capital plan for Alberta that will grow our econ- omy, add capacity to health, education, and transportation, and ensure that we do keep up with the needs of a dynamic province. This year your government w ill begin construction of 18 new schools in Edmonton and Calgary using a new model of pub- lic/private partnerships to finance and build more quickly and more affordably than traditional methods. The government of Alberta recognizes the critical importance of maintaining and upgrading existing roads and highways.

Over the next three years provincial investment in highway repaving and bridge repairs will almost double, to nearly $1 billion. The government knows that a strong sense of compassion and desire for fairness is as much a part of Alberta’s future legacy as is

February 4, 2008 Alberta Hansard 3 economic strength. The plan for Alberta includes meaningful measures to help citizens take their rightful places in society. We will help low- and middle-income families with the costs of care for their school-aged children, enhance the availability of out-of-school care programs, and help ensure that children are in safe, supervised environments before and after school. Government will work with First Nations and Métis Albertans to strengthen their important roles in Alberta.

Effective partnerships will be created to support aboriginal economic development and employment opportun ities, and Alberta will work with other governments, friendship centres, and other aboriginal representatives to enhance urban aboriginal initiatives. Your government recognizes the aspirations and special needs of Albertans with disabilities. Benefits under the assured income for the severely handicapped program will be increased, and additional employment supports will be provided to those AISH clients who want to work.

Further investments will help contracted agencies attract and retain qualified workers to support adults with develop- mental disabilities as well as children and families. A demographic planning commission will be appointed to study the needs of an aging population. Its findings will help government develop an aging population policy framework to help decision-makers prepare for meeting the needs of future seniors. Your government will continue to take aggressive action on affordable housing and homelessness.

It will work to fulfill its pledge to create more than 11,000 new affordable housing units over five years, and it will partner with municipalities to increase the supply of available rental accommodation, particularly for students and seniors. It will take steps to end homelessness in Alberta within 10 years with the creation of the Alberta Secretariat for Action on Homelessness. The secretariat will work closely with municipalities throughout the province to co-ordinate and support regional strategies, using the best practices of programs that have worked. Cultural vitality is also important to Albertans.

In 2008 the government will implement its bold new policy, the Spirit of Alberta, to guide decisions on the support and development of Alberta’s culture. Collaboration between government and the private and not-for-profit sectors w ill be vital to ensure that the province has a vibrant arts sector in the future and is recognized nationally and internationally as innovative and competitive. Your government understands that people must feel safe in their homes and their communities.

That’s why Alberta will allocate significant new funding to implement an aggressive strategy to reduce crime and make all our communities safer. Alberta will be getting tougher with lawbreakers – especially chronic offenders, the small percentage of criminals who commit most of the crimes – and working harder to prevent some of the root causes of crime by increasing access to mental health services and treatment for drug addictions. Your government will provide funding to add more front-line police officers to target serious crimes involving violence and drugs, crimes that erode our sense of safety.

It will launch a new investiga- tive unit to target organized criminal activities in our communities such as drug dens and gang and prostitution houses. This unit will support safe communities by shutting down these properties that are breeding grounds for crime and disturbances that can devastate neighbourhoods. Preventing criminals from reoffending is a critical factor in crime reduction.

Alberta will put more probation officers in communities to enhance offender supervision and provide increased support and direction to offenders who want to break the revolving-door cycle of crime and become contributing members of society. New funding will be allocated to appoint more judges and hire more Crown prosecutors and support staff. This will help speed up the justice system and get lawbreakers off the streets and behind bars faster. Your government will also develop a strategy to foster sensible alcohol use and reduce alcohol-related harm.

It will also increase the number of inspectors to ensure that the rules regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol in licensed establishments are respected. It’s no secret that Albertans have a special relationship with the land. Our province is big, beautiful, and bountiful, and we are grateful for the opportunities it gives us. We place a high value on clean air, clean water, and pristine open spaces. With growth comes unprecedented pressure on Alberta’s landscape, and this must be effectively managed.

There are competing demands from forestry, mining, oil and gas, recreation, housing, and infrastructure, often on the same parcels of land. This leads to conflict between users and has the potential to degrade the land, air, and water. Alberta must ensure that the land, your land, is managed responsi- bly for future generations. The old, ad hoc approach is no longer appropriate. An innovative new approach to land-use planning and assessing the cumulative effects of development is designed to safeguard our environmental heritage in a time of phenomenal growth.

In particular, the government of Alberta will continue to strengthen environmental protection for the oil sands region, the site of several approved and proposed major developments. In partnership with the energy sector and other Albertans govern- ment will develop a strategy for responsible energy development and use in Alberta. The strategy will encourage innovative energy development, focusing on renewable and alternative energy and reducing energy consumption through efficiency and conservation. Alberta will continue to strive to be an international leader on climate change issues.

The government will implement a practical and achievable climate change plan to ensure that the environment is protected and that Alberta remains a secure and sustainable supplier of energy. Your government will also begin work with industry to put in place the infrastructure needed to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from large industrial facilities. This is a move that will see truly significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in our province and will ensure that Alberta’s energy is clean energy. Alberta will also continue to be a leader in water management.

Water for Life, the most comprehensive strategy of its kind in North America, has guided water management policies in this province since 2003. However, population growth and the effects of climate change are putting new pressures on water supply and aquatic ecosystems. The government is responding to those pressures. It will increase funding to improve knowledge of surface and ground- water resources and increase the capacity to monitor water re- sources. The upcoming year will see a renewed focus on watershed planning and water quality conservation.

There is no question that Albertans want to do their part to protect the environment. While others talk, Albertans lead. The next decade requires immediate and meaningful action to protect the environment. This government, working with Albertans, will meet that challenge with practical policies designed to reach achievable goals. Even as Alberta’s economy diversifies, Albertans rely on the economic cornerstones of energy, agriculture, tourism, and forestry for much of the province’s employment and economic stability. A strong, thriving energy sector will continue to be a foundation of Alberta’s economy.

This year government will make the necessary legislative and process changes to implement the new

Alberta Hansard February 4, 20084 royalty framework, which comes into effect on January 1, 2009. This will fulfill your government’s commitment to ensure that Albertans receive a fair return for the development of the natural resources that they own. At the same time, the new framework recognizes the importance of Alberta’s hydrocarbon industry both to the present and the future of our province. It will maintain Alberta’s pos ition as an interna- tionally competitive location for new investment and sustained development that will continue to provide thousands of jobs for Albertans and keep the economy strong.

Over the coming year the energy regulatory system will be enhanced. Albertans can have confidence in this system. The new regulatory bodies that have been established will bring renewed focus to ensuring that Albertans affected by energy development are engaged and respected as part of the decision-making process. Another economic cornerstone, agriculture, is as much a cultural foundation of Alberta as it is an economic one. Agriculture in Alberta has a long, rich, and proud history. It is a sector upon which many of the great traditions of Alberta have been built.

Make no mistake: this government stands firm in its commitment to Alberta’s agriculture and food producers and in its resolve to help them thrive in the face of global challenges. Our farmers and ranchers have weathered some tough times in recent years and emerged as hardy and resilient as the land on which they toil. The BSE crisis has receded, for now at least, and grain and oilseed prices are strong, but this sector faces new challenges with the increasing input costs and a high Canadian dollar. Alberta will continue to work with agricultural producers to create long-term and industry-wide sustainability.

Your government understands that industry is in the best position to develop its own vision and strategic initiatives and will work directly with individual agriculture industries on a new competitiveness initiative. It will bring forward recommendations that will help tr ansform the sector and promote long-term sustainability. At the same time, Alberta will work to increase market access for all its agricultural products, both at home and abroad.

On the world stage this government will continue to advocate for an agreement in World Trade Organization negotiations to reduce harmful foreign subsidies and increase access to key export markets. Within Canada this government will continue to support the federal government in its plan for grain marketing reforms, including marketing choice for wheat and barley. Like agriculture, forestry is facing challenges. Through the forest industry sustainability committee industry and government will explore opportunities to improve industry’s competitive position in world markets.

Alberta is also firmly committed to protecting the health of its forests. The govern ment will remain vigilant in the battle against the mountain pine beetle. The focus in 2008-2009 will be protecting the watersheds of the foothills and preventing the front line of the infestation from moving into the boreal forest. It’s clear that the plan outlined here today relies heavily and wisely on the people of Alberta in order for success to be achieved, but there is one part of the plan that relies directly on government. That area is the wise, prudent management of public dollars.

Today, as North America’s only debt-free jurisdiction – and I emphasize: North America’s only debt-free jurisdiction – Alberta has a unique opportunity to secure long-term prosperity for its citizens, and your government pledges to make the very best of that opportunity. It will introduce a new savings strategy with a revitalized Alberta heritage savings trust fund and a renewed commitment to save for the future. It will continue to give Albertans the opportunity to keep as much of their own hard-earned income as possible.

Fundamental to this philosophy is the principle that all Albertans must benefit from the opportunities that Alberta creates and enjoy as much as possible the fruits of their labour. To support that principle, the government will maintain Alberta’s competitive tax advantage. In 2008 your government will go even further to achieve this principle. This year it will introduce legislation to phase out Alberta health care insurance premiums. [some applause] Boy, that one’s pretty popular. This legislation will lay out a plan for the elimina- tion of premiums within four years.

This will be achieved in a measured and fiscally responsible manner. Premiums have served their purpose in Alberta over the years, but in today’s Alberta the time is right for Albertans to reap additional direct rewards of their ingenuity and their hard work. The elimination of premiums is a reward whose time has come. Ladies and gentlemen, these are the highlights of your govern- ment’s plan for the coming year and its vision for the future.

Besides these highlights, your government will move in many different areas over the next year to ensure that barriers to success are removed for all Albertans and that the day-to-day work of government is conducted effectively and honourably. Today’s Alberta requires new ideas and new energy. The plan I have outlined is a bold response to the challenges brought about by growth. It is a clear set of answers to the issues Albertans want to see addressed. It is a road map to economic security and improved quality of life. It reverberates with the values and aspirations of Albertans from all walks of life.

It is a plan for the millions of Albertans who demonstrate their pride, energy, and dignity every day across the breadth of our great province, a plan to enable young families to achieve their dreams, a plan for seniors who have dedicated their lifetimes to Alberta, and a plan to build the prosper- ous and dynamic future that all Albertans desire.

Together we will build our legacy over the next decade and beyond, and we will continue to respect the values that this province has come to stand for over the last 103 years, values that excite the heart and spirit of each one of us who are lucky enough to be able to say: Alberta is my home. God bless Alberta. God bless Canada. God save the Queen. The Sergeant-at-Arms: Order! All rise, please. The Speaker: Hon. members and ladies and gentlemen, I would now invite Mr. Paul Lorieau to lead us in the singing of God Save The Queen. Please remain standing at the conclusion. Hon.

Members and Guests: God save our gracious Queen, long live our noble Queen, God save The Queen! Send her victorious, happy and glorious, long to reign over us; God save The Queen! The Sergeant-at-Arms: Order! [Preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms, Their Honours, their party, and the Premier left the Chamber as a fanfare of trumpets sounded] The Speaker: Please be seated. [The Mace was uncovered] [The Premier returned to the Chamber]

February 4, 2008 Alberta Hansard 5 head: Tablings The Speaker: Hon. members, it’s my privilege now to table a copy of the Speech from the Throne given so graciously by His H onour the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor. Mr. Premier. Mr. Stelmach: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today the Legisla- tive Assembly and the people of this great province have had the opportunity to hear this government’s vision, our vision for the future as outlined in the Speech from the Throne. It is a bold vision.

It meets the challenges of growth, charts Alberta’s course towards a prosperous and s ecure future by building our communities, greening our growth, and creating new opportunities for this and future generations. Over the past year this government has demon- strated its commitment to achieving that vision through new leadership, new ideas, new energy, and the determination to make the difficult but necessary decisions to secure Alberta’s future prosperity.

As His Honour said in the throne speech, our ability, our right to gather here today stems from a legacy of democracy, which each of us must pledge and uphold and protect. Fundamental to that legacy is the right of Albertans to decide who sits in this Legislature, whose vision for the future of our province they will endorse at the ballot box. It is now time for Albertans to exercise that right and make that decision. Therefore, Mr.

Speaker, I have just met with His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, who has graciously consented to issuing a writ for the first provincial general election of Alberta’s second century, to be held March 3. Thank you. The Speaker: Hon. members, that announcement by the Premier leaves little more to be said except my appreciation to all members for the service that they have provided to the people of Alberta during this Legislature. I wish each and every one of you the utmost of success as we enter our future. This House is dissolved, it is adjourned, and it is time for the chair to take its leave.

The best to everyone. [The Speaker left the chair at 4:04 p.m.]

Alberta Hansard February 4, 20086

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Collection	Alberta — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20080204
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	L26 S4 20080204 1500 01 han.pdf
Language	en
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Source	PROVINCIAL
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